AN INTERVIEW with RODION SHCHEDRIN by John Stuhr-Rommereim
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· ........................................................................ AN INTERVIEW WITH RODION SHCHEDRIN by John Stuhr-Rommereim ORN IN MOSCOW, SHCHEDRIN GREW He has received many prestigious commissions, up in a musical family; his father was a including a request from the New York composer and teacher of music theory. Philharmonic in 1968 in honor of the orchestra's Shchedrin studied at the Moscow Choral 125th anniversary. He continues to receive frequent School and graduated from the Moscow commissions from all over the globe. Conservatory in 1955 where he studied Shchedrin succeeded Dmitri Shostakovich as head composition and piano. He began composing of the Union of Russian Composers. Shostakovich large works while in his early 20s, often using founded the union in 1948 as an alternative to the traditional Russian tales as his subject. Shchedrin has official Union of Soviet Composers. Shchedrin taken many classics from Russian literature and resigned in 1988, believing that it was no longer given them life on the musical necessary to have the two stage: his opera, The Dead unions. "We needed to do Souls, is taken from Gogol; away with them. The whole his ballet, Anna Karenina, is structure was thought up from the well-known novel by under Stalin, and it was Tolstoy; and he used the basically a way to make sure writings of Chekhov for his everybody stayed within the ballets The Seagull and The approved limits . We Lady with the Lapdog. don't need that anymore." Shchedrin's wife, the ballerina The career of composer Maya Plisetskaya, has danced Rodion Shchedrin reflects the the lead in many of his recent changes in the Soviet ballets. Union. Although Shchedrin Shchedrin's choral output is has had a successful career extensive and distinguished. there, it is only in the last few Nonetheless, his reputation is years that he has seen the not built primarily on his Soviet performances of many choral music, but upon a of his pieces; his works have diverse body of works for often been premiered outside virtually every musical of his own country. Shchedrin medium especially for refused to join the orchestra. His oeuvre includes Communist party, yet two operas (Not Love Alone- remained an "official" 1961, and Dead Souls- composer throughout the 1976), two symphonies, four reign of Stalin. During those concertos for orchestra, four piano concertos, five oppressive years, Shchedrin saw many of his ballets, miscellaneous orchestral works and contemporaries exiled for creating works which did transcriptions, music for 10 films, incidental music not fall within the narrow boundaries of what Stalin for eight plays, various chamber works, songs, works deemed appropriate. Despite these warnings, he for solo piano, four oratorios, and numerous choral continued to compose, returning again and again to works. During his long career, he has had contact the chastuchka, a form of urban folklore, for with an impressive array of international artists and inspiration. The use of Russian folklore combined musicians, including Picasso, Chagall, Bernstein, with contemporary techniques and instruments has Barber, Orff, Penderecki, Berio, and many others. become a distinguishing trait of Shchedrin's music. April 1992 Page7 STUHR-ROMMEREIM: What role has instrumentalist, you tend to focus on Orthodox Church. The title is derived choral music played in your career? the sound and role of your own from a novella by Nicolai Leskov, a instrument, and when you practice, nineteenth-century Russian author. SHCHEDRlN: It has been very you hear only one part. In the choir, Leskov's Sealed Angel is a Christmas important to me because my musical however, you're part of the story about a group of Old Believers beginning was in choral music, at the "zvuchaniye," part of the overall (a traditionalist group suppressed by Moscow Choral School. I sang in the choral sound. the Russian Orthodox Church) whose alto section of the choir there. Also, I I must tell you that last winter, in sacred icon of an angel is disfigured received a diploma in choral January, we had a reunion of (translated as "sealed" or conducting first; it was only after students from the Moscow Choral that that I moved to the Moscow School. We sang all our old "imprinted") and stolen by the local Conservatory . repertoire. Everyone was in tears! It state-supported church. The plot I think choral training is fantastic. was touching - not because of revolves around an elaborate scheme It is the best way to learn, because nostalgia, but simply because of the to retrieve and restore the icon. when you study the violin or cello, experience of singing in a choir. Shchedrin's choral work does not for instance, you usually do not see Singing in a choir is a very special refer directly to the story, but results immediately. In choral music, experience. attempts to evoke the pure, fervent you get immediate feedback. It is also faith of the Old Believers as Leskov excellent ear training. I really think it STUHR-ROMMEREIM: Tell us about portrays them. is the best form of musical education your education at the Moscow Choral Shchedrin attaches particular for someone who wishes to become School. musical, a real musician. Of course, significance to this piece and views it one must be able to play various SHCHEDRIN: We were lucky because as an important landmark in his instruments, but choral training is the some of the very best teachers were career. Much of it is chant based and surest guarantee that one will have working there. Sveshnikov was there, reminiscent of Rachmaninov in its all the skills necessary. If you are an and we saw a great deal of Pavel rich lyricism. The words and melody Chesnokov. He was greatl of a 17th-century znamenny chant, . Also, we sang a wide variety of .. StUhr=-Rorru.UErreim 'is AssistaIifProfessorof . the T.ropaxion.for.Great.Eriday,-- choral music, including much church figure prominently in the work. This Music at Grinnell College in Grinnell, music - but without the text - Iowa. znamenny chant focuses on the deceit and avarice of Judas: "Behold, 0 lover of money, this man who because of money hanged himself. Konstanz Festival Chorus Flee, 0 greedy soul, from the man We sang a wide variety of who committed such things against Beijing Festival Chorus choral music including the master." Other portions of the .. .. "," .. ~."'_. .. ....'Work reminded me of Poulenc's Jerusalem World Harmony Festival Chorus .~. much church muszc·-=.:...:;...··· __ ·.. · motets (especially "Vinea mea' England & Wales Festival Chorus but without the text - electa"), with their piquant • , • dissonances, prevailing homophony, French Festival Chorus w'tth solfege, or w'tth some and emotional intensity. Shchedrin substitute text such as ~~the objected when ! co,~pared his music .-... ~ _. @~BA."··-= .~ _. day is beauti}iir' or "wniir'- ~~reo~e~i~' c~:r~g IIl~~~!?;ef~~~~~~dJl CULTURAL AND PERFORMING ARTS a lovely day. ~~ apparently no.conscious influence or direct connection between the two composers; nonetheless, passages sounded strikingly similar to me. I Musical Heritage Tours asked Shchedrin whether this was the Artist Management first sacred work he had written, and • with solfege, or with some substitute he replied, "Yes, the first open work." Festival Choruses text such as "the day is beautiful" or In other words, he has presumably • "what a lovely day." It was a neutral written other sacred works "for his Performing Arts Festivals experience, but we got to sing the desk," without showing them to the • great masterworks of the Russian choral tradition - Rachmaninov, public. It is very likely that since Performance Opportunities glasnost, many sacred choral works & Customized Tours Chesnokov, Tchaikovsky, Kastalsky. Consequently, this, my new second written in more repressive times will choral work [pointing to a copy of surface as composers now feel it is The Sealed Angel, 1989] is very safe to show them to the public. I A Division of PleasureBreak, Inc. important. I hope that it will not be have heard a rumor that Sviridov, 1350 East Touhy Avenue a piece just for this year. one of Russia's most prolific choral Des Plaines, Illinois 60018 [The text of The Sealed Angel is composers, will soon be releasing (708) 297-5738 • (800) 777-1885 taken from an archaic version of sacred works that he previously had portions of the rite of the Russian kept hidden.] PageS CHORAL JOURNAL STUHR-ROMMEREIM: In The Execution explanation of its background. In the person, and was not, of course, a of Pugachev, the Choral Concertino, West, no one knows who Pugachev saint! In attempting to create a new Zvony, and several other works, you was. In our country, every child relationship between social groups, he make use of bell sounds. Can you even a four-year-old like your killed indiscriminately! He was comment on the significance of this? daughter here - knows the name of horriblel But, he became a legend, Pugachev. He is a legend. He is one and Russians understand his SHCHEDRIN: Bells have been very of the most legendary figures in character. important to the people of Russia. Russian history. He wanted For example, in the Kremlin, you STUHR-ROMMEREIM: How would you will see the "Tsar Kokokol," that is, describe the present state of choral the King of Bells - a huge, gigantic music in Russia? bell. And, Ivan the Terrible, when he tried to bring Novgorod into his Everyone [in Russia] w SHCHEDRIN: I must tell you that the empire, sent soldiers to capture all of whole situation now [June 1991] is the bells of Novgorod. He took them preoccupied with things really very tragic. The ship has sunk, to Siberia. Just the bells! Because of outside the realm of music. so to speak, and all the people are the climate in Russia, and the trying their hardest just to survive.