Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 368 3rd International Conference on Art Studies: Science, Experience, Education (ICASSEE 2019) Multifaceted Creativity: Legacy of Alexander Ivashkin Based on Archival Materials and Publications Elena Artamonova Doctor of Philosophy University of Central Lancashire Preston, United Kingdom E-mail: [email protected] Abstract—Professor Alexander Vasilievich Ivashkin (1948- numerous successful international academic and research 2014) was one of the internationally eminent musicians and projects, symposia and competitions, concerts and festivals. researchers at the turn of the most recent century. His From 1999 until his death in 2014, as the Head of the Centre dedication, willpower and wisdom in pioneering the music of for Russian Music at Goldsmiths, he generated and promoted his contemporaries as a performer and academic were the interdisciplinary events based on research and archival driving force behind his numerous successful international collections. The Centre was bursting with concert and accomplishments. This paper focuses on Ivashkin’s profound research life, vivacity and activities of high calibre attracting knowledge of twentieth-century music and contemporary international attention and interest among students and analysis in a crossover of cultural-philosophical contexts, scholars, professionals and music lovers, thus bringing together with his rare ability to combine everything in cultural dialogue across generations and boarders to the retrospect and make his own conclusions. His understanding of inner meaning and symbolism bring new conceptions to wider world. His prolific collaborations, including with the Russian music, when the irrational becomes a new stimulus for London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Southbank Centre, the rational ideas. The discussion of these subjects relies heavily on BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Barbican Centre and unpublished archival and little-explored publications of Wigmore Hall, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Ivashkin in Moscow and London. Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Mariinskii Theatre and the Moscow Studio for New Music brought British music Keywords—Ivashkin; the Bolshoi Soloists; new music; and musicians to Russian soil and enthused British audiences symbol; inner meaning; crossover with Russian music [2]. I. INTRODUCTION II. SOLOISTS OF THE BOLSHOI THEATRE Cellist, conductor, academic and advocate of new music, Ivashkin’s interest in contemporary music as an academic Professor Alexander Vasilievich Ivashkin (1948-2014) was and performer naturally coexisted and grew from the early one of the internationally eminent musicians and researchers days of his career. It rapidly matured especially from 1978, at the turn of the most recent century. His profound when he became the artistic director of the Bolshoi Soloists, musicianship, wide-ranging knowledge, exceptional the ensemble that he formed from some of the best soloists inspiration and energy won him recognition not only in his of the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre conducted by native Russia and London, where he made his home for the Alexander Lazarev. This ensemble quickly became known as last fifteen years of his life, but also in many renowned an active proponent for contemporary music in the USSR concert halls, festivals, conservatories and international and abroad. Thanks to Ivashkin’s exquisite programming, conferences around the globe. vision and research of available repertoire, as well as tireless and inspirational activities as a promoter and organiser, a Writing about Ivashkin in 1999, Gerard McBurney wide variety of new music by Soviet composers was rightfully envisaged Ivashkin’s tremendous contribution to commissioned and performed along with experimental works the cultural and musical life of London and beyond: ‘I would by Western composers. It was a unique accomplishment. describe him as a remarkable man with a remarkable history Described by the Guardian as "provocative and addressing" and as someone whose work crosses the boundaries of the [3], the ensemble’s top-class performances and recordings performer and the academic, opens up discussion and would for the Melodia (Russia) and Mobile Fidelity (USA) labels add immeasurably […] to the musical life of any city in became the key documents in the history of music of that which he happened to live [1]. period. Sofia Gubaidulina remembers: "The soul of the Ivashkin’s fervour, initiative, willpower and wisdom in ensemble was a cellist, Alexander Ivashkin, – an excellent pioneering the music of his contemporaries as a cellist, musician, musicologist and, at the same time, a cellist full of conductor and writer were the driving force behind his enthusiasm. The ensemble, apart from other activities, Copyright © 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). 787 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 368 commissioned composers to write for them [4]." Their come. Among the works written especially for Ivashkin are concerts were oversubscribed and sometimes unwelcomed Hymn III for cello, bassoon, harpsichord and bells or timpani by the authorities due to the modernistic content of their (1974-79) and Klingende Buchstaben for cello solo (1988) mainly avant-garde concert programmes, often showing a by Alfred Schnittke, Monogram for cello solo (op. 58a, 1990) special interest in the theatrical and experimental side of by Dmitri Smirnov, Kyrie Eleison for cello solo (1992) by musical performances, which were not supported by officials. Alexander Raskatov, Ist es Genug? for cello, ensemble and magnetic tape (1993) by Faradzh Karaev, Passacaglia for The French newspaper Sud Ouest placed the Bolshoi cello solo (1998) by Nikolai Korndorf and Black Icons for Soloists on a par with the leading ensembles of the West: cello solo and ensemble (2011) by Roger Redgate. "The English have the London Sinfonietta, the Italians – the Venice Soloists, we have the Inter-contemporain […] The The wide-ranging selection of works, including those Bolshoi Soloists have convincingly demonstrated to us that with religious titles and with theatrical and visual elements, […] this Ensemble can deal with the music of a broad range. which were chosen to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of There are only a few orchestras in the West that can provide the October Revolution in February 1987 at the Tchaikovsky such insights into contemporary music [5]." Many Hungarian Hall in Moscow with the Bolshoi Soloists is striking even critics emphasized their virtuoso technique, transparency of today. It is also profoundly symbolic as it reflects the instrumental lines and attention to timbres and colouring, complex but integral national history of Russia. It is likely saying that "precisely detailed interpretation of composers’ that such an unconventional programme in connection to the ideas" was the distinguishing feature of the ensemble’s biggest state celebration of the Revolution, which in 1917 led performances [6]. to the destruction of churches and severe persecution of believers, was possible only due to the glasnost’ reforms of III. CONCERT PROGRAMMES AND PREMIERES OF THE the time. This concert presented premieres of Vladimir ENSEMBLE — WORKS WRITTEN FOR IVASHKIN Shcherbachev’s Nonet (with a dancer), 1919, and Rodion Shchedrin’s Geometry of Sound, 1987, for 18 musicians, in The intensity of the USSR and world premieres given by which the ensemble was divided and positioned in three the Ensemble are noteworthy. One may recall the concert on different places on stage, thus creating new perception of the 17 December 1984 at the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow sound and timbres within the enlarged performance space. as a historical occasion which brought together notable The conspicuous new work by Vladimir Tarnopolski Choral composers of past and present. It had three parts (compared Prelude: Jesu, deine tiefen Wunden, was inspired by Dürer’s to the usual two) and included three premieres in the USSR engraving of Christ’s Passion, 1987, with a visual illustration of works by Richard Wagner Siegfried Idyll in original of the Cross made by percussionists walking across the stage, version of 1869 for 13 instruments, by Olivier Messiaen a Lutheran chorale in the orchestra and lamentoso Couleurs de la Cité Céleste [Colours of the Celestial City] exclamations of the string trio as a symbol of the Trinity. for piano solo and ensemble, 1963, with the soloist Dmitri Schnittke’s Three Madrigals, 1980, and Shostakovich’s Jazz Alekseev, and by Charles Ives From the Steeples and the Suite, 1934, concluded the concert. The concert programme Mountains, 1901. The Bolshoi Soloists also gave a world notes by Ivashkin called ‘Soviet Music Yesterday and premiere of Nikolai Korndorf’s Da!! [Yes!!] for soprano, Today’ underline similar tendencies in search for new two tenors and ensemble, 1982, written especially for them, musical expressions between the avant-garde period of 1920- which in the words of Ivashkin was "an unlikely 30s and of the 1980s [11]. The author pointed out to combination of Christian mystery play, pagan ritual, opera increasing attention to subtle elements, to symbolism of the and oratorio [7]." Vladimir Tarnopolski recalls this elements and their importance, to the greater meaning of performance as "phenomenal" [8]. In his "Autobiography" theatrical components and the value of