Young Russian Virtuoso Who Denounced Ukraine War

[PeterRS]

I have enjoyed what is rather loosely termed classical music since I started piano lessons at the age of six. I have had the joy of hearing many of the great musicians in concert and others on CDs and other means. Occasionally I come across a musician who I find extraordinary and of whom I have heard nothing at all! Anyone who happened to watch the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Finals (something I would never normally do) will know that the 18-year old South Korean winner Yunchan Lim is an absolute genius. That one so young had never studied outside South Korea was extraordinary. And when he completed the marathon Third Concerto by Rachmaninoff, the conductor Marin Alsop was in tears, so magnificent had been his playing. He won the Competition by a large margin and is now a superstar.

This morning I found a youtube concert by a young (and now very handsome!) 23-year old Russian, Alexander Malofeev. I was knocked out by his playing. This is a youtube version of his playing the very popular Second Concerto by Rachmaninof when he was only 15. The second movement is quite short and has several popular themes. One you will recognise is "All By Myself", the song made popular by Eric Carmen who himself was trained as a classical pianist. Carmen actually used this theme believing that Rachmaninoff's works were out of copyright. It so happened they were in the USA, but not in the rest of the world. As a result Rachmaninoff's estate earned hundreds of thousands of dollars! Start at 11:30 and the movement ends at 21:55

 

Malofeev could easily have stayed in Russia and been feted as a virtuoso pianist. Instead, in 2022 he was one of the few top Russian musicians to denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine, declaring "every Russian will feel guilty for decades because of the terrible and bloody decision that none of us could influence and predict."  Soon after he defected and now lives in Berlin.

And for anyone still interested, this is an interview the now 23-year old gave in English about growing up in Russia and life as a professional musician. This young man is almost certainly becoming one of the greats.

[Moses]

54 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

declaring "every Russian will feel guilty for decades because of the terrible and bloody decision that none of us could influence and predict."

He wrote this after his concerts were banned in Canada in March 2022 under pressure from the large Ukrainian diaspora, consisting mainly of the descendants of Hitler's henchmen who fled to Canada.

Without this declaration, he would have been left without concerts in the West, as happened with Netrebko, who did not bend under political pressure and was kicked out of the Metropolitan Opera for refusing to make a statement condemning Russian actions.

And after the declaration, Malofeev's concerts were restored and they took place in the summer of 2022. And every publication about Malofeev's talent was necessarily accompanied by the quote you provided above.

Malofeev in Vatican month ago:

[PeterRS]

1 hour ago, Moses said:

1) He wrote this after his concerts were banned in Canada in March 2022 under pressure from the large Ukrainian diaspora, consisting mainly of the descendants of Hitler's henchmen who fled to Canada.

2) Without this declaration, he would have been left without concerts in the West, as happened with Netrebko, who did not bend under political pressure and was kicked out of the Metropolitan Opera for refusing to make a statement condemning Russian actions.

1) So? I don't believe this young man was under pressure from anyone. You totally fail to mention that even before his first concerts in Canada were cancelled, he wrote this on a popular classical music blog site read by millions,

"I do understand that my problems are very insignificant compared to those of people in Ukraine, including my relatives who live there. The most important thing now is to stop the blood. All I know is that the spread of hatred will not help in any way, but only cause more suffering."

And as NPR stated on March 12 2002 -

"Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev, 20, has condemned his native country's invasion and war against Ukraine. But that hasn't kept a string of his concerts from being canceled in Canada"

Why would he speak out earlier while many of his family still remained in Russia and could therefore be targeted for persecution? The fact that he fled from Russia to settle in Berlin shows that he is totally unlike other Putin arts warmongers. With a fabulous career in front of him, why would he - or any other young musical prodigy - elect to stay in Russia where his opportunities for international recognition as a great artist would be virtually zero? Performing in Vladivostok, Perm, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Omsk and similar? Not what makes an international star's career!

2) You have already mentioned Anna Netrebko whose voice frankly is no longer in the pristine shape as it used to be. She also tried to sue the Metropolitan Opera without much success. Sue any major artistic organisation and expect to be re-engaged in the future? Fat chance!

You failed to mention Putin's greatest artistic admirer, the conductor Valery Gergiev. Music Director of both the Mariinsky Opera in St. Petersburg and now also of the Bolshoi Opera in Moscow, he used to have a major career in the west in demand virtually everywhere. At one time, for example, he was Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, also of the Munich Philharmonic, the Verbier Festival Orchestra and a regular guest conductor at Milan's famed La Scala and New York's Metropolitan Opera. Now he has been dropped from every post and guest conducting position in the west. No one in the west will touch him because he is Putin's artistic spokesman, (proudly so it would seem from his statements). Let's not forget also that he was - and may still be - homophobic. 

Let's also not forget that his career in the west made him very rich. According to the Anti-Corruption Federation of the late murdered Alex Navalny, he had purchased several homes in Italy, including the Palazzo Barabrigo in Venice, and in the USA as well as in Russia where Putin has contributed to his fortune. In 2022 as a result of the war, the Corriere della Serra confirmed his Italian properties had been put on the market for $150 miilion. Not bad for someone waving his fingers in front of an orchestra (Gergiev does not use a baton, although sometimes he resorts to a tiny toothpick!)

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/12/1086282867/a-russian-pianists-shows-are-canceled-even-though-he-condemns-the-war-in-ukraine

[Moses]

49 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

and could therefore be targeted for persecution

This is pure speculation supported by Western media and false excuse: some Russian artists have the same position as Alexander and emigrated from Russia, they have made more strong anti-Putin declaration, but their families are living here without problems.

 

49 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

No one in the west will touch him because he is Putin's artistic spokesman

No. They dropped not because of he is "spokesman" (he isn't), but because UK and EU announced official sanctions. Everyone afraid to act against law in "democratic" EU.

Both - Netrebko and Gergiev - said in interviews that they were under intense pressure to make statements against Putin under threat of having their contracts terminated. Both refused, and both lost their contracts.

It is funny to see: "democratic" EU already announced a lot of sanctions against Russian artists, while "authoritarian Russia" still announced no one.

 

[PeterRS]

2 hours ago, Moses said:

Both - Netrebko and Gergiev - said in interviews that they were under intense pressure to make statements against Putin under threat of having their contracts terminated. Both refused, and both lost their contracts.

It is funny to see: "democratic" EU already announced a lot of sanctions against Russian artists, while "authoritarian Russia" still announced no one.

How wrong you are! But you will never accept it! Gergiev is Putin's main spokesman. That's why Putin awarded him with the artistic direction of the Bolshoi in Moscow as well as his Mariinsky in St. Petersburg. No conductor has ever before controlled both Houses!

Note also that I was discussing top international artists who are prodigies. You brought in the vocally failing Netrebko who will soon be nearing the end of her career. I admit I brought in 72-year old Gergiev, but only because he is Putin's close friend. Since the invasion of Ukraine, the only country he has worked in outside Russia has been China plus one propaganda exercise in Palmyra in Syria. Funny that he was an officially authorised surrogate for Putin's 2018 election campaign. Absolutely "no one put him under intense pressure", as you quite incorrectly claim. Once lauded everywhere as a guest conductor, in addition to his Russian opera Houses he is now stuck conducting local orchestras at venues like the Kamaz truck and bus factory in Tatarstan, or in the small village of Chorny Otrog, the Ural foothills hometown of late prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.

I know the business of classical music extremely well - and with respect probably a great deal better than you. Of the list you posted, I know of only four top international names - Gergiev, Netrebko, Matsuev (who certainly is a superb pianist) and the violist Yuri Bashmet. Bashmet had a huge career in the west until he signed a letter approving of the invasion of Ukraine. End of western concertising! The others are basically international nobodies. 

You write "authoritarian Russia still announced no one". Of course you realise why that is. Western artists will not go near Russia while it wages war no matter what incentives Putin's Culture Ministry might offer!

[Moses]

4 hours ago, PeterRS said:

he used to have a major career in the west in demand virtually everywhere

57 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

That's why Putin awarded him with the artistic direction of the Bolshoi in Moscow as well as his Mariinsky in St. Petersburg

Could you please choose where you said truth?

Decide why he was appointed to the Bolshoi and Mariinsky - as a sign of his talent, which is confirmed by "being in demand everywhere", or "because of Putin"

[Moses]

56 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

End of western concertising!

well, it is exactly I told - Western "democracy" is more totalitarian, than Russian "autocracy".

Western governments are forced to ban Russian singers through sanctions because the image they convey to the world on Spotify and other sources of music and songs is in sharp contrast to what Western propaganda tirelessly dictates to viewers.

56 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

The others are basically international nobodies. 

The "other" are just our of your interests - they are pop and rock stars. 

[Pete1111]

I have seen Yuja Wang, Seong-Jin Cho and Lang Lang all perform live.

Seeing Malofeev perform might be my favorite concert of all.  Was exciting for me to see a Russian perform Rachmaninoff.

The Malofeev performance was with the Pasadena Symphony.   They are quite good.  That concert was conducted by Rebecca Tong, conductor of the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra.   Enjoyed her pre-concert talk.  An interesting young woman.

Malofeev added the Prokoviev Toccata encore, @PeterRS same as in the video you attached.   Outstanding talent!

 

[PeterRS]

2 hours ago, Pete1111 said:

I have seen Yuja Wang, Seong-Jin Cho and Lang Lang all perform live.

I was present at a concert in Hong Kong recently when Seong-Jin Cho gave an absolutely mind-blowing performance of the fiendishly difficult Prokofiev Second Concerto. Interestingly it was conducted by the young 25-year old whizz kid conductor Tarmo Peltokowski who is the Hong Kong orchestra's new Music Director after Jaap van Zweden's departure after 12 years at the helm. Thanks largely to van Zweden and his predecessor Edo de Waart, the HK Philharmonic is now one of the world's best, having won Gramophone magazine's coveted Orchestra of the Year award in 2019 for its recording of Wagner's Ring cycle.

Peltokowski is another of the students of the great Finnish conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula. Now at the venerable age of 95 he has honed the skills of so many of today's conductors, including 29-year old Klaus Makela who is soon to take over two of the world's top orchestras: the Chicago Symphony and the Royal Concertgeouw.

I only saw Yuja Wang once performing Brahms Second Concerto with the New York Phil under van Zweden some years ago. The concert was in Taipei's main Concert Hall with its glorious acoustics. Although seated in the centre of the stalls, my friend and I were rather underwhelmed. The fact was the piano was frequently lost in the orchestral sound. Being generous to an artiste who I know is superb, I suspect the conductor had not had a colleague sit in the stalls during the earlier balance rehearsal. Pity!

[PeterRS]

14 hours ago, Moses said:

The "other" are just our of your interests - they are pop and rock stars. 

This thread is about classical music - nothing to do with pop and rock!