As a youth I was very harsh and intolerant. The slightest deviation
*A reference to Ycvgeny Alexandrovich Mravinsky (b. 1903), appointed chief conductor and musical director of the Leningrad Philharmonic orchestra in 1 938 and still in this post. He led the first performances of the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth (which is dedicated to Mravinsky), Ninth, and Tenth Symphonies of Shostakovich, and for many years was a close friend of the composer. Although a man of religious convictions, Mravinsky has remained a member of the Party. His relationship with Shostakovich deteriorated in the last years of the composer's life.
22
from the planned performance of one of my works irritated me extremely.
This lasted a fairly long time, and included collisions that had a fatal effect on the future of my works. I feel that this was part of the problem with my Fourth Symphony, and it's painful for me to think about it.
These and other circumstances and also, naturally, age have changed my position somewhat. I certainly haven't become more complaisant, but I have begun expressing my point of view in such a way that the point is made without mortally insulting the performer.
A major factor is that more attention is paid to my opinion. Before, in order to be heard, I had to be extreme. Later, musicians began to understand mere hints. It became easier for me to speak with musicians. But · harder at the same time. Why harder? Because when a single word carries more weight it also hits harder.
I hear many mediocre musicians. A great many. But they have the right to live. It's only song-and-dance ensembles like the Red Army Chorus that drive me crazy. If I were suddenly to become minister of culture, I would immediately disband all these ensembles. That would be my first order. I would naturally be arrested immediately for sabotage, but they would never reorganize the scattered ensembles.
Before, when I spoke, people didn't pay too much attention, even when it concerned my own compositions. In order to overcome the performer's resistance, I had to be more aggressive than I would have liked. I had to scream where a normal voice should have done.
Most often I encountered an insulting condescension. But there were . also highly irritable citizens, who became nervous at my modest requests and were rude to me.
Now I can't abide rudeness, even in so-called great artists. Rudeness and cruelty are the qualities I hate most. Rudeness and cruelty are always connected, I feel. One example out of many is Stalin.
As you know, Lenin in his "political will"* said that Stalin had only one fault-rudeness. And that everything else was in good shape.
•A reference to the so-called Letter to the Congress, dictated by the gravely ill Lenin in late December 1 922-early January 1923; in it, Lenin, addressing the Party leaders, gave comparative evaluations of his possible successors, including Stalin. Published in the West in 1926, this important document, now widely known as Lenin's "political will," was denounced as a forgery at the time by Soviet leaders. It was not published in the Soviet Union until 1 956, when it was officially included in the complete works of Lenin.
23
As we know all too well now, the Party leadership didn't feel the need to remove Stalin from his post as head of the Party because, in their opinion, what kind of fault was rudeness? On the contrary, it was almost like valor.
I remember reading in a commentary to some notes of Lenin's that important Party leaders (I think it was Ordzhonikidze* and some other Georgian) traded insults and slapped each other. A little joke among friends.
And we know how it all ended. No, don't expect anything good from a rude man.
And it doesn't matter in what field the boor is, politics or art. It doesn't matter where, he always tries to become a dictator, a tyrant.
He tries to oppress everyone. And the result, as a rule, is very bad.
What galls me is that these sadists always have fans and followersand sincere ones at that. The typical example of this is Toscanini.
I hate Toscanini. I've never heard him in a concert hall, but I've heard enough of his recordings. What he does to music is terrible, in my opinion. He chops it up into a hash and then pours a disgusting sauce over it. Toscanini "honored" me by conducting my symphonies.
I heard those records too, and they're worthless.
I've read about Toscanini's conducting style and his manner of conducting a rehearsal. The people who describe this disgraceful behavior are for some reason delighted by it. I simply can't understand what they find delightful.
I think it's outrageous, not delightful. He screams and curses the musicians and makes scenes in the most shameless manner. The poor musicians have to put up with all this nonsense or be fired. And they even begin to see "something" in it.
Naturally, you must grow accustomed to it. For if you are mocked every day you either get used to it or you go mad. Only a strong person can remain between these two extremes, yet are there many truly strong people among orchestra players ? The habit of group playing ·
breeds the herd instinct. Not in everyone, of course, but in many. And
*Grigori (Sergo) Konstantinovich Ordzhonikidze (1886-1 937), one of the leaders of the Communist Party. He committed suicide when the "great terror" began. The official version attributed his death to a heart attack. His relatives and friends suffered under the repressions, but Stalin thought it useful to maintain Ordzhonikidze's image as a "loyal Stalinist." Ncvcrthdcss, Stalin's hatred of Ordzhonikidzc was so great that it played a part in his denunciation of the opera The Great Friendship by Muraddi, the hero of which was Ordzhonikidze.
24
they are the ones who exalt Toscanini.
Toscanini sent me his recording of my Seventh Symphony and hearing it made me very angry. Everything is wrong; The spirit and the character and the tempos. It's a lousy, sloppy hack job.
I wrote him a letter expressing my views. I don't know if he ever got it, maybe he did and pretended not to-that would be completely in keeping with his vain and egotistical style.
Why do I think that Toscanini didn't let it be known that I wrote to him? Because much later I received a letter from America: I was elected to the Toscanini Society! They must have thought that I was a great fan of the maestro's.
I began receiving records on a regular basis-all new recordings by Toscanini. My only comfort is that at least I always have a birthday present handy. Naturally, I wouldn't give something like that to a friend. But to an acquaintance-why not? It pleases them and it's less trouble for me. That's one of life's most difficult problems-what to give for a birthday or anniversary to a person you don't particularly like, don't know very well, and don't respect.
Conductors are too often rude and conceited tyrants. And in my youth I often had to fight fierce battles with them, battles for my music and my dignity.
Some of them tried to become my "patrons." Thanks a lot. Patronage makes me sick to my stomach. It was usually a poorly disguised attempt to foist their will on me, and I had to cut off these patrons brusquely, that is, put them in their place.
To respond to someone's rudeness in a way to end his desire to be rude once and for all is not easy. It's an art. I had good teachers. Naturally, Sollertinsky* was the best, but I tried to learn from others as well. I'm always happy to see that I've put down a boor.