Felix Korobov: “My hobby is my life. I just love to live! ”
Felix Korobov- Chief Conductor of the Moscow Academic Musical Theater named after K. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory.
The musician received his professional education at the Moscow Conservatory, graduating in two classes - cello (Professor Maria Tchaikovskaya, 1996) and opera and symphony conducting (Professor Vasily Sinaisky, 2002). At the same time, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, majoring in string quartet (Professor Andrey Shishlov, 1998). Among his teachers were outstanding teachers - T. A. Gaidamovich, A. Z. Bonduryansky, R. R. Davidyan, K. S. Khachaturyan.
Over the years, the musician worked as an accompanist for the cello group of the Yekaterinburg Opera House (1990–1993) and the State Academic Symphony Capella of Russia under the direction of Valery Polyansky (1996–2000).
Since 1999, Felix Korobov has been a conductor of the Moscow Stanislavsky and V. Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater, where in 2002 he presented the opera Ernani by Giuseppe Verdi as his graduation work. Since 2004, the maestro has been the chief conductor of the theater. His repertoire includes over 30 operas.
Felix Korobov was also an assistant to the chief conductor at the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia named after E.F.Svetlanov (2000-2002), preparing programs with the participation of Placido Domingo, Montserrat Caballe, Mstislav Rostropovich Conservatory and the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.
In 2003, the musician was invited to the New Opera Theater named after E. V. Kolobov, where in 2004-2006. served as chief conductor. Here he prepared a symphony program with the participation of Yuri Temirkanov and Natalia Gutman, a concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Dmitry Shostakovich, conducted concerts with the participation of Eliso Virsaladze and Jose Kura, the Cinemafonia project (to the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War), was the musical director and conductor of the operas "The Tsar's Bride" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov and "Norma" by V. Bellini, the play "O Mozart! Mozart ... ", concert programs" Romances by P. I. Tchaikovsky and S. V. Rachmaninoff "," [email protected]”.
The conductor has collaborated with outstanding choreographers - John Neumeier, Oleg Vinogradov, Yuri Grigorovich. With Yuri Vamosh he staged the ballet Spartacus at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf.
Felix Korobov tours extensively as a conductor and cellist. He collaborated with various symphony orchestras in Russia, Germany, Finland, Italy and other countries. He is the Principal Guest Conductor of the State Hermitage Orchestra (St. Petersburg Camerata).
Since 2007, the musician has been teaching at the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting of the Moscow State Conservatory. In 2011, with the Chamber Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory, Felix Korobov took part in the Big Opera project of the Kultura TV channel.
Felix Korobov - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (2008), Honored Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia (2012), laureate of the Golden Mask National Theater Award (2012).
At the age of six he began to play the cello and entered the Sverdlovsk secondary special music school at the Ural State Conservatory named after M.P. Mussorgsky to the class of Professor S.F.Peshkov.
Graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory, specializing in cello in 1996, class of Professor Maria Tchaikovskaya, and opera and symphony conducting in 2002, class of Professor Vasily Sinaisky). In 1998, he also completed his postgraduate studies in string quartet there (class of Professor Andrey Shishlov). Among his teachers are outstanding teachers of the Moscow Conservatory - T. A. Gaidamovich, A. Z. Bonduryansky, R. R. Davidyan, K. S. Khachaturyan.
Creative activity
Over the years, he worked as a concertmaster of the cello group at the Yekaterinburg Maly Opera Theater (1990 - 1993) and as a concertmaster of the cello group of the State Academic Symphony Capella of Russia under the direction of Valery Polyansky (1996 - 2000).
In 1999, he began his career as a conductor at the Moscow Stanislavsky and VI Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater, where in 2002 his graduation work was the production of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Ernani.
In 2000-2002 - Assistant to the Chief Conductor of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, with whom he prepared a number of programs with the participation of Placido Domingo, Montserrat Caballe, Mstislav Rostropovich, made a number of recordings on CD and conducted concerts in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and the Concert Hall named after P.I.Tchaikovsky.
In 2003 he was invited to work at the Novaya Opera theater, in 2004-2006 - the chief conductor of the theater. Here he prepared a symphony program with the participation of Yuri Temirkanov and Natalia Gutman, a concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of D.D.Shostakovich, conducted concerts with the participation of Eliso Virsaladze and Jose Kura, "Cinemafonia" (to the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War), was musical director and conductor of the operas "The Tsar's Bride" N.А. Rimsky-Korsakov and "Norma" by V. Bellini, the play "Oh Mozart! Mozart ...", concert programs "Romances by P. Tchaikovsky and S. Rachmaninoff", " [email protected]".
Since September 2004 - Chief Conductor of the Moscow Stanislavsky and V.I.Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater.
In 2011 - with the Chamber Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory participates in the project of the TV Channel "Culture" "Big Opera".
Pedagogical activity
Since 2007 he has been teaching at the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting of the Moscow State Conservatory. Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory.
Performances at the Moscow Musical Theater named after KS Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko
- 2006 - La Traviata by G. Verdi, directed by A. Titel
- 2006 - "Cinderella" by S. Prokofiev, choreographer O. Vinogradov
- 2007 - "The Seagull" to music by D. Shostakovich, P. Tchaikovsky, A. Scriabin, E. Glenny, choreographer D. Neumeier
- 2007 - "Eugene Onegin" by P. Tchaikovsky, director A. Titel
- 2008 - "May Night, or the Drowned Woman" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, director A. Titel
- 2008 - "Hamlet (Danish) (Russian) Comedy" V. Kobekin, director A. Titel
- 2008 - "Stone Flower" by S. Prokofiev, choreographer Y. Grigorovich
- 2009 - "Naples" N.V. Gade, E.M.E. Helsted, H.C. Pauli, H.C. Lumbue, choreography by A. Bournonville
- 2009 - "Werther" by J. Massenet, director M. Bychkov
- 2010 - Cafe Socrates - Socrates by E. Sati and Poor Sailor by D. Millau, director A. Ledukhovsky
- 2010 - Little Death. Six Dances "to music by W. A. Mozart, choreographer J. Kilian
- 2010 - “The Force of Destiny” by G. Verdi, director G. Isahakyan
- 2011 - "The Little Mermaid" L. Auerbach, choreographer D. Neumeier
Felix Pavlovich Korobov(born May 24, Irkutsk) - Russian conductor and cellist, teacher, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (2008), Honored Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia (2012), chief conductor of the Moscow Academic Musical Theater named after K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich -Danchenko, artistic director of the Chamber Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory.
Biography
At the age of six he began to play the cello and entered the Sverdlovsk Secondary Special Music School at the Ural State Conservatory named after M.P. Mussorgsky in the class of Professor S.F.Peshkov.
Creative activity
Over the years, he worked as a concertmaster of the cello group at the Yekaterinburg Maly Opera Theater (1990-1993) and as a concertmaster of the cello group of the State Academic Symphony Capella of Russia under the direction of Valery Polyansky (1996-2000).
Pedagogical activity
Performances at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater
- - The Golden Cockerel Rimsky-Korsakov
- - "La Traviata" by G. Verdi, director A. Titel
- - "Cinderella" by S. Prokofiev, choreographer O. Vinogradov
- - "The Seagull" to music by D. Shostakovich, P. Tchaikovsky, A. Scriabin, E. Glenny, choreographer D. Neumeier
- - "Eugene Onegin" by P. Tchaikovsky, director A. Titel
- - "May Night, or the Drowned Woman" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, director A. Titel
- - "Hamlet (Danish) (Russian) Comedy" V. Kobekin, director A. Titel
- - "Stone Flower" by S. Prokofiev, choreographer Y. Grigorovich
- - Naples by N. V. Gade, E. M. E. Helsted, H. S. Pauli, H. K. Lumbu, choreography by A. Bournonville
- - Marguerite and Armand by F. Liszt, choreography by Ashton
- - “Werther” by J. Massenet, director M. Bychkov
- - “Cafe Socrates” - “Socrates” by Eric Satie and “Poor Sailor” by D. Millau, director A. Ledukhovsky
- - "Little death. Six Dances "to music by W. A. Mozart, choreographer J. Kilian
- - “The Force of Destiny” by G. Verdi, director G. Isahakyan
- - Sharpening Vivaldi Choreography by Jorm Elo
- - "The Little Mermaid" L. Auerbach, choreographer D. Neumeier
- - "Acquaintance with the orchestra" by Prokofiev Saint-Saens
- - Britten's Guide to the Orchestra
- - "War and Peace" Prokofiev
- - "Blind" Auerbach
- - "Songs by the Well" Langer
- - "Italian in Algeria" by Rossini
- - "Aida" by Verdi
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- Interview // "Culture" No. 34 (7442), September 2-8, 2004
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An excerpt characterizing Korobov, Felix Pavlovich
- This is another matter. For the people it is necessary, - said the first.- What is it? Pierre asked.
- And here's a new poster.
Pierre took it in his hands and began to read:
“The Most Serene Prince, in order to quickly unite with the troops that are marching towards him, crossed Mozhaisk and stood in a strong place where the enemy would not suddenly attack him. Forty-eight cannons with shells were sent to him from here, and His Serene Highness says that he will defend Moscow to the last drop of blood and is ready to fight even in the streets. You, brothers, do not look at the fact that the offices of office have been closed: things need to be cleaned up, and we will deal with the villain with our own court! When it comes to what, I need good fellows, both city and country. I’ll call the call in two days, but now I don’t need to, I’m silent. Good with an ax, not bad with a spear, and best of all is the pitchfork of a triad: a Frenchman is not heavier than a sheaf of rye. Tomorrow, after lunch, I will raise Iverskaya to the Ekaterininskaya hospital, to the wounded. We will consecrate the water there: they will sooner recover; and now I am healthy: my eye hurt, and now I look both ways. "
- And the military people told me, - said Pierre, - that in the city it is impossible to fight in any way and that the position ...
- Well, yes, that's what we're talking about, - said the first official.
- And what does it mean: my eye hurt, and now I look at both? - said Pierre.
“The count had barley,” said the adjutant, smiling, “and he was very worried when I told him that people came to ask what was the matter with him. And what, count, - said the adjutant suddenly, turning to Pierre with a smile, - have we heard that you have family troubles? As if a countess, your wife ...
“I haven't heard anything,” Pierre said indifferently. - What did you hear?
- No, you know, they often make up. I say I heard.
- What did you hear?
“Yes, they say,” said the adjutant again with the same smile, “that the Countess, your wife, is going abroad. Probably nonsense ...
“Maybe,” said Pierre, absentmindedly looking around him. - And who is this? He asked, pointing to a short old man in a clean blue chuyka, with a big beard as white as snow, the same eyebrows and a ruddy face.
- It? This is the only merchant, that is, he is an innkeeper, Vereshchagin. Have you heard perhaps this story about the proclamation?
- Oh, so this is Vereshchagin! - said Pierre, peering into the firm and calm face of the old merchant and looking for an expression of treason in it.
- It's not him. This is the father of the one who wrote the proclamation, said the adjutant. - That young man is sitting in a pit, and it seems to him that it will be bad.
One old man, in a star, and the other - a German official, with a cross around his neck, approached the conversation.
“You see,” said the adjutant, “this is a complicated story. Then, about two months ago, this proclamation appeared. The count was told. He ordered an investigation. Here he was looking for Gavrilo Ivanovich, this proclamation was in exactly sixty-three hands. He will come to one: who do you have from? - From that then. He goes to the one: who are you from? and so on. We got to Vereshchagin ... a half-educated merchant, you know, a merchant, my dear, ”said the adjutant, smiling. - They ask him: who do you get it from? And the main thing is that we know who he receives from. He has no one else to have from, as from the director's mail. But evidently there was a strike between them. He says: from no one, I composed it myself. And they threatened and asked, stood on that: he wrote it himself. And so it was reported to the count. The Count ordered to summon him. "Who did you get the proclamation from?" - "I composed it myself." Well, you know the Count! The adjutant said with a proud and cheerful smile. - He flared up terribly, and think: such impudence, lies and stubbornness! ..
- A! The count needed him to point to Klyucharyov, I understand! - said Pierre.
“It’s not necessary at all,” the adjutant said in dismay. - Klyucharyov had sins even without that, for which he was exiled. But the fact is that the count was very indignant. “How could you compose? - says the count. I took this Hamburg newspaper from the table. - There she is. You didn’t compose, but translated, and translated it badly, because you don’t know French, you fool ”. What do you think? "No, he says, I have not read any newspapers, I have composed." “If so, then you are a traitor, and I will bring you to justice, and you will be hanged. Tell me, from whom did you get it? " - "I have not seen any newspapers, but I have composed." And so it remained. The count also called on his father: he stands his ground. And they were put on trial, and sentenced, it seems, to hard labor. Now the father has come to ask for him. But you cheesy boy! You know, a kind of merchant's son, a dandy, a seducer, he listened to lectures somewhere and really thinks that the devil is not his brother. What a young fellow! His father has a tavern here near the Stone Bridge, so in the tavern, you know, there is a large image of the Almighty God and a scepter is presented in one hand, a state in the other; so he took this image home for a few days and what did he do! Found a scoundrel painter ...
In the middle of this new story, Pierre was summoned to the commander-in-chief.
Pierre entered Count Rostopchin's office. Rostopchin, grimacing, rubbed his forehead and eyes with his hand, while Pierre entered. The short man said something, and as soon as Pierre entered, he fell silent and left.
- A! hello, great warrior, - said Rostopchin as soon as this man came out. - Heard about your prouesses [glorious deeds]! But that's not the point. Mon cher, entre nous, [Between us, my dear,] are you a freemason? - said Count Rostopchin in a stern tone, as if there was something wrong in this, but that he intended to forgive. Pierre was silent. - Mon cher, je suis bien informe, [My dear friend, I know everything well,] but I know that there are Freemasons and Freemasons, and I hope that you do not belong to those who, under the guise of saving the human race, want to destroy Russia.
- Yes, I am a Mason, - Pierre answered.
- Well, you see, my dear. You, I think, are not unaware that Messrs. Speransky and Magnitsky have been sent where they should be; the same was done with Mr. Klyucharyov, the same with others, who, under the guise of building the temple of Solomon, tried to destroy the temple of their fatherland. You can understand that there are reasons for this and that I could not have sent the local director of the post if he was not a harmful person. Now I know that you sent him yours. a carriage for getting out of town and even that you took papers from him for storage. I love you and do not wish you any harm, and as you are twice my age, then I, as a father, advise you to stop all intercourse with such people and leave here yourself as soon as possible.
- But what, Count, is Klyucharev's fault? Pierre asked.
“It’s my business to know and not yours to ask me,” Rostopchin cried out.
- If he is accused of spreading Napoleon's proclamations, then this has not been proven, - said Pierre (without looking at Rostopchin), - and Vereshchagin ...
- Nous y voila, [Indeed it is,] - Rostopchin suddenly screamed, interrupting Pierre, even louder than before. “Vereshchagin is a traitor and a traitor who will receive a well-deserved execution,” Rostopchin said with that fervor of anger with which people speak when remembering an insult. “But I did not summon you to discuss my affairs, but to give you advice or an order, if you wish. I ask you to stop communicating with gentlemen like Klyucharyov and leave here. And I will knock out the nonsense, whoever she is. - And, probably, realizing that he seemed to be shouting at Bezukhov, who was not guilty of anything yet, he added, taking Pierre's hand in a friendly manner: - Nous sommes a la veille d "un desastre publique, et je n" ai pas le temps de dire des gentillesses a tous ceux qui ont affaire a moi. Sometimes my head is spinning! Eh! bien, mon cher, qu "est ce que vous faites, vous personnellement? [We are on the eve of a common disaster, and I have no time to be nice to everyone with whom I have business. So, my dear, what are you doing, you personally?]
- Mais rien, [Yes, nothing,] - Pierre answered, still not raising his eyes and not changing the expression of his thoughtful face.
The Count frowned.
- Un conseil d "ami, mon cher. Decampez et au plutot, c" est tout ce que je vous dis. A bon entendeur salut! Goodbye my dear. Oh yes, ”he shouted at him from the door,“ is it true that the Countess fell into the clutches of des saints peres de la Societe de Jesus? [Friendly advice. Get out soon, I'll tell you what. Blessed is he who knows how to obey! .. the holy fathers of the Society of Jesus?]
Pierre said nothing and, frowning and angry, as he had never been seen, left Rostopchin.
By the time he arrived home, it was already getting dark. Eight different people visited him that evening. The secretary of the committee, the colonel of his battalion, the manager, the butler, and various petitioners. Everyone had things to do with Pierre, which he had to resolve. Pierre did not understand anything, was not interested in these matters and gave only such answers to all questions that would free him from these people. Finally, alone, he opened and read his wife's letter.
“They are soldiers on a battery, Prince Andrew has been killed ... an old man ... Simplicity is obedience to God. You need to suffer ... the meaning of everything ... you need to match ... your wife is getting married ... You need to forget and understand ... ”And he, going up to the bed, without undressing, fell on her and immediately fell asleep.
When he woke up the next morning, the butler came to report that a specially dispatched police official had come from Count Rostopchin to find out if Count Bezukhov had left or was leaving.
Ballet Insider interviewed one of Moscow's most famous conductors, talking about ballet and more.
The famous conductor, Felix Korobov, not only conducts the ballet, but also loves it. Ballet life in the theater of the chief conductor Muses. theater them. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko began ten years ago, when for the first time he conducted Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella, directed by Oleg Vinogradov.
- 2007 - "The Seagull" to music by D. Shostakovich, P. Tchaikovsky, A. Scriabin, E. Glenny, choreographer D. Neumeier,
- 2008 - "Stone Flower" by S. Prokofiev, choreographer Y. Grigorovich,
- 2009 - Naples by N. V. Gade, E. M. E. Helsted, H. S. Pauli, H. K. Lumbu, choreography by A. Bournonville,
- 2009 - Marguerite and Armand by F. Liszt, choreography by Ashton,
- 2010 - Little Death. Six Dances "to music by W. A. Mozart, choreographer J. Kilian,
- 2010 - Sharpening to Sharpness - Vivaldi, choreography by Jorm Elo,
- 2011 - "The Little Mermaid" L. Auerbach, choreographer D. Neumeier,
- 2014 - "Tatiana" Ballet by John Neumeier to music by Lera Auerbach,
- 2014 - "Manon" MacMillan's ballet to music by Massenet, "Swan Lake" - Burmeister, "Romeo and Juliet" - Vasiliev, "Don Quixote", "Pas-de-Quatre", "Walpurgis Night", "Phantom Ball" - Bryantsev , "Straussiana" - Burmeister.
- When did you conduct the ballet for the first time?
- Except for individual numbers in gala concerts, which all conductors encounter in one way or another, the first performance I conducted at the theater was Swan Lake, and the first performance, probably Vinogradov's Cinderella, was both in our theater.
In general, I am a completely "unusual" chief conductor - I love ballet and I am happy to conduct ballet performances. Not to mention how many titles I have staged in our repertoire.
Seriously though, in addition to the really "dance", "foot" and frankly bad music of numerous composers, often united by conductors in one name "Puni", the ballet has a lot of wonderful, chic and fantastic music - Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Prokofiev - these are absolute musical masterpieces, to touch with which in their real life - that is, in the theater for which they were written - is a great happiness and pleasure.
And then, what could be more beautiful than a smartly staged and beautifully danced white tutu ballet?
- Is your conducting style different in ballet and in opera?
- There are two points. The first is that, by and large, there is no difference in conducting an opera, ballet, operetta or symphony - the principles of the development of musical material, the attitude to the musical fabric, the sound of the orchestra are the same everywhere. There are no “high” and “low” genres in the musical interpretation. Accordingly, with regard to music - there are no different "techniques" or different "manners".
Another thing is that due to the specifics of the genre itself, a ballet conductor (I really do not like the expression "ballet conductor") is a separate and very difficult profession, which, of course, needs to be learned - at least in order to talk with dancers and choreographers on their language understanding each other.
This is a different world, different specificity, different skills - you can't just “take and lead ballet”. I was lucky - I collaborated with outstanding choreographers and professionals of the highest class. Many amazing dancers and ballerinas are my friends, with whom during the performances they ate more than one pood of salt and just shed tanks of sweat. Our wonderful teachers-tutors and accompanists in the class also helped me.
And very, very gradually, I began to understand ballet, to feel it not only through music, but also to see the interaction of music and choreography, music and dancers, to distinguish between their individual features and possibilities.
A conductor has many tasks in ballet. And behind these numerous, sometimes purely technical tasks, one should never forget that with all the “convenience” for the dancers and “correctness” for the choreography - all the same, Music, Emotions, Feelings should sound from the pit. Otherwise, oddly enough, the performance will still be a little flawed.
- The eternal question about music and ballet: do you think during the performance the conductor should set a comfortable pace for the artist or should he play exactly according to the notes, as the composer wrote?
- This, alas, is a very beautiful and no less speculative topic. You often hear from my colleagues: "Tchaikovsky did not write like that, I will not play like that" and other similar statements.
In fact, Tchaikovsky knew where he was bringing his score, just like Prokofiev and Shostakovich ... And, by the way, Stravinsky, to whom Diaghilev said - “here I am missing fourteen seconds - finish it” - and Stravinsky calmly finished these necessary for the choreographer of a second.
And the famous countless plug-in variations of Sleeping Beauty? They were written for specific ballerinas (moreover, each of them was especially good at some particular movements - someone had a fouette, someone had a convertible - that was the necessary music was written), then the ballerinas changed, left, fell into disgrace , the variations also changed.
But we got distracted. It is very important when the choreographer-director of a performance - a new performance - works in tandem with the conductor from the very beginning. Thus, many problems are already initially solved, and the foundation for the future conflict-free existence of the performance is laid.
Of course, when I lead a play, I always look at the stage. This is the peculiarity of a ballet conductor - if you thoroughly know the choreography, you can always help the dancer and prevent the performance from falling apart into a hundred small gala concerts, while maintaining its integrity and form. This does not mean that you always have to play as "convenient".
After the premiere of our "The Seagull" John Neumeier wrote on the first page of the score "Felix! Just never listen to dancers! " and, by the way, he repeated this inscription many years later on the score of Tatiana.
There is something in this too, because over time the performance gradually becomes different: the tempo changes, the “moods” are forgotten, sometimes the choreography is changed or simplified by one artist or another, and often the conductor becomes the “disinterested guardian” of the performance.
By the way, there have been cases in my life when choreographers changed choreography after I offered them a slightly different, unexpected and unexpected reading of the score - however, these are really great John Neumeier and Yuri Vamos.
- You have been working at the Stanislavsky Musical Theater since 1999. What has changed for the better during this time, and what would you like to add to your repertoire life?
- Theater in my lifetime has gone through several eras. And it's not about which one is better or worse. They were all interesting, each had its own face.
I came to the theater when Dmitry Alexandrovich Bryantsev was still working. Under him there was a phenomenal troupe, united by the common will of the choreographer-teacher, choreographer-leader. The theater was very upset by the loss of Bryantsev. After so many years of work in a team assembled like a fist, it was difficult to find a new direction of development. It was the competent policy of Vladimir Urin, who began to invite modern talented ballet masters, that provided the theater with a new fruitful period.
It was then that John Neumeier first appeared in our theater with his "The Seagull". Of course, it was a breakthrough, a performance that absolutely changes consciousness. Everything was new for the theater and artists - plasticity, thinking, relationships on stage.
Then Kilian, Elo, Duato appeared and at the same time - the absolute and perfect classic, "Stone Flower" by Grigorovich. And the theater began to breathe again and began to enjoy the work.
As for the "add" - I have long dreamed of staging "Sleeping Beauty". Probably, this is the only name that has not yet been implemented.
- There is such a feature in your work - you conduct ballet and opera performances with paired plots: the ballet Tatiana and the opera Onegin, the ballet The Lady of the Camellias and La Traviata. A new pair has just formed - Macmillan's Ballet Manon to music by Massenet and Massenet's own opera Manon, which has just premiered at the theater.
- Yes, it happened, but it happened by chance, beautifully, as it seems to me ...
Genius novels inspire ballet masters and composers alike to create performances. But if in the case of Dumas and Prevost everything is quite simple, then as for the pair "Eugene Onegin" and "Tatiana", one should nevertheless mention the main thing: at many press conferences, discussions, rehearsals, John repeatedly spoke and repeated ad infinitum the same thing, but, unfortunately, many have not heard it.
Felix Korobov. Photo - Shukur Burkhanov The play "Tatiana" is not an illustration of the novel "Eugene Onegin", not a retelling of the plot and not an attempt to understand "our everything." These are the impressions of the choreographer John Neumeier from reading Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" - exactly the impressions of a specific person, a specific Artist!
This is extremely important, especially for those who come to “read the novel with their eyes” and are unhappy with the fact that they did not see the “relationship” learned in literature lessons. By the way, John phenomenally knows and understands Pushkin's novel, and it was very interesting for me while working to look at Eugene Onegin through his eyes.
- You have said more than once that the most important thing for you is that the director knows exactly why and why this or that action is staged. Did it happen that there was no answer to these questions, but you had to conduct?
- I’m probably a very happy person (or is it just luck), but I never did what I didn’t want to do. This applies to all my work. I do what I am interested in and with those with whom I am interested.
Some of the journalists even started a rumor that Korobov collects choreographers. My first ballet was staged with Vinogradov, three ballets with John Neumeier, Jiri Kilian, Yuri Grigorovich, Yuri Vamosh, Elo. The level of work of these choreographers, the level of performances are unique. Both creativity and the process of working on ballet with each of them is priceless for me.
- If we talk about personalities, are there any artists with whom the performance is more inspired?
- Of course! And the point is not that there are "comfortable" or "inconvenient" artists for you. Whoever is dancing at the moment - you are obliged to help, to make the person on the stage feel comfortable and calm (I do not use the word “convenient” here on purpose - this is about something else).
In general, the atmosphere on the stage, in the pit, is fifty percent of the performance's success. That is why I still spend a lot of time in rehearsal halls, I go before performances not only to rehearsals, but also to class - to feel the mood, in what state of mind my today's “premieres” are, how tired or full of strength, they will agree not only about the pace but also what is called "interpretation".
We have done a lot of serious work together in the theater. These are those "man-hours" that do not pass just like that. With someone I have developed a very warm relationship, with someone we understand each other in such a way that we don't even need to negotiate the pace - we just feel each other, with someone we have had a very warm friendship for many years.
The troupe is renewing itself all the time. I am always proud to say that I also conducted Margarita Drozdova! It was our big scam with her. Her anniversary was celebrated in the theater, there was a beautiful program, her students danced. I wanted to give her an original gift, and we found a unique recording, a black and white chronicle, where she dances “The Dying Swan” by Saint-Saens.
And we came up with such a trick: they lowered the screen onto the stage, gave a projection of her Swan, and I, looking at the screen, played her cello. It was incredibly difficult to coincide with the recording, and when even the last steps coincided in music, the audience burst into applause.
In general, Margarita Drozdova is the personification of youth. A person's youth is not a date in a passport, it is an attitude towards life. And at 20 you can be an old man and live a dull life. Signora Margarita (as the stage workers in Genoa called her) is a phenomenal woman! An example of a person who is interested in life and who loves his job.
- Speaking of generations: are the artists different now?
- I do not like these conversations about what used to be better than now. Each generation is talented in its own way, in each generation there are geniuses and there are mediocrities. The main thing is that after this generation will remain in the memory.
- Do you have time for something else besides music?
— Unfortunately (or fortunately), we have such a profession that you cannot come home, have a beer, sit in front of the TV, turn on football and turn off your head. The profession holds all the time, one way or another you evaluate the performance that has passed, and the next rehearsal is already spinning in your head. Therefore, there is no time for leisure in the traditional sense.
But, probably, my hobby is life, and this is a much broader concept than work - it is friends, and reading, and painting, and tennis, and travel. I just love to live!