But in the autumn he expects to play in the Kremlin Palace, and hopes that in the new season of musical life will return to normal, it will be possible to solve the problems associated with “quarantine” regulations in concert halls. About how the situation is unfolding today in the world of music, support musicians, new projects and the positive experience of self-isolation Denis Matsuev told the Explorer, “RG”.
You planned to celebrate its 45th anniversary concert in the Kremlin Palace on June 16, but in today’s situation it has become impossible. All canceled?
Denis Matsuev of Course not! This concert we moved in the fall. I was very touched that during the quarantine, the public do not give up and continued to buy tickets to my concert, and the hall is 5.5 thousands of people have already completely sold. So the concert will be held. And in early July I will perform in the Park “Zaryadye”. Going to play on the open stage in the online format, perhaps even with a small number of the public.
As always, you are optimistic, but the situation is that for musicians the exit of a pandemic can become very long and even extreme because of the conditions, which today is formulated by Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of culture.
Denis Matsuev I discuss different levels of problems encountered by musicians, constantly monitors the situation, communicate with Directors of halls and major festivals in Europe and America. Of course, it was immediately clear that the band will be released from quarantine last, because the concerts are events, and people in the audience and on the stage are here in close contact. But in Europe, where he first announced tough conditions for the musicians, there was a breakthrough: we spoke to the intendant of the Vienna Philharmonic, Thomas Angina and concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Rainer Hanekom, and they reported that the Minister of culture of Austria has given an order about opening of the Musikverein on September 1 absolutely normal conditions: when it’s full, no seats the audience in a checkerboard pattern, with the orchestra on the stage in full force. Don’t even know what happiness was in their voice! They in fact would be a total collapse: not one scene of the world does not imply such a Seating arrangement of a Symphony orchestra.
Yes and no the score shouldn’t have the Seating arrangements.
Denis Matsuev Yes, and such breakthroughs, of course, encouraging. In Austria starting in June you can already gather in the hall of audience of 100 people in August, up to thousands, and in September – the full composition of the audience. Our autumn tour with the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra and Valery Gergiev in Asia (China, Japan, Korea) is not cancelled and will take place in the period of October – November. Japan has almost removed the quarantine, and Suntory hall, the famous hall in Tokyo, confirml us tour. I have also started to resume his solo concerts in Europe.
how long resume your contracts?
Denis Matsuev in the fall. In Germany have already begun selling tickets to my concerts, the Seating in the halls. This is the last precise information. But on June 19-20 I will make a forced March to Berlin, where I will concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker in the Digital Concert Hall. It’s unclear whether to be in the audience, but this concert I just had to play. We designed this program together with Mariss Jansons. 1 Dec Maestro did not, and I decided that I would play the First Shostakovich Concerto without a conductor: this is a dedication to a great musician. By the way, Valery Gergiev, too, will fly in June to Germany, maybe we’re there with him, cross paths, I’ll play this Concert of Shostakovich and his Munich orchestra. I know that Maestro Riccardo Muti is out in June in Ravenna with open-air concerts.
Announced that and France resumed the work of theatres and concert halls. While probably only for rehearsals.
Denis Matsuev I Have in France for this year is scheduled for five concerts, and none of them was cancelled, neither at the Theatre Champs Elysees Eliza (the théâtre des Champs-elysées) or at the Philharmonic. The problem is only in how you have to divide between the audience, the concerts, the audience must be incomplete. All these subscription concerts, and tickets are sold out in advance. For musicians of the incomplete hall was also a problem. Drawing Parallels with football: June 19, will start the championship of Russia on football, and the government has decided at least 10 percent, but to fill the stands. Everyone understands that football without spectators is nonsense, complete lack of energy, which simply requires teams to support. The same thing happens at concerts, which is impossible without the emotional support of the public.
You remembered your March online-a concert in an empty Concert hall Tchaikovsky.
Denis Matsuev the concert in Tchaikovsky Hall has already gathered more than 4.5 million hits, but the enemy does not want to test this: play a blank wall and know that you are watched by millions. This is one of the most difficult shows in my life. I understand that while online the concerts will continue, therefore, conceived the project together with the Okko. In June, their Studio, we will hold a mini-festival for my 45th anniversary. I will invite to concerts of young musicians and freelancers, we’ll play chamber music and jazz music. I want thus to help colleagues, because today it is the musicians that are not in States bands and Philharmonic, was on the verge of total collapse, without any support.
there may be a systemic solution?
Denis Matsuev ��the state support in this case is not so simple. For example, we first compile a list of names of musicians who need help, and then some John DOE will say: why did not help me, I’m an outstanding musician? And he is right: in art the fact that someone is not popular or not known, doesn’t mean he’s a bad musician.
Complexity in the recovery period of the pandemic lies in the fact that a number of measures that have now been formulated for the resumption of the theater and concert life, in principle, impossible on the stage.
Denis Matsuev is very important For us to meet with the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova: we need to Express our wishes, our thoughts. It is clear that she is not up to us, but we will stand to the last to be heard. If the planes are flying in the subway people go, what is different from this concert hall? Of course, you need to weigh and assess, to exclude even a minimal risk of infection. We dream that halls have opened in full strength to the quarantine canceled across the country, but so far, I think we can hold concerts during the summer open-air. I’m in the beginning of August I hope to spend in Suzdal traditional concert ALMA MATER with the Foundation “New names” – on air with style on the course. At the end of July in Sochi at Sirius must pass the concert open-air festival Crescendo. And, of course, very important to me that took place in Irkutsk festival “Stars on Baikal”, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary. We planned to make a big program, but now it is impossible to know whether to bring musicians from other countries.
nowadays it is difficult to predict anything and to discuss specifically the situation changes…
Denis Matsuev of Course, but here the financial question is very serious. For example, the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera disbanded without pay, and the people of the mortgage loans is a tragedy for them. The fact that our teams receive grants, saves the day, but we have a huge amount of concert halls, theatre companies, musicians, with no support. One hope is that in the summer the pandemic will subside. I see videos and pictures they send me are now friends of Europe: Central square, restaurants, verandas crowded with people, all talking, cuddling, kissing. In Asia the Koreans quarantine in fact did not exist, they all this time continued the concerts in masks, but without any distance. By the way, in Asia and in Japan the audience in masks, it was possible in the halls to see always. It’s kind of a culture: if someone has a cold, it will not infect others. As for our current situation, I’m an optimist.
You’re in isolation and found their pros?
Denis Matsuev For these 2.5 months I have lived one of the most unusual periodsyour life. The first two weeks was very tight: the body does not understand what is happening, why I are in the same place? I usually have 300 concerts a year: today in Tokyo, tomorrow in new York, the day after tomorrow in Irkutsk. When people ask me why I need this, I answer: because I can, and if I have the opportunity to come, I’m ready to play a concert. I never get tired, but jet lag, lack of sleep, flights are certainly not beneficial to the body. So isolation was very timely for me. But emotionally saved me Anna Denisovna, which finally become acquainted with my dad. Every day she we are satisfied with the solo performances, is the role of their favorite characters from books and cartoons and writes some twisted story, where Leopold found with Winnie the Pooh, etc. I’m doing her music and she is different. We all rapidly happening.
something new taught to their repertoire?
Denis Matsuev of Course. My repertoire has been expanded to include the Second Concerto of Chopin. Three months ago I didn’t even think that I will play a concert of Chopin. Worked on a Second Concerto by Brahms. But, frankly, it was hard for me to do my body got used to the stress of learning a new work – between tours, in between trips. And when you have no immediate goal ahead is emptiness, there is no incentive to learn.
During isolation, all realized the value of culture and art. Is art allowed to survive this entire period, not in a vacuum, not in the everyday routine, but in a more spiritualized condition. And it proves once again that culture really should be a special status in the public consciousness. You together with Mikhail Piotrovsky, Alexander Kalyagin many years insisted that the culture was on the first line of interest in the state.
Denis Matsuev of Course, doing any ideas of fetish fraught, but culture is what defines each person depending on his upbringing. And we should not just bow down to the culture, we should be soaked in it. I very much hope that our glorious culture will be spelled out in the Constitution that will be submitted to an important amendment that it “supported and protected by the state”. Now, during the quarantine, we really understood what was the consolation of people who find themselves isolated in their apartments. Of course, you can say: well, it’s not a war, it is difficult to sit at home? It turned out to be not so easy. But many, I think, to thinking about values, which were not of interest to them. It was a really unique situation in terms of culture: the greatest orchestras and theatres all over the world for free has opened its archives. I think many want now to go into a living temple of art.
I Think people will go to concert halls, theatres?
Denis Matsuev of Course, during the quarantine, people can watch everything in stunning quality, sitting on the couch and not risking anything. And if to speak about restoration of the concert and theatrical life, it is still a question whether they will decide now to go to the halls, yet will act quarantine measures. If people know that they will be disinfected from head to toe that you have to sit in masks, not to come to anyone, but still pay for all of this money is unlikely to in the concert halls will stir. But when the quarantine is fully lifted, then I predict an explosion of interest in the theaters and especially to classical music. Because of quality nor was the online broadcast, the live energy of the hall will not replace anything. And I don’t think we will have issues with the public, because it is one of our most important achievements is that over the last 20-25 years in the country has a whole generation of young people who go to concerts. And in what city in Russia I was there, and I see in a hall young faces. In Europe, on the contrary, in the halls of completely age group. If somewhere in Vienna or in Berlin a pretty girl gives me the concert of flowers I know that she is from Russia. Of course we all now think about how we can get out of this situation. But the main thing now is to maintain health, not to indulge prematurely to the winds. And what is happiness, when all will be revealed when restored concert life, especially for the musicians: they’re to every concert going years. But if we understand that the price of these concerts – a human life, we certainly wait.
