“Uncle Gena with accordion”.

-Any childhood impressions are kept to you? When have you started your music studies and why just on bayan?

-Already after the war parents were evacuated from Stalingrad to Balakovo, Saratov Province. We resided in a two-storied wooden house for 14 apartments. The court was of ‘many-children’ – each family had two, three or even four children, and by the barns vis-à -vis the house, as it was rule, Uncle Gena, common court accordionist, He sits near his barn on a bench and thumps tunes out: When my mother dear sent me… Of course, he played not only this one – various things. And I had been listening it for whole days. He played not badly at all, had a fame of sector’s accordionist.

I was then a little boy – about four-five years old, I sit on the bench and listen. From time to time he gave me to hold his accordion. And later I got my own little accordion – little bisonoric one, for kids, and very decent besides. Tunes with accompanying could be played on it. It had 12 buttons on the left keyboard, and 19 (or 18) on the right one. I don’t remember how I’d got it. Maybe it was bought on a market. My parents went to the market on rest days to sell fish – my father was inveterate fisherman, he went fishing every day like to his workplace, and took me too.

Thus, I started to play all Uncle Gena’s repertoire on this harmonica, and whole dance group, kids’ crowd, and I was ‘thumping tunes’. So it moved likely, until my enrolment to music school.

-Did you go to musical school by yourself or parents brought you?

-They’ve understood that I should be sent to musical school, if I play already harmonica.

“It had been so long ago…”

-Do you remember musical school? Who was your pedagogue, which impressions have remained?

-It had been so long ago, as if thousand years ago. It was a mere fiction. The school was in a remote corner, River boatmen’s Garden was behind it, and Volga – already after it. And young boys and girls went dancing to this River boatmen’s Garden, where was a small patch. The school was likely in the earth edge: a one-storied small estate.

My pedagogue was the only in the town, very talented one – everyone recalls him very well and with delight.

-Don’t you remember what was his name?

-Of course I do. Boris Yakovlevich Yangazov, a Tatar on his nationality besides. He gave anyone no quarter, was very strict, but many of his disciples have gone far – graduated from colleges and institutes, including me – Gnessins’ Institute. Though he had no special musical education.

-While I studied in musical school, we weren’t permitted to play ‘by ear’, in order not to destroy it, God forbid, with poor selection. And what did you have?

-Honestly saying, I even don’t remember. The pedagogue worked only according to curriculum. He gave various notes and compulsory classical pieces. But he paid more attention, of course, to arrangements of Russian folk melodies. And as to selection ‘by ear’, it didn’t exist in our musical school. There were duos and trios – he managed to give this, to make students more communicate and find themselves in collective music playing.

I started playing ‘by ear’ in general-education school. Then city competitions of school amateur talents and greater festivals took place very often – every school showed two-three parts each. I studied still in the sixth form in general-education school, and in the fourth – in musical school, maybe even before, when I started playing in school amateur band, where everything is by ear.

It was later proved that everything was ‘laid’ on me – all amateur talents’ competitions, all town’s festivals.

For example, master-of-studies comes and tells: ‘Please, exempt Na Yun Kin from studies’. Teachers quarrel, telling that he had failing grade for algebra, an arrear on geometry, he should repeat the year at all. And the master-of-studies: ‘You know, we have now no more accompaniers besides him, and we have a concert in two parts. There’s amateur orchestra in a neighboring school at all, and we have nothing. And what should we do? Not to take any part, eh? ” And I was exempted from lessons for the entire day.

Thus we took first places in competitions of art collectives from general-education schools in the town. So my selection ‘by ear’ came from there, being more responsible and professional.

-Not everyone after musical school goes to study music onward. Do you choose profession by yourself?

-In the musical school I formed sense of cogency in my performance, and sense of a ‘front-rank worker’, really, a leader in studies. Whichever exams had I passed – either specialty, or solfeggio, and solfeggio particularly – I was always among leaders.

On solfeggio, for example, while a dictation was being written, lessons passed in such manner: I was seated to a back desk so that no one would crib anything. I was writing a dictation for 5-7 minutes, while the basic mass was doing this for the entire lesson, and the pedagogue was giving me one more individual dictation. I was writing it and walking till the end of lesson, while the rest was ending it. I was more pleased from solfeggio than from specialty.

-And whom did your parents want to see you?

-I’m from a simple worker’s family. My father had worked in a foundry for his entire life, and earned pneumonia, almost tuberculosis. My mother was an odd-job woman: either she scrubbed floors, or something else. They didn’t have any notion about secondary musical institutions. And when I already graduated musical school, my sister raised this question. She consulted somewhere and told that I should be registered to a musical college. And what is this, where is this… Mama implored: “What, have you gone mad? Where will he go at 15? ” My parents inclined me to go to a factory, where Papa worked – to cast steel. But thanks to sister and her husband it has come that I was registered to a musical college.

“Do you want to take part in a competition? ”

-And how have you come to Ulyanovsk?

-Occasionally. The matter was that we went cruising on Volga with sister’s husband on a motor ship. He ‘fished’ this thought that I should enroll to the school. And so we are touring across Middle Volga region and reach Ulyanovsk. Just at this time entrance exams to musical college are to be started. In Ulyanovsk the motor ship stood for some hours, and we, having visited Lenin’s memorial sites, faced the college.

We have entered, people are crowded there, and entrance exams are to be started. Someone there was already warming up, including folk-instruments’ musicians. I took someone’s instruments and played a bit. Someone heard and got interested who am I, later I was taken to counseling, I don’t even remember to whom. Two or three pedagogues listened to me. I played a program with which I had graduated musical school. It was Quail arranged by Kuznetsov, a kind of sonatina, and also a typical and ‘virtuous’ piece. Generally, there were exactly four pieces. The teacher have said categorically – drive urgently for documents, he should be registered. We’ve left everything, sailed back to take papers. It ended with my enrolment into Ulyanovsk Music College in 1969.

-And you’ve come to class of Vitaly Nikolayevich Bochkarev at once?

-Yes, Vitaly Nikolayevich has just graduated from Kazan Music Academy, and I am his first student and the first winner of ‘diverse’ competitions.

-At this time not a competition of Volga Region’s young bayan players has already taken place?

-Yes, there were already the 4^th and the 5^th competitions, I’ve become a winner of the sixth competition while studying the second year in the college.

-How were your relations with your specialty teacher formed?

-We’ve found common language at once. For some reason I didn’t pay attention, if he had favorites among students or ones whom he treated not quite finely.

He decided to prepare me to a competition for one year, it was very clearly and definitively 1970. He simply put a goal for me: “Do you want to take part in the competition? ” I say “Yes, I do”. I replied him definitively too. We started to select program on conditions of the competition – for first, second and third round. We worked simultaneously – both according to study curriculum and for the competition.

-And don’t you remember what did you play in the competition?

-Yes, I remember. First round – Organ Prelude and Fugue in C minor by J. S. Bach. A compulsory work should be performed too. In my opinion, one of works by Chaikin or Myaskov was proposed for choice. On the second round I played, in my opinion, Toccata by Klyucharev, a Tatar composer, as a virtuous piece. My large form was the first part of Suite for Bayan by A. Kholminov. Third round – Down the Peterskaya Road by Ivanov.

We prepared this program quite seriously. Then Evgeniy Ivanovich Kolobov was the Headmaster of the musical college, his disciple – Kolya Lukovkin from Togliatti City, a strong lad, – also took part in this competition. Evgeniy Ivanovich treated me a bit zealously, because I wasn’t in his class. And afterwards Kolya flunked his second round, and I became a winner. And this didn’t add any warmth to relations between us and Evgeniy Ivanovich. And I also traveled next year without his permission to Voronezh to All-Union Competition, honoring the 50^th Anniversary from formation of USSR.

‘What, you laugh, really? ’

-By your stories, you prepared yourself for this competition not as a soloist, but as an accompanist. Was this really?

-Yes, I prepared myself as an accompanist, but I was also ready as a soloist. Virtually all my program was since the Volga Region competition, but I didn’t prepare it deliberately. I merely didn’t think that I’d take a part in the All-Union Competition as a soloist-instrumentalist. And the program of this competition included also competition of folk songs’ performers, so I traveled there as an accompanist. The performer was from the choir in the Palace of Trade Unions, she worked at Contactor factory.

Suddenly I was summoned to YCL Provincial Committee and there I get a recommendation letter for competition of performers on folk instruments. I tell: ‘I just go, but as an accompanist to a vocalist’. And I’m told: ‘But if she fails, carry this letter to instrumentalists’ competition, it is taking place simultaneously and starts a bit later, register it, you’ll participate as a soloist-instrumentalist. Bear this in your mind’. I didn’t even read this letter – it was glued.

And I had fair arrears in the college. On musical literature I had to be left behind at all. And here I come to the Headmaster and tell about my intention to go to Voronezh for the competition dedicated to 50^th Anniversary of the formation of USSR. He tells me at once: ‘You’ll never go to the competition, what, you laugh, really? There even international competitions’ winners will take part. Your moustache hasn’t grown yet, and you intend to go top this prestigious competition. You should correct your arrears, otherwise we leave you behind’. And so on.

I left and went to the competition, not paying any attention. My singer, of course, ‘went out’ immediately after the first round. There was very strong membership of participants: a performer – a winner of an international competition – came with two magnificent bayanists, a soloist from the Moscow Concert and a soloist from the Moscow Philharmonic took part.

At this competition we got familiarized with guys from Yaroslavl. They – bayanists-accompanists also came with soloists-singers, and also ‘went out’ after the first tour and decided to remain to listen performers’ competition. Very interesting, if that’s the matter.

We went together to deliver my recommendation letter. Suddenly I see – Anatoly Senin is standing. At this time he’d already been a winner of International Competition in New York City (1969, 2^nd prize, a cup from American Association of Accordionists, he participated together with Valery Petrov who won the World Coup and gold medal). Well, I think, maybe he’s a member in the jury. Later I watch him giving the same recommendation letter like mine. It proves that he was a participant in the competition. I think – my goodness! And I’ve just bought his record, I pray on his record! There is his picture with five-ranged bayan Russia. I think, if to tear this letter and cast it to a garbage can?

Later I watch – Vyacheslav Semenov. He also takes part in the competition, he’s also a winner of the international competition. I say: ‘No, lads. What, you laugh, really? ’ They tell me: ‘Just try! What, if you are at the second year in musical college! But you’ll recollect your participation in this competition, amongst eminent performers, ‘stars’, it can be said. You play at the first round – and that’s well’. So they’ve persuaded me, I submitted this letter, really, peeped a little bit. Such one was written about me there! Pretty-prettier, an excellent student, and so on.

Well, it resulted with two third prizes shared by Vyacheslav Semenov and Vyacheslav Chernikov (then he had been graduating from Voronezh Institute of Arts with Timoshenko). I had a second place, and Sergei Slepokurov, Anatoly Syomin and Alexander Markov shared three first prizes.

After the competition I come to the musical college, and there is order about my expulsion – Kolobov hanged it. And I bring him diploma of a winner of the All-Union Competition dedicated to 50th Anniversary of the formation of USSR. I entered his office and gave the diploma. He read and shook my hand. I see later – after some hour this order is absent (he laughs). And, strange as it may seem, I began to study well.

‘And you, my friends, no matter your positions…’

-And didn’t it go with international competitions?

-I took part in selections. Two times. Then, one may say, there was sequence. Because that almost no one passed at the first time – rarely. At the second, the third one. For example, when I came to Rostov-on-Don for a selection, there participated Vladimir Dolgopolov, Arkady Lukashchuk (he’d already won third prize at Klingenthal Competition, but at this time he wasn’t passed). This time Yura Dranga – also a participant of qualifying listening – was graduating from an institute in Rostov-on-Don. He, as a native, came to us, to our hotel, to get acquainted and said: ‘Lads, this time it’s my turn to go. So don’t worry unusually’. Likely I. A. Krylov’s: and you, my friends, no matter your positions, will never be musicians. And really! His turn – his one. He just traveled.

I decided to play at the selection for the second time, while it took place in Moscow, in my native Gnessins’ Institute. This time Yuri Timofeevich Akimov and Anatoly Alexeevich Surkov ‘overdid’ with the program (Surkov was our and Akimov’s private consultant), and with this one: they gave me Seventh Sonata by Prokofiev. To play it on bayan… Of course, I studied it, worked honestly, and even realized the music. I listened, studied various performances; I have two completely diverse gramophone recordings – by Nikolai Petrov and Svyatoslav Richter.

And so I have played the program on this selection audition, passed all three rounds, and Sergei Mikhailovich Kolobov (he was the chairman of the jury) tells: ‘Everything is likely normal. But all the same sonata on bayan isn’t listened. Nothing of the sort. From Prokofiev Visions fugitives, some miniatures may be played. But sonata – this is purely piano music, though there is few pedal play there. You’ve ‘flunked’ just from this’ – he tells, – ‘So that this innovation of yours and Akimov with Surkov has played a negative role here’.

So I played two selections, and to third one – it already took place in Lvov – I didn’t travel. I think, it’s enough – a winner of the All-Union competition, and I got relaxed. And later I started to study composition optionally with Yu. N. Shishakov (Yuri Timofeevich Akimov recommended me, they were great friends with Shishakov), and my things have gone along. God with them – I’m thinking. Let them be winners of various international competitions, and I have another interest at all.

“And I started to work through the stroke…’

-As a performer and a composer, you crave more to elective bayan. How did it start?

-It started badly. In my childhood I played accordion for entire time. And at the second year I just started studying on elective keyboard, just before Volga Region bayanists’ competition. At the end of first year Vitaly Nikolayevich started to make me playing elective bayan. I jibbed. He tells: ‘And how will you play at a competition? ’ Already at this time almost everyone or every second played ‘electie’. That is, one who played elective bayan had more chances to win a competition. The pedagogue convinced me, of course. He gave me one play, other one on elective bayan. I felt something new and fresh in sounding of instrument, completely new colorism.

Firstly I had Rubinchik from college, later we’ve accumulated for Rubinchik by ourselves. There were no money, but we had to accumulate – Mama and Dad helped. By these times Rubin was an expensive instrument – 360 rubles.

-Didn’t you have your own instrument for long time?

-For my whole time I haven’t had my own instrument. Only Rubin in the college – that’s all. And when I traveled to the competition, I played already on someone else’s instrument. While I was finishing the college, I played on college’s Jupiter. And in Gnessins’ Institute I got bayan on which Sasha Sklyarov had played long ago. The bayan was passable, ‘three-rowed’, seemed as Figanov’s. The instrument was ‘firm’, but its keyboard was ‘oak-made’, hit it with axe – it won’t be broken.

-Maybe Sklyarov worked through the stroke on it?

-Yes (he laughs), so I began to work through the stroke too, I had nowhere to go: I swotted it with fingers to ‘break’ the keyboard like a karate man. This is such an instrument.

-Say some words about your institute’s pedagogues. Did you really have two pedagogues?

-Yes, I had three, it may be said.

-This is if to count Yuri Nikolaevich Shishakov?

-Not, if to count Alexei Evseevich Onegin. We were friends with him, despite difference in our ages. In 1979 we came with him to one of Volga Region’s competitions: he was a representative of jury, and I played a recital. He even wrote a small note about Volga Region’s competition for Musical Life magazine. There was said about my concert too. And we communicated one with another so warmly. By his recommendation we’ve created trio of bayanists by All-Union Radio, Moscow. Three-four recordings have already been made. Every recording – five or six pieces in each. Firstly it was sometimes broadcasted on radio.

Onegin recommended me for participation in various events – particularly suggested me to play in duo with Boris Ermilovich Tikhonov. His son once felt ill, but certain recordings had to be done. So I consider that he is also one of my pedagogues, maybe unofficial ones.

And officially I studied with Yuri Timofeevich Akimov, and after his decease – with Anatoly Alexeevich Surkov. But I didn’t almost attend Surkov’s class. This was already end of 4^th – beginning of 5^th year, preparation to the state exams, final paper. He told me at once: ‘Sasha, you may go to me, and may not. You are an independent person, you work by yourself. Why should you lose your time to way – one hour or one-and-half to one end? I trust you. And later, what can I teach you? It you want, come to counsel with me’. So I studied with him in this manner.

-It’s known that you are a good improvisator, and this is displayed in your music. How did it start?

-More or less professionally I started improvisation while working as a concert master in Ulyanovsk Choir by Trade Unions’ House of Culture. There were a lot of diverse brigade leavings and concerts. And I was often ‘pushed’ to all concerts. First, I am the youngest, without refuses, and older lads had families – they somehow went aside. Thus I quietly accumulated experience for two years: no music writings, elect by ear, improvise, and turn around as you know.

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