Alexander Gradsky - Unofficial site
Alexander Gradsky:
"Television and radio" № 4, 1988 г.
"... And let them be the best examples"
One often hears the view that society, and especially young people, of all the arts today are most interested in music. I think it was always so: in the days of Beethoven and Shostakovich at the time. If literature, painting, sculpture, theater act primarily on the mind and heart, the music - the heart and soul. This phenomenon no one can explain any musician who has devoted her entire life, no man heard the first chord. Therefore, any discussion of music, including those proposed by the editors, is with the heat of passion.
One feels that the current state of music on TV does not satisfy anybody. Some blame television, it plants a rock, others - that does not rock, and others - in time classics, etc. Who is right? Whose project is the best solution to this problem? Alas, in my opinion, everyone is looking for recipes decisions based solely on their own musical tastes and affection. Some even claim that their musical taste is the most eligible to determine what's good and bad, that is suitable for display on TV and what is not. I toured with concerts all over the country, met many times with different students and believe that they are immeasurably higher than in the understanding of music than most professionals with whom had to deal with, and who "knows what to the people." People perceive the music directly, without complexes, without fear of "not to fall into the stream," exactly as it was conceived by the composer, poet and performer.
But whether I am trying instead to impose someone else's taste? No. My motto is - let them be on TV all: symphonic music, folk, opera, brass, pop, musical comedy, rock. And if today we can not find the ratio of representation of all genres on TV, only Poltev that the formulas for such a definition do not exist. What to do? My suggestion - let it be represented equally, even television for every musical genre will find equal time and place. Is this possible? There is no doubt. Is it fair? Of course, the number of fans of a particular direction is not the same, but, first, we do not know how many people today - for the symphony, and how much - for the rock (the numbers that tell sociologists, sometimes ridiculous), and secondly, the numerical relationships and should not be decisive. Today they are one tomorrow - other. But I think the musical palette should be as rich, so to speak, uniform in density. Violation of this principle will not lead to good results. It's no secret that, while on TV, rock music is presented is very weak, those who want to hear it, listen. There is a amateur tape industry, which produces a record of all groups and all currents out of the plate by "Melody", the rock bands active in live performances, bringing a steady income Philharmonic. Is that television and radio to a lesser extent aloof from this? It may be objected that anything like it on television on a regular basis are video clips, fragments of rock concerts, performances of selected foreign and Soviet ensembles. I guess my conclusion will surprise many, but if what we see on the screen - a Soviet rock (on the foreign will not speak, let him think about their television), then I'm all vote for what is bad. Those viewers who believe that the Soviet rock - what they see on television, they quite rightly outraged. There is no need to talk about the quantitative and the qualitative aspect of the problem. If we offer music audience of millions, let us ensure that these were the best examples in its genre. This applies not only rock, but also opera, jazz, folk songs - whatever. Those rock bands that are considered the best, most professional, and never appeared on the screen, or have appeared from time to time with no means his best compositions.
I'm on the All-Union radio transmission of "Hit Parade", and, of course, there are not only these groups but also those who, perhaps, deserve special attention. But the fact is that chart for that and coined to represent a variety of directions and a variety of levels - let the listener understands himself. But if we give the music gear, musical action from the TV screen, then it must be the best, the reference in the music genre to which it relates. If Strauss is performed by the Vienna State Opera, Verdi, if - let it be Verona and La Scala, and if "Boris Godunov", then Nesterenko ... It is necessary to ensure that over the last month announced the transfer of people waited with great impatience, and then talked to each other: "Remember," Aida "passed?" But not like today, badly written, badly filmed but God knows what in the performance of the music listening audience in between a cup of coffee and a game of chess. All this, of course, refers to the stage, and rock. Must be the best. But here you need to know when to stop. This summer, I toured the south and within two months of each day watching TV. So, Valery Leontiev for each program performed almost every day. I have nothing against him, but, you see, is not normal, when the Soviet variety shows on television three or four artists. You can not continually "twist" of the same person. This is the same vkusovschina that and need to get rid of your TV. Unlike, say, the U.S., where a television network gives Michael Jackson, and another - Madonna, we have something television - one. If today we have no criteria for the selection of the best, let's stick to the principle of elementary arithmetic: twice a month - Petrov, two - Sidorov, two - Semenov. And then some well-known and, more importantly, good actors over the years did not happen on TV. And be sure to be transmitted to young artists, so they can try their hand, to seek an audience.
Going through hard times now our hits. There is a shaft of low-grade texts, uninteresting music, performers gray. In fact, all rests on the five "stars". In this situation changing channels can play a huge role. It can sift through a sieve of thousands of artists and groups, select the best, most talented. But who will be selected? Only if Pauls Gradskij, editor? Let the viewers themselves are doing. It would be out of whom to choose. And that talent we have, there is no doubt. To give just one example. I watched on TV police show initiative, there is a guitar singing the young guys. From my point of view, they did it better than ninety percent of professional entertainers.
How many copies have already broken, written articles, threatening letters, held "roundtables" to explain the phenomenon of pop rock. How many were hung labels, trying to "close the topic this morning rock." But fate, as well as any musical phenomenon like any genre, is ambiguous, heterogeneous, unattainable until the end. If you could easily explain it, he would have gone into oblivion, because what is clear - not interested. Some assert that the secret of popularity of rock music in its social orientation. Rock is social? And how! He began to talk about youth issues much earlier than many commentators. Wonderful, of course, an old song, but it says nothing about a girl of fifteen, which prostitution for a living, because parents kicked her out of the house. It says nothing about the drug addict who became addicted to drugs in his younger years, when the first "friendly" hand stretched towards him, turned out to be selfish hand dealer potion. It says nothing about the young opportunists, and conformists, careerists, etc. A rock musician - he says.
Some believe that the youth appeal of rock music in the rhythm of his active, others - in the simplicity and affordability ... The attractiveness of rock - in its diversity. Of course, someone just wants to shake, move to the music of his hands and feet. Others - think, to understand what was going on, to understand the text, "decipher" it. Still others - lovers "metal" rock music - not thinking about anything, but simply the most sporty throw out the excess energy, the main thing: that it was rhythmically sharp, loud, organized and to be able to do all the movements together. They even text as follows: ... "hey guys, we are all together, we are close in spirit, we are all here." And why they are together - they are no longer interested.
Rock music can be played with a guitar and look like a bard song. It can be solo - as in romance or slozhnokompozitsionnuyu form - as in chamber music. It is, unfortunately, can be filled and completely meaningless poetry as a pop song, though. If we talk about their passions, I always prefer the group performing their own music, his own poetry, a group that has something to tell the audience. It is always noticeable.
Need to democratize the music broadcasting. It turns out a paradox: it is possible to select the factory manager, team leader, can be found in the press any topic that interests you - the policy of glasnost lifted bans the dam, but pick on the TV you are interested in a musical genre, to hear those musicians who are interested in a concert or on record as generally, it is very difficult.
Continuing our discussion on this difficult subject, should refer to and what plans are on television editor and producer are often quite at variance with the plans of the performer. I have many times recorded on the television station, and always with the fear of waiting for his appearance on the screen. Not only because it is extremely responsibly represent his child audience of millions, but by no means always imagine that they will do with your performance of the director and editor. Simply put, that will cut and what will be left. Copyrights on television - a vague and an optional subject. The last time I was out of his musical compositions in six stanzas and a half I saw, I realized that if such an attitude towards creativity will not change, written for television will not.
Finally we should mention the infamous "dispute" and the classic rock, though it is the same, that the dispute is poetry and journalism, portraiture and still life, tragedies and musicals. There can be no dispute, there is a co-existence, sovozdeystvie the listener and viewer. I am as a musician received a classical education. He graduated from music school, violin class, then enrolled at the Gnessin Institute as a vocalist. Became interested in rock music. During the day he studied at the institute, in the evening rehearsing with a rock band. Day - Handel and Verdi, in the evening - "The Beatles" and "Rolling Stones". The pinnacle of Russian music by Mussorgsky admire, especially his "Boris Godunov." And never have I had and could not be desire to challenge the role of Mozart and Shostakovich in the spiritual education, in influencing the human soul. But this is a very long way! Much time will pass until everyone rise in their spiritual development up to Mozart's Fortieth Symphony had on him the same effect as, say, Beethoven. And some are asking, and not notice whether the young people away from this way of understanding the musical culture? Do not notice! Lead can forgive me, a flock of sheep, and man is such that any top it up the stairs. If it bothered some music - rock is, jazz is - in his heart there is a desire to learn and understand something new, then at some point he will be pulled on, begin to look for. But for this he should be able to know everything, hear everything, all selected from the vast treasury of world music from "The Beatles" to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Recorded Arc. ZINOVYEV
