Aydar Gaynullin is a world-renowned accordion virtuoso and composer, Honored Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan, winner of the Nika National Cinematic Award and the White Elephant National Film Press and Film Critics Award for the music to the film Euphoria by Ivan Vyrypaev.
In a conversation with the correspondent of "Musical Klondike" Aidar Gaynullin spoke about the upcoming premiere, the peculiarities of composing film music and the boundless possibilities of the button accordion.
- Very soon you, together with the New Russian Classics company, will present the project “Mass Tango”. This evening, the Russian premiere of the work of the same name by Martin Palmeri is announced. Tell me, hasn't anyone performed it in Russia yet?
- Undoubtedly, this work has already been performed in Russia. It was played by students of conservatories or in small theaters. But there was no large-scale premiere as such. Moreover, with the Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater and in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall - one of the main classical venues in Moscow. And that is why "Mass of Tango" on April 20 will be a real premiere in Russia. We do not plan to limit ourselves to one concert in Moscow. There are plans to present this program in regional philharmonic societies.
- The program also announced the premiere of your composition.
- Yes, there will be a premiere of the composition "Artorius". I was inspired to write it by the legend of Arthur, King of the Britons. Also this composition is dedicated to my son Arthur. I have a work "Alina" dedicated to my eldest daughter, so it was necessary to maintain balance and give my son a musical gift (smiles).
"Artorius" was born out of the title theme I wrote for the film "Siberia. Monamour ”, produced by Luc Besson. I decided to develop this theme and make an independent composition out of it so that the music does not "disappear" against the background of the motion picture.
Here I must express my deep gratitude to the director Ivan Vyrypaev. It was not without his help that I became a composer - I wrote the soundtrack for his film Euphoria, which was later awarded the Nika and White Elephant awards.
- Then your victory became a serious statement about you as a composer.
- By the way, this victory came as a complete surprise to me. Just there was the XX anniversary ceremony of awarding the golden "Nika" and one can say that I attended it out of pure curiosity: "who will be given the prize from the great masters: Dunaevsky or Rybnikov." And when Euphoria was declared the winner from the stage, success immediately came to me as a film composer. I started getting calls from producers and directors asking me to write music for their films.
- Can you describe how the work on the music for a motion picture differs from the usual composer's work?
- I must say that for me working with film music is a great experience, because there are various tasks and ways to solve them. Communicating with different directors, each time you discover some new, absolutely unknown moments of composer's thinking.
- For example, what moments?
- I used to think that depending on certain scenes, for example, action or drama, the composer's task is to maintain them with a similar scale. Action scene - driving sound, or to emphasize a dramatic episode with music. But having touched on this topic in a conversation with the director Slava Ross ("Siberia. Monamur"), I heard: "Aydar, this is oil." The bottom line is that if you put music that is mirrored to its dynamics under a specific scene, then it is not a fact that you will completely convey the original intention of the director. And for me it was an interesting discovery. For example: there is a battle scene on the screen, accompanied by sublime music. She does not directly participate in what is happening and because of this, the viewer perceives the plot from a different angle, his mood changes completely.
- Given your great popularity with directors, how do you select films? Are there any criteria?
- When I receive offers from directors to write music for their films, I always ask you to send me the footage. If I see that the picture is deep and interesting, then I can agree. The point is that writing music for a film is a long process, and you have to immerse yourself in this atmosphere all day long, just like an actor getting used to the role. I have to understand the structure of the motion picture, the mechanism of influencing the audience, the tasks of the director. Relive the plot, add your vision and your own specific musical line that emphasizes the story. I worked on the music for the series “Operetta by Captain Krutov” directed by Slava Ross, a film that combines theater and detective story. To be honest, it is more difficult to compose music for the series, including in terms of the amount of time spent, since you need to work through each episode every second. Therefore, I prefer not to immerse myself too much in the world of cinema, I take on a picture only if it is worthwhile. If, in my opinion, the motion picture is passing, then I refuse to work. And I'd rather write a piece for the Mariinsky Choir - it's much more useful for me as a composer.
- Of course, in an interview, I cannot but ask how Mstislav Rostropovich influenced your creative development?
- In fact, for a long time I could not get into the Rostropovich Foundation. My senior friend Alexander Gataullin told me about the fund. He was already listed in the Fund and invited me to transfer the documents through him, which I did. They contacted me only six months later, when I no longer hoped to be enrolled. I remember now that they called early in the morning and said, "The maestro wants to listen to you today at one in the afternoon." I quickly packed my things and went with my father to the audition, not believing that very soon I would meet Mstislav Leopoldovich - a living legend. Rostropovich was already waiting for me in the office together with the members of the expert council. I performed "Gogol Suite" by Alfred Schnittke ("The Revision Tale"), after which Rostropovich came up to me and hugged me, with the words: "Tell me how it is possible to play on one button accordion for the entire symphony orchestra." Rostropovich immediately invited me to perform at the legendary Gaveau Concert Hall in Paris, at Wigmore Hall in London and, of course, at his golden wedding with Galina Vishnevskaya. I remember that at this golden anniversary I did not recognize Queen Sofia of Spain. She came up to me to congratulate me on a successful performance and said that she really liked the performance of the tango on the button accordion. I only thanked her in return. And such an opportunity was to get to know each other and take a joint photo for memory (laughs).
By the way, it was Rostropovich who would be the connecting link between me and the world of film music. Once, his Foundation received a call with a request to recommend a musician for the play "Genesis No. 2" by Ivan Vyrypaev. And Mstislav Leopoldovich gave my name. This is how I met Ivan, and later he invited me to work on Euphoria as a composer.
- Returning to the concert on April 20. The composition "Mass of Tango" appeared under the impression of the author from the work of Astor Piazzolla. I also know that your teacher at
Gnesinka, the famous Friedrich Lips, was also not indifferent to the music of Piazzolla. What is the main lesson you learned from your maestro?
- I love my teacher Friedrich Robertovich very much and always take an example from him. It was he who first began to play the accordion in Russia, the music of Astor Piazzolla. I remember how one day I asked him what music should be played on the button accordion, to which he replied: “Aydar, you need to play everything, and time will judge”. And so it happened. Basically, since childhood I have been performing compositions of all kinds of genres. It even happened to play at weddings, where I got a lot of practice in selection by ear. The first lesson in improvisation was taught by Denis Matsuev during our joint performances from the New Names Foundation. Denis showed me the blues scale and said: “You play pentatonic scale with an increased fourth step in a certain key of the blues scale with the addition of rhythmic patterns and fills. And already there is a hint of improvisation. " That's about blues if you want to learn how to improvise in that style. Then he taught me a couple of jazz chords that I used and began to practice in my performances. I also had projects with the Australian singer Zula Kamalova, where I had to improvise in the style of world music. A very unusual practice for an academic musician.
- The button accordion is firmly established as an academic instrument, and thanks to you, it conquers new horizons. What do you think about the capabilities of the accordion?
- I consider the button accordion as an instrument of the future, which has colossal possibilities. You can play almost anything on it - from baroque to rock, from Bach to avant-garde music and modern compositions. The music of such bands as "The Prodigy", "Nirvana", "Rammstein" sounds perfectly harmonious on it. This autumn I am planning to present my new program, which includes compositions of these groups, music from films "Gladiator", "Inception" - by Hans Zimmer. On the accordion, this music sounds fresh and original, because no one has ever done this on this instrument. I have an Italian-made acoustic instrument, where an electronic midi system has been upgraded, with which I can combine electronic sound with an acoustic one.
- If earlier they said that the button accordion is a small organ, now ...
- Now it's an orchestra. Moreover, in such a format that I need at a certain moment - it can be either a rock orchestra or a symphonic one.
- Classical musicians, at some point try themselves in other genres. Does this somehow affect the perception of the audience?
- An example of the same David Garrett is a wonderful academic musician who at one point became a rock star. In the same way, Vanessa May. They popularized classical music by pushing the boundaries of academia. They have a quality product and thanks to them people really learn the classics in a different quality and in a different format.
Thus, the audience is introduced to the classics. Going to the Bolshoi Theater for ballet or opera without preparation is the same as forcing a novice athlete to run 10 kilometers without proper training. Everything should be approached gradually. First you need to submit more accessible material.
- What do you think, should the composer change his "handwriting", moving on to a new work?
- It seems to me that this happens as a person develops. There are various stages both in composing and performing. When a person develops, he will already perform in a different way and compose in a different way. Of course, you need to try to attract something new and interesting to your work, not dwell on one format by which you will be recognized. When writing music, I always start from the cast. If I perform with my colleague Pavel Novikov, who plays the bansuri flute, then I think about how to make the most of it and use it in the composition. In the same "Arturius" initially there was not much flute, so in the middle of the composition I combined the Mariinsky Choir and Pavel's bansuri flute. Also wonderful musicians, my friends Roman Zorkin (guitar) and Sergey Shamov (cajon) will be soloing in this composition.
Anniversary Concert "Aydar Gaynullin and Friends ..." at the Berlin Philharmonic.
Aydar Gaynullin, Borislav Strulev.
- Does it happen that before composing you think over any plan, sequence?
- Everything happens in the process of writing. The original work is being finalized: suddenly an idea came up, or in the process of discussion someone will push on a certain idea, and you embody reality in your composition. You add something, somewhere you refresh ...
The main thing is that the music is interesting and carries some kind of special energy. I am in favor of a positive message, both in performance and in composing. The music should have a positive attitude so that people leave the concert happy and enthusiastic. We act for this, we create to make people happy.