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RUSSIAN CULTURE MIN SAYS CONDUCTOR OF STATE ORCHESTRA HUMILIATED MUSICIANS
ITAR-TASS, Russia
September 29, 2011 Thursday 07:34 PM EST
Era of the musicians like conductor Mark Gorenshtein has gone,
Russian Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev told Itar-Tass Thursday.
"Mark Gorenshtein is good enough as a performer and conductor,"
Avdeyev said in a comment on his own order to fire Gorenshtein from
the position of chief conductor of Russia's State Academic Symphony
Orchestra. "However, he happened to be totally unprepared for leading
as highly-rated an orchestra as this one."
"His method of humiliating human dignity is unacceptable and the
epoch of musicians of his kind is gone forever," he said.
The incident that triggered the scandal around Gorenshtein occurred
during this years Tchaikovsky International Competition. During
a rehearsal with cello finalist Narek Hakhnazaryan of Armenia,
the conductor addressed the musicians with the following remark:
"You shouldn't care a dime of what this newly presented talent,
this aul /the word used in many parts of the Caucasus to denote
a mountainous village, in this case, a symbol of backwardness -
Itar-Tass/ is playing. You must play together with me."
The remark stunned the reporters attending the rehearsal and their
efforts to circulate it in the media produced a resounding public
effect.
The situation was made worse for Gorenshtein by the fact that the
rehearsal was broadcast live via the Internet to all parts of the
world.
Gorenshtein had to make excuses later by saying this was "a
conversation within the orchestra's collective, in the first place."
Secondly, his words did not contain any trace of nationalism because
"nationalistic moods are absolutely alien" for himself personally
and for the State Academic Symphony Orchestra.
Narek Hakhnazaryan accepted his apologies but members of the
Tchaikovsky competition organizing committee found the conductor's
words insulting.
"The Tchaikovsky competition is called upon to support young performers
and this obliges each organizer and participant to show genuine
respect and attention to the talented young musicians," a spokesman
for the organizing committee said.
At the end of August, the Yevgeny Svetlanov State Symphony Orchestra
musicians wrote an open letter to the Ministry of Culture asking the
authorities to relieve Mark Gorenshtein of his duties for what they
described as "despotism" and "unhealthy atmosphere in the performing
collective."
Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev signed an order to fire Gorenshtein
Wednesday, September 27.
ITAR-TASS, Russia
September 29, 2011 Thursday 07:34 PM EST
Era of the musicians like conductor Mark Gorenshtein has gone,
Russian Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev told Itar-Tass Thursday.
"Mark Gorenshtein is good enough as a performer and conductor,"
Avdeyev said in a comment on his own order to fire Gorenshtein from
the position of chief conductor of Russia's State Academic Symphony
Orchestra. "However, he happened to be totally unprepared for leading
as highly-rated an orchestra as this one."
"His method of humiliating human dignity is unacceptable and the
epoch of musicians of his kind is gone forever," he said.
The incident that triggered the scandal around Gorenshtein occurred
during this years Tchaikovsky International Competition. During
a rehearsal with cello finalist Narek Hakhnazaryan of Armenia,
the conductor addressed the musicians with the following remark:
"You shouldn't care a dime of what this newly presented talent,
this aul /the word used in many parts of the Caucasus to denote
a mountainous village, in this case, a symbol of backwardness -
Itar-Tass/ is playing. You must play together with me."
The remark stunned the reporters attending the rehearsal and their
efforts to circulate it in the media produced a resounding public
effect.
The situation was made worse for Gorenshtein by the fact that the
rehearsal was broadcast live via the Internet to all parts of the
world.
Gorenshtein had to make excuses later by saying this was "a
conversation within the orchestra's collective, in the first place."
Secondly, his words did not contain any trace of nationalism because
"nationalistic moods are absolutely alien" for himself personally
and for the State Academic Symphony Orchestra.
Narek Hakhnazaryan accepted his apologies but members of the
Tchaikovsky competition organizing committee found the conductor's
words insulting.
"The Tchaikovsky competition is called upon to support young performers
and this obliges each organizer and participant to show genuine
respect and attention to the talented young musicians," a spokesman
for the organizing committee said.
At the end of August, the Yevgeny Svetlanov State Symphony Orchestra
musicians wrote an open letter to the Ministry of Culture asking the
authorities to relieve Mark Gorenshtein of his duties for what they
described as "despotism" and "unhealthy atmosphere in the performing
collective."
Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev signed an order to fire Gorenshtein
Wednesday, September 27.