Moscow's unmistakables
Not even the KGB could mute their brilliance
|
|
|
Stuart Derdeyn
|
|
The Province
|
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
IN CONCERT
Vladimir Spivakov and Moscow Virtuosi
Where: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, UBC
When: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $45-$90 at Ticketmaster
- - -
The Moscow Virtuosi is one of the most acclaimed chamber music groups in the world. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary with an all-too-rare tour of North America, the ensemble headed by violinist Vladimir Spivakov almost didn't come to be.
Spivakov laughs about its origins.
"I didn't know it was going to be such a wonderful brand, if you can say that," says Spivakov. "Our first three years we were underground because it was the Brezhnev years and we weren't state-sanctioned."
It was following the rave reception for his conducting debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival in 1979 that Spivakov first decided to bring together some of the finest players in Russia's many excellent orchestras into one group. He had studied conducting with a close friend of Shostakovich and thought it would be a prime idea to unite a group of aces in one unit that could tour and perform in and outside of the country.
"It was to develop friendship between musicians and colleagues because it was hard times. To go out in groups of more than three, you had to always have KGB members with you. And there were crazy rules about not going into an elevator with a woman in any Western country. It was amazingly and incredibly stupid."
For three years, the group rehearsed in small places, nightclubs and the very occasional underground concert. Its reputation grew until impresarios abroad started to request the "Moscow Virtuosi" for concerts.
"The state cultural organization were going, 'We don't know this orchestra.' Then, for the Cultural Olympiad before the 1980 Moscow Olympics, there was a need for an orchestra and the then Minister of Culture asked me if I could do it, so we played officially.
"It was a great success, Pravda wrote us up and, finally, we existed."
This semi-official confirmation was enough to score Spivakov a card that he still has stating that he was allowed a whopping 300 grams of butter and two kilos of flour. The orchestra first toured Spain, which received it with open arms. Recording contracts and rave reviews for performances and CDs followed the group everywhere.
"But things were so hard that we were going to break up because there was not enough work for food. Then a Spanish nobleman took all of us to Spain on a contract to set up a music conservatory and it was amazing."
At the end of the contract, many of the orchestra remained in Spain, where they assumed key places in that nation's many regional symphonies. About half of the group returned to the Soviet Union. But the ensemble kept together.
"You know how Mr. Trump says on TV, 'You are fired?' I never said that to anyone. People have come and gone and we remain a great orchestra."
Indeed they are. One that is able to play passionate and enthusiastic works by the great composers as well as being torchbearers for new music composers such as Penderecki, Paart and, particularly, Schnittke.
Spivakov says that, whatever they play, you'll know it's Moscow Virtuosi.
sderdeyn@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Province 2008