Alexander Malofeev, participant of the 1st International Competition for Young Pianists Grand Piano Competition, told why winning the competition is not the main thing, how to choose the right program for a performance, and why the language of music is universal.
– Sasha, did you choose the works for the competition yourself or did you consult with a teacher?
– I choose the program together with Elena Vladimirovna Berezkina. We take into account not only the rules of the competition, but also the tactics of my further development.
We usually take works that we hope to present to listeners in the next season. Thus, it turns out that for me a competition is a certain driving force. For example, I learned Rachmaninov’s second sonata quite recently. And I’ve been playing “Mephisto Waltz” for quite a long time. It seems to me that he even suffers from this.
– Do you play only your favorite pieces or have you and your teacher developed a special strategy for winning?
– My favorite work is always the one I’m working on at the moment Working. And now this is Rachmaninov's Second Sonata.
The teacher and I did not develop any strategy for winning, because for me the competition is just a stage in personal development. Today I just wanted to play wonderful music for the jury, for the audience, for myself.
– Are you aiming to win?
“It’s definitely nice to win.” But the composition of this particular competition is so strong that, in my opinion, all participants deserve good prizes, wonderful scenes and the best producers. The word “victory” in such a collective race is very relative.
I think it will be very difficult for the jury to single out anyone. If suddenly I don’t end up in the top five laureates, I won’t be upset. Decent musicians will remain with me beyond this line.
– How does it happen that, playing music strictly according to the notes, you still manage to bring in famous composition something from yourself?
– The main thing, of course, is always the composer. What he created is sacred. However, notes that are written on paper are not music. You have to put yourself into the work for it to come to life. And then in every sound you can capture a piece of yourself.
– You know that there are many foreign masters on the jury of the Grand Piano Competition. In your opinion, their perception of music and evaluation system should be different from the Russian style?
– I am sure that the language of music is universal. Therefore, if I play well, then everyone will understand it: both the audience and the jury. I would like the musical text to become the material through which I could talk to my audience.
– Did you already know the guys before the start of this event?
- Certainly! I knew many of them well; we had communicated before and even performed together on the same stage.
– Is there a tense atmosphere in your team now? You are competing with each other.
– No, our relations are good, friendly, because, as Denis Leonidovich says, first of all, the festival. And the main thing here is not to win, but to be able to please yourself and the viewer.
– At such a young age you already have so many achievements! I know that you have participated in many competitions in Russia and abroad. As a serious musician, do you have to travel a lot?
- Absolutely right! A lot and often. And it sometimes upsets me, because travel doesn't change the course. educational process. When I leave, I still have a classroom, a piano, and hours of lessons waiting for me.
– So, traveling is more of a necessity for you? Or do you still enjoy it?
– Of course, I get great pleasure! When I go on stage, I forget all the difficulties that I had to overcome to get there. And then I just enjoy the game.
– Do you have a couple of days left to explore the city and see the sights?
– Always different. It often happens that I am too busy with preparation and rehearsals. For example, when a solo tour comes up suddenly. Although sometimes, the festival program is designed in such a way that participants can relax and see the sights, like Denis Leonidovich in “Stars on Baikal”.
– Do you often feel a lack of free time?
– Probably, if I had free time, I would prefer to study more.
– You are confident on stage. Is this an experience?
– Yes, the concert experience gradually brings confidence, but an element of excitement still remains. I think it's completely natural to feel nervous when playing. What you shouldn’t do is be afraid! And anxiety helps me pull myself together at the right moment.
– What moment of the performance is the most important for you?
– There is excitement just before going on stage. But it passes. During the game there is no longer a trace of him, there is only me and the piano.
– Are you not distracted by the audience, do you remain immersed in your music?
– First of all, I play for the audience. And for me the most important thing is that the audience gets fresh and vivid impressions.
– Please tell me about your mother. Do you feel her support now?
– Of course, there’s no way without this. Both my mother and my teacher support me very much during the competition. For me, as for any person, it is very important to receive the warmth and love of loved ones.
– How did it happen that you became interested in music?
– It’s very simple, my mother took me to music school. And then I realized that I was interested in this. I got really carried away.
– Did your mother foresee this course of events?
“At first it was really just a hobby. I know that mom didn't want me to become professional musician. But when the situation turned around, she actually took the place of my personal secretary. Therefore, the role of mother in my work is simply invaluable!
– Have you ever imagined that your life could have turned out completely differently?
– No, today I can no longer see my life without music. That's it for me.
Interviewed by Yana Abu-Zeid.
The final gala concert of the laureates, whose number had increased to seven instead of five, was still a continuation of the competition for them. In the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, festive solemnity reigned along with exciting anticipation and intrigue that persisted until the end - who will take the Grand Prix?
“If it were my will, I would give all the contestants pianos, and that would close the competition,” Denis Matsuev said before the start of the celebration. “The word competition is not in the first place here. We have a win-win atmosphere, no one will be offended, all 15 participants have a great prospect of touring and much more for the next two years. Each of them is a “spark”, showing brilliant form and, most importantly, , freedom on stage."
Spectacular concert number opened festive evening. To the “Italian Polka” by Sergei Rachmaninov, figures of black and white keys danced on stage, “set” in motion by the fingers of Elisey Mysin and Okui Shio (Japan), laureate of the 1st Grand Piano Competition, on the piano. The audience is delighted.
The award ceremony for the 15 participants, which preceded the final “spurt” of the seven laureates, was long and detailed. First of all, all the guys received a certificate for participation in the project of the founder and artistic director of the competition, Denis Matsuev. “The American Thyssen will not escape the fate of taking a dip in Baikal after a Russian bath,” Matsuev promised. He has to go to the Stars on Baikal festival. Evgeny Evgrafov was awarded the opportunity to perform in the All-Russian Philharmonic Seasons program. Malinin, among other things, received a special prize from the Central Music School and Valery Pyasetsky - participation in the concert of the festival "A tutta forza" with professional video and audio recording.
Photo: facebook.com/ International competition Grand Piano Competition
Twelve-year-old Egor Oparin, the favorite of the competition, although he did not become a laureate, but only a diploma winner, received enviable awards, including a personal scholarship from Matsuev and a debut concert in Tokyo at the Yamaha Concert Hall. Sergey Girshenko, accompanist of the State Conservatory of Music named after. Svetlanov, a wonderful orchestra that accompanied the participants in the second round, presented a cash prize (500 euros) to Oparin, who had won his musical heart.
The winners were showered with awards, concert invitations, gifts, and prizes. Valery Gergiev, Alexander Sladkovsky, Moscow Philharmonic, State Symphony Orchestra named after. Svetlanova invited them all to their projects. Roman Borisov also received a flattering invitation to participate in the Academy of the famous festival in Verbier. The All-Russian competition joined the proposals from Matsuev, the Philharmonic and the Central Music School " blue bird", presenting his certificate to Ivan Bessonov for participation in the “classical” Eurovision concert on August 23 in Edinburgh. To the four positions of Eva Gevorgyan’s invitations, Helikon Opera and Dmitry Bertman added the opportunity to perform at theater stage white-columned hall of Princess Shakhovskaya.
Photo: facebook.com/International Grand Piano Competition
The generosity of gifts, which are primarily designed for the prospect of the sought-after concert and touring life of the Grand Piano Competition participants, reflects one of the main goals of Denis Matsuev’s project. He repeatedly emphasized that the meaning of a pianist’s existence is the stage, the audience and the uniqueness of the moment of the performer’s concert performance. This competition is also unique in its undeniable assistance to young musicians.
The competition is designed to nurture talented youth at the Russian and international level concert venues. But first, the children are nurtured by their teachers. Many grateful words were addressed to them throughout the evening. Sergei Osipenko, Sergei Davydchenko’s teacher, Sergei Girshenko, first violin of the Svetlanov State Conservatory, presented a cash award with the words: “Serezha’s playing style and positioning of his hands were reminiscent of the great pianist Tatyana Nikolaeva.” Indeed, Davydchenko’s entire appearance was like a continuation of the piano. The pianist's organic and natural fit to the keyboard gave excellent control of the sound in the cantilena, chords and passages. Based on the results of online voting, Sergey Davydchenko and Yichen Yu (China) were awarded the People's Choice Award. Sergei was presented with a certificate for a professional photo shoot, and the smiling Chinese guy received a gift edition of P.I.’s First Piano Concerto. Tchaikovsky: two editions, clavier and scores with comments by the author himself.
Photo: facebook.com/International Grand Piano Competition
The decision to award the Grand Prix was a collegial one of all members of the jury, which, after the speech of the final (last number in the draw) participant Alexandra Dovgan, decorously left the voting hall.
As during all competitive auditions of the first and second rounds, it was incredibly difficult for the jury to compare and choose the best from the guys who were already all the best. All differently bright, dissimilar individuals, technically not just well-equipped and skilled, but virtuoso in true meaning of this word - valiant, boldly and bravely defeating any “hand-breaking” piles of technical difficulties.
Photo: facebook.com/International Grand Piano Competition
Finally, after a performance that was demonstrative in every sense, the “playing coach” himself, the artistic director of the Grand Piano, Matsuev, with maestro Valery Gergiev at the console of the State Academic Conservatory named after. Svetlanov, Denis Leonidovich announced the cherished name. Of the seven applicants - Roman Borisov, Vladislav Khandogiy, Sergey Davydchenko, Tinghong Liao, Ivan Bessonov, Eva Gevorgyan, Alexandra Dovgan - the venerable and respected jury chose Dovgan.
Fryderyk Chopin wrote the famous words: “You need to practice really the best tool, but play on any one." The instrument should help the pianist reach the unattainable.
Once upon a time, after winning the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998, Yamaha presented contestant Denis Matsuev with a grand piano. From that moment on, he became the face of the company and, according to the pianist, “a member of the Yamaha family” for 20 years.
Photo: facebook.com/International Grand Piano Competition
Sasha Dovgan, who deserved the Grand Prix and received many invitations to projects, was also rewarded with a ticket to International festival them. Chopin in Duszniki (Poland). And Alexander Alexandrovich Pushkin, a descendant of the great poet, personally presented a cash special prize from the International Pushkin Foundation.
“The most important thing is for the guys to grow professionally and understand that every morning starts with a clean slate. It will always be like this. It’s like this for me every day. There’s a concert in the evening, and the next day it’s all over again,” said Denis Matsuev.
“A competition is not a concert,” that’s what I had to convince myself during the auditions for the first round of the Grand Piano Competition. When the participants appeared one after another on the stage of the Rachmaninov Hall - an even greater challenge, an even more difficult program, even fewer years - the piano gradually began to seem like just a decibel-producing apparatus. Golden interior under the open lid - and from there forte, fortissimo, forte-fortissimo, the load on the eardrums turned out to be serious. In no way do I want to reproach highly gifted young pianists with this: such a sound picture is dictated primarily by the situation itself. The guys came out to compete, virtuosity is a natural field of competition and an integral part of high-class pianism, and without decibels it does not exist. In addition, Neuhaus wrote at one time: “... the most difficult, purely pianistic task: to play for a very long time, very hard and fast. A true spontaneous virtuoso instinctively “pounces” on this difficulty from a young age - and overcomes it successfully... this is why so often we hear exaggerations in tempo and strength from young virtuosos who are destined to become great pianists.” There is no reason to doubt that the definition of “a true elemental virtuoso” is applicable to all participants without exception (considering that the ability to play in the highest technical league since the time of Neuhaus is getting younger and younger): without being a born virtuoso, it is impossible to play like that at that age. In relation to the general average level, the playing of these guys (each of them!) is like a five-thousand-meter mountain peak above the plain, but when they pass in front of you one after another, then virtuosity begins to be taken for granted, becomes the background, and with that background, the hearing begins to want something else. It seems that anyone who simply plays quietly, warmly and humanely will be a hero. And this is where you remember that a competition is not a concert.
What if you deliberately forget that this is a competition? Should virtuosity, which is nothing more than an entrance ticket to this competition, be taken out of the equation? What will the sound picture be like? So we came to listen to music, music is beauty. What did we hear?
We heard a lot of supported, dense, round – as they say, “high-quality” sound. There is a lot of phrasing that could be subtler if, while one hand plays a beautiful melody, the attention of the players were not drawn to themselves by strings of small notes from the other, so that it was often noticeable that technical difficulty dictates the phrase, although it should have been vice versa. But this is only a special case of the situation when the player did not cover the entire texture with his hearing: he heard and controlled, for example, in two-voice, only one voice. Man strives for wholeness. It makes an infinitely captivating impression when a pianist controls everything at his fingertips and is responsible for each, precisely each note: since the piano texture is almost always polyphonic, it sounds as if before our eyes someone is creating a new universe in the entire its completeness, and this is only a pale description of the pleasure that the merging together of different, clearly distinguishable voices brings to the ear - and this pleasure can be so strong that it seems to answer some fundamental and difficult to define human need. I can say that in the Rachmaninov Hall (I am writing about the first round because I was personally present at it) I often only dreamed about it. There was a lot of left hand interfering with the right and preventing the upper voice from being heard, as a result of which the stereoscopic quality disappeared and the sound began to sound flat. There are many second and third beats that carelessly stick out from the accompaniment in waltzes. There is a lot of indifference to registers and their colors. The absence of the fifth finger in heavy chords, when it sinks, the melodic line disappears. All this is what distinguishes the sound picture from the ideal, the shortcomings of sound control. Every now and then the temptation arose to attribute them to age, until one fine moment a boy came out and played Haydn’s sonata so that, as one of his acquaintances put it, it was as if the stereo had been turned on after the mono. Valentin Malinin.
I personally am very sorry that he remained, as it were, in the shadows and little is said about him, whereas at this competition he showed himself to be one of the most mature musicians in terms of meaningfulness and mastery of sound. This is the case when a person comes out, and it’s as if another piano is being rolled out for him - sonorous, varied, with volume in the sound. And at the same time, he is that same born spontaneous virtuoso of powerful temperament: during his “Flight of the Bumblebee,” the ground sometimes disappeared from under his feet, and Liszt’s concerto for the finale looks like the most natural choice here. I hope that the stars in the sky will still align as they should for him and that he has many well-deserved victories ahead.
Listening to such a game, you inevitably think that mastery of sound does not fall from the sky on a young pianist: someone must teach him to listen, first of all. Listen and hear what comes out from under your fingers. Yes, ultimately this is a craft, but it is a craft that, in its highest manifestations, merges with art, creating the unique beauty of a piano sound. And even though Valentin Malinin’s truly unique beauty is still in the future, the prerequisites are very good: the ability to hear everything is not yet given to everyone, and the possibilities of even the best teacher to teach this are not limitless.
In general, these competitions of young musicians are an amazing thing: precisely because the performance of the participants is a kind of fusion, it contains both the individuality of the participant himself and a reflection of the personality of his teacher, who is invisibly standing behind him. In order to impart a non-trivial understanding of music into a student, you must have this understanding yourself, and often, while listening to an exciting game, with a sinking heart you think about what interesting musicians there should be teachers sitting modestly in the hall. There is nothing more touching than the union of two people in the pursuit of beauty and artistic truth, even if one of them is small and the other is an adult. Sometimes these unions have finest hour, as happened at the competitive performances of Sasha Dovgan.
photo from the page vk.com/grandpianocompetition
I don't know how things will turn out further life this girl, how she will play later - surely something will come, something will go, but what we heard these days is truly unprecedented in the feeling of integrity and naturalness in everything. Chopin's impromptu fantasy was like a gust of wind. It was as if something was pouring out unhindered in one stream, all at once and in its entirety, and in its sincerity it made such an impression that when compared with the recording of a recent Grammy Award winner, it remains to be seen who I (personally) would prefer. Of course, comparisons are not an entirely fair technique, but when you listen to this, strange thoughts come from nowhere: that for Chopin it is sometimes better to be a ten-year-old girl than a guy with a beard, burdened by the need to meet expectations. Adults cannot play this simply; they must invent something on top of the provocative beauty of the music. The child doesn’t have to, and the music blossomed as if on its own, naturally.
“Driven,” dissatisfied voices were heard. No, I didn’t. Yes, it was very fast. But few adult pianists are able to achieve such a combination of unity and separateness in these passages, and also so that it produces such an angelic impression of a lack of effort. Well, yes, a few fleas in the reprise, not without that, but - the last magnificent touch - a desperate squeal at the end, like a seagull, just before the farewell D-flat major, as if the setting sun - who is it? Who heard it like that, Sasha Dovgan or Mira Marchenko? Whoever it was, at that moment my breath caught in surprise. Everything can be heard in Bach’s chorale, and the point of special affection is that when the actual theme of the chorale enters, the other voice is not lost - the one with which the work began, it remains as bright and articulate as at the beginning, but in addition, there is something there that, it seems, cannot be taught - a feeling of forward movement, easy step. And of course, no “two or three” stuck out from Sasha Dovgan’s accompaniment in Chopin’s waltz, and there was also an unexpectedly listened bass line - another joy to the heart. How strange it is to see that the most impressive musician - in real, adult terms - at this competition turned out to be the smallest girl. You can describe for a long time all the finds and all the interesting things - for example, in the Suite of the unfamiliar Bortkevich, which was listened to with unflagging attention, but everything will not fit into the article, and in words, in the end, it is difficult to convey the ever-increasing feeling of surprise and joy that accompanied it game.
photo from the page vk.com/grandpianocompetition
Let those whom I did not mention forgive me, let the fans of the wonderful Seryozha Davydchenko forgive me - others have already written about him and will write more, but Sasha made such an impression that simply cannot be kept silent about, especially since voices are already heard saying that she was “dragged ”, and about the Grand Prix, they say, it was clear in advance. Personally, I don’t know anything about this, but even if we assume that this is so, then for once the one who was “dragged” turned out to be worthy of it, and such a situation is not easy to endure, I understand. It’s difficult to comment on performances with an orchestra when you listen to them broadcast. The efforts of the sound engineers were noticeable there and everything sounded level and as if from afar - probably to “tidy up” the orchestra a little, which at the opening of the competition showed that it could sometimes crush even such an experienced and powerful player as Matsuev. But even there, when it is impossible to judge with certainty about the sound side, there remains a pleasure from the phrasing in Mendelssohn’s concerto, elegant, whimsical and at the same time natural, like breathing. Natural talent, already acquired skill, clarity of attitude, sincere belief in what you are doing - all this merged with Sasha Dovgan into an amazing unity, which, perhaps, together with this moment in time will never happen again, and we, together with millions of Internet - the audience was convinced that child prodigies, miracle children, really exist.
Is it a coincidence or not that it was Mira Marchenko’s students who made such an indelible impression on me? Probably not. There are musician priorities, after all, that may or may not coincide with someone else - it must have coincided with me, and the concert still emerged from the competition for me. Music is beauty, that is its power. Thanks to those who don't let us forget about this.
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Artistic director Grand Piano Competition Denis Matsuev explained the violation of the regulations by saying that the level of the competitors was so high that the jury’s list of five laureates was not enough.
He also noted that the difference between the Grand Piano and other competitions is that it is more likely not a competition, but “a festival where there can be no losers.” “The final at the Grand Piano is not a fight, but a real festive gala piano concerts“Mozart, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Grieg, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, after which it is really difficult to name laureate names,” the press service of the Ministry of Culture quotes Matsuev.
Laureates of the Second Grand Piano Competition:
Ivan Bessonov (Russia), 15 years old
Roman Borisov (Russia), 15 years old
Eva Gevorkyan (Russia), 14 years old
Sergey Davydchenko (Russia), 13 years old
Alexandra Dovgan (Russia), 10 years old
Tinghong Liao (China), 14 years old
Vladislav Khandogiy (Republic of Belarus), 16 years old
Diploma winners of the Second Grand Piano Competition:
Yiguo Wang (China), 14 years old; Evgeny Evgrafov (Russia), 16 years old; Sanjarali Kopbaev (Kazakhstan), 14 years old; Valentin Malinin (Russia), 16 years old; Egor Oparin (Russia), 12 years old; Perrin-Luc Thiessen (USA), 15 years old; Yichen Yu (China), 15 years old; Chiwon Yang (Korea), 16 years old.
Laureates will receive five thousand dollars, diploma winners - one thousand.
International jury of the Second Grand Piano Competition:
Sergey Dorensky (Russia), Piotr Paleczny (Poland), Boris Petrushansky (Russia), Valery Pyasetsky (Russia), Hyunjun Chan (Republic of Korea), Martin Engström (Sweden) and Stanislav Yudenich (Russia).
The laureates have been named, but the intrigue of the competition remains. This evening, during the gala concert of the laureates in Concert hall Tchaikovsky, the winner of the Grand Prix will be announced - a Yamaha AvantGrand piano.
All finalists of the II International Competition for Young Pianists Grand Piano Competition received special prizes and awards.
The competitors were awarded:
Certificates for participation in projects by Denis Matsuev, Valery Gergiev, Alexander Sladkovsky, the State Orchestra of Russia named after E. F. Svetlanov, the All-Russian Philharmonic Seasons program;
Special prizes: from the Central Music School and Valery Pyasetsky, from Helikon Opera and Dmitry Bertman; from Yamaha Music, the State Orchestra of Russia named after E.F. Svetlanov and the International A.S. Foundation Pushkin;
Certificates for participation in Verbier Festival Academy and Duszniki International Chopin Piano Festival, certificate from All-Russian competition young talents “Blue Bird” to participate in the Young Musicians Competition in Edinburgh.
The Grand Piano Competition was held in Moscow from April 29 to May 5, 2018. Founders of the competition – Ministry of Culture Russian Federation and Moscow Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky.
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