On August 25, 2016 at the State Kremlin Palace took place a concert from the cycle “Affordable classics”, which offered the public a new sound to film music. If watching the movie you percieve the music as secondary importance thing, the new project offers you experience of film perception through sounds.
The project cycle of “Affordable classics” was prepared by the State Kremlin Palace, and the Big Symphony orchestra named after P. I. Tchaikovsky (BSO). Concert “Great Kinovalse” timed to the Year of Russian cinema and represents the demonstration of the Russian films: “The shining path”, “Hussar ballad”, “Masquerade”, etc. The music, which accompanied stills from the films, was performanced by BSO (Big Symphony Orchestra of Russia).
Fans of the classic Soviet cinema had the opportunity to watch their favorite movies through the lens of a powerful orchestral sound of musical masterpieces, not available at cinema or at home.
Particularly valuable in a joint project of the Bolshoi Symphony orchestra and the State Kremlin Palace is that it preserves intact the greatness of classical music, without reducing its meaning or simplifying the form.
Grand Symphony orchestra after P. I. Tchaikovsky (BSO) was founded in 1930 as the radio orchestra of the USSR. In different years it was headed by world-renowned conductors: A. Orlov, A. Gauk, N. Golovanov, G. Rozhdestvensky, 1974 to the present artistic Director and chief conductor of the Tchaikovsky Symphony orchestra has been Vladimir Fedoseyev.
In an interview to “E Vesti” conductor of the Bolshoi Symphony orchestra Denis Lotoev gave some explanations about the project. After the interview, we offer You to look at the slideshow — the photos from the “Big Kinovalse”.
Denis Lotoev is conductor of Grand Symphony orchestra after P. I. Tchaikovsky. A graduate of the St. Petersburg state Conservatory and post-graduate in the class of Opera and Symphony conducting with Professor V. Chernushenko. He toured with the BSO in Russia and abroad: in the UK, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Germany, Switzerland, Holland.
E Vesti: Today’s concert opened a cycle “Affordable classics”. A accessibility of classical music and its educational mission, is it close to you?
Lotoev: The topic can not to be far, it needs to be close to everything. The concert is more than just “valse for cinema”. Here are collected the masterpieces of music written in the twentieth century: the works of Shostakovich and Gavrilin, Sviridov, and Dunaevsky. They proved that music written for films can mean much more than applied music — you can hear the entire history of our country.
We should thank the State Kremlin Palace for the fact that they came out with this initiative and invited us to participate in the project. I think it is very useful. After all, an educational project can not stop at the level of explanation, or in a primitive sense, like a lecture and propaganda. There is a symbiosis, when the listener gets something that will make him thinking about life generally, about the emotions that we feel on a daily basis. After all, music is not just educational, but a very deep spiritual meaning. It should make people better and kinder.
The concerts like this bring people to become better. I hope this is the right way.
EV: You graduated from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. What the features of the school You brought here?
Lotoev: In Moscow and St. Petersburg schools may be different educational techniques, but only if you touch the questions of scholasticism. There is no different idea of musical way or how the teacher should lead his pupil. And history proves it by the example of such great composers as Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. This creates the glory of the Russian school, where Moscow and Saint Petersburg are two pearls, whose healthy competition gives the result in the masterpieces of Russian music.
What my creativity brought from St. Petersburg, it is difficult to judge. I’m not aware of what techniques I use. E learns, coverything you learn goes from his subconscious and then, perhaps, it is easier to watch from the sidelines.
EV: You have 20 years with the orchestra, this number was a reflection on the successful partnership?
Lotoev: For me it is a lifetime and I must say that the life of a musician, conductor, the orchestra plays a special role. And I am happy that, thanks to Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseyev, I had the opportunity to work with the team and got the opportunity to learn from him the best (he is rich in many things). And, at the same time, I was not bound, I always had the right to choose in creative decision. For me it is a great school, and my destiny, whatever happens in the future, will forever be tied to my home.
EV: I would like to know, how do You work with Vladimir Fedoseyev?
Lotoev: Very interesting, I took a lot of Vladimir Ivanovich. This man has such a rich inner world, allowing You to show yourself, You will not ever restricting. Thanks to this I managed to live here for so many years feeling harmony.
EV: In January 2017, you will also give a concert at the Moscow Conservatory, and also with film music. Your involvement in music for films is not limited to just this project, what is your relationship with her?
Lotoev: The fact that film music can be not applicated only , but also the music, which comes off the screen and goes to the listener in a concert hall, in everyday life. It is tragic and lyrical, and has a lot of colors. If there is a rod in the content of this music — it cannot be called just music. This is a masterpiece, and the kind of music we select for concerts.
In January 2017 at the Moscow Conservatory, the listener can hear something similar to today’s concert, but of European film music. It will be also interesting, there will be masterpieces on hearing. We hope we would be able to present listeners with authentic, and, at the same time, unusual feeling.
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In the framework of the project “Affordable classics” in the Grand Kremlin Palace will host the following concerts performed by Big Symphony Orchestra:
- December 15, 2016 the “Great Russian waltz”
- February 19, 2017 “Marches of peace”
- May 12, 2017, “The Best waltzes and polkas of the world”
