Articles

http://www.7md.lt/muzika/2014-03-14/Pagerbiant-violonceles-meno-korifeju

Eminent person of the world violoncellist Mstislav Rostropovich left a deep imprint in Lithuanian culture as well. In addition to memorable concerts, co-operation with Lithuanian orchestras and mastership course at the Academy of Music and Theatre, it included very warm communication, excellent vein of humour and worldly wisdom of the Maestro. The guild of violoncellists was happy to have an opportunity of direct contact with him and adoption of the skills taught by the Maestro; then, after his death, his tutee eminent violoncellist David Geringas who never forgot his youth in Vilnius and Lithuanian music cherishes the tradition of friendship with Lithuanian musicians for many years. Arvydas Malcys, the composer and the violoncellist of Lithuanian National Symphonic Orchestra, knows perfectly David Geringas and does not forget the warm communication with Mstislav Rostropovich, so he asked David Geringas, the tutee of the Maestro, to perform his new creation – the Concert for a violoncello and the orchestra „In Memoriam of Mstislav Rostropovich.” The music work will be presented on 15 March at the National Philharmonic and the soloist will be David Geringas. Such a concentration of the art of violoncello is not met often, so I take the chance for interviewing composer Arvydas Malcys.

Please, tell about your accountancy with Mstislav Rostropovich? What was his importance for you and Lithuania?
The Maestro died seven years ago.. My acquaintanceship with the famous musician began long ago. For the first time, I listened to him over fourty years ago, in the year 1972. He performed the Concert for a violoncello by Antonin Dvořák. For many years, I collected all gramophone records of his music issued by „Melodija“ company in the Soviet Union. When the Maestro left for the West, a long pause of our communication took place. After many years, in 1993, we met in Lisbon. After the said meeting, we met almost annually. It is possible to narrate about this person endlessly. In my opinion, he – because of his responsibility, his faith in justice and goodness – was a striking example of an artist. This person always kept his word; in addition, he had an excellent vein of humour and a phenomenal memory.

Rostropovich is considered the most eminent violoncellist of the world. He had recorded the total repertoire for a violoncello. The Maestro worked with all most eminent orchestras, conductors, soloists and composers of the 20th century. In many countries, including Lithuania, he established charity and support foundations for assistance to seriously ill children and support to exclusive talents.

This person loved Lithuania and helped it in difficult historical moments. After the 13 January, he initiated the first charity concert in Spain and the collected funds were transferred to Lithuania. He sounded Lithuanian artists (Lithuanian National Symphonic Orchestra, Lithuanian National Ballet) on tours with them worldwidely. He arranged many concerts with Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra as well. Because I am engaged in Lithuanian National Symphonic Orchestra, I communicated with the Maestro for many years, made together concert tours in Europe. I think, any person in Lithuania who contacted with the eminent musician warmly remembers him. This work is an expression of thankfulness and respect to him.

In the today creative activities of Lithuanian composers, particularly memorable and interesting works for a violoncello (chamber creations, concerts and so on) distinguish themselves. What, in your opinion, predetermines such an attention to this instrument?
Usually an appearance of a music work for a specific instrument is inspired by performers and their interest in modern Lithuanian music. It is clear that the fortune of a composer depends on the performer. Let’s remember abundant interesting music creations for a string quartet – their appearance was inspired by Vilnius Quartet. .Many good works for a violin were inspired by violinist Raimundas Katilius. I think, an appearance of abundant interesting music works for a violoncello is a natural result. At present, their generator is David Geringas. I do not know any other performer that such consistently and sincerely takes an interest in the creative activities of Lithuanian composers. This artist is open to innovations; in addition, he takes an interest in new music, including new Lithuanian music.

Did your communication with those violoncello masters – earlier with Mstislav Rostropovich and now with David Geringas – affected the ideas or maybe genres of your creation for a violoncello to any extent?
Neither Mstislav Rostropovich nor David Geringas directly influenced an appearance of my music works for a violoncello. However, communication and playing with them as well as being close to them, their attitude towards music, other arts and the life, their interpretations were very useful for me and increased my self-reliance.

Maestro Rostropovich inspired an appearance of two my symphonic pieces. He suggested creating an effective concert opus, as if a kind of an overture. Such a work should demonstrate possibilities of individual instruments of the orchestra, as an original „Guide to the Orchestra”. The premiere of my „Impetus“ took place at famous Ravenna Festival: Rostropovich conducted the orchestra at the hall of Mauro de André Palace in 2002. Next year, the Maestro suggested creating anything of a contrary character – a slow music similar to a goodbye of a person leaving this world... So, “Only the Sky over Us” appeared. Unfortunately, the Maestro had no opportunity to conduct its performance. Later Latvian National Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Andris Nelsons (the chief conductor of Boston Symphonic Orchestra) performed the said creation and gained the third prize at the international competition „Sinfonia Baltica“. By the way, both above-mentioned opuses were conducted by David Geringas as well.

You have composed abundant chamber music works for a violoncello (such as Four Miniatures for a violoncello solo, “The Acoustic Abysm” for a violoncello and a piano, the Sonata for a violoncello and a piano, duos for a violoncello with a clarinet, a flute and an accordion and so on). You are a master of the genre of instrumental concert and a professional violoncellist, so why you present your Concert for a violoncello and a piano only now?
It is very difficult to create for a well-known music instrument that’s repertoire (including created in the 20th century) is familiar to you and that you played much. Such a task forces to assume a great responsibility. A creation for a mouth organ is much easier: everything is new, interesting and no stereotypes exist... A violoncello is as if a fellow-traveller for me, my alter ego – I always was with it in my conscious life. My first music teacher Vilnius Petrauskas implanted love, respect and responsibility to this instrument. I remember his precepts up to present time and feel them as obligations.

The above-mentioned works for a violoncello were my early works. I performed them when I was an inexperienced composer. Later opuses for a violoncello appeared upon various circumstances: for example, Mariya Fedotova requested a creation for a flute a violoncello for her converts – so I created „The Loneliness in a Par”; Roger Arve Vigulf needed a duo for a clarinet and a violoncello – so “The Horizon in a Vertical” appeared; Vilnius Accordion Festival ordered a creation for an accordion and a violoncello – and I created “Following the Tracks of Dreams”. Communication with violoncellist Denis Shapovalov resulted in my decision to try composing a piece for a violoncello solo – and “The Floating Chips” appeared. Denis included the piece in his repertoire and recorded it to compact disk. “The Footprints in the Sound” was ordered by Odessa Modern Music Festival and was performed there.

Unfortunately, not all my creations for a violoncello were performed. Formerly, David Geringas formed an ensemble of violoncellists „Gericelli“ of his excellent tutees. The ensemble and the Maestro delivered abundant concerts. Their repertoire included abundant works of Lithuanian composers as well. I was asked to create anything for the ensemble. However, the said work was not performed, because the ensemble naturally broke: tutees of David completed their studies and left for various locations of the world.

Why the Concert for a violoncello has been created just now? It was an order of the Ministry of Culture related to payment the tribute to memory of Mstislav Rostropovich for his merits for Lithuania.

What circumstances predetermined that the Concert will be performed by David Geringas?
When David got to know that I was creating a Concert for a violoncello in memoriam of Mstislav Rostropovich, he enthusiastically supported the idea. Because he was a tutee of Rostropovich, there were no doubts about a performer of the Concert. I think, any composer would be glad to know that his work is performed by excellent connoisseur and interpreter of modern music David Geringas.

What ideas do you strive to express in the new Concert for a violoncello?
First of all, I wished to create a “concert-like” music work, interesting both for the performer and the listener. It was created according to the principle of the genre of a traditional concert based on a contrast between the soloist and the orchestra that is developed in acoustic, textural and emotional, dramatic aspects. I wished to create this work in a form of a memorial arch that would reflect the snippets of creations dedicated to the Maestro and the emotional states, convey fragments of his biography by music sounds in order to enable the listener to image the odyssey of the Artist.

The plot of the score is original: it includes monologues, dialogues, allegories, culminations, dramatism and lyrics. So, I contemplated the Concert of abundant fragments that reflected the possibilities of a violoncello, the today cultural layer as well as the hopes and dreams of people. I wished enabling the listener to imagine the odyssey of the Artist where fragments of the biography of the Maestro Mstislav Rostropovich are conveyed by music sounds. In the work, fragments of concerts, their agogics and dynamics as well as the emotional experience of a person forced to leave his home land are felt. The soloist of the Concert is a kind of a hero whose musical characteristic is multi-faceted and multidimensional. The Soloist is an axis of the work providing music and emotional impulses to the whole orchestra. In the Concert, a five-sound refrain of Pray is repeated for five times. Five notes, five rhythmic figures – as if the epigram SLAVA – the shortened name of the Maestro used by his friends.