The Russia’s oldest orchestra – Great Symphony orchestra named after Tchaikovsky is now 80 years. One of the greatest conductors of the modernity Vladimir Fedoseyev has been heading it for thirty six years.

One of my brightest impressions is your performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. What does Tchaikovsky mean to you?

This is my life. I used to turn over it, conforming to my life. Every time in the same note symbols I see what I have not seen before. An experience of my own life is added and the things that were not known to me before about Tchaikovsky. I read his original scores and claviers, saw his hand that nervously crossing out and rewriting the notes. He was always not sure of himself, shy, very modest in life and expressed all his passion in music. And such passions were very strong.

I wonder why Tchaikovsky was considered and is nowadays considered to be sentimental. I remember the times when his plays of the piano cycle called “Seasons of the year” were not performed – since they were allegedly considered primitive and sentimental. There is no sentimentality at all in it! Or take the Sixth symphony, the last creation of Tchaikovsky. He narrated in it about life very profoundly as an Orthodox man, not being afraid of death. He parted with the earthy life without breakdowns and tears. There is heard a very clear rise to eternity in it. That is why I was embarrassed when during the funerals of our party members in the Collonne Hall in the 70s and 80s this music was performed in such a way that it forced to squeeze out a tear.

And where does this tradition come from?

It comes from many conductors. It might come too from Edward Napravnik. Tchaikovsky named a final part of his Sixth symphony as “Andante lamentozo” that means “sad”, in the rhythm of a quiet move. And Napravnik performing the symphony after Tchaikovsky’s death crossed out the first word and wrote ”Adagio lamentozo”, in other words, very slowly. It acquires quite a different content then. Thus I always try to clear Tchaikovsky from the sentimentality, not typical of him at all. One should seek for the simplicity.

And do you remember when you succeeded to perform Tchaikovsky better?

Yes, there were two events that I remembered for my whole life. The first – in Spain, we performed the Fourth symphony in the field where usually corrida takes place. I could never perform it the same way any more, and I cannot explain why.

And the second event occurred in Japan. In the daytime we were in Hiroshima, in a hospital for still living disable people of the atomic bombing, and in the evening we performed the Sixth Symphony. And when the last sounds were faded away, nobody applauded. People were stopped dead being seized with music. No, not crying, not weeping, each of them was surviving one’s own life. So this way the great music lives.

And what must be miraculous in music that allows not changing a single note affecting the audience so differently?

I always try to keep away from pretentiousness, from affectation. All depends on the fact how to understand any nuance. If Tchaikovsky writes: “ten forte” (to become increased tenfold), it does not mean any affectation in any way. This is an expression of his passion. Here an oboe sounds in the second part of the Fourth symphony. One may perform a hundred variants in a different way – with affectation, with tearfulness, with grimaces. And many people do not notice that it is written there “simplice” – that means “simply”. But to achieve the simplicity – this is the most complicated thing. It is necessary to explain to any musician what the simplicity means. Here is Mozart – very simple. Tchaikovsky loved Mozart very much. Their souls were merged. That is why I attempt to find in Tchaikovsky a simple and natural expression of any phrase. For me it is complicated to perform Tchaikovsky with a Western orchestra. We know that there are very good orchestras existing in the world but they may not feel Tchaikovsky. And it is almost impossible to correct it, rather hard.

And does the Russian music possess of any particular features?

I recollect that back in the Soviet time we performed in Austria Schumann’s Third symphony, its sub-title was named as “Rheinische Symphony”. The newspapers wrote: “This was the “Volga” symphony”. In other words we performed it in the Russian way. Ponderously, heavily as Shalyapin used to sing “Down the matushka, the Volga River”. And it was not easy for us, being behind the “Iron Curtain”, to get rid of it. In West learning the Western culture I understood many things existing in Russian music. Many musicians are ready for the exterior sides of music. But to combine simplicity and depth of the content with a sound – is very complicated. And when we recently performed Tchaikovsky in Vienna in Muzicferain hall we succeeded in carrying all listeners with this Russian simplicity and profoundness. And on the contrary, we performed Beethoven during the same tours however according to critics this was a true Beethoven with a Russian soul. It was the same excitable, passionate but as though with a different passport. We, Russians, may understand and sense any culture rightly. And the Russians may perform Beethoven in such a way that he could be understandable absolutely everywhere in the entire world. The Russian culture was always noble for this.

During 15 years you were heading the orchestra of the Russian folk instruments of the All-Union radio and Central television. What was this work for you?

It, in particular, enabled me appreciating the simplicity. The folk music is a source of the classical music. Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka said: “People create music”. I was friendly with prominent singer Sergey Yakovlevich Lemeshev. He said the following: “The day after tomorrow I sing in opera “Evgeny Onegin”, and today I’ll go to Tver, to my mother’s village. She will sing songs to me. And I will be ready for a spectacle”. Folk music is the foundation, the basis of a classical music including a mastery school to a large extent.

Is the folk music still living now?

It is now very much distorted, being transformed to a souvenir. “The folk music still lived in a choir singing. And now there are a few choirs left, they are all killed. In order to survive they started transforming into another genre, “playing the buffoon”. No doubt that the traditions are still remained but they are becoming less and less…

And a revival of the Russian churches, an appearance of the choirs in them – does it promote preserving the folk music?

Yes, it has a strong influence and support. I am now in contact with many church choirs and can see that their influence is very strong. I hope that it will be developing. But many things depend on leaders. In Russia there were always great choirmasters, regents. In general, Russia is a singing country, namely in a choir singing the Russian conciliarism was shown. You are standing in the choir and singing together with others – it is marvelous. Singing lessons are now canceled at schools – this is a fact of a cultural diversion.

Are you an adherent of traditions in music?

Any tradition comes from people. For example, there was a great musician, he established a certain tradition. And this was good and it was adopted by everybody. But he has gone and the tradition was gone with him. It happened because the time has been changed and the tradition could not match the new time. One should not follow traditions blindly. In general, those traditions that match the modernity are very rare encountered in life. I would call them the eternal traditions. For me the greatest conductor of the present time is Carlos Klayder. Well, he carried the traditions as well as the nowadays feeling of music and life.

One should be afraid of traditions. If you follow only traditions and yourself did not add anything – then it is not your tradition, if the tradition is even good. There were famous names in music but their deeds were known only to a few people at the present time. And here is another example, another outstanding German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler has survived different times however we perceive him as our contemporary.

Who of your teachers influenced you mostly?

In the Moscow conservatory my teacher was Leo Morizevich Ginsburg. He was a remarkable pedagogue, a real teacher. He was not a prominent conductor-performer, it does not always coincide. One may be a great singer but a bad pedagogue and even may spoil voices. The same also may be referred to conducting. He managed to discover the better features in his pupils. I am very thankful to him. He directed me and gave me a chance to feel music and life.

My second teacher was Evgeny Alexandrovich Mravinsky. Formally, he was not teaching me but I was rather close to him, attended his rehearsals and used to spend time in conversations at his home, being familiar with his family. And it was enriching me. Mravinsky, in general, did not teach anybody, he just lived in music. He used to say: “I will be conducting today for a thousand time Tchaikovsky’s Fifth symphony. And I am looking for something what I have not yet found in it. I am thinking, torturing.” Such was his approach.

Great Herbert von Karajan was among the prominent conductors, chief conductors of the Vienna symphony orchestra. How it happened that you accepted such a high post?

It has happened there (pointing to the top). I did not take part in it. I lived and worked very modestly. And all of a sudden I received an invitation. Perhaps, they noticed me when I had performances with my orchestra in Europe. First I was invited to attend the Bergen musical festival in Austria. This was the second festival after the Salzburg one. I was conducting Richard Strauss and Johan Strauss. This is a touchstone for all Russian musicians, the most complicated. And they liked it. Then I performed in the Golden Hall of Muzikferain “Three Romeo” – Tchaikovsky, Prokofyev and Bernstein. And then an invitation to head the Vienna orchestra for a double term was sent to me. It gave me a lot. Unfortunately, my career was built by the West. Or, perhaps, fortunately. I mean that it helped me to realize my concepts. In the USSR I was deemed to be a “Russian populist”. I am not the only one. They say, “No prophet in his own country”. It was very difficult for me. But I resisted.

When working with the Vienna orchestra had you to adjust to the musicians or had they to adjust to you?

No, I was pulling them. I have one and the same method. I use the same method when working with my orchestra. And all my requests were claimed to them too. When I was leaving they forgot about my demands. For me the most important thing is the sound. All thirty five years I have been working on it for the sole purpose to achieve a warm and organic sound. I would like to speak with the audience. My dream is that our orchestra will be recognized even by radio, even without a speaker’s announcement. And it seems to me that I could partially achieve it. The audience understands our musical speech.

Is there any difference for you to perform with your orchestra or with a strange one?

Of course, there is. My orchestra is my instrument. Give a violist another violin, even the best one and he will say that he will have to get accustomed to it for a month. Some pianists used to bring their grand-piano during their tour. The keys are the same but the sound is different. And I know what my musicians will answer to me. And to another orchestra, even to a good one, firstly, one has to fit to it. And it may take a few days. As a rule, an orchestra meets an unfamiliar conductor rather negatively – well, let’s see what are you going to demonstrate? And such a contact may be found in an hour, in two hours, in a day. But when the contact is established my musical principles have become clear to the orchestra because they are international and understandable in the whole world – let’s take Japanese or Europeans. And if the musicians are convinced in it, music then is being born. They are happy and I am happy as well.

Your repertoire is tremendous. Is there a composition which you have not yet performed but which you are dreaming of?

I performed all Russian music. And the most contemporary Russian composer for me is Dmitry Shostakovich.  However it was a long way to reach him. Already since the war times when I used to listen to him by radio it seemed to me that his music was farfetched. But it seemed to me only during that time. Later on I appreciated that it was not so. Shostakovich himself did not disclose it, he could rather agree with an interpreter. And the time proved what a great composer he was. As for me I perceive him as a deeply spiritual composer. He is badly needed now for listeners, for all of us because he was saying about us, about our today’s fate. And, certainly, Georgy Sviridov is my soul. His symphony music is not numerous.  But his choirs, vocal music are beautiful. This is the tradition that comes from Borodin and Mussorgsky. He has not lost it but created his own. But I would like now most of all to perform “St. Matthew passion” by Bach. This is the gorgeous music.

Knapp acht Minuten benötigen die Wiener Symphoniker für das berühmte “Adagietto” aus Mahlers Fünfter, wenn der ehemalige Chefdirigent Wladimir Fedosejew am Pult steht.

Knapp acht Minuten benötigen die Wiener Symphoniker für das berühmte „Adagietto“ aus Mahlers Fünfter, wenn der ehemalige Chefdirigent Wladimir Fedosejew am Pult steht. Die Aufführungsdauer steht quer zu den derzeit üblichen elf bis 14 Minuten. Und doch geht dem scheinbaren Geschwindmarsch zum Trotz die Emotionalität dieser Musik nicht verloren. Schwebende, fließende Klänge, geschmeidige Phrasierung sicherten dem „Liebesbrief an Alma“ den rechten Charakter.

Mahler eigenes Tempo. Tatsächlich hat nach übereinstimmenden Aufzeichnungen Mahler selbst nie länger als siebeneinhalb Minuten für dieses später zur Filmmusik degradierte Stück gebraucht. Das sagt viel über die Überfrachtung seiner Musik durch die Interpretationsgeschichte. Der schlanke, fein differenzierte Klang, den die Symphoniker diesmal erzielten, hat gewiss mehr mit Mahlers Intentionen zu tun als die Hollywood-Geste, mit der man den persönlichen Botschaften dieser Musik gern beizukommen versucht. Unter Fedosejew brillieren auch die Bläser des Orchesters vom fulminanten Trompetenbeginn über exquisite Soli im Scherzo bis zum kontrapunktisch verwickelten Finale, das die Hochstimmung Mahlers am Beginn der Beziehung zur jungen Geliebten mitreißend vermittelte.

Solch gelungene Neubelichtung eines viel gespielten Stücks zum Beginn der Jubiläumsfeiern kann gelingen, wenn ein Orchester einen Dirigenten bestens kennt und dieser weiß, wie man in wenigen Proben ein Maximum an klanglicher Innovation erzielt. Für ein Stück wie Karol Szymanowskis eingangs gespielte Dritte Symphonie gilt solches nicht. Da spürte man von Takt zu Takt, dass die Musiker mit ihren Parts nicht im Schlaf vertraut sind. So klang vieles vorsichtig, gelangen manche allerhöchste Streichertöne keineswegs so einstimmig wie später auch heikelste Mahler-Kantilenen.

Hymne an die Nacht. Dass Szymanowskis Symphonie eine klangschwelgerische „Hymne an die Nacht“ sein will, zu der ein wohltönender Singverein und Sopranistin Joanna Kozlowska (im „Tenorsolo“!) mit schwebenden Harmonien indische Meditationstexte beisteuerten, musste man zu abstrahieren versuchen. Die staunenerregende Begegnung folgte nach der Pause – mit angeblich bekannter Musik.
(”Die Presse”, Print-Ausgabe, 14.02.2010)

On 4 and 13 September, Vladimir Fedoseyev conducted the Perm Orchestra during the performance of George Balanchine ballet’s (“Serenade for a string orchestra” by Tchaikovsky, Concerto for two violins by Bach) and operas “Tsar’s bride” (Rimsky-Korsakov). On 7 and 8 September, Maestro has presented two symphonic programs with his orchestra and invited soloists (Nikolay Marton and Pavel Milyukov).

«It is a great pity, that the festival has come to the end, but I live in the hope, that we will meet. For me it was great life pleasure, pleasure of contact and partnership, pleasure of dialogue with people who live thanks to music, for the sake of music. “As music is love, and love is God”, – Vladimir Fedoseyev said.

Vladimir Fedoseyev has also described the Perm audience by flattering words, having noticed, that for the musician the public support is very important: “The way they listen, the way they love music, serious music!”

The festival was hold with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture and in the frame of the All-Russia philharmonic seasons.

“Federal-press“