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Boris Belkin

Edward Sainati trffi den emigrierten russts-

chen Violinisten Boris Belkin, der riber seineuJiritte und seine musikalischen Ideale

sprichtEdward Sainati renconte le violoniste russe,

dmigrl, Boris Belkin qui parle de ses activ'itls et de ses iddaur musicaux.

'No, my children will not play the violin,'Boris Belkin quietly asserts. 'They are normalpeople and violinists are not always normalpeople. But I will teach them to love music''The statement, in its formula-like simplicity'expresses succinctly the inner turmoil that has

sometimes accompanied this young virtuoso'srise to international standing. At the age of41, he is an established soloist, travellingextensively to fulfill a schedule that encom-passes about 70 concerts a year, including

^"iolin-piano recitals and concertos with the

world's major orchestras and conductors.Belkin's English is laced with the strong

flavour of his native Russian. His handsome,

somewhat boyish face (he looks no more than

thirty), reflects a fine, warm sensitivity as he

recounts, in carefully chosen words, his ado-

lescent struggles and triumphs along an uphillroad towards prominence as a virtuoso. Bomin Sverdlovsk, Russia (in the Ural region), he

did not grow up in a musical green-house,

although his family did cultivate a generalinterest in the arts. As a child the young Borisloved sports more than either of the twoinstruments, violin and piano, he was study-

ing. 'I was a good alhlete,' comments Belkin.'I liked soccer and ice hockey so much that Ideveloped a kind of hatred for both the violinand piano.'

This marked athletic propensity, howev-er, did not hinder his rapid progress on bothinstruments. He was only 9 years old when he

made his d6but with the Mendelssohn concer-

to under Kondrashin, although he was play-ing more piano than violin when he enrolledin Moscow's Central School. His keyboardskills were strong enough to enable him to

PERSONALPERFECTIONISM

Edward Sainati profiles the Russian violinist Boris Belkin

tackle major sonatas and concertos. Finally, at

the age of about 16, Belkin reached a cross-road. 'I went back to the violin. This mayseem sffange but I don't feel I lost anything

during those years when I was paying more

attention to the piano. On the contrary, I feel Igrew a lot musically.' He entered the MoscowConservatory and began to study with YuriYankelevitch; it was the beginning of a long'and close relationship. 'Yankelevitch was

wonderful. He was very intelligent and thiswas especially important, because he guided

me in areas that went far beyond the foursffings of the violin. And when it comes totechnique and method, he was extraordinary.It's true he was a strong, authoritarian person,

but that was good for me. I spent nine years

studying with Yankelevitch. It was an inter-esting time to be at the Moscow Conseryatory

- that was the era of Oistrakh, P\ostropovitch,Kogan, Gilels and so on. It's true I didn't see

much of Oistrakh - actually he didn't spend

much time at the Conservatory - but hisinfluence was considerable. I practised veryhard - seven or eight hours a daY.'

'I felt that winning contestswas the entire Purpose ofour existence. MusicalitYwas often sacrificed justto sharpen our contest

oriented skills...'

But Belkin looks back on his early musi-cal education with serious reservations. 'The

training at the Conseruatory was so intensive!The spirit of competition was overwhelming.I felt that winning contests was the entire pur-pose of our existence. Musicality was oftensacrificed just to sharpen our contest oriented

skills. And I don't think my repertory was

sufficiently developed.' He prepared to com-

pete in the 1 97 I Paganini contest but was for-bidden to leave for Genoa at the last moment.

His differences with the inflexible system had

surfaced. Although he had won a first prize ina Soviet violin contest, another visa refusalblocked his participation in the 1973 Paganinicompetition. A year later, the disillusionedbut determined violinist emigrated to Israel.

I ask Belkin to comment on his depar-ture from Russia and allude to his reputationas a kind of 'troublemaker'. 'It's not verycomplicated,' he replies. 'You must remem-ber that I am Jewish, and as a Jew I never feltthat Russia was my country. Russia is forRussians. For me Israel was a place where Icould feel free and that is what I wanted.And, musically speaking, I feel that I beganto develop in a truly important way only aftercoming into contact with Israel and theWestem world.'

But Belkin did not settle permanently inIsrael. 'It became impossible to commute tomajor European cities from there. My solo

engagements imposed travel conditions thatwere very difficult to overcome becauseIsrael was too far away, even by plane.'Belkin made his home for a while in London,then in Paris and eventually went back toLondon. Today he lives in Libge, Belgium,with his Belgian wife whom he met at a

Yehudi Menuhin festival years ago inSwitzerland. They have two children andBelkin has become a Belgian citizen.

Belkin plays a Guadagnini of the Milanperiod made in 1754. It formerly belonged toIsaac Stern who gave it to the American-Israeli foundation. Belkin took possession ofit on loan and has spent some 10 years payingfor it. 'I like the Guadagnini. I have made itmy instrument - you know, I feel that a vio-linist actually influences the qualities of a

violin by playing on it. But I have played bet-ter instruments and I hope to change someday.' Is he going after a Strad, I ask. 'No, Iam not of the Strad temperament. I'd like a

Guamerius del Gesi. Who knows? Maybe ina couple of years.'

Belkin has a distinct predilection forFrench bows and uses a Pajeot. He feels he

can size up a bow quickly. 'For me, trying outa bow is relatively easy. It's not like a violin.You know right from the first few moments ifa bow is right for you. If it doesn't feel rightimmediately, you might as well forget it,because you will never be happy with it''

Italy, France, Spain - and also some in Japan.

The exceptions are England and the UnitedStates where there is a preference, I feel, forthe solo concerto.'

Belkin is often booked two years inadvance, but he is not entirely comfortablewith such an assured future. 'It creates prob-lems for me. Mainly because managers uy todictate and then pin down which concertoyou are going to play. I feel I should havemore to say in the matter. Once again it can

be a question of mood. How can I be sure Iwill feel like playing a given concerto two oreven one year from now? In a way suchscheduling reflects the general trend toward a

rigid, sometimes inhuman, mass productionof concerts. It's very unfortunate.' Belkin has

not always accepted this inflexibility withoutprotest. 'I try to make changes if I feel I wantto or at least I'11 try to postpone deciding on aconcerto. But that doesn't always work. Irecenlly cancelled some concerls inAmsterdam because they were too dictatorialabout what I was supposed to play.'

Belkin's attitude towards internationalcompetitions inescapably reflects his experi-ences under the yoke of the contest-orientedtraining at the Moscow Corservatory. 'I don'tbelieve in Olympic Games and for me, con-tests are the same thing. There is a strongpolitical element which I object to. It's not a

real test of overall musicianship.' He has notaccepted invitations to serve as a judge. 'Irefused to sit on the jury of the QueenElisabeth contest in Brussels. I would bealmost afraid to play such a ro1e. I find it dis-turbing. Anyway, I feel that the value of these

contests has declined a great deal over the lasttwenty years.'

'A record doesn't grow orlearn to say new things and

for me, that is not life.'

Belkin's discography includes severalmajor concertos, all with leading conductorsand orchestras. His first disc, a dazzlingrecording of the entire Paganini first concer-to, was made in 1976 with Zubin Mehta and

the Israeli Philharmonic. 'Zubin and I hadperformed this concerto many times beforerecording it. Everybody plays a cut version ofthis piece and I have always felt it deserved tobe heard in its entirety. I love to play it with-out the usual cuts. But you know, after play-ing it so many times, I realised I was getting areputation for being mainly a virtuoso with a

big technique and I objected to that. So Idropped the concerto for just about elevenyears. I have only recently started to pro-gramme it again.'

The recording arouses interest. Indeed itis a 'must', (obviously for varying reasons),not only for those who dismiss the concertoas a mere finger-twister - they will hear a lotof music in this interpretation - but also forthose who find in this old warhorse a fertileground for comparing basic violinistic skills,both musical and technical. Belkin andMehta lavish a iull thirty-eight and a haliminutes (the first movement takes twenty-three and a half minutes), on this un-cut read-

Belkin has played concertos under an

impressive number of today's leading con-ductors, but he has strong ties withAshkenazy, Bernstein and Mehta, the threewho both encouraged him and introduced himto the major capitals of the music world.'They have had a special role in my cateer,'he says. 'They are complete musicians. And I

'I never take a vacationfrom my violin. There is notime when I feel I have to

drop it or get away from it.'

thank God that someone like Ashkenazy - towhom I feel very close - is not a string play-er. I think I prefer non-string playing conduc-tors. They pay more attention to both. themusic and the orchestra.' Yet Belkin is notgenerally critical of conductors. 'I get alongwith them. It's just that with some you simplydon't feel the music in the same way. Butthere are many I enjoy working with.'

With Belkin, practising is almost a wayof life. 'When I am not playing a concert, Iam practising and when I am not practising Iam playing a concert! Sometimes, after a per-formance, rather than try for a quick getaway,I will choose a late plane and spend timepractising until departure. For me it is normalto practise four to six hours a day, even now.On days when I have to cut down to just twohours, for example, I feel I haven't reallyworked enough. In a way the more talent youhave, the more reason and the more desireyou have for practising.' How much timedoes he spend on scales and routine exercises,I ask. 'A lot. Maybe an hour a day. I willwork on the basics in a regular way and thengo on to other things. If I practise thePaganini caprices I'll do it not so much forthe left hand but rather to see how beautiful a

tone I can sustain while surmounting the dif-ficulties. Then, of course, I concentrate on myrepertory or on new pieces.' How does hewarm up on the day of a concert? The reply isinteresting. 'l do not practise the concerto Iam going to play on that given day! Not eventhe difficult passages. I'll work on otherthings instead. I don't suppose there's anyspecial reason for that. I do know that itworks for me.' When leaming a new violin-piano sonata, Belkin does not begin by dis-secting the violin part. 'Right from the firstcontact, I will work with the piano. It'simportant to see the whole piece of musicimmediately.' If Belkin takes a vacation hisviolin goes along. 'I never take a vacationfrom my violin. There is no time when I feel Ihave to drop it or get away from it.'

Although much of Belkin's music mak-ing finds him playing a concerto in front ofan orchestra, he does not relegate his frequentrecital appearances to a subordinate role. 'Idon't favour one type of concert over theother. For me it's a question of mood.Sometimes I prefer the intimacy of the recital;at other times I like the special excitement ofthe concerto with orchestra. I probably domost of my recital playing in Europe - in

ing. The very brisk pace ol the orchestraltirffi precludes any strain on the listener'spatience and the slower tempi for the lyricalthemes provide much contrast. Apart from thecrisp buoyancy of the double-stopped stac-catos and an audacious, big-scale rendition ofthe formidable Emile Sauret cadenza, it ischiefly the operatic phrasing which distin-guishes Belkin's version from all others.Many moments of quasi-recitative and sopra-no-like nuances in the cantabile lines smackunmistakably of the opera house.

' In subsequent recordings Belkin hasplayed the Sibelius and the Tchaikovsky withAshkenazy and the Philharmonic, the twoProkofiev with Kondrashin and Barshai. bothwith the London Philharmonic, and theBrahms with Fischer and the LondonSymphony. A quick perusal of these perfor-mances quickly reveals the distinguishingcharacteristics of the Belkin style - a beauti-ful, soaring upper register, great ciarity ofarticulation, a secure technique and a reflec-tive bent which allows for the exploration ofbyways often neglected in other renditions.

Belkin will soon record the Shosta-kovich first concerto with Ashkenazy and theRoyal Philharmonic. He can claim some cred-it for having elevated the conceno to a promi-nent place in the general violin repertor''Even though Oistrakh recorded it, the con'certo was neglected for a iong time. We heardit played only rarely. Back in 1983-84, I start-ed to perform it regularly and then Ashkenazyand I brought it to Cleveland and Boston.We've gone on performing it many times - inLondon, Amsterdam and other major cities.Now everybody has begun to play it again.'He is pleased with this renewed interest. 'Theconcerto has a special significance and that'swhy it should be heard. It is a deep, tragicwork and it expresses Shostakovich's hatredfor the regime. It has a special excitement.Maybe it's an ugly kind of excitement, but itis very beautiful - very moving.'

But Belkin has misgivings about record-ings in general. 'Of course, I enjoy preparingfor ihe recording, rehearsing it and then final-ly the excitement of making it, but you have

to ask yourself - what do you have now thatthe recording is finished? It will neverchange. A record doesn't grow or learn to saynew things and for me that is not life. I guess

that's what I mean - a record is dead! It ha'stopped the process of making rnusic. Ideally,we should be able to hear a dffirent perfor-mance by that same soloist instead of listen-ing to him play it over and over again on the

record. I know it's impossible but that's how Ifeel about it.'

He does not scrutinise his own record-ings.'l never listen to my records. I know Iwill be dissatisfied with what I hear. In fact Iam always dissatisfied with all my perfor-mances - live or recorded. So why should Ilisten to them?' One looks in vain for some

covert pretense in Belkin's attitude; he ismanifestly sincere. This hardworking virtu-oso is undoubtedly his own severest critrc.

He has recently turned to the RichardStrauss concerto - written when the composerwas only 17 or 18 years old. 'I know it is farfrom a perfect work. But there are a lot ofbeautiful things in it. I want to spend abouttwo years studying and performing it. Thenmaybe I'll decide to record it. Decca will be

interested.'Which violinists do you rank among the

great, I ask. Belkin reflects but does not hesi-tate. 'Heifetz, Stern, Menuhin and Kreisler

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'These artists have a veryimportant thing in common

- the search for beauty ofsound.'

But don't make the mistake of assuming it'sjust their violin playing I admire. What'simportant is their contribution to music'Unlike many of today's performers, they dida lot of thinking about music. Stern, forexample, is a universal musician. Think ofwhat he has done for new music. And we are

all aware of Menuhin's important role. It'sunfair of the critics, I feel, to emphasise thephysical deterioration in his playing. He isstill a great performer. Some of his recentrecordings are wonderful. These artists have a

very important thing in common - the search

for beauty of sound. They didn't stop growingupon acquiring technical perfection. Theirprimary goal was to make beautiful musicwith a beautiful tone. Today, we are forget-ting that. We make some ugly sounds andassume that our modem ears will accept and

Iike that.'Referring to the artistic details that both

contribute to beauty of tone and lend a per-sonal stamp to a violinist's style, Belkinfocused on the vibrato. 'Vibrato is like callig-raphy! It is as personal as handwriting. Everystring musician can be ultimately identifiedby his vibrato, and we should pay carefulattention to it and to how we use it.' Hepaused and laughed. 'In fact I feel that if theKGB had to keep track of the activities ofsubversive violinists, they would do so bycataloguing their vibratos.'

Belkin may eschew listening to his ownrecordings, but he is far more a melomanethan many virtuosos of his stature and experi-ence. Indeed, he talks about music with a cer-tain fervour. 'I love opera. For me it is morethan music. It is life. I always ffy to attend a

good operatic petformance - especially if it'san Italian work. Maybe all of this goes back,at least in part, to my many years withYankelevitch in Moscow. He was infatuatedwith opera - he knew everything about it and

often talked to me about it. You know there'sa lot of truth in the old clichd that a violinshould try to sound like a human voice. Howcould it hope to sound better? That's anotherfacet of violin playing we are in danger offorgetting.'

Belkin has realistic advice for youngmusicians who struggle with nervousness''We all have to face that problem. What youhave to realise is that there is no magic cure -no medicine for it. Everybody has to handle itin his own way. I certainly had to leam to livewith it. You need to talk to yourself about theproblem - look for possible solutions and trythem out. The important thing is not to get

discouraged. I went through a period when Iwas so troubled by it I couldn't even perform.But, I repeat, it's a very personal problem and

everybody has to find his own solution.'The Brahms and the Beethoven hold the

top echelon in Belkin's hierarchy of violinconcertos. 'I have much respect for them and

they speak to me in a special way. But I feel Iam not yet ready to play them. I don't pro-

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gramme them as much as the other concertos.I want to think about them some more.' Buthe has already recorded the Brahms, I pointout. 'Yes I have. But I want to record it sever-al times. Then, perhaps I'11 have a versionthat expresses what for me wili be the realmeaning of that concerto.'

We talked briefly about the problems inintroducing contempora"ry works to the gener-al public. 'I have a great deal of admirationfor the works of Penderecki and Lutoslawski,for instance. Yet, I must confess that it tookthree hearings before I began to peneffate thePenderecki. And that's where the root of the

problem lies. The public may not have thetime or patience to wait for the rewards of a

new work. It's like getting used to hearing a

new language.' Belkin cannot predict whatthe future holds for many new works. 'Whoknows what will live and what will die. But Iam sure some great contemporary works willsurvive. I like what the Scandinavian coun-tries do. They almost always include in theirprogrammes a contemporary work by a localcomposer.'

According to Belkin, we must seek toinculcate a love for music among the veryyoung. 'It's a matter of education, and I thinkwe can do a lot in this direction. I will alwaysremember my first trip to Italy - a country Ilove - when I took a cab from the airport tothe centre of Rome. The driver was a fantasticlover of opera. He had his radio tumed on and

they were broadcasting Tosca. All of a sudden

he swore in a loud voice, stopped driving

right in the middle of the steet and winced as

if in pain. "Listen to that," he said. "It's horri-ble. In fact it's a disgrace!" The soprano,reaching for a high note had missed it by at

least a quarter tone. The cab driver couldn'tstand it. I would like to see more people withhis kind of involvement with music. It wouldbe a healthy thing for the world in general.'

Is he planning to retum to Russia, I ask'I am not ready to do so at this time, but ^have an open mind about it. It's too early todetermine what is really going on there. Wedon't know whal glasnost has -accomplished.It all takes time. I feel, however, that when Igo back it will be with a foreign orchestra.After that, we will see.' Belkin's pa.rents stilllive in Russia and occasionally travel to theWest to hear him perform. 'It is a wonderfulexperience for them, although in manyrespects they will always remain accustomedto the Russian way of life.'

Sports still attract Belkin. 'As I said Iwas a good athlete when I was young and Istill follow soccer and ice hockey. RecentlyI've started to take an interest in Americanfootball. This will surprise you. I have evendone some hang-gliding! But I've had to giveit up because of an accident I had in Adelaide* not too serious, but it could have been.'

Belkin teaches violin for five weeks at a

summer course in Siena. For him this peda-

gogical effort comes as a respite. 'TheItalians know how to enjoy life. This year Ihad only nine advanced students and I taughtonly three hours a day. That meant I worked

Above: Boris Belkin (right) in reheursal withVladimir Ashkenazy

Below: Belkin at home u'ith his wife and two chilclren

with each student a few times every week. it'sthe kind of concentrated instruction that can

be very rewarding for the student. You knowI have always feit that our very young stu-dents - seven or eight years old, for example- really need more than one lesson per week'

"hey can't remember from one weekly lesson

to the next at such an early age. We seem tothink such concenffated teaching is reservedonly for advanced musicians. I disagree.'

The day after our interview I heardBelkin play the Glazunov concerto with theBarcelona Symphony Orchestra under theFinnish conductor, Okko Kamu. It was a

striking performance, characterised by daringconfrontations with technical hurdles, easilysurmounted, and by a beautiful tone that sang

effortlessly. There was drive and 6clat alter-nating with many moments of warm, sensu-

ous phrasing. The visual impression wasattractive. His face reflects, without descend-ing to mannerisms, the shifting moods of hisplaying, and his unusually fluid and effortlessbowing as well as the rapid and boyish pace

of his stage entrances and exits recall his ath-letic proclivities. The audience response waselectric in its enthusiasm.

After the concert I asked him if he wasdissatisfied with this performance too. Hesmiled. 'Of course. I told you I am never sat-

isfied with my playing.' Fortunately his audi-ences don't share his opinion.

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