D.I.SHULGIN, Т.V. SHEVCHENKO
CREATIVITY - LIFE of
VICTOR EKIMOVSKY

Monographic conversations
Moscow - 2003

(Attention! The text is given in computer translation!)

The book is written in commonwealth of two authors – musicologist Т.V. Shevchenko for which this work was the first publication, and D.I.Shulgin – the known scientist and the teacher, the author of some books and the textbooks which have won wide recognition, including such, as « Years of uncertainty Alfred Schnitke », « The Manual under the acoustical harmonious analysis », « Theoretical bases of modern harmony » and « Recognition of Edison Denisov », « Modern features of a composition of Victor Ekimovsky ». The maintenance of this book decided in a genre of " monographic conversations ", is devoted to creativity of one of bright modern Russian composers, his public life, not ordinary sights at every possible aspects of the modern art and music of last centuries, at performing activity of some domestic and foreign musicians. In the book numerous estimations and analyses of the composer of own compositions are submitted, it is told about a history of their creation, about the first and subsequent performances. All work is written on the basis of exclusive conversations of its authors with Victor Ekimovsky.

ISBN 5-93994-003-X
© Shulgin Dmitry Iosifovich, the text – with. 3-149, 1983-2000
© Shevchenko Tatyana Vasiljevna, the text – with. 150-173, 1999-2000



.......
- Yes, we had very amicable, good collective, that is someone very close was friends, and someone, maybe, not so, but all the same respect to each other was big, and never was any moments that someone something has made there, and to another does not tell(affects). Very much all were friends. Not casually we have then formed " Association of Modern Music " which and to this day operates and the attention draws. By the way, the West has very operatively reacted to creation АСМа and in same 90-th year has supported us solid premium Paul Xindemit.
- Edison Vasiljevich in conversations with me told, what it(he) of this your generation took out many to Paris?
- Yes, such it was valid. Close communications(connections) with the French composers, publishers, and, including, and with director Le Chant du Monde had Deniss many. And, certainly, not without advice(council) Denisova it(he) has engaged then in Russian modern music. Among his(its) first actions(shares) release of a series of author''s compact discs of Kasparov, Raskatov and Ekimovski, by the way, appeared. In 92-nd year it(he) has arranged in French of radio and week of Russian music on which all of us have got (… the program was selected, naturally, Denisov). At me then in Paris it has been executed two compositions …
- And except for this disk what music at you is written down?
- Three compositions at me it is written down on пластинках in the "Melody", three – on disks "Olympia", plus to this the author''s disk is.
- And how you have contacted "Olympia"?
Is a communication(connection) has arisen by ensemble АСМ which has written down for them very many disks with the most different our music.
- And how your generation made the way at home?
- We then had many difficulties which, certainly, not comparable difficulties of the previous generation, practically, cutting through "window" in new music. Him(it), to pioneers, it is healthy got, in fact they have taken up the basic ideological impact. But to us to the beginning too it was not sweet. Everyone know "baiki" about how forbid to play, say, Denisov – the Ministry of culture, Radio, the Philarmonic society, but in fact the same organizations when has appeared new еhe organization of composers young growth, precisely also were up in arms on Vustin,Smirnov and Ekimovski … And by then the senior avant-gardists have obtained a huge European recognition (certainly, not without politics tricks of the West) and then them have been compelled to make legal and at us – the return wave has worked. They became officially recognized and executed. Our generation needed to wait only. And many did not maintain. Only look, how many composers have left(abandoned) the country: Smirnov, Firsova, Peals, Shut, Lobanov, Grabovsky … But the majority continued to work persistently here, and, eventually, " has punched also their hour " …...
- You count what contacts to "not - musicians" for yourselves the most interesting?
- Contacts to not musical circles at me was a little. But, as a rule, all of them yielded good creative results. I already spoke about my close friend Alexander Fedulov, the talented director - animator with whom we have made five films. In doll performances which it was typed(collected) also five, I cooperate with my old friend, director Feliksom Fajn-shtejnom. The artist from Riga – Gennady Sukhanov was still. When I have got acquainted with his(its) works, interpreting various ways idea of M and * 224; ндалы has been simply struck with originality of his(its) manner and style.
- And that such Mandala?
- Mandala is some kind of a picture - pattern which can be drawn on a paper, it is weaved on a carpet or it is cut out on a stone. Under the form it is a square in a circle inside which the most various symbolical images giving devoted opportunity of knowledge of the world through meditation are placed. In other words, in Mandala, its(her) simple formula, contains a lot of sense. Sukhanov in the lithographs just also offered the diversified treatments of the concepts contained in the Mandala – concepts of time, eternity, микро-and макрокосма … And such uniqueness of Mandala has grasped also me then. And so, that I some years reflected above its(her) "translation" in music.
- And whether there are at you friends among poets, writers?
- No, anybody. Though there were curious figures, for example Prigov, Рубинштейн, but I with them, unfortunately, did not work.
- And why in the list of your basic compositions there are no vocal compositions?
- You know, I, to tell the truth, not so that love vocal music. It seems to me, that the text always leaves on the foreground and enthrals music the moods, figurativeness, a rhythm and she(it) turns simply to accompaniment. Certainly, there are ingenious parity samples, but it more likely exception …...
- Among your compositions is program?
- Is, certainly., for example, the composition for a bass clarinet " Eternal returning " in which for a basis I have taken idea of Nitzshe: " all comes back to circles the ", " all was and will be ".
- And how it is possible to express such philosophical maxim in music?
- Here it is very simple: first, I have one formula which is constant penetrates all musical fabric – she(it) time twenty five meets, through small pieces of music and is constant, as though eternally, of itself reminds and, by the way, she(it) unique of the themes, written down in the musical text – all rest is fixed approximate; then the executor! – it(he) some times leaves from a stage and returns(comes back). And then, strangely enough, in this play at me any similarity the form of a sonata has turned out, that is I have meaningly gone on that elements which were in an exposition then still return(come back): first in development, and then in a reprise. Thus, the idea of returning acts in the text in the most different aspects, at the most different levels.
- Tell, please, Victor Alekseevich who from executors the participation promoted success of your compositions?
- So has developed, that with great executors at me in the past of creative contacts was not. Though I communicated, certainly, and with Christmas, both Rostropovich, and Kremer, both Berman, and Tonch... Many have my notes and someone promised something to execute, but! Results any.
- And Baking?
- Yes, on Baking I cannot complain. Not only that it(he) only one mine "Baletto" has played more than 100 times so it(he) still was the initiator of a spelling of two compositions – "Uspenie" and " 27 destructions ".
- And who else constantly plays you?
- Such constant executors as Baking complain(favour), more, and are not present. Unless our ensemble АСМ, playing for 10 years of the existence almost all my chamber music. From soloists who play me not one time, with pleasure I name such remarkable musicians, as Vladislav Igolinsky, Ivan Sokolov, Oleg Tantsov, Sergey Sudzilovsky, Gennady Pystin. But nevertheless my compositions different musicians are $more often play. So, for example, " the Sonata with a dead march " has been played more than 30 times and almost as much here performing names.
- And what it is names, if not a secret?
- Please. The first executor Michael Tsajger – it(he) the composer and the pianist was... Excellently played this sonata Michael Du-bov, Victor Yampolsky, Victor Chernelevsky. In Baku she(it) sounded in execution(performance) Гюльшен Аннагиевой, in Petersburg – Stanislav Igo-linskogo, in Minsk – Oleg Krimera. There is also a record on a phonograph record of "Melody" which was made by Vasily Lobanov. Abroad the sonata was executed and in America – by Dzheffri Jacob, and in Germany – Tobias Trunigerom. In total, probably, also I shall not remember …
There were also creative contacts to Jury Nikolavskim, Saulusom Sondezkisom(… simply reference execution(performance) of " the Brandenburg concert "), Alexander Titov. Some compositions at me Sergey Skripka have played. At me with Konstantin Krimetsom – it(he) too has executed very close communications(connections) some my compositions.