Concertmaster Larisa Gergieva accepts congratulations. The best accompanist in the world Larisa Gergieva accepts congratulations on the anniversary of the Gergieva Sisters

Larisa Gergieva is a frequent guest at our Opera and Ballet Theater. A legendary personality, no less famous than the “Chief Ossetian of the World” (we didn’t call it that, it was the audience who elevated him to that rank) - her brother Valery Gergiev. There is no particular need to introduce him: conductor, musician, director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater, chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. But Larisa Abisalovna did not get lost in her brother’s shadow and wrote her name into world culture. Pianist, opera director, artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater Academy of Young Singers. It is difficult to remember anyone else who has done more for opera in Russia than she has.

Larisa Gergieva was born in Moldova, studied and worked in North Ossetia, received the title of People's Artist of Russia and Ukraine, and presented opera productions at all famous venues in the world. She is a person of peace. Moves across the planet, carrying on his shoulders the love of opera and uniting continents, peoples and cities. Three years ago she was awarded the Order of Friendship - for her personal contribution to the development of friendly relations between peoples, services in the development of world and national musical classics. Talking to her is like drinking from a spring. Calm, measured speech, deep voice, soft as a woman, but at the same time internally strong, she carries such a love for the art of opera that there is confidence: as long as Larisa Abisalovna Gergieva is doing this, there is no need to fear for this genre.
God grant that this lasts as long as possible.

ELITE IS THE PRESENCE OF AN OPERA THEATER

She interrupts herself and begins to speak quickly:
- I am very worried that you will write my words of praise, and most importantly, omit them. And the most important thing is that they need help!
- Don’t worry, we won’t just voice praise...
- Now the management of the Yakut Opera Theater is making a lot of efforts to make your theater more famous in our country. There are several interesting, I would say, tempting offers to bring and show what you are rich in in Moscow, in St. Petersburg - on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, in Minsk. This is simply wonderful! Your Andrei Savvich, a wonderful director (Borisov - L.T.), staged the opera “Prince Igor”. It is described as a stunning epic performance. And now negotiations are underway to show it in the fall in St. Petersburg.
- But you understand that this is very large-scale and...
- This is very large-scale, and we must not take it lightly! We need to prepare for this, because the Mariinsky Theater is the greatest theater in Europe, and the very first Russian operas were first shown on this stage.
And if the tour of the opera “Prince Igor” is scheduled for the fall, then we need to start now, right today, prepare very carefully: nurture the singers, polish the parts, do training, rehearse parts and movements, check and clean every intonation! I want to say that you are far from big cities, it’s not easy to fly here, and accordingly, it’s not easy to take out the staff, costumes and scenery. The preparation must be no less ambitious than the production itself. I really hope that the tour will be successful!

TATYANA LARINA CANNOT BE 50 YEARS OLD!

What does a famous conductor earn besides performing at concerts and leading the Mariinsky Theater?

Valery Gergiev is a unique example of how art can become business, and business can become art. On Russia Day, the maestro received the third State Prize from the hands of the President - for outstanding achievements in the field of humanitarian work. Gergiev immediately, without leaving Putin, stated that he did not connect the award with the “liberation” concert (joint with cellist Roldugin) in Palmyra.

It's really not about Syria. And not in the “bonus” 5 million rubles (a drop in the ocean of the conductor’s capital, who earned 130 million rubles in 2015, as follows from his declaration). Gergiev is one of those few people close to Putin who are sincerely welcomed all over the world. Gergiev is a genius conducting an ordinary toothpick. He is also wise and cunning in an oriental way. And he knows how to capitalize on his own talent.

Employed the whole family

For 20 years now, Valery Abisalovich has been the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Since then, the conductor has employed almost all of his Ossetian relatives, acquired high-ranking friends, children (three were born in the current marriage. - Author) and everyday chores. As the musician himself noted, “I had to learn to negotiate – with sponsors and the state.”

Gergiev’s biggest headache was the construction of the Mariinsky Theater concert hall (its director is the husband of maestro Svetlana Gergieva’s younger sister, Tamerlan Gugkaev. The older sister, Larisa Gergieva, runs the Academy of Young Singers of the Mariinsky Theater) and the long-suffering Second Stage. Mariinsky-2, born with incredible difficulty (architects and contractors were changed more than once), cost the budget 22 billion rubles. The Auditors of the Accounts Chamber only gasped at the double increase in the original estimate. Following them, St. Petersburg residents gasped, including the expert Piotrovsky: how could they spend so much money on such an “ugliness”?! To which Alexey Kudrin, without blinking an eye, announced the allocation of an additional 25 million dollars for the maintenance of the theater: “Even after I left the Ministry of Finance, it continued to support the Mariinsky Theater.”

Hermitage, don't be jealous! There are things more valuable than money. For example, friendship. The newly approached Kudrin is a great friend of Gergiev. Just like German Gref. They are co-chairs of the Mariinsky Board of Trustees and always, regardless of their positions, support the Valery Gergiev Charitable Foundation. The same one from which, in 2009–2010, its director Igor Zotov and his accomplice Kazbek Lakuti, according to investigators, stole 245 million rubles. Zotov claimed that he transferred the money to Gergiev’s account at the request of his boss (he denied everything), and was imprisoned for 8 years. “This is your time, Kazbek!” – Zotov shouted after the verdict was announced. Lakuti received a suspended sentence. There are things more important than evidence. For example, gratitude. Kazbek is the cousin of Valery Gergiev. His father Boris Lakuti took care of the Gergiev family after Valery (at the age of 13) lost his father.

Black bathhouse with cello

Needless to say, for 20 years Gergiev, thanks to the Mariinsky Theater, has been successfully using endless budget funds. But he also makes money. In 2015, the theater’s net profit amounted to 800 million rubles. Against this background, a fresh, May, government contract with another relative of the maestro, 30-year-old nephew-conductor Zaurbek Gugkaev, for 585,000 rubles - pennies.

The state supports Gergiev's Stars of the White Nights festival. And also the “Moscow Easter Festival”, which appeared on the initiative of the maestro. The Mariinsky Orchestra with its main star, the conductor, travels around Russia on a special train every year, and the regions regularly conclude government contracts with the only performer (the Gergiev Foundation). In 2016, the Udmurt Philharmonic forked out 5,000,000 rubles, Sverdlovsk – 2,547,500 rubles, Nizhny Novgorod – 4,500,000 rubles, Tomsk – 7,000,000 rubles, Kemerovo – 3,000,000 rubles, Tatarstan – 6,000 . 000 rubles, Perm - for 4,000,000 rubles, the Ministry of Culture is not alien to Gergiev of North Ossetia - Alania - for only 2,100,000 “wooden”.

In 2015, the conductor headed the Munich Philharmonic orchestra (the contract was signed until 2020). But the maestro’s main source of income is his performances, mainly abroad - he receives fees for them in euros. Sobesednik.ru got acquainted with Gergiev’s tour schedule until the end of this year and couldn’t believe his eyes: he conducts every day! Moreover, he often gives two or even three (!) concerts in a day.

However, we did find one window for Gergiev: in mid-August he performs in Finland, followed by a two-week break. Then another concert in Sweden - and again a free week. According to Finnish media reports, Valery Abisalovich has long chosen a resort town on the lake shore - the Härkäniemen Tuvat cottage complex (Bull Cape) and brings his family here every summer. And also friends. This is what the maestro said on air at Posner: “I am the president of the Finnish Black Sauna Society... We accept one, maximum two per year as knights of the Black Sauna... from those people who have proven that they are worthy, at the piano or on the stage, with the violin or with cello in hand."

Turkey business

Gergiev also has a completely unexpected business - the Eurodon company, the largest producer and processor of turkey meat in Russia. The musician received 15% of the shares, one might say, for a good service. At one time, he introduced entrepreneur Vadim Vaneev, a native of South Ossetia, to the right person - Andrei Kostin, chairman of the board of VTB Bank. Things took off right away. Over the course of 6 years, Eurodon, thanks to loans, grew into a giant; in 2014, its net revenue amounted, according to SPARK, 333 million rubles. The whole raspberry was almost spoiled last year by the third shareholder - a member of the board of directors of Gazprom, former Minister of Property Relations of Russia Farit Gazizullin. He transferred his share to an offshore company, which sued Vaneev and almost took away the business. He, they say, again turned to the maestro, who allegedly reached the president himself. Did you get there or didn't you get there? Who knows. But the conflict resolved. Suspects of attempts to take over Eurodon through fraudulent means have been detained. There are things stronger than any mafia. For example, common interests.

Imperial spirit

And back in 2013, Gergiev proposed to the president to revive the All-Russian Choral Society (before the revolution, the Imperial Russian Musical Society). And he himself headed the non-profit partnership. As follows from the protocols published on the website of the Ministry of Culture, NP “VHO” regularly wins competitions for subsidies. Thus, in 2013, Gergiev’s applications for holding an All-Russian review of choral groups to form a combined children’s choir of Russia (9 million rubles) and preparation and support for the performance of a combined children’s choir of Russia at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi (150 million rubles) were successful. . In 2014, the All-Russian Cultural Organization allocated another 8.4 million rubles for the performance of the Russian Children's Choir in the Republic of Crimea. And 26.6 million rubles for holding the All-Russian Choir Festival. another profitable idea from Gergiev, put at the service of art, worked. And now Vladimir Medinsky promises to think “about transforming the All-Russian Choral Society into a public-state organization, which will allow us to take it to a qualitatively new level.” Simply put, open the way to the feeding trough.

The only enterprise in which Gergiev failed was the creation of the National Arts Center in St. Petersburg. The musician proposed to unite the Mariinsky Theater, the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, the St. Petersburg State Conservatory and the Russian Institute of Art History. The conductor emphasized the need to revive the Directorate of Imperial Theaters. However, the expert community killed the “imperial” idea. The former director of the Russian Institute of Art History, Tatyana Kalyavina, saw to the root: “It is impossible to recreate the directorate without recreating the empire and the imperial leadership.”

Therefore, it’s a small matter.

Olga Saburova

Interview

If we talk about unique people in creative professions, then the first lines will be the name of Larisa Gergieva - a brilliant pianist, a teacher from God, an outstanding figure in the field of culture, the owner of an incredibly charismatic and charming nature. She is the artistic director of the Academy of Young Opera Singers of the Mariinsky Theater, the best accompanist in the world according to the BBC, and the organizer of several vocal competitions and art festivals. Finally, she is a representative of a world-famous dynasty: but we deliberately do not put this fact in the first row. After all, everything that Larisa Abisalovna Gergieva has achieved in life is the merit of her character, talent, and moral principles. 2017 is a doubly anniversary year for her; she celebrates half a century of creative activity. In February, concerts were held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where the best students of her school performed in her honor. And we asked Larisa Abisalovna about her affairs, aspirations, and views.

Evgenia KRIVITSKAYA

– When the idea of ​​creating the Academy of Young Opera Singers was born in 1998, what were its objectives?
– When creating the Academy, we first of all wanted to educate a galaxy of young singers, good professionals who understand the aesthetics of the Mariinsky Theater, who are in demand primarily there. We selected 20 people from all over our country. It was a bright set, suffice it to name such artists as Nadezhda Serdyuk, Daniil Shtoda, Larisa Yudina.
We worked very intensively with this and the following sets. The guys have really become in demand, but not only in our theater, now their names are known abroad. Wherever they sang. I would like to name Ilya Bannik, Anya Kiknadze, Eduard Tsanga, Alexey Tanovitsky, Dmitry Voropaev, Oksana Shilova. Now they are leading soloists of the theater, sing a lot, and go on tour. I am glad that at one time I spent a lot of effort together with my fellow teachers of the Academy. We tried to pay attention to ensuring that everyone’s individuality was preserved and developed. They didn't cut them all with the same brush.
Unlike the current academicians, they were not so busy with the current repertoire, but we prepared various programs, parts, went with concerts - to London, Paris, Milan, Madrid, New York, all important concert venues were open to us.

– The Academy will soon celebrate its anniversary, what have you managed to achieve over the years?
– The Academy will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2018. A lot of guys passed through my hands. Of course, not all of them stayed at the Mariinsky Theater: only as a result of constant, daily, painstaking work, after some time you realize that this or that person will not take root in our theater. But my main task is to raise a good professional. Over the years, if you look at the composition of the Mariinsky Theater, many academicians have joined it. Many of them became famous singers, in addition to those who have already been named, these are Vika Yastrebova and Sergei Semishkur, many sing on the leading stages of the world, perform in leading, important roles and are in demand in the theater. I would also like to name Varvara Solovyova, Sasha and Natalya Timchenko, Andrey Popov, Alexey Markov, Vladimir Moroz, Vladislav Sulimsky, Viktor Korotich, Pavel Shmulevich, Yuri Vorobyov, Mikhail Kolelishvili, Anna Makarova, Lyudmila Dudinova, Irma Gigolashvili. All names are dear to me.
Many became winners of international competitions during their stay at the Academy. We have assembled an excellent concert and opera repertoire. Now they are already independent, but they are still with me: they address their problems, come, take lessons, consult, study. I love them and to this day I participate in their creative life.
Every year we continue to recruit guys, see the prospect and give them a chance. At the same time, the Academy now works differently from other theaters - now it is actually a young theater troupe. No theater in the world gives such chances to singers as the Mariinsky. Look at the titles of the operas we perform at the Mariinsky Concert Hall. These are Italian, French, Russian names. At the same time, we stage chamber operas. As we call them - small operas for adults and children - this is, of course, modern material.

– Over the past two seasons, a whole series of operas for children have been released!
– Yes, we now have an amazing children’s repertoire. With what pleasure the youngest part of the Academy engages in it! This is a wonderful school, our singers grow on this material. They work with great directors. And the productions are so polished and made so interestingly that they are in great demand among children's audiences.

– Do academy graduates and academicians work together a lot?
- In general, they should not be divided. Often, for example, if some opera involves the presence of aged or simply older characters, I, of course, first of all, invite my former students. They sing with pleasure. We do this kind of collaborative work together. For example, we just had “Cinderella” by Massenet. The main role was wonderfully performed by a girl with a wonderful voice - Angelika Minasova, who just recently came to us, in the spring. And next to her the very experienced and talented Anna Kiknadze sang as her stepmother. One of my favorite students. And also Olya Pudova. Giordano’s “Siberia” has the most difficult tenor part, so I invited the experienced singer Ahmed Agadi, who sang it brilliantly.
We also have an ensemble of soloists from the Academy. It is large, more than 80 people. There the guys get the opportunity to learn ensemble singing, and at the same time this is our choir. We call it an ensemble of soloists. While it is too early for them to sing solo parts, they work there. And the theater supports them financially very well. It is important!
I would like to emphasize that many of the academicians’ performances are conducted by Valery Abisalovich Gergiev - a huge creative experience for young people.

– How does Valery Abisalovich influence your activities?
– We coordinate everything with him. But the main thing is that it gives young people a chance. This year we have absolutely amazing opportunities. The guys are growing by leaps and bounds and singing. This is “Swallow” by Puccini, and “Dubrovsky” by Napravnik, as well as “Grigory Melekhov” by Dzerzhinsky, “Werther” by Massenet, “Lucrezia Borgia”, “The Thieving Magpie” by Rossini...

– Please tell us about Soviet operas in the Mariinsky repertoire.
– Over the course of two seasons, we have resurrected a whole layer of forgotten Soviet operas. Many of them are well known to me. Even in my youth, I took part in their productions. One of my favorites is “The Dawns Here Are Quiet.” I myself was interested in hearing a number of titles performed live. Such as “Gadfly”, “Quiet Don”, “Storm”. This is all very interesting. And I think that many of them are worthy of the big stage. Not everything, but this work is very important, this is our history, and young people should know it. The guys ask a lot of questions, read books, try to understand that time and the events that took place then. We need to continue this work, and we should have the most interesting titles, at least in concert performance.

– Do you have grandiose work ahead with the theater in Vladikavkaz, which is becoming a branch of the Mariinsky Theater?
– Yes, this topic is very relevant, there is a solution. It is too early to say how the theater model will change. But it really becomes a branch of the Mariinsky Theater. It is very difficult for regional theaters to survive; there are absolutely no means of production. Spectators also do not have the opportunity to buy expensive tickets. I think this is a very noble decision. Thanks to the Mariinsky Theater for this. I hope that life will become much easier for the Vladikavkaz theater. I cannot say that Vladikavkaz was asleep, waiting for help and did nothing. Everyone knows that very interesting events take place on the stage of the Vladikavkaz Theater, in which our Mariinsky youth have always participated with pleasure. Our festivals with the participation of stars are also of great interest throughout the North Caucasus region.

– Are you talking about the festival “Visiting Larisa Gergieva”?
– Yes, and now, I hope, it will be much easier for me to do it. I also want to say that Vladikavkaz has always been a good debut point for many young people. You could sing “Carmen”, “Onegin”. And then, feeling more confident, sing it in St. Petersburg. Vladikavkaz has a very interesting repertoire policy. Despite great poverty. In recent years, local authorities have given almost no help to the theater; they simply couldn’t. Nevertheless, there were people who supported us, and we made interesting productions. Such as “Fedora” by Giordano, “Agrippina” by Handel, operas that are not performed anywhere in Russia.
The last major work last season was “The Demon”. And now I hope that the Mariinsky Theater will expand our capabilities. We will be able to bet more. There probably won’t be such difficulties with inviting artists. And the audience goes very well. In general, the theater became the center of cultural and musical life in the North Caucasus. People come to us with pleasure from Kabarda, from Dagestan, from South Ossetia, from Mineralnye Vody and nearby cities.
They just come and order their tickets. In Vladikavkaz, we also pay a lot of attention to children's repertoire. The theater travels around the republic and holds about 20–25 events every month - these include concerts, performances, both on-site and on the home stage. I have a simply wonderful troupe. Of course, it is understaffed. But still, every year it is replenished with new young names. I'm glad about this, because the theater needs to be updated. Young people should work alongside stage masters and learn a lot from them. Very interesting guys came to our troupe after a competition that took place in the fall. The theater itself is very cozy, especially the hall with 650 seats. The scene is prayed for.

– Among your projects is the Rimsky-Korsakov Festival in Tikhvin. Last year we covered the Tenth Anniversary Vocal Competition taking place as part of the festival. What are you planning next time?
– I would like to show his opera in Tikhvin, Rimsky-Korsakov’s homeland. I wanted to increase the scale of this festival. This year there were 5 cities in the region. Maybe next time the festival will cover more cities: we are greeted everywhere with great attention, the halls are always full. This time we brought children's works to Tikhvin and Gatchina. And we will continue to develop in this direction. I would like to introduce the public to new names of performers. During the last festival, a lot of Rimsky-Korsakov's music was performed. Representatives from 16 countries took part in the competition. This is great because this way we draw attention to the music of this composer.

– Do you travel a lot with master classes?
– It’s not so important for me to travel somewhere abroad, although I have given master classes everywhere: in all European capitals, in America, in Japan, in China. But even in recent years, it has become more interesting for me to conduct master classes in our country. There is a festival during which I travel a lot and listen to young guys. I invite the most promising and talented people to join us at the Academy. But a master class is not only to listen, select, invite, but to give someone valuable advice on their repertoire and role.

– What are your impressions of the master class at the Bolshoi Theater?
– I was interested in coming to the Bolshoi Theater, this is our first experience. Among the students of the Youth Opera Program there are bright voices. Everyone worked with great dedication. I suggested my favorite topic – the composers of the “Mighty Handful”. The master class then culminated in two concerts in the Beethoven Hall. I hope that they learned a lot of useful things. Of course, this is a completely different theater, a completely different aesthetic. But we don’t have to be the same, use the same methodology and repertoire.

– Do you feel the need to convey your experience?
– For the last 25 years I have been working with young people. It's so exciting and gives me a lot for myself. I really want to help you get settled and have a good career. I like talented guys who not only have a good voice, abilities, and prospects, but also fanatically love voice, vocals, opera, and theater. You can not only study with them, but also talk a lot. They sometimes express very interesting thoughts. It is interesting to look at many well-known things through the prism of their judgments.

– Does your school have its own characteristics?
– Of course, Moscow and St. Petersburg are different schools. But I can’t say how they teach at the Bolshoi, I didn’t sit in on the lessons. The result is important. The group of guys that was given to me to work with is motivated to take a worthy place in this theater. They put a lot of effort into everything: they go to everything, listen, and are friendly in communication. It seemed to me that there was a good atmosphere. We talked a lot with Dmitry Vdovin, with whom we are long-time friends, including about meeting more often and exchanging experiences.

– Why did you, as an accompanist, turn your interest towards an ensemble with vocalists?
– I always really liked performing in an ensemble with singers. I love the voice and believe that it is God's gift. Those who are around singers, who can influence their growth, career, so that they can take place, must definitely tune in to this. If I am a vocal accompanist, I must love and serve this idea very much. So that the vocalist can open up and decide correctly on the repertoire. I have said more than once that the role of an accompanist is not just the role of a person who performs in an ensemble. Often this is a psychologist, a coach, a doctor, and a friend. That rock on which a young singer can lean.
I believe that I was born for this, with such a mission. I am proud that I have trained about 200 laureates, and in general the number of my student vocalists numbers several hundred. I always try, first of all, to pay attention to their individuality, to what they do best – the strong, the good. And I'm pretty good at it. I am also always surprised when people ask me why I chose this profession. Because she's beautiful. Probably, until the very last moment of your life you can study and comprehend the secrets of accompanism. And I like to understand the voice, I like to do something with it, I like to see the fruits of my work, be it on the opera stage or the concert stage. There is no stage where I would not perform. But I am especially proud of the concerts at Carnegie Hall and La Scala.

– At the Mariinsky Theater you also began to hold a competition for young opera directors. Tell us how it goes, your impressions of the participants?
– The idea turned out to be extremely successful. Those young directors who were selected staged the performances proposed to them. They are all different, with their own wonderful inventions. I don’t want to single out anyone. But I like working with the young director Mstislav Pentkovsky. We made “Brundibar” with him in Vladikavkaz, and received the Onegin National Prize for it. A real creative process took place. Then he and I made The Diary of Anne Frank. Completely unexpected solutions were proposed, and the production became an event. I like Alexey Smirnov - an inquisitive graduate of GITIS with a broad outlook. It seems to me that he has serious professional prospects. We have just staged Britten’s play “The Little Chimney Sweep,” it was directed by Vasily Zarzhetsky, he has his own personal style. But the main thing is that the ideas are exciting, that there is imagination, that the director understands what a voice is.
I am glad that these guys took their first independent steps on the opera stage at our Mariinsky Theater in children's and chamber operas.

– What is your ideal opera director?
– I like it when there is fantasy, but not crazy. Of course, we all admire Franco Zeffirelli's productions. It’s attractive when a director works in opera like Nikita Mikhalkov, Andron Konchalovsky, because their approach is closely related to music. For them, this is not an extraneous layer, not a background. When we work with young people, we are waiting for the new Zeffirelli. I am glad that the Mariinsky Theater also allows me to do this work. I am for those directors who draw ideas from music.

– Can I have a quick poll? What is your main character trait?
- Kindness.

– What virtues do you value most?
– I prefer kind people, not evil ones. In general, I like calm people, those who are friendly to others. Everything that begins with the word good. If these are vocalists, then I like those who have a self-possessed character, who devote all their strength to becoming successful, who understand what they want to achieve in life.

– What is your current state of mind?
– On the rise: after all, every 5-6 days there is a premiere, a new title, academicians work with such dedication and speed. This is so interesting, so cool. Often my assistants and I leave the theater long after midnight. Yesterday I left here at half past two in a completely broken state. And in the morning I have to be at work again. When you sit in the hall and see how your students sing, it is such a satisfaction. I would like to start doing something again immediately after the premiere.

– What is happiness for you?
– Happiness is when you serve, doing what you love most in life. These are not big words. You come home from the theater, and thoughts about him do not leave you. You think about what to do tomorrow, how to make working on the work a success. The performers are young, it is important not to make mistakes here. We need to correctly distribute the roles and attract the right style specialists. Of course, the most important thing is to find opportunities for the work itself. I love the rough, preparatory stage. You always want to do the best you can, but you don’t always have enough time. I hope that I still have time, because I have a lot of plans.
The next season is simply terrible in scope, in scale, but very, very interesting. If you find happiness in your profession, your work, then you may have very little time left to communicate with friends and acquaintances. You are barely enough for some of your tours, for holding festivals, competitions, for Vladikavkaz, for your main work with the guys.
The happiness is that this year marks the 50th anniversary of my creative activity. I gave my first concert with a singer when I was 15 years old. Over the years I have played so many programs, learned so much, heard so many voices, and was able to admire the outstanding professional qualities of those colleagues with whom I had to perform. There are examples of unusually friendly people and professionals of the highest level, for example, Placido Domingo. He has incredible charisma and such goodwill emanates from him that this should be taken as an example. I believe that happiness also comes from making the right choices in life.
Finally, I want to say that, while I love my profession and find happiness in it, I am worried that today there are few young pianists who want to be accompanists. I have wonderful students in whom I try to instill this love for opera, for voice, for vocals. They work for me at the Academy. There are very talented guys. I wish there were as many of them as possible.

Creative evenings by Larisa Gergieva will be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg for one week. Her surname is familiar even to the “general public”: maestro Gergiev, Valery Abisalovich, artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater - Larisa Abisalovna’s brother. But dedicated people, familiar with the world of music, understand: Larisa Gergieva herself is a phenomenon, a unique talent. Artistic director of the Academy of Young Opera Singers at the Mariinsky Theatre, the best accompanist in the world according to the BBC, organizer of several prestigious international vocal competitions... On the eve of creative evenings dedicated to the 50th anniversary of her creative activity, she shared her secrets with RG his profession - the most mysterious in the world of music. She told why she and her brother were not accepted into a music school at one time, and explained how the voice affects character.

Larisa Abisalovna, how did it happen that two famous musicians came out of a family that had nothing to do with professional art at once - you and your brother?

Larisa Gergieva: We never really had professional musicians in our family. But my mother was very good at playing such a national instrument as the Ossetian harmonica. And my father - he was a military man, a colonel, a very handsome, tall, charismatic man - danced beautifully. And when we wandered around military camps (this, by the way, explains the fact that we were all born in different places: me in Moldova, my brother in Moscow, my sister in Ossetia), my father and mother always took part in amateur art competitions and took first places everywhere .

Before going to bed, instead of detective stories and romance novels, I read claviers. This is my favorite read

And when dad retired, we settled in Vladikavkaz. The time came to go to first grade, and my mother began to think about where to send us. By the way, our neighbors were the first to notice our abilities - a musician from an orchestra lived nearby, he strongly advised our parents: “They sing here, and very clearly, enroll them in a music school!”

We passed the entrance exams and failed miserably. Both: me and Valery. At that time there was the only music school in Vladikavkaz, it was incredibly popular, there was a boom in the city: everyone wanted to teach children music. But we didn’t have any connections. Nevertheless, the neighbors insisted, they auditioned us again, and Valeria (boys are always in short supply in such establishments!) was accepted, but I was not. I cried bitterly, but together with my brother, holding hands, I went to this school. How the eldest (we are the same age) wrote down his homework (usually the children’s parents did this). Apparently, having appreciated such zeal, I was soon enrolled in school too.

Everyone who is taught music went through a period in childhood: I don’t want to study, I’ll quit. Even Mozart's father forced...

Larisa Gergieva: Never! We were never forced. It seems to me that in order for the desire to do what one loves not to disappear, a person must be lucky twice: with parents and teachers. We were lucky with our parents: they paid so much attention to everyone! We studied at the best school in the city (at one time, Evgeny Vakhtangov and Pavel Lisitsian, the great baritone of the Bolshoi Theater, the first Soviet singer to perform on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, studied there).

By the way, who would have thought that in the near future fate would bring us together. We were flying to some competition on the same plane (he was on the jury, I was the accompanist of the tenor), I approached Pavel Gerasimovich and very timidly admitted that we were fellow countrymen. He was happy, animated, and remembered a lot about his childhood.

At the end of the trip, I told him: look, someday I will do a vocal competition in your name. He didn’t believe it: “What are you talking about?” But today this competition is alive, it has already been held four times, the last time 11 countries took part in it. And Pavel Lisitsian managed to live up to it.

Is it true that you always carry a photo of your first teacher with you in your purse?

Larisa Gergieva: Is it true. Zarema Andreevna Lolaeva is the first Ossetian professional pianist, founder of a performing school. A very demanding, demanding person. She had a completely individual approach to each student. And she quickly realized that the piano was too small for Valery. She brought him to conductor Anatoly Arkadyevich Briskin. I don’t know a stricter teacher. To play out of tune, to make some mistake in performance - for him it was akin to a crime. He was furious. Or, naturally, he could cry from frustration. He suggested that Valery and I play a lot of four-handed music, especially symphonic works: this was important for my brother, as a future conductor. Once, I remember, we somehow didn’t prepare Brahms enough, and Briskin locked us out of class. When we brought these symphonies to shine, the building was already closed. And we climbed out through the window: Valery always had many friends, they were waiting for him outside and helped us get out.

By the way, Briskin studied with Valera every day - although the subject “symphonic conducting” was not in the program. But seeing the incredible abilities, he understood: he couldn’t abandon the student.

Is this how your profession was determined?

Larisa Gergieva: Mom wanted her only son to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an officer. But everything was determined when my father died. He left very early - at 49 years old. We were at that age - 7-8th grade... I immediately went to school, and Valery said that he wanted to study music. Mom agreed. She generally said: “Everything will be as Zarema Andreevna Lolaeva says.” She was an expert in our specialties.

Aren't you offended that your profession - accompanist - is so quiet and not in plain sight? That you always have to live, as it were, in your brother’s shadow?

Larisa Gergieva: I disagree. Yes, the conductor is in charge of everything. But if I come to some theater for an opera performance, then after 10-15 minutes I can tell who prepared this opera - a good accompanist or not. What a hand. The accompanist, who is entrusted with making an opera, is responsible for everything: he selects the cast, organizes the training process (and for this you need to know everything very well yourself). Then comes the painstaking, exquisite work of learning: you are here for the vocalists and a doctor, a teacher, a nanny, a friend, a psychologist, a teacher, and a military commander. A singer must know everything about his character: the era, historical details, literary context, who he was friends with, who he fell in love with... Do you know what lists of books I make for my singers? And then you continue to conduct this opera, you are the organizer of the process. If you fail, they ask you very harshly first of all. With all the consequences.

And your younger brother asks you that?

Larisa Gergieva: At work we are not related at all. But I have never encountered such situations: I prepare everything carefully.

Another difficulty in staging operas today is that, according to modern requirements, all performers must be approximately the same age as their heroes.

But since I run the Academy of Young Singers, I try to make sure that all my girls and boys are beautiful, so that they understand the style of the time. It’s one thing to sing a Bach cantata, another thing to sing the Silver Age. Oh, what happened to us recently - it’s terrible! I'll tell you now. The recent premiere of "The Diary of Anne Frank": every breath and flutter of eyelashes is rehearsed. The performance is an incredible success. And suddenly I receive a text message: “How can this be? Your performer is walking barefoot down the steps - and she has a red pedicure.” The singer was apparently so worried before the premiere that she lost sight of it. And the singer is wonderful. My fault: I didn't track it.

I know that before going to bed, instead of detective stories and romance novels, you read claviers.

Larisa Gergieva: Sheet music, yes. This is my favorite reading.

How many operas do you know “from” to “to”?

Larisa Gergieva: If we talk about those that I cooked and staged - more than a hundred. But there are still different editions - sometimes they are almost different works. And if we talk about those claviers that I know in order to learn them, that I can understand, talk about them - there are probably two hundred names. But these are big operas.

Your theater has several cycles of wonderful productions. Let's say, "Little Operas for Children", where, along with modern masterpieces, for example, Sergei Banevich's opera "Scenes from the Life of Nikolenka Irtenyev" based on the story "Childhood" by Leo Tolstoy, there are also half-forgotten works - say, Sergei Prokofiev's opera "The Giant", which the composer wrote at the age of 9. Or the project “Our 20th Century” - it consists entirely of operas by Soviet composers, little represented on the stage today. Or your mono-operas. Composer Leonid Klinichev wrote a triptych based on the poetry and prose of Russian poetesses “Marina”, “Anna” and now - “Zinaida”...

Larisa Gergieva:"Zinaida" just came out.

What motivates you to undertake these projects? Are you too lazy to encourage composers to write new operas?

Larisa Gergieva: No, I'm not lazy. One of the reasons is so that my guys from the Academy of Young Singers (and there are already about two hundred of them) can sing EVERYTHING. In all singing languages, in all genres. Chamber opera has always been very interesting to me: and now, when we have so many wonderful venues in our theater, it would be a shame not to take advantage of them.

To keep the desire to do what you love, a person must be lucky twice: with parents and teachers

In “Zinaida” I proposed to make a piece of the relationship between Gippius, Merezhkovsky and Filosofov, this mysterious triangle. I asked the very talented director Alexey Stepanyuk to direct it. His rehearsals turned into some incredibly intense lectures on the history of the Silver Age. I am proud that my idea forced young people to turn to the work of this wonderful poetess.

And the children's theme occupies me very much. We're doing Britten's Chimney Sweep right now. It's difficult, but very interesting. I have such a character: if I am infected with some kind of “microbe”, I must definitely bring this matter to the final goal.

No, first you find allies in the “disease.”

Larisa Gergieva: This is true. Now, for example, I am obsessed with the idea of ​​making a play about the wonderful Russian military leader, General Abatsiev. A man of extraordinary courage, he began as Skobelev's adjutant. This is the most famous Ossetian, the hero of many wars, by 1918 he received all the military awards there are: more than forty foreign orders, all four of Vladimir, the Order of the White Eagle... After the revolution he emigrated to Belgrade, where he found a place in the university library . I dream about him at night...

If we talk about the fiftieth anniversary of your creative activity, explain, have you been giving concerts since you were 15?

Larisa Gergieva: At the age of 15, Lolaeva took me by the hand to the singer Viktor Konstantinovich Dzutsev and said: “I want you to try yourself as an accompanist.” And he was such a real bass of our opera house. We began to rehearse, he began to tell me some of the subtleties of the craft. By the way, he said: “On stage, you never know where it will take me - you must anticipate my desire to catch my breath...” I ask: “Who is the leader in our group - you or me?” “Of course I am,” he replies. “But then,” I say, “I will lag behind.” “Okay,” he says, “you lead, but do it in such a way that I think that I’m leading.” Since then, this has become my main principle in working with singers.

Larisa Gergieva: I was very lucky because the Lord God gave me friendship with such people. Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova is the bearer of some incredible singing culture, a living encyclopedia of everything about vocals. Everything was correct with her, perfected to the smallest detail. And Elena Obraztsova is a complete antipode. She never repeated anything, she always sang in a new way. Once we performed with her without any rehearsals at all, 15 minutes before the concert we arrived on stage from different tours. We tried a piece of one aria, then another, she said: that’s it, that’s enough, you don’t even need to rehearse. And you know - it was the best concert of my life. I organized a competition for Elena Obraztsova’s anniversary (my gift to her for her 60th birthday). Now it has passed for the tenth time. I remember how from Leipzig, a few weeks before leaving, she sent me an SMS: “Larissa, don’t give up the competition!” This was her will.

Galina Gorchakova - timbre of extraordinary beauty. A powerful, most beautiful voice. Olga Borodina... And you learn something from every singer.

Larisa Gergieva: Don’t forget that my husband Hrayr Hanedanyan is a tenor! But in principle - yes, tenors always have such parts - increased exaltation, hot feelings. And mezzo-soprano heroines are always with passions; they cannot be gentle creatures. Bass are often infantile and mature at a late age.

But here’s what occupies me: in my opinion, the voice is the highest award that God can bestow on a person. And when the singer leaves, where does he go? It is impossible for this divine voice to disappear forever. He probably inhabits one of the next generations... He flies away and returns to another.