‘Margaret Thatcher shook my hand’.

-Passion to jazz elements in your creation cannot be passed over.

-Yes, besides Russian traditional one that had fallen into my soul since my work in choir of Trade Unions I have another jazz clot. At these times I had simultaneous money spinning side-line in youth café in Venets hotel. As a rule, we had there trio or quartet – piano, double bass, guitar and – either trumpet or something else, depending on circumstances. A piano student played there, and while he couldn’t, he asked me. Thus I improvised on piano a bit. That’s where this passion has started.

A first jazz part appeared in piece Once Grandma’s Billy-Goat, later was Kamarinskaya. I had been writing piece Once Grandma’s Billy-Goat, Kamarinskaya and From Under a Stone already under Yuri Nikolayevich Shishakov’s guidance. He allowed and perceived this jazz part in Billy-Goat, saying: ‘Yes, refreshed, a new stream’, he grinned. And when I showed Kamarinskaya, he said that this is disgrace, this is too much. And haven’t you listened my Barynya? I wrote it for bayan and stage-symphony orchestra for London tour. I made a start from it, while I was thinking how to ‘distort’ it (he laughs). If Shishakov disapproved Kamarinskaya, what is to be said about Barynya…?

-Tell me about your latest works: ‘Michelle’ on music by The Beatles, ‘Argentinean Tango’ on music by Astor Piazzola, ‘Granada’ on music by A. Lara.

-The matter is that all remained compositions appeared while I worked in Moscow Military District’s Song and Dance Ensemble. And for each tour abroad, as a rule, I wrote an orchestra composition. I made Michelle as a tribute to England that gave The Beatles to the world. This work is for stage-symphony orchestra with three bayans. Besides, one bayan solo, because that I played as a soloist in the orchestra. And I compulsorily made a solo for myself. Everywhere, in each piece. In Michelle even a very interesting four-voiced jazz fugue in the middle has come.

Other piece – Barynya (jest) – was written simultaneously with Michelle for England too. If in Michelle we paid a tribute to England, so with Barynya we showed that we hadn’t been born yesterday. Merely jazz-like Barynya has come, therefore I marked in brackets – jest. Britons have recorded Barynya here at once, from concert in London, and gave it to every one of us as a gift. The concert was in Albert-Hall, London’s prestigious and the greatest hall of ten-thousand seats, Margaret Thatcher was present. After the concert she came to us behind the scenes (of course, with her guard) and shook my hand for this Barynya.

And for tour to Argentina an orchestra piece that would open the second part, had to be written. So appeared Argentinean Tango on the music of Adios Nonino by Astor Piazzola. No one shook my hand for this piece, but after a concert in Rio de Janeiro Argentina’s ‘star’ Lolita Torres said that if Astor Piazzola was alive and listened for this reading of his music, he’d be pleased very much, he would be delighted. And for pleasure given Lolita invited us to her tavern in Rio where she sang.

Granada on music by A. Lara was written for tour in Spain – for Madrid.

‘A mere circus! ’

-Tell me about competition of improvising performers where you were awarded with the First Prize.

-Yes, the First Prize. Generally I didn’t intend to go to this competition, I didn’t even know about it. It was not so long time ago – this competition took place in Magnitogorsk in 1992, being named ‘Improvise-92’. Boris Mikhailovich Egorov, a professor in Gnessins’ Russian Music Academy – as I think, my good friend – phoned me literally one week before.

At this competition one prepared work and immediately one improvisation on theme according a ticket should be played on each of the first two rounds. On the third round – improvisation only.

‘This is a competition for you’, he told, ‘Someone has invented it just for you. I think that the first prize can be’. Generally, he instilled confidence into me, and I started my preparations.

While already in Magnitogorsk I recognized who had come, of course, I clutched at my head. I was thinking: what is to be done? Decent musicians participated. For example, Vyacheslav Chernikov came, Alexander Sklyarov was awaited for (but he didn’t come for some reason), Victor Romanko came. Generally they were solid contingent, from improvisers. I say at once that we and Romanko shared the first prize. And Chernikov with Fabrichnykh shared two third prizes. To the point, Chernikov also wrote a lot for bayan. His Lonely Accordion and Voronezh Cowboy are known, there are other his works. Generally, he is my pedagogue too, ‘supernumerary’ one. He taught me many elements of jazz, how to transfer them to bayan to be sounded. He often came to me, while I had still been studying in Gnessins’ Institute and resided in a dormitory. He showed something new, some turn-arounds, and some pieces. He ‘infested’ and inspired me.

Situation at the competition was the same like on an exam: a small table-for-magazines stands on the stage, and question cards are laid on it. You play a prepared work, take a card and play an improvisation on card’s theme at once. And in the jury Friedrich Lips was the chairman, Boris Mikhailovich Egorov, Yuri Dranga, Radjap Shaikhutdinov – only from folk music performers – were its members. There were also professors from Moscow and Leningrad Music Academies – a clarinetist and a pianist, and also jazz musicians. Generally – jury from about fifteen persons.

To the point, I has been prepared for a week in such manner, so that I got a concert for two parts (for each case). I didn’t have even money to return. I think, if I don’t get any prize, I give a recital and, at least, there will be something to take the return ticket on. The road is long – from Magnitogorsk to Moscow. I came already to the organization committee, to the principal of Magnitogorsk College of Arts, and depicted the situation.

The first round of the competition – folk music. Here I played my Barynya.

When I finished playing Barynya, I got Russian folk song Sing, Sing, Nightingale, in a Garden by a card. And it was my most beloved circle-dance song while I had worked in Pyatnitsky’s Choir! They sing there and make circle dances… Nice!

Everything literally rescued me at this competition. After the first round when I finished playing Sing, Sing, Nightingale, in a Garden, the principal of this arts’ college comes to me and tells: ‘It seems to me that you won’t have to play a recital. Because the first prize, do you know how many? ’

I come to the second round. You should play a prepared classical work and improvise on its material by a card. Here I played Campanella by Paganini – Liszt. It seemed to me that I played brilliantly and fluently. Sometimes you catch something somewhere – it is Campanella, in fact. It’s likely not falseness, but wrong all the same. And here it has come splendid. Maybe I worked very hard (he laughs).

Having finished playing Campanella, I come and take a card… My goodness! Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony… On bayan… That’s all: we’ve “sailed to”. Destiny redeemed me again. Because, while I had graduated Gnessins’ Institute, Shostakovich was my favorite composer. At my home I have all his 15 symphonies, all his 15 quartets, all his 144 opuses – both in records and in music scores.

So Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich, it may be said, saved me too, rescued me that just his Seventh Symphony befell on me. I know it not only by heart, but very closely. So I ‘banged’ an improvisation on Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony for 25 minutes (he laughs).

And the third round, it means, such an interesting one. A prepared work should not be played, only improvisation. You take a card, there is a kind of jazz melody. Compulsorily jazz. But you should improvise on this theme not simply, but to unite it with other two themes. In each order, so to say. If you want – make a medley, if you want – mix it, make a fugue or overlap – please! Besides, there is no time for preparation of performance. Table-for-magazines is standing, jury is sitting, public are watching with curiosity – no minute. Several performers, or international competitions’ winners go out – and nothing comes out. Someone comes, takes a card, sits down and watches… Later he gets up, puts the card and goes out. That’s all. Even no sound. And someone sits down – ‘procrastinates’ something, beats about the bush, something unclear. Such ‘improvisation’ – he wants to develop a theme. Nothing is developed, nothing is born.

Future winner Fabrichnykh started from classical theme, but ‘wriggled-out’ in jazz. Maybe he had special jazz preparations. And while he didn’t know already what is to be done and played onward, he rose and started to beat a step. It proved that he had studied step before. Even deliberately resoled his heels – step-dancer and improviser! And he started to ‘bang out’. Something beyond imagination started in the hall! Circus! A real circus, not a competition! And it redeemed him. For this resourcefulness, for listeners’ applause he was awarded with the third prize. They shared it together with Slava Chernikov.

Generally, each one ‘wriggled out’ as he could. And this competition, nonetheless, was closed at once. Of course, you can have either preparation of program, or when you come not knowing what’s waiting for you. Slava Chernikov on the second round before my exit comes behind the scenes (he was the next to play) and tells: ‘What devil do I need such competitions – never in my life. My health is the dearest’

-And what did you have at the third round?

-And at the third round I got Tsfasmann’s Failed Rendezvous. And this jazz theme had to be united with folk and classic theme. Tsfasmann’s Failed Rendezvous, Sing, Sing, Nightingale, in a Garden, and Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony. And all this is to be united. No more, no less! With Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony!? They’ve found it!

-And has it come to you?

-It has just come to me (he laughs). I reasoned everything out and, while playing, there was feeling that I had known everything beforehand. And now I improvise after each recital. For example, I improvised everywhere during latest concerts in Saratov Province. As a rule, improvisation is my third part.

V. B. Aryutkin

Ulyanovsk, July 2000.

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