Violinist Odessa nationality. Pavel Vernikov about the teachers, the laughter and sadness

During the years of wandering violinist, pedagogue, organizer of festivals and witted Pavel Vernikov has changed many passports. But everywhere, wherever he was, be it the Soviet Moscow, collapsing Yugoslavia, France, Israel, Italy and finally Switzerland, the musician never ceased to call themselves Odessa. From time to time the ship Vernikova nailed to his Ukrainian harbour of Ithaca. Last fall he was among a dozen other Odissei visited the festival “Golden violin Odessa” and was even awarded an Honorary badge of distinction. Example Odessa was followed by Yerevan handed the artist a medal for outstanding achievements in the area of performance and pedagogy. Wanting to get ahead of the Armenian radio coverage of this event, a meeting with violinist-Swinger went to the correspondent of Focus. Touch the awards he was not fortunate enough, but to eat of fish from the same plate with the Maestro managed.

How do you feel in the role of decorated?

To live became heavier. Two medals, one of which is gold, significantly dragging down. But seriously, the beauty of these awards that gave them to me absolutely unexpectedly. Many of my colleagues in the former USSR and in the West, put a part of his life, beating out awards and ranks. Some knocked them for himself posthumously. I have always been free from such temptations. But now these awards have convinced me that in my life I did a lot of things right. Although, of course, could do more.

I never forgot that he was born in Odessa, Ukraine. In my period of living in Italy together with my wife, violinist Svetlana Makarova and outstanding Italian actor, Director, writer Moni, Obadiah came up with the play Adesso Odessa. Adesso’s Italian for “now”. There were stories of Isaac Babel, Odessa stories, songs Utesov, “frivolous” criminal chanson in a classical treatment. In General, it turned out so well that this performance we played more than 60 times. One only famous Milan’s “Piccolo theatre” Giorgio Strehler had 12 nights.

In Japan, China, booklets about I often write on Ukrainian violinist. Will tell you the tragic story. A few years ago I stole a violin, bow, credit card, passport. Immediately after that, I virtually no documents to be sent to Lithuania to work in the jury of the competition named Heifetz. Me there said, “Where are you from?”. I said, “From Ukraine”. And next to me, put Ukrainian flag. Thus, I was illegally represented your country. This, of course, not the same original act as to illegally cross the Ukrainian border. Although, I have heard that in recent years, and such precedents happen. But nonetheless.

So, you Odessa, Paul. What does it mean?

— I am often asked if I have any nostalgia for the USSR, Moscow, where I studied. Speaking honestly, no. Although they gave me a serious education, with me doing wonderful teachers. Had a lot of good. But, unfortunately, many bad. Joseph Brodsky was often accused of lack of patriotism. He replied: “I did not choose the country where I was born”. Strong phrase. No one should love the country, if she didn’t love him.

However, I have not loved rightly. My childhood was bad language — I said what I thought. I am ashamed to admit it, but I was expelled from the pioneers. Once is not accepted into the Komsomol. Once in Israel emigrated, my brother, me twice didn’t go abroad to participate in international competition. In General, there was a remarkable page in my biography.

And here in Odessa, I feel the nostalgia. At home, where he was born, the streets, the courtyards, where he played football, walked around, fell in love. As said, in my opinion, Mikhail Zhvanetsky, Odessa is a nationality. Odessans are really special people. How they talk — this is the performance you don’t need to buy tickets. And when I say, “Oh, you have such humor!”, this is not humor. I’m just saying, as Odessa.

Once upon a time you played in the Odessa KVN team. How this passion coexists with the music?

— This hobby came to me at School Professor. Our Christmas skits requested tickets, even in the regional Committee. I managed with honors from the graduate school, and the Conservatory just because of this. When a Professor told me: “Well, Vernikov, it’s not even five!”, I calmly replied that is busy preparing for the next skit, where they will want the tickets. So already from the age of 16 I started my corruption.

It was a real passion. It is a pity that in the year when I came on the Central television in the team’s “Chimney” (I played something from modern music, holding a violin on his head), KVN banned all our records destroyed. Because some of the jokes, in my opinion, in Odessa. Nothing left but a couple of photos.

Jokes are usually told about the viola. Tell me, worthy anecdotes violinists?

— Visiting concerts of some musicians, you can laugh even more than on anecdotes. I sadly look at the posters of the Great hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Previously, it was the temple, where he played only the priests of our Muse. Now, are all and Sundry. And even those who are too lazy too speak. In addition, now much devalued word. Before, when he said: one of the world’s best pianists Emil Gilels or Sviatoslav Richter, it was true. Today the word “famous” sounds almost like an insult. The minimum permitted epithet — “top ten”. But if someone does not write that at least he’s a laureate of international competitions, then this person only twice in my life played on the instrument. All winners, all professors, all outstanding.

One of your teachers was David Oistrakh. What, in your opinion, his “authenticity”?

David Fyodorovich Oistrakh was a truly great musician. He played with the mind so naturally that his game seemed very easy to simulate, repeat. Thoughts, musical ideas, the technique, the sound — the illusion that everything is just. But to achieve this was impossible.

Relationship with Oistrakh, I have developed a pretty informal. Officially I had never studied. Why I consider it one of my teachers? When I first played, I was ten years old. David F. was a close friend of my first teacher, Benjamin Mordkovich. Benjamin Z. from time to time invited him to study with the best students of the school of Stolyarsky. My father, the Deputy Director of the Odessa Philharmonic, Oistrakh was also close, trusting relationship. I was going to do to him in graduate school. It would be a natural continuation of our meetings. But, unfortunately, soon Oistrakh died. And I went to his wonderful student, a wonderful violinist and teacher, Semyon Snitkovsky. Alas, it is too early passed away.

Was there for you God Sviatoslav Richter?

With Richter, I met thanks to the brilliant musicians: the violinist Oleg Kagan and cellist Natalia Gutman, who became my friends when I came to study in Moscow. I was 21 years old, and they took me in my company — we played together in the ensemble. Richter made a stunning impression on me. Block: not just as a musician and as a person. To me he was very because of my humor. Called me “Pavlik-Director”. When we toured our little team (and in the Soviet Union in the time to ride — Omsk, Tomsk, stations — better not to remember) how it happened that I was always the fastest and most active. And I was able to slightly improve our severe life.

Richter has always demanded that the names of the musicians of the ensemble were recruited in the posters the same font. Now so fashionable. The star in gold letters, and the accompanist, who may be older and better as a musician — microscopic. As Richter once wanted to abandon the concert because his name was typed in huge font, and the names of all others are shallow. He was forced to change a Billboard, and it was changed in one day.

Svyatoslav Considered liked to joke, fool around, play, laugh. And in this he found me a good partner. In a musical sense, Richter had a great influence on me. As Mstislav Rostropovich. In Moscow I was a member of a trio named after Tchaikovsky. This team Mstislav Leopoldovich very warm attitude and sometimes we did. Years later, for us it was a great honor the invitation to his festival in Evian in France. Incredible man he was.

And Richter, and Rostropovich has always been on its way out right and never deviated from its principles, which largely came in my blood. As much, working now on myself and my students, I try to follow them.

I would like to recall another cellist, is well known today due to the offshore scandal. Once during an Amateur football match, you broke his leg. Would you now there?

— I broke him, not the leg, and some bone. You know, I didn’t know that he would reach such heights. We were at a festival. Before the concert, the company decided to play football. He honestly refused: guys, don’t. Literally thirty seconds after the start of the match it’s because I stopped playing and started to limp. In General, a bad story…

You say that your festivals mostly come to support you friends. I saw the program. Can you tell me how to have so many friends?

— And some of them use? None of them I in Panama and not a penny was sent. Even Panama is not bought… But I still love them. This Gidon Kremer and Janine Jansen, and Yulik Rakhlin, and wonderful Ukrainian conductor Kirill karabits. I try to choose my friends on the same principle. Even in two. First — they are wonderful musicians. Second — honest people, which is very important in art. There are excellent professionals, whose soul is unclean. Something inside them hurts, they have to justify myself constantly. I also justify and defend. Here, they say, they betrayed Ukraine. Nothing they have not betrayed. Deep down, they love Ukraine. However, somewhere very deep. But depends on a lot of people. They have bands, money, villas, airplanes, wives, finally. How can they live otherwise?

But seriously, I’m closer to those of my colleagues who have a conscience. I love these people and try to communicate with them more often. You can endlessly argue who is right and who is wrong. But it seems that white have to say that it’s white. And black, which is black, and not to look for shades.

Your teachers said, to play well, need to suffer. Did you suffer?

— Everyone in life has happened tragedy… But in principle it is impossible to say that if a person is not lucky to be born in the Urals, he was born in Paris and have not experienced any material problems, it can not wonderful to play. This is not so. People who outwardly have everything in life running smoothly, may be suffering even more. From the rejection of the environment, unrequited love, misunderstanding of their music. Suffering is always with us.

Similarly, when I see some smug musicians, many of whom, incidentally, are excellent instrumentalists, I can’t say that they are strangers to suffering. Just have them inside something is lacking. Or is it “something” died, or it was never there. You always hear when someone is playing from the heart, and when your design talent. You know, there are croissants, inside where the marmalade or cream. And there are empty. But they look all the same. Similarly, in the music. Play like equally well. But inside, some cream, and other — emptiness.

In one telecast with pianist Denis Matsuev leading him wished that he fell in love, and then dumped him. To achieve perfection…

— Is he warmly and devotedly not in love? I must admit I envy Vladimir Putin. In his love with so many men! At me for some reason, nobody falls in love… with regard to the replica host, something in this. Denis Matsuev plays really well on the piano. But I will stop.

Despite the fact that in life you prefer to laugh than to cry, a music of Giya Kancheli.

Such people is low. Gia always says what he thinks. In different words, sometimes including swear. But they sound to him like poetry. This is a man who never compromised his principles. My wife and I often play his works. Recently acted in Tbilisi. Gia was at a concert and said many warm words in our address. His music is slow, quiet, coming from the roots of the Georgian people — quite the opposite of the energy of the modern world, where everything runs. You suddenly stop and she makes you feel and cry. However, the music itself, the GII is not crying. Is sadness, hope, again sad, again is hope. This is a conversation with God.

Your teachers taught you: “During the game you have to talk to God”…

Or rather, “you don’t talk to God, but should say”… From God we are now all far. To the managers, the Internet, social networks are much closer. To reach heaven, no one have enough time. Now things can be criticized in the game of the old masters — and that is not in style. But the way they touch the soul. Draws me to these old…

Tell me, to be a Jew — a sentence or lucky ticket?

— It depends on what time. I don’t think 1930-1940’s many rejoiced that they were Jews. But in the 1950s and 1960s I’m already proud of it, and a kind of secret pride. I remember in 1967, when Israel won the six day war, all Jews of Odessa was secretly elated. Generally there were two choices: either you betray your roots and faith — although faith I have, in fact, there was no, to the synagogue in our family only went grandfather. Or become even stronger awareness of his national identity. I always felt their identity. And when in the midst of the emigration of the 1980s, being Jewish suddenly became fashionable, this change of tastes I was very amused by. However, I never was a nationalist and did not distinguish people by nationality. But I was distinguished…

Joke that if the person is twenty years of playing the violin, he automatically becomes a Jew.

— Daniel Barenboim once praised an Italian musician with these words: “You are not a Jew, but deserve to be”… I often wonder why so few Jews in the world and so much to talk about them? Order received — Jew, put someone- also a Jew. The Jews everywhere. One day it dawned on me: why Jews around the world not to strike? At least a month to go in the shadow of Jewish scientists, doctors, musicians and so on? So that people around could at least a little bit of peace… But it seems to me that an exaggerated attention to Jews is manifested in those who are inclined to seek the cause of the failures is not in himself but in others. In the end, every nation has its geniuses and villains. In my opinion, the first President of Israel said, “I wish I were a normal country, where there is a place both”.

• See also: Shades of Russian. Anton Dolin about the dislike, distress and arrhythmias in life and film

You have a few years living and working in the Swiss town of Sion. The place is idyllic. Somehow I wanted to revive and adopt here the national anthem of pre-revolutionary Russia — “glory to our Lord in Zion” by Dmytro Bortniansky.

— Bortniansky as if she felt what I’m going to live here. I really like Zion, “our little village” as I call it. Although it is the capital of the whole Canton, to Zionism, by the way, does not have any relationship. Here it is pleasant to live. There are four official languages — almost like in Odessa. You meet on the street and immediately invited to his home. It really connected with me. Who told you that to live in peace, comfortable, breathe clean air, to drink wine, and doing things you love is boring?

So from Switzerland I probably for a long time already not going anywhere. Of course, if you are calling to Ukraine. To be Prime Minister, I will not offer — you already have another Jew. But, you ask likerovodochnoj Minister of transport, I shall be forced with their supporters (they have two: wife and five year old son) to illegally cross the border and enter into the Ministerial office.