FRIEDRICH LIPS - The Story of a Work

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Edison Vasilyevich Denisov, one of the most important Russian composers of the second half of the 20th century, has for many years held a course for instrumentation and score reading at the Moscow Conservatory, in fact, as the secondary function of a senior teacher. As a result of his enthusiasm for avant-garde tendencies of the West in his own work, he was not "entrusted" with his own composition class (the troika, famous in some circles, Schnittke, Gubaldulina, Denisov, had no official recognition). However, many students of composition attended Denisov's class, in order to get to know his work and curious to listen to the critical comments and wishes of the secret authority.

In the summer of 1973 Vladislav Solotaryov asked Denisov to listen to his third Sonata. Denisov gladly agreed and invited both of us home. He lived in the composers' house on the corner of Student Street and Kutusovsky Prospect. The landlord, of average build and with a winning smile, was very friendly, and I under- stood that he knew Solotaryov quite well. In the course of our conversation I noticed that his judgments were brief precise and categorical and generally tolerated no opposition. He spoke in a low voice, sometimes quickly then slowly again and thoughtfully. He sat with Vladik on the sofa, and I sat in an arm-chair a little further away. Throughout the performance of the Sonata Denisov studied the score carefully. Then he began to give his impressions and opinions. I was impressed with the professional precision with which he analysed the whole work page by page. I remember that he liked the first movement, the second rather less (he liked its sonority), he was highly appreciative of the third movement (fugato), and on the finale he said:

"Vladik, after such wonderful music in the third movement how can you write such rubbish?"

He clearly disliked the eclecticism in the Sonata (12-tone music, tonality). However, his closing summary was unexpectedly positive.

Do you know what? You will not change anything. The sonata is perfectly formed and is good to listen to. As far as errors in your works are concerned, I recommend on the advice of Dimitri Dimitriyevich Shostakovich that you correct them in later works. I would advise you to act accordingly.

I listened with great satisfaction to flattering words of sincere admiration from the mouth of the master with regard to the possibilities for the Bayan.

When we parted, he gave me his telephone number and spoke the words which in the next 20 years would be the theme of our contact:

"Give me a ring! In any event, I will write a solo work for you!" - 2 - As a result we saw each other quite often at concerts in the Composers' Union or in the Conservatory. I made a point of attending his premieres. Likewise he attended concerts, in which I played works by Gubaidulina. Every year I dared to dial his telephone number three or four times. It must be said that on the telephone he knew how to generate the atmosphere of an intimate conversation, by conveying the feeling that he had been already expecting our conversation. The conversation usually lasted quite a while, 15 - 20 minutes. Edison Vasilyevich told me where in the world and by whom his works were being performed, and complained of lack of time.

He sometimes steered the conversation towards his contacts with international artists: a certain very famous flautist or a trumpeter is asking for a work. "The saxophone is a very interesting instrument: I would like to compose something for it." Another time: "The guitar is a difficult instrument, but it would be interesting to write for it." He always finished by saying: I will write something for you without fail."

Early in 1976 I played the premiere of "Ispaniada" in a concert in memory of Vladislav Solotaryov, I had the impression that some places (cadenzas in the second half of the piece) dragged on, that many chords with pauses as well, in my opinion, destroyed the form. Therefore I should have asked Solotaryov for advice, but oh dear! ... I prepared an abridged version, but at the premiere I felt obliged to play the composer's original version. When the question of publication arose, I was not bold enough to publish my version, but decided to consult another composer. Denisov was the obvious choice. He immediately invited me to his class at the Conservatory. I played both versions. Edison Vasilyevich banished my doubts instantly, saying: "You are quite right. There are some unnecessarily long passages. Shorten them where you have indicated."

Denisov was a great authority among foreign musicians. He maintained particularly close creative contacts with French colleagues. The French Ministry of Culture repeatedly commissioned specific works, in particular, the opera "Foam of the Days" (by Boris Vian - note by Herbert Scheibenreif).

In the academic year 1980/81 the young talented accordionist, Max Bonnay, came into my class for the practical course at the National Gnessin Institute for Music Education.

I hit on the idea of commissioning a piece from Edison Vasilyevich through the French Ministry of Culture, especially as Max already had such contacts. I came with him to Denisov's class at the Conservatory. I only introduced them to each other, when Edison Vasilyevich conversed without any problem and with unmistakable delight in the French language, of which he had a good command. Then he dissuaded us from the idea of commissioning a piece, because he did not want to abuse his good relationship with the Ministry, and said: "Friedrich, I will write for you without a commission, thus repaying an old debt."

On 1 April 1987 a humorous concert was organised in the concert hall of the Gnessin Institute. Well-known instrumentalists and composers were having fun on the stage, I remember the organist, O. Yanchenko, emptying with one pull a bottle of vodka on the stage with someone and guzzling cabbage from a plate. Then one of them for some reason climbed up a ladder (that was the "Opus" of Dimitry Smirnov, a pupil of Denisov, who later with his wife, E. Smirnova, also a composer, emigrated to England). Denisov wrote a Fantasia specially for this concert on themes of Soviet songs from the 1930's, "The steamer sails past the port", for the Bayan and an ensemble of percussion instruments under the direction of Mark Pekarski. In this piece there was a piano, and a group of sappers came on, performing various pyramid-like gymnastic formations to music on stage, which were in fashion at the time. This work lasted ten minutes and was written tonally throughout with subtle humour and sophisticated composition technique. The performance was a total success, and after the concert Edison Vasilyevich repeated several times, as though to justify himself: "Friedrich, that is not what I have promised you. I will write a solo piece for you without fail."

The years passed by. Further brief meetings and telephone conversations did not move the matter forward. Then suddenly in the summer of 1994 I opened the newspaper "Isvestia", to which I had subscribed for many years, and read the notice that Edison Denisov had had an accident, while driving his own car on the Minsk Road, 7 Kubiniki District, travelling from the summer house for composers in Russia to a rehearsal of the symphony orchestra, which was preparing works by the composer for a concert tour to Japan. My first feeling was shock: Edison Vasilyevich in mortal danger. The newspaper did its utmost in this situation… Over several editions I read of the developments. On one occasion I read that Denisov's condition had stabilised, but one could not talk of a real improvement. Some of the composer's French friends arranged to transfer Denisov to a military hospital near Paris and organised a special flight for him. Some time later I read in "Isvestia" an article by the French correspondent that Denisov's health was slowly improving and that he was now ready to start working on a small work for chamber orchestra. Then I had an idea.

I rang Max Bonnay in Paris:

Bonnay did everything he could to put this idea into action. For my part, I wrote a letter to Denisov via Max. I feel it is necessary to publish in full Edison Vasilyevich's reply (with only minor notes) and other letters to me, because they are of great interest for the inheritance of correspondence of a unique personality.

Soon after that I received the manuscript. In my heart I felt quiet triumph and joy: at last after so many years of waiting! And pride in the Bayan: if we have in the package music by high-ranking composers, then we become, in fact, a real part of the whole culture of musical scholarship.

Denisov's handwriting is small, regular, but clear. lt is hard to read, not so much because of the contemporary music, but rather because of the rhythms! ... Each bar has its difficulties of rhythm. Some bars -had to be literally deciphered: like a millipede; what does the 27th foot do, if the 18th has just been raised? I often remembered that Denisov, before he went to the Conservatory, graduated from the Applied Mathematics Faculty of Tomsk State University. His way of thinking revealed itself in his musical creativity. The slow development of the piece is based on the nuances of piano and pianissimo. When I played it later in concerts, for some reason I always wanted to create the picture of a still shining light. (The idea that his music radiates light is not only my impression. After his death musicologists expressed this thought several times in publications.) Furthermore, in the word association "Edison Denisov" the letter "s" appears in the middle of both words - and also at the beginning of the word "svyet" ("tight" in Russian - note by H Scheibenreif).

In his work Denisov uses monograms out of the notes E, D, E flat - EDISON DENISOV. The work for Bayan "From Dusk to Light" is likewise built on these second steps. As I became more familiar with the work, I discovered what I felt to be rhythmical inaccuracies in the writing of the manuscript. I wrote immediately to Edison Vasilyevich about this and suggested some corrections. I concluded from his reply that he agreed with some, but not with others.

As planned, two world premieres of the work for Bayan "From Dusk to Light" by Edison Denisov took place in December 1996 as part of the international Festival for "Bayan and Bayanists" only one day apart: in my recital and in Max Bonnay's concert.

However, about two weeks before the start of the festival news came from Paris of the composer's death. News of the demise of our great contemporary was broadcast on all television channels and newspapers. He was buried in a cemetery in Paris.

The years pass by. Time turns inexorably the pages of life. Some of them are full of interest. I am very proud that one of these pages is devoted to the creative, and for me memorable, contact with one of the most important masters of tie second half of the 20th century - the composer, Edison Vasilyevich Denisov.

The German translation of this article came from Dr Herbert Scheibenreif and is authorised by Friedrich Lips.