Alexander Gradsky came to Israel to speak at creative evenings poet Andrei Dementyev. Suddenly, the opportunity to interview the idol of his youth, and I naturally took advantage of this opportunity.

- Sasha, Andron Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky very vividly depict the scene of your acquaintance with him. So whether it was in reality?

- Of course not. By the film "Romance for Lovers" I was to write music Murad Kozhlaev (if you can check the spelling - Pauline). A good composer, always guided by modern principles - in short, seems to fit Andron. Suddenly Kozhlaev with paintings "flies": coming premiere of his ballet. And Konchalovsky, not knowing what he wants, he began to look for some artists, young singers - something like that. Arkady Petrov, Andron advised to pay attention to me.

- Who do you at that time?

- Rock singer. Play in the group began in 1963, in 1966 created his own team, and events, which are described, such as occurred in winter 1972. I already had a bunch of fans, a rock 'n' roll world in which absolutely no room for any Konchalovsky, no communist coterie - with awards, prizes, laureate titles, money, travel, summer cottages. We lived in the basement of the world, their own apartments close, the girls, who were much more beautiful, younger and untied laureate ladies. Atmosphere was very free, we lived our lives, and our attention is almost no one paid.

- you are not harassed?

- All the talk about the fact that someone was strangling rock 'n' roll - a complete lie "maid John Leningrad". Piterskie rockers different from us that the stage guzzled vodka before leaving. We do not even smoke on stage. Almost all of Moscow performers had some musical training, albeit primitive, but - were, as Petrograders longer put pressure on the social buttons. In protest, namely the social aspect. We have a protest was car: already one of its kind, and the ability to work showed that all species in a coffin ... No, no one is "drowned." Another thing that did not help, and in the Soviet Union, as you yourself remember, it was considered normal to help talents. But we took so-Soviet niche that we just spit.

- So, you were living in their own world ...

- ... In which even out the plate. By the time of our meeting with Andron already out Tukhmanov drive, where I sang "There was I," and "Mona Lisa", we even went on tour several times; It has developed its own audience, which for us was running with a concert at the concert. Paphos was great - not a social, but internal. The idea "and fuck you all! .." I have established it was then - and remains for life.

- The background is clear. Return to the meeting with Andron.

- Well, they Arkasha Petrov claimed in the studio. At this time there is a complex process: I impose myself on vocals. That is, first write down the drums, then - bass guitar, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, piano, violin, harp, bells ... There were no multi-channel recorders, and were only four channel. First, write down a soundtrack, then reducing it to two channels, the sound is superimposed again negates the other two channels. Heavy writing, where we had to be a sound engineer to be very careful: fucked up at some stage - it will not work. A recording time of the CEC, the money was dropped, and it is necessary also to sing emotionally, to the products to get at least something to do with the art of having ... And suddenly, in a moment when I sing, Andron insolently bursts into the studio. Using the fact that fucking movie stars and hand shakes with the Chairman of the State Cinema Committee, he thinks and we can shamelessly break. The door creaked, there was a sound of footsteps - all climbed into the microphone, the double was completely spoiled. Well, I do it with Peter and said a few words in a harsh manner in which I am able to do it - usually after such people communicate with me at a distance of fifty meters.

- though I knew who it was sent?

- And I - for the horseradish. Arkady Petrov was stunned, though he realized that we can not break. But the team Andron: he is the chief, traveled to festivals. This now I - the winner of the State Prize, People's artist, you know? I go to where maybe Konchalovsky not name, znayus with the people that are with him and will not talk. And then it was like this: you have your world, we - your, blame guys here. But they brazenly invade our world ...

- What happened?

- Frightened (I have enough physical preparation that I get scared) Andron closed the door. I continued to work. And Peter then told me how Konchalovsky was in the control room and watched in admiration at what I do. Maybe his nature such. Whatever the nature of acting, in fact, - woman's, of course, first Andron liked that he had been sent, and then he liked what I was doing. He said Arkady, "This is it, and I'll shoot in the title role will be played and songs to sing What are his expressive blue eyes..!" Peter answered: "He has green eyes" - "No matter!" Then I turned in profile, Andron upset: "No, this long nose I do not approve." The idea to take me no longer, though, it would be really cool.

- Wait, you flashed in the frame?

- Really flashed - he went sideways. "Big Foot" ... Then Andron invited me to write a song for the film. I dumped him eight or ten of available sketches, they liked him.

- First came the music, and then the verses?

- alone "Song of the Birds" was written on ready-made poems by Nikolai Glazkov. The rest of the text prisobachit to my music.

- If I am not mistaken, the lyrics to "Lullaby" composed Natalia Konchalovskaya?

- I'm not mistaken. You know, I was not so much impressed by acquaintance with Andron, and Nikita Mikhalkov as familiarity with their mother. For many years we were friends with Natalya Petrovna, I often came to visit her. Konchalovskaya even attempted to do the libretto to my ballet "Mowgli", but the venture did not work out. Natalia Petrovna assumed that the ballet will be children, and I have it turned quite childish product, - in general, we have decided to set aside the libretto. But before, when I first started making music, ringing Konchalovskaya suddenly: "You know what I thought, Let's ask her husband to sign a libretto for me?". Note, it has made an offer after several months worked. I was taken aback: "Natalia Petrovna, something I do not understand - why do we need to do?" - "Who am I Honored for something, but if you sign Sergei, - ballet sure someone will deliver." I answer: "It will not ever." - "Well, you forget." She was a woman of a very tough and such an act is undoubtedly considered. She wanted to put my ballet.

- good to you?

- very fond of me - a lot of time talking about it. I'm a few years, was married to Anastasia Vertinsky, and her son Stephan - from Nikita. And it happened that I Stepan some time raised. So we talked with Natalia Petrovna even after her grandson.

- Let's go back to the "Romance of the vlyublennyh-?

- Work has begun, I wound up. Get a two-part film was incredible: all the composers for this fight. I would argue not even as a songwriter: a boy, a third-year student of vocal department of Gnessin Institute, is not a member of the Composers' Union - and the two-part film?

- The matter of money?

- Grandmas something okay, but what's enthusiasm! Our picture, by the way, has been nominated for the State Award ... In the history of Soviet music, I was the youngest, who received a two-part film. The next after I turned Minkov - he made a similar feat in twenty-nine.

- How did you eventually approved?

- Long story. Andron is already accustomed to our joint work, quarreling went, and entered into a contract with me: 6 songs - 600 rubles. I was a loader and earned 600 rubles could earn eight months. Moreover, the same amount promised with 1200 - the plague! On 15 pe dance for an evening screaming get, but here ... I come home happy, calls Sasha Kostin - a close friend, who at the time worked at Mosfilm music editor. Calls screwy well: "Sasha, I can not say that you want to pin Come.". I take a bottle, food. Drinking and I hear: "You know, the kind thing you have six songs - all the cool They'll take them them hire any Jew, he will handle your songs, make two or three symphony episodes and get four of them..."

- Why did it take the Jew?

- So Kostin said. Perhaps the thought that the Russian did not know how to write arrangements. I called I Andron: "Is it true?" Answers: "Sasha, you can write six songs - I'll knock them, but you can not write all the music for the film: I Composers Union of why it's just going to eat the author is someone else..." I said, "So I will Or the author of the music, or take away his own songs, and you wali - with his film, with its parties, with its Union of Composers - to such a mother.". Hang-up, continue to drink Kostin, send cinema in general, and Androna in particular. It takes three days, during which Andron trying to call, but I do not talk to him. Then I really did not know how to write for the Symphony Orchestra: chicken - not a bird, the singer - not a musician. But a clear idea: if the task put in front of me, I will execute it. But the problem is not set, and even tried to cheat! .. In the end, I wrote all the music. Hardly. I helped, I took something, something rejected; someone give me some kind of arrangement would bring, then I tried to record it, then he learned how to do it - he worked for a year. But for three days, during which I did not respond to calls to Andron, he spent in the wild hysteria: felt that we could get him something worthwhile.

- Konchalovsky - a man of taste?

- Of course, e-my. He - a brilliant filmmaker. Obviously, I am talking about the Soviet cinema, but at our level - the highest grade, which speak. Andron Andron there, I come to him with respect, no matter what. As Nikita. Can both of them to have a human claim, but virtually perceive clearly that these people - the color of Russian culture. That, which it is now.

- "What time in the yard - this messiya-?

- And I may say so. Messiah we have different ... In general, Andron poorat, knocked - and made to enter into a contract with me. After the release of pictures on the screen of his little jealousy devoured: those who have praised the film, and those who swore at her, converge in one: the music is good.

- Good. Not only music, but also - lyrics to the songs. These in fact and Okudzhava was involved?

- Partially Bulat poems were written before painting. Almost the same as that included in the film, but I finished writing some of his lines, and some removed. And most importantly, I think, because of what Bulat rightly offended at me - we changed the stitch, finished writing his stead, and called it all on the record, "the author of poems - Okudzhava". As a result, we had not talked for almost twenty years.

- to make peace?

- To reconcile. On the anniversary of some kind we were at the same table, facing each other. And to my left sat a well-known politician. He ate chicken - and he did it very ugly: he could not cope with it, the whole smeared, leaned over the plate. I looked at him with regret - it is a pity he looked hurt at the time. Suddenly I see - Bulat looks the same exact look. We looked at each other, realizing that the thought of the same: "Who we are governed?" And then the policy has departed, and Bulat says: "Why are you with me to the country not to come Come?". I promised, but never met. Did not have time...

- Sasha, they say, you - not the most pleasant person in dialogue. I myself had not noticed. It turns out that for someone you are nice to someone - not?

- Imagine. I - Scorpio. Sam never make direct activism only answer. What seems to me, a man less worthy behaves towards me - so my answer is stronger. That many do not like, then create a legend. People are beginning to be afraid of, say, to invite me to the television in a live broadcast.

- You are, incidentally, rarely flashed on television.

- You, too, have noticed? Slightly hvastanu: my musical value, after all, implies that I have to show. Type means, but it does not happen as happened twenty-five years ago.

- They are afraid of you?

- Do not unwind - let's call it so. Why be afraid? Actually, I know why. Somehow I Lev Leshchenko said: "If you showed the least like me - we have all had to go home." Lev got excited: he is a good performer. But the promise - why I do not show - I think, is clear. I and without TV collected ten-twenty thousand rooms. And when today people with frenzied promotion can not collect a sports palace - what to say? And I do not have TV, but I have more than thirty-five years, keeps the audience. Maybe it's for the best, why people eyesore from morning till evening? In general, Russia - strange in this sense the country. Nobody knows what makes heroes: a permanent display on the television or rumors that you were gagging. In fact, I was, nevertheless, show.

- But not as often as Kirkorov.

- I think Kirkorov from me will never be. I have nothing against Fili he - a young man, God grant him good health, but I do not understand this music.

- What's sing?

- Miscellaneous: classic, western things Russian.

- The driver somehow Chaliapin said, "Sing something we master all sing What are you busy in life.?"

- I - builder. Vocals, rather - hobbies: sing once or twice a month, and the ranks every day. His country house and theater.

- Own little hands?

- Of course not. I can hammer a nail, repair the wiring, the lamp - is that the average man has to do. And serious he did not build. But my project solutions all my, construction supervision himself realize. That is why the cheaply built a house, which is very expensive. If hired firm could never pay for this construction: simply would have ruined me.

- You say you know how to do what needs to be able to average man. And myself how a man think?

- normal. Committed by male behavior - women did not commit.

- The women's actions are different from men's?

- scattered among women more, less commitment. Women - part of nature, and exist as it is today - the wind, tomorrow - the sun, the day after tomorrow - a hurricane. It is necessary to understand, accept and rejoice in the fact that women are arranged so as not different. Otherwise, we do not love.

- A love?

- Of course.

- In this case, what is your wife?

- Wonderful - I think I did not deserve this. We are together twenty-one years. you would see it - would be blown away more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight would not give. When it comes to our children - twenty Man hundred and ninety centimeters and fifteen-year girl in a meter seventy-five - nation falls into a swoon. One is the wife on the beach - and it has a cool hip and very thin waist. There is a son with his friends, and the guys tell him, "Listen, chuvikhi what is cool!" A man loves my girls, "Where?" Reveal. "What chuvikhi? That's my mom. Mom, mom!" Wife hisses: "What are you" mamkaesh-? What do you "mamkaesh-?" I sometimes ask: "Is that your eldest daughter?"

- From the "real" children daughter love more?

- Both very much. Girl just more spoiled.

- musically educated children?

- The son - yes, daughter abilities are good, but not enough perseverance. I did not torture her.

- That is, you dad lax?

- Oru, of course, but as a result of what they want, then do it. Are free people. I almost do not forbid them anything, I can only warn that you can fill the cones themselves. In general, I like the result: I have normal children.

- How do they relate to your popularity?

- As for breakfast, lunch and dinner: "We have somewhere dad works a genius, but it has no decisive importance." Know that for the words "I - a son (daughter) Gradsky", they would have received on the snout.

- Here we are to where we started. Konchalovsky told me how you came to the studio and asked if you can write a song for his film. And you said, though, like this: "Of course I can, I - genius."

- I really responded to him.

- "I am a genius" - and call our interview?

- You what ?! It is impossible for these words too seriously. On the other hand, if I do not work at this level, where I work, I'm not interested, why strain, if you do not consider yourself superodarennym? Why do I need to plow, if he does not say that I'm a genius? Certain material base has long established itself, more than two or three pairs of pants at the same time I do not need. My shirts all from one store, and pants - from the other.

- specifically.

- Pants - "versachevskie" shirt - "levishtrausovskie". Sweaters - "guchchivskie", but all black and do the same. There was an old tale about some supermultimillionera who always went in the same costume. A few old-fashioned suit, but fine fabric, always clean, ironed, for many years - the same. At some point, the journalists dopekli him this, he opened the cupboard - and there are fifty-six pieces are exactly the same costumes. Millionaire explained: "I love this suit I bought in one go many copies and changing every day.".

Pauline Kapsheeva (Lior Gan)