D m i t r i Dimitrievič Š o s t a k o v i č
"From Jewish Folk Poetry"
«Из еврейской народной поэзии» Op.79
By Nina L'vovna Dorliak
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| Richter and Dorliak |
Early in the autumn of 1948 Dmitri Dmitriyevich completed the cycle From Jewish Folk Poetry and brought the score to me at home, saying that he wished to play it through for me. Sviatoslav Richter was also with me. The cycle touched us to the very core. He suggested that I should sing the soprano part and choose the two other soloists, a mezzo-soprano and a tenor. Immediately I approached Tamara Yanko and Alec Maslennikov. One has to remember that at the time of its composition there could be no possibility of a public performance of the cycle. Although I was not bothered by this, I was worried that my colleagues might balk at the idea of singing " unacceptable" music. . . . Fortunately, in this instance, both singers were quick to agree. We performed the cycle for the first time, privately at Dmitri Dmitriyevich's flat. He invited many musicians and his own friends. The new work was striking and profound, and everybody was moved by its intense and simple sincerity. We gave
private performances on more than one occasion, and we rehearsed a lot for them — Dmitri Dmitriyevich liked rehearsing. He was very strict and we were not allowed to be so much as a minutes late. There was only one occasion in my life when he was angry with me, when, through unavoidable circumstances, I arrived some minutes late. He himself was always terribly exact and punctual to the second, a characteristic he shared, incidentally, with Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev. Several years went by before we were able to give the first public performance of From Jewish Folk Poetry in Leningrad. By that time Zara Dolkhanova had taken over the mezzo part, so she, rather than Yanko, had the honor of giving the first official performance. Thereafter we gave several performances in Moscow, Leningrad, and in the Baltic Republics, Dmitri Dmitriyevich always played the piano part; while he was able to perform he never let anybody else play it. Richter wanted to accompany us in this cycle, but Dmitri Dmitriyevich insisted on playing all the concerts himself: he obviously enjoyed them!
private performances on more than one occasion, and we rehearsed a lot for them — Dmitri Dmitriyevich liked rehearsing. He was very strict and we were not allowed to be so much as a minutes late. There was only one occasion in my life when he was angry with me, when, through unavoidable circumstances, I arrived some minutes late. He himself was always terribly exact and punctual to the second, a characteristic he shared, incidentally, with Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev. Several years went by before we were able to give the first public performance of From Jewish Folk Poetry in Leningrad. By that time Zara Dolkhanova had taken over the mezzo part, so she, rather than Yanko, had the honor of giving the first official performance. Thereafter we gave several performances in Moscow, Leningrad, and in the Baltic Republics, Dmitri Dmitriyevich always played the piano part; while he was able to perform he never let anybody else play it. Richter wanted to accompany us in this cycle, but Dmitri Dmitriyevich insisted on playing all the concerts himself: he obviously enjoyed them!
Nina L'vovna Dorliak
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