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Omschrijving
In the bleak cage of the Soviet Union, a brilliant pianist, inspired by the music of Olivier Messiaen, survived and triumphed. This is his story, told partly in his own words.
Compelling accounts . . . The courageous and critical role of the Soviet pianist in bringing Messiaen's music to the Russian public . . . takes this biography into interesting and heretofore under-researched territory. Silverman's text provides an important account of the lived experience of a Jewish artist during and after World War II, presenting a direct glimpse at the anti-Semitism rampant during this time. A powerful testament to the salvific power of music, providing an undeniable antidote to 'afflictions of the spirit.
Silverman's writing is scholarly but engaging. Numerous conversations and interviews with [Haimovsky] are amply quoted in the book. Numerous sources are cited and often quoted at length. [I have listened to Haimovsky's recording of the Debussy Preludes] back-to-back with Walter Gieseking's classic recording and prefer Haimovsky's.
Skilfully recounted episodes and anecdotes make this book very readable. Melissa Silverman has successfully performed a labour of love which, it must be hoped, will not only paint a picture of a great man, but also of a whole era in Soviet life, both provincial and metropolitan, through a sensitive and perceptive musician's eyes. It deserves to be widely read.
Part history of the Soviet Union, part passionate protest against Stalin's campaign against Soviet Jewry, part crusade for the acceptance of modern classical music in the USSR (in this case, Olivier Messiaen), part tribute to the life of work of Haimovsky, who fought for honesty and freedom in cultural life in the USSR and suffered for it.
For a non-musicologist such as myself, this is an accessible book which tells a compelling story. Haimovsky's personal qualities of courage and integrity are convincingly displayed, and the Russian word 'grazhdantsvennost', a blend of the concepts of generosity and citizenship, perhaps best expresses his personality, exemplified by his tireless attempts both to fight a brutal system and to fulfil the artist's mission, to transmit aesthetic and spiritual values through their work. --Douglas Mark Ponton, University of Catania for
A talented pianist, who was not always prepared to toe the official line.
Compelling accounts . . . The courageous and critical role of the Soviet pianist in bringing Messiaen's music to the Russian public . . . takes this biography into interesting and heretofore under-researched territory. Silverman's text provides an important account of the lived experience of a Jewish artist during and after World War II, presenting a direct glimpse at the anti-Semitism rampant during this time. A powerful testament to the salvific power of music, providing an undeniable antidote to 'afflictions of the spirit.
Silverman's writing is scholarly but engaging. Numerous conversations and interviews with [Haimovsky] are amply quoted in the book. Numerous sources are cited and often quoted at length. [I have listened to Haimovsky's recording of the Debussy Preludes] back-to-back with Walter Gieseking's classic recording and prefer Haimovsky's.
Skilfully recounted episodes and anecdotes make this book very readable. Melissa Silverman has successfully performed a labour of love which, it must be hoped, will not only paint a picture of a great man, but also of a whole era in Soviet life, both provincial and metropolitan, through a sensitive and perceptive musician's eyes. It deserves to be widely read.
Part history of the Soviet Union, part passionate protest against Stalin's campaign against Soviet Jewry, part crusade for the acceptance of modern classical music in the USSR (in this case, Olivier Messiaen), part tribute to the life of work of Haimovsky, who fought for honesty and freedom in cultural life in the USSR and suffered for it.
For a non-musicologist such as myself, this is an accessible book which tells a compelling story. Haimovsky's personal qualities of courage and integrity are convincingly displayed, and the Russian word 'grazhdantsvennost', a blend of the concepts of generosity and citizenship, perhaps best expresses his personality, exemplified by his tireless attempts both to fight a brutal system and to fulfil the artist's mission, to transmit aesthetic and spiritual values through their work. --Douglas Mark Ponton, University of Catania for
A talented pianist, who was not always prepared to toe the official line.