On the recent 80th birthday of David Tukhmanov firm “Melody” was presented for the first time digitized and restored albums of the composer — “On the wave of my memory” (1976), “love” (1985), “electroclub” (1987). Boris Barabanov asked David Tukhmanov about how he recorded the legendary album “On the wave of my memory” and how did the fate of the performers.— Tell me you were somehow involved in the revision process of?— No, did not participate. I can not really imagine, how are these reissues, honestly. To date, this whole digital world for me any unmanaged space. I can only log in YouTube, type your name, see what people post, and form an impression about what of my old stuff is still popular and living his life independent from me. Half of the performances is certainly Amateur, but there are very interesting execution. Apparently, for some reason, people feel the need to return to my works.— Several years ago I was visiting one of our former compatriot in London, and he was showing me his sound system that cog was collected to achieve the perfect sound. He took me to a huge rack full of vinyl records, and from the variety of his collection have been chosen to drive “On the wave of my memory” to his example to show your perfect home sound. Tell me, during the recording of this album did you pay any special attention to the sound? It differed from normal operation in the Soviet studios?— Let’s start with the fact that the number one task for me then was the realization of this work in the form of vinyl records. And other options is, in fact, was not. I had to gather musicians who worked in different places, and record them it was a Suite, a sequence of works, United by a common plan. As you know, we were working on analog equipment. I participated in this work on equal terms with the sound. A huge old console, multitrack tape recorders, a complex mix, sometimes multi-stage, when it was necessary to reduce at first the individual record elements, and these elements are then gathered in the next, more complex chain. We verified the balance and ensure that our work sounded good it on high quality speakers. So I would be quite satisfied if our album remained in the form in which we have created, and confirmation of your story about the London audiophile.— And did you have any foreign guidance? We’ve this kind of music then no one played.— Of course. And King Crimson, and Jethro Tull, and Led Zeppelin, and Frank Zappa — we all listened carefully. Overall I would describe this music ka�� “art-rock”. And I want to take credit for the fact that the texts in the Russian language has managed to combine with such music. The whole mass of popular Western music were, of course, in English, and I was afraid that the peculiarities of the Russian language will be an obstacle to work in a more rigid rhythmic forms. It requires a somewhat different arrangement of words and accents. Nevertheless managed to preserve the natural nature of the Russian language, without distorting the pronunciation. I still wonder what I did.— As far as what happened, consistent with the plan that you had in mind?— The only thing that has failed to do is to include in our cycle work on the ancient poetry of the Chinese poet Du Fu. “In a boat with a high mast on a quiet night I sail…” This song only exists in my memory, even notes are not recorded. This thing would not stand any hudsovet. Relations with China in 1976 was very difficult. Classic poetry is actually what helped me to push through the arts Council quite innovative musical form. I worked a lot in common song genre and well aware that “On the wave of my memory” is created in a fundamentally different way. The arts Council were people of the older generation, thought categories, popular songs, and I’m on their background was “young composer”. Me something let, I had already had a name. But if I played this song in the album, he could never see the light of day. By the way, I’m not counting on the wide resonance of this project. It seemed to me that the audience of the album is the music lovers, lovers of such music. There are in fact everything was new. And the singers are unknown, and they sang not, as then stars.— How is it that such bright participants of the project, as Alexander Lerman (“my Heart, your heart”), Mehrdad Badi (“I mentally walk into your office,” “Good night”) and Natalia Kapustina (“From Sappho”) shortly after the recording and even during the preparation of the album to the exit emigrated from the Soviet Union?— Perhaps they really were passionate about this Western music, and not in the former USSR the use of their musical tastes. I subsequently had no contact with them, only had one or two telephone conversations with Natasha Kapustin, who along with her husband went to the USA and build there career in the arts. Frankly, soon, for me the album “On the wave of my memory” ceased to be of interest, for this period of my life, I did not come back. And only a few years later I discovered that this music continues to live and is of interest to people of all ages and tastes. But I myself in the last two decades, from song genre completely away. I’m interested in the Opera genre, and probably the rest of the change will be no more. I have composed two operas — “the Queen” (this is the episodes from the life of Catherine the great) and “Joseph and brothers” in the famous biblical legend. “The Queen” incredibly lucky. Despite all the difficulties of staging new operas, she was in the repertoire of “Helikon-Opera”. It is very rare in our time. As for “Joseph and brothers”, this piece is full of suspense. But I have not lost hope that someday, the audience will hear it.
