"Valery Gergiev's ban in Italy is a very painful topic for me"
About the world—famous conductor Fabio Mastrangelo, they say that in his case the opposites converged: he was born in the most Russian city in Italy — Bari, and lives in the most Italian city in Russia - St. Petersburg. He directs two orchestras and one theater. Fabio tours a lot, preferring Russian cities to European capitals. The VI International Classical Music Festival "Cantata" will be held in Kaliningrad from June 12 to 16. Concerts are planned at seven historical venues in the region. Fabio Mastrangelo, the artistic director of the event, spoke to Izvestia on the eve of the festival about the hospitable Baltic, the fan pogroms in Paris and the secret of Valery Gergiev's workaholism.
"I chose a completely different path to stay in Russia"
— "Cantata" is a large—scale festival that takes place outdoors, which means that the performances of artists depend entirely on the weather. How do you see the fact that nature sometimes presents unexpected surprises?
— Due to its format, each concert of the Cantata Festival becomes unique in its own way. Yes, the Baltic summer is unpredictable, but it has its own charm. This is not Italy, where the sweltering heat of + 43 degrees makes concerts postponed until late in the evening.: performances there often begin only at 21:00. And on the "Cantata" the climate is milder. I remember my last performance at the Kaliningrad festival, and the weather almost didn't let me down: except that I could feel a light breeze. I hope the playground will enjoy good weather this year too.
— Is the patriotic message of the festival close to you?
— I have been living in Russia for 25 years, so I have taken a fairly firm and clear civic position. In June 2022, that is, after the special military operation in Ukraine began, I conducted the Cantata Festival in Kaliningrad. Although it was at this time that he was supposed to be in Italy in his hometown of Bari in the south of the country for a production of Rossini's opera Cinderella. But I chose a completely different path and decided to cancel my participation in order to stay in Russia and continue working here.
— Is this a conscious choice, or have you been given conditions?
— My choice is not accidental, of course. I got information that local journalists were waiting for me to ask me to speak out against Putin and so on. I answered quite clearly that I would not do it. I chose to stay here, and oddly enough, it was the Cantata festival that became the symbol of this event for me. I realized how much we love music and appreciate culture in Russia. I think that at the moment this is the most noticeable difference between Europeans and Russians. It is a great country where culture still comes first.
— Where did you learn to speak Russian so well?
— There is a saying in Russia: a talented person is talented in everything. Of course, it doesn't sound too modest, but it's true. This is not the first foreign language that I have learned and know quite well, there are currently six languages in my luggage. The fact is that I really like to communicate with people.
Fabio Mastrangelo
When I first arrived in Russia on June 6, 1999, I already knew the alphabet by heart. This is also a fun fact: at the age of eight, I discovered it in an encyclopedia, and I became curious. That's how I learned it. It is only through curiosity and desire that you can learn a language on your own.
— Are there any places in Russia where you would like to go?
— Of course! Altai arouses a very strong curiosity. Judging by the videos and photos, there is amazing nature and incredible beauty. Therefore, I think that a music festival would be appropriate there.
"The people of Italy are absolutely friendly towards Russia"
— You run a theater in St. Petersburg, orchestras in Yakutsk and in Moscow. At the same time, you actively cooperate with other teams. How do you manage to allocate time and effort, and what is your priority today?
— There are two things that help to complete all tasks. First of all, planning is a key point. We have to think everything through in advance. Secondly, the love of music. Sometimes multitasking is exhausting, but you start rehearsing and with the first sounds you feel all the fatigue disappear. You no longer think about why you agreed to work so far away and how sleepy you are, but instead you fly to conduct a concert on the other side of the country. Music gives energy.
My Rachmaninov Festival
— Do you keep in touch with your Italian colleagues and do you see the prospect of establishing musical relations between the two countries?
— Absolutely. It is not true that Italy has taken a stand against Russia. Maybe that's what the politicians decided, but they're in the minority. The people of Italy are absolutely friendly towards Russia and other countries. I know this because I talk a lot with my friends.
Recently, we gave a concert at the Mariinsky Theatre, where exclusively Russian music was played, and the Italian pianist Martina Frezzotti from Udine in northern Italy performed Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. For a moment, she received a diploma from the Moscow Conservatory, studied with Eliso Virsaladze (People's Artist of the USSR. — Ed.). So it can be said about Martina that she is a "pro-Russian" pianist.
By the way, she has repeatedly admitted that she feels at home in St. Petersburg. This feeling came as a surprise to me on my first visit to the Northern Capital. I did not expect this from St. Petersburg - it is a beautiful city, the most important from the point of view of culture! Everyone has worked here: great composers, conductors, pianists, violinists. Then I realized that I wanted to live in Russia and I would do everything possible to make this desire a reality. And so it turned out.
My Rachmaninov Festival
— Nevertheless, the Venice Biennale has so far been held against the background of a scandal — the European Commission tried to put pressure on the organizers because of the participation of the Russian Federation. The Russian pavilion opened despite these attacks, and our musicians performed there. Can we assume that this is the first sign of a warming relationship?
— Cancel cancellation (laughs)! Yes, it is possible. Last year, when I staged and conducted ten performances of Ponchielli's opera La Gioconda in Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia and the most beautiful island in Italy, there were many Russian singers among the soloists.
— But not everything is so good. At the same time, Valery Gergiev was not allowed to enter Italy. At the Royal Palace of Caserta, the conductor planned to work with the orchestra of the Verdi Theater from Salerno and the soloists of the Mariinsky Theater. How did you react to this news?
— Valery Gergiev's ban in Italy is a very painful topic for me. I wrote an open letter to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and commented on this situation. They called me to get an interview. I set a condition: I'll talk to them if they give me a chance to check what they wrote. They agreed. The interview was published. And then I read various reviews, including negative ones. Detractors wrote: "It's terrible! How can Mastrangelo afford this?"
But there were other comments that supported my position: "What does politics have to do with it?" or: "He's not coming to give you a lecture on "How good Russia is" or "We need to support Putin." His goal is creativity, not politics." The great conductor did not come to Italy. The Italians did not happen to listen to Ildar Abdrazakov either. They also protested. And this is nonsense by and large. And I am happy for the Venice Biennale. Especially since I know its president.
— And how do you like Pietrangelo Buttafuoco?
— He is a representative of the state, he stands on the side of Georgia Meloni's party. If such a person is able to understand that art should not become a hostage to political differences, then there is hope for the "abolition of cancellations."
"Music gives Valery Gergiev an insane amount of energy"
— You and Valery Gergiev have a long-term friendship. Did he offer you a job at the Bolshoi Theatre?
— I think it will definitely happen. I have a very busy schedule. In Moscow, in addition to concerts with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, I received an invitation from Dmitry Bertman to stage Norma at the Helikon Opera. The premiere will be in November. God willing, maybe Valery Abisalovich will listen to a fragment of the rehearsal, although his schedule is even more intense.
Gergiev was the first person who came to the rescue when the F.I. Chaliapin Theater was closed for reconstruction. Our theater has not had its own stage for more than three years. It was Valery Abisalovich who said: "Come with the orchestra to me. Concerts can be played in the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre." This is one of the best acoustic venues in Russia. Thanks to him, while the reconstruction of the F.I. Chaliapin Theater building is underway, the symphony orchestra and I are working on this stage.
— When will the Chaliapin Theater open?
— They promise to finish the reconstruction by the end of 2028. So we really hope that everything will be on schedule.
Victory Roads Festival
— Valery Gergiev presented the president with a project for a cultural quarter in St. Petersburg. Are you involved in its development in any way?
— Just the day before yesterday, we talked about this with him. On January 20, we opened a new Concert Hall on the English Embankment in St. Petersburg. This is officially the second stage of the Chaliapin Musical Theater. And the maestro has already been there twice. He admired the acoustics. He immediately had the idea to organize an audition for the wind instruments section there during the Tchaikovsky Competition, which is scheduled for the summer of 2027. Geographically, it is 500 m from the Mariinsky Theatre, which is quite convenient.
Perhaps the new Chaliapin Theater building will also be included in the future cultural quarter. I can't say for sure yet, because we haven't discussed this topic directly.
— Are you friends with Valery Abisalovich, maybe you have learned during this time the secret of how he manages to manage the Bolshoi, the Mariinsky, and also work in the Union of Theatrical Figures of Russia and conduct regularly?
— I think he has a great love for music. Gergiev is a man who wants to perform as many different kinds of music as possible. Recently, the festival "Prokofiev is ours!" opened in the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters. And this event is not for show, because this year is the composer's anniversary. Valery Abisalovich included all seven symphonies of the composer, all piano and violin concertos in the program. And also operas and ballets. He does everything thoroughly because he loves music so much that it gives him an insane amount of energy.
Victory Roads Festival
Valery Abisalovich is able to recover very quickly between events. At the same time, he always has time to chat with friends. A couple of days ago, we had dinner together and stayed up until two in the morning, discussing a variety of topics. And suddenly he confessed that he had not been in St. Petersburg for 42 days! This did not happen even during the periods of constant world tours. "We need to improve," he said. I agree, because we missed each other very much. He will appear at the Mariinsky Theatre again soon.
On June 28, our symphony orchestra "Northern Symphony" of the Chaliapin Musical Theater will close its concert season also on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall. We have prepared a beautiful Russian program: works by Stravinsky, Glazunov and Rachmaninov will be performed. All this will take place within the framework of the Stars of the White Nights festival, which is led by Valery Gergiev.
"How can you associate the joy of your favorite team with burning cars?"
— You are known to be an avid football fan. Which team do you support?
— Of course, for Zenit.
— The team has once again won the Russian Premier League. How was the victory celebrated?
— Unfortunately, I was very busy that day. But in his heart he was genuinely elated.
— Did you see how PSG's victory in the Champions League was celebrated in Paris?
— I saw it, and it's terrible. How can you associate the joy of your favorite football team with burning cars and smashed storefronts? I just can't understand what motivates these people.
Victory Roads Festival
It reminded me of the situation in America after the murder of George Floyd. Then the public began to massively ask for forgiveness from African Americans, and the criminal was even buried in a golden coffin. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has risen. Actions, protests and pogroms followed, to which the authorities sometimes turned a blind eye. They made an entire nation guilty, and then they also asked for forgiveness for slavery, which was hundreds of years ago.
There is propaganda at work here that can make people believe in things that are not true. It's very strange. After all, there is a law all over the world that must be above emotions.
— You are from Bari. This is a holy place for all Christians: the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are located there. Have miracles ever happened to you?
- of course. I don't even ask myself questions, I just know that St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is a part of my life. You have breakfast, you work, you sleep — and you feel the presence.
One day, my close friend, the Governor of Puglia, Michele Emiliano, said something I hadn't thought about before. He said: "You do understand who you are, right? You were born in the most Russian city in Italy, and you live in the most Italian city in Russia." So in my case, the opposites really came together.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
