MYSTERY Mystery "X"

One evening with composer, singer and poet Alexander Gradsky

L. Trachtenberg

"Soviet Sport" 11.12.1987
MYSTERY Mystery X - Alexander Gradsky

Although the dense environment of "suite" ready at any moment to sacrifice the King faced a real danger. Who could help him get out of the trap in which he was not of their own volition?

- There he is, saving move! - Said Alexander Gradsky by pressing. And in the next instant the king disappeared with the black cells of a chessboard television and appeared on a nearby white where him has jealously looked after the queen.

The opponent thought for a long time ...

Frankly, I did not expect this evening to see Alexander Gradsky as a chess player, but still fighting with the computer.

- The idea is he's playing better than me. And avoid blunders - Alexander reacted calmly to my surprised look and said: - And he quickly calculates options. So I have to seriously. But I think that in this game will be a draw.

- And you'll be happy with the outcome?

- In general, yes. We still equal score - 2: 2. And I lost because of basic errors: missed candid shots. Still I used to play when the board in front of me and the opponent. And then on the other hand only the screen.

- Well, that gives you direct a game of chess?

- This exercise of the imagination, nothing more. Any sport, especially one in which you have to be intelligence, requires from you a serious penetration into the essence of the matter. I'm a poet, a musician, a professional singer, and for me the sport - it's a kind of mind game, a fantasy.

- and you'll never want to give up his main hobbies - even in childhood, when everything seems to have played football, ran and swam a race, chasing the puck ...

- No, I did not want to. Although I also played soccer, volleyball. And now, in the summer on vacation I do it occasionally.

- So you love sports ...

- Yes. I love to watch sports. And any. Any competition between people. In sports, in contrast to the art, can not be assigned the best. Or appointed by someone else. But you can go through all the trouble and, despite your difficult character to jump the farthest. And if you jumped the farthest, and you have a bad temper - you're still a champion. In art, it is often not the case. Sometimes it more interesting, better than most, and he's not winner, not the national actor, not the owner of "Grand Prix". Nevertheless, he is known to love, but only when it suddenly did not become officially recognized that he was a great artist. In art, unfortunately, these things happen. In sports, no one will refuse to send to the World Cup of a man who jumped to a height of 2.45. We also very easy to foreign tours trumpet player may replace a clown, a clown - beatnik and hipster - pianist.

- What is your concept of life?

- I think you can live your life in three ways: first - to do what you like and be a success. Second - do what you like. And the third - a success. One lucky man - all his life he does what he likes, he still get paid for it, and it succeeds. Another man not so lucky: he is passionate about this matter, which can not give him a chance to succeed. But he is still engaged in it. There are people who are deprived of any talent and are engaged in that are arranged in a life. And none of them can be blamed for the fact that they are doing something wrong. But something here and is dependent on the case, the circumstances of fate.

- And from a man of his character - is not it?

- Of course, on the person. Who is to blame for the untimely death of the famous football player Valeri Voronin? First of all, he said. But it could happen that on that tragic evening, he would go down another street when he saw a girl who imagine it would be loved. And under the influence of her all of a sudden he stopped drinking. And then you would not know it, but in 15 years it could be, for example, a solid coach. In life, random play a colossal role, but not always home. This is a unique Eduard Streltsov. He once got into trouble, after which the difficult return to normal life. But he kept himself to save face, became a football player again, came to the team, proved that plays the best, and now trains the kids. And it could be wrong? Probably. Yet the man himself accomplishes his destiny.

- And if less talented person passes you on the twists of fate, taking advantage of some holds barred - this is not really hurt you?

- touches. But one day I said to myself, this is the inevitable, natural process. And I have to oppose this is not an internal irritation and fight. But the fight must honestly, for ways that these people have chosen to achieve the objective, can not be for me preemlemymi. When you start to use them in ways - you're just like them.

- You were in the critical moments of life, when it seemed that in the reserve for the continuation of the dispute there was not a bargaining chip?

- No. I have always had the cards.

- And from what were they?

- I have, I would say, a chess approach to life. Beautifully play a game, to prove his strength, his talent - is the task of the artist is one of the most important. What motivates us to make sacrifices in the arts? We are led by the respect (or disrespect) to himself. I am convinced that people walking on the dishonest lose to yourself respect.

- You, unlike many others have always said from the stage all that you care about ...

- Always. When I honestly say that I think not about tomorrow, not about today, not about yesterday, and about love or lack of love, it turns out the truth, as it were at all times. But when you have so actively and emotionally edify their own world and himself, not all of this should lead to a state of euphoria. Someone maybe it's annoying. But what can be done. I have chosen this life themselves. And I step on someone's foot is the fact that I exist.

- Were the songs you sang only in a narrow range?

- There was no such. I have always acted in public. And the songs that I sing today, singing, and seven and eight, and ten years ago. And they were in trouble. I am told that you are not happy, but before that in 7000th at the Sports Palace in Kiev, people stood up after the song about Vysotsky. It was in the 80th year. He sang the same song in the 81 th in Leningrad - filmed concerts. I feel sad and think about it and it's nice, I remember myself as a person who respects.

... It so happened that in the autumn of the eighty-first year we played with Alexander Gradsky oral magazine to high school students in the capital of the concert hall "Russia". Then I first heard the song about Vysotsky.



«He sang his poems, distributing handfuls.
Hriplogorly sat down in the consciousness.
Of course, he was angry, but fun angrily,
Of course, he was rude, but not all.
... Bay, drum, beat, voice breaks ...
Pipes furious game.
Lei, a shower, lei, paint is washed off,
The violins cry about the loss of ... ». </ I>

I remember, what was the success of the performer. I remember how much trouble he was, and the organizers of the evening because of a song about a man who six years later would be awarded the State Prize of the USSR.

- And yet, how would you define your genre?

- The biggest advantage of a musician - not to be like anyone else. Have your own style. To say, this is music "X" and no one else. So only he can sing. I synthesis of genres: there are elements of rock, symphonic music, there are elements of the Italian singing ... But to say that this is the right of all: the music of Alexander Gradsky. And if I have earned the right for people to say so - it is for me the greatest reward.

- So, any kind of music has a right to life?

- Absolutely anyone, if that talent, not falsely fake. I do respect the talent in any field.

- Including in the sport?

- Yes. Most people sport faced, these people are talented, kind and open. They are always able to assess the emotional musician. First of all, I appreciate talent in athletes. If the athlete can do what no one can do, I look up at him. I know I've never been able to jump on the ski jumping. And people jump on a hundred meters. It's amazing.

... Outside, the December snow fell. Olga and Masha bedding Danilko.

- Let's play - suggested Alexander suddenly, placing the pieces on the chessboard of the ordinary.

I moved the royal pawn, just remembering that the first move e2-e4 does not threaten me, "no complications» ...