I got to the 32nd Tsvetaevsky Poetry Festival, one might say, by accident. But the day with the participation of the People's Artist of Russia Antonina Kuznetsova and her performance "Russian Paris" I definitely could not miss.
For the uninitiated: Antonina Kuznetsova reads Tsvetaeva better than Tsvetaeva herself. She has a sonorous low bewitching voice. It has long been known that the human voice is the best instrument of nature, but Kuznetsova also owns it flawlessly. Journalists have a hard time with her. She agrees to an interview, but drowns "floating in the subject." I didn't have any prior arrangement. She went in and asked: “Can I?” “May, only you can on the street, I will smoke?” Double aesthetic shock: both that she agreed instantly, and that she does not protect her voice. They brought out two chairs, sat opposite them and talked to the occasional thunderclaps and the sun, which was unprecedentedly hot for the Moscow region.
— How many times do you come to our festival?
I don't remember, more than twenty for sure.
- This is due to the commitment to the poems of Tsvetaeva?
- Yes.
- When did you first meet them? Was it self-published?
- No, it was 1961, a small blue collection.
— What did you feel?
“Even in our rich Russian language, not everything can be expressed in words. It turned out to be my poet, to my soul, my worldview, and I began to study it closely.
- You began to make programs on her poems?
- Not. I started reading it.
- But the program still appeared? When did you decide to tell others what a wonderful poet is?
- Gradually, when I already knew her poetry, prose and everything else that was then available, then I made the first program, then the second, then the third.
Do you remember what the first one was called?
“My holy craft.”
- Is there an immersion in the biography?
- In the very essence of poetry, personality and era.
- How did the audience react to the first Tsvetaeva evening?
- She reacted well, as well as now she reacts well. I prefer to do without today's stamps that it was something stunning, amazing and so on. Then they not only listened to me, but also heard, that is, they heard her, because I did not show myself, but her.
- How to keep so many texts in memory?
- I do not know. When you work on something for a long time, in detail and a lot, the text fits itself.
- It seems to me that you read Tsvetaeva best of all. I first heard you on TV. I remember well, it was turned on in the kitchen as a background, I opened my eyes and went to look carefully and intently. I used to read Tsvetaeva, but for another person to read so well, this was the first time for me.
“Forgive me for being indiscreet, but it is considered that I read it best of all. Why I say this calmly is not boastful. Those who heard Tsvetaeva and knew her think the same way. For example, Maria Osipovna Belkina, she was in close contact with Tsvetaeva from 1939 to 1941; Anna Alexandrovna Saakyants, with whom we became friends and were friends until the last day of her life. She brought Belkina to my concert, and she said before the concert: “Oh, Tonechka, you know, I'm such a bitch, I don't like everything. You do not pay attention, I always do not like it, but Anya said, you read wrong, you read better than anyone. I didn’t think anything before the concert, took it for granted and went on stage. After the concert, quite a few people came up to me, Maria Osipovna Belkina pushed through them and said: “Let me go! Let go, I need it the most! I have more rights than you!" Then she fell upon me and said: “Impeccably, Tonechka, well, immaculately!” From that moment on, this train stretches behind me, which I impeccably read Tsvetaeva.
- Marina Ivanovna herself read superbly.
- I do not know.
- No records left?
- Not.
— That is, you could not compare her manner of reading, her intonation ...
- Not. All poets read badly. I do not read the way she read, I read the way she wrote and what is behind it. “Irreproachably” is about the essence of the poems, and not about how she read.
- Do you have a favorite word "I'll try", what will you try today?
- This is our most professional verb - try. I'll try - this is the verb of life and profession, and not like this: "Oh, what will I try today!". It's nothing. I'll try - it's the excitement of novelty.
What new things are you doing in life?
I am not doing anything new. I read reading programs, play solo performances, and I am a professor at GITIS, which means I teach.
Do your students read poetry?
- Yes.
- Do you do joint concerts?
- Not. I sometimes make them evenings at the Actor's House, somewhere else, if the work is of a high enough level.
- How long do you need to work on the program so that it is "on the level"?
- Depends on the author, but in general I work for a long time, a year or two. During this time, the author, his era, his connections, his breath, his style settle down. All this is in parallel with my life. Finally, he seems to be alive to me. I know all his reactions, assessments, how he reacted here, like here. He is a living person for me and his heroes too. Sometimes it takes several years. After that I build the program itself.
- Name a few "your most" authors.
I don't read my own.
- You have 30 solo programs ...
— 35.
- And all yours. And you can time frame: from-to?
— Goethe. And the most recent is Vysotsky, I read his ballads, which were not going to be songs.
- Are these records available on the Internet?
I have no idea, I don't have internet.
- In your interview on Radio Liberty, it sounded that you are a convinced pedestrian. Quote: "I am a convinced pedestrian, and a pedestrian into a long space, into the boundless, then I hear and feel the air, space, and then I hear time." Tsvetaeva was also a convinced pedestrian.
“And we have many such points of contact.
Is there anything you would like to say to our readers?
Everything I want to say, I usually say on stage. All my programs consist of this: of what I really want to say. Tsvetaeva said: “I have so many loves!” or writes to Pasternak: “If you don’t get this or that from me, then all my Gets (wonderful!) Will be lost.” I read this in the "Summary Notebooks" quite recently, and I always said that.
- Goethe and Pasternak were also Tsvetaeva's loves.
- Yes, I didn’t even need to settle down: there are coincidences, coincidences.
Opinions:
Spectator:
- I remember the first time I heard Antonina Kuznetsova. The TV was on, I was peeling potatoes. I then studied at Pedagogical College, we had classes in special instruments and music classes, including the symphonic work "Peer Gynt", which was on TV at the time of peeling potatoes. The orchestra played music, and Antonina Kuznetsova read. I put down the potatoes, sat down and listened. Many years later, I downloaded this performance, recorded it on a disc and watched it repeatedly. Antonina Kuznetsova came to the festival before last with the same performance, "Russian Paris", which made a great impression. She was demanding on the audience, made us turn off mobile phones, said that she kicked Pierre Richard out of some of her performances because his phone rang. I was happy to come to today's performance. I liked everything very much. Original, interesting, captivating!
Viewer:
- I heard it for the first time at those old, old Tsvetaeva festivals, the fourth or fifth. What strikes? Take today's performance. The time in which we did not live is transmitted, but everything is so clear and beautiful! It is amazing how this material can be processed, arranged so that everything is clear, understandable and very artistic. It amazes me to the core.
Kuznetsova would not have been herself if she had not been indignant at the beginning: “How tired you are of me with your flowers, they rustle! Although you wanted the best. She forbids applause throughout the performance, but after the performance she is literally overwhelmed with flowers and kisses. The next time she promised to bring a program on Nabokov. You can live the whole year in anticipation: will it bring? Won't bring? Will it match? Doesn't match?
Dossier:
Antonina KUZNETSOVA- People's Artist of Russia, Professor of the Stage Speech Department Russian Academy theater arts (RATI / GITIS), teacher of the International School of Mikhail Chekhov, chairman of the Moscow Speech Center at the Union of Theater Workers of Russia. Laureate of the Moscow Prize, holder of the Order of Honor and the Golden Pushkin Medal. In 1966-1969 - actress of the Moscow Theater. M.N. Ermolova, since 1969 - artist of the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic Society (master of artistic expression). Author and performer of reading programs and solo performances. Author of articles about Marina Tsvetaeva.
Another article has appeared on the Freeform forum (we call it 3F for short), in the "Freeform Masters" section. It was not me who wrote it, contrary to custom, but Aliska, a long-time admirer of Antonina Kuznetsova's work. Aliska is known (in narrow circles :-) not only for her own excellent knitting (you will soon see her work in ZhM), but also for her excellent style. So I give her the floor! :-))
"It's great when your path has a goal to strive for; but this goal is not important, but the path itself." Ursula Le Guin.
This is one of Antonina's frequently quoted aphorisms. She often advises beginners in the technique of stacked lace not to be afraid to start if the goal is already defined. The main thing on this path is to analyze the techniques and acquired skills, experiment and develop your own individual handwriting and style.
Tonya Kuznetsova. A completely different story in my life. I love her creativity, her categorical and integrity, her clear positions in creativity and work. I want to write the presentation of this craftswoman personally - she is spiritually close and understandable to me. On a lot of issues. And her colors used in products just helped me forget the scary pictures from my real life(My profession is connected with the investigation of serious crimes). There was such a period. 
My acquaintance with the work of this wonderful Master began with "Duplet". Not often, when looking at a magazine with fashion models, you want to look for a small font where the name of the author of the product is indicated. Looking at her tops, dresses and skirts, the desire to find out “who knits like that?” arose immediately. Her products seemed to me very simple, concise and elegant. But repeating something like this turned out to be a very difficult task: difficulties arose both with the selection of the color of yarn and with the composition of ready-made motifs. Then I learned from Antonina herself (she is a rather open person and wrote quite frankly about herself on one forum) that she started knitting things using the technique of coupling or stacked lace in the early 2000s, when there was practically no information about such a technique. And all her achievements are the result of her own search and her own trial and error.
It is difficult to learn something new "in a vacuum", without communicating with experienced craftsmen. This is an objective reality. But Antonina clearly succeeded. I have mastered and developed my own style. Recognizable. Her first work (a white lace dress) was published in The Doublet #26. Since then, The Doublet has published regularly (or more or less regularly) her work, to the delight of many of her fans. In the dashing 90s, Antonina, who was engaged in knitting only as a hobby, left her profession (organic synthesis of new substances in a research laboratory) and began to engage in knitwear seriously, wanting not only to enjoy her favorite needlework, but also to earn money from it. Not the easiest job...
Now Tony has both students and assistants, and huge number grateful fans. One thing remains unchanged: as before, a piece of her soul, love for the world around and harmony in it is invested in each product from Antonina Kuznetsova.
Things made by human hands carry the energy of the master. The same dress from “Duplet” No. 26 turned out to be endowed with a unique property: the new mistress of the dress bore three children in it. And the model who demonstrated the dress soon went on maternity leave. That's the kind of energy...
I will give a few statements of the extraordinary Tony on the Internet in this topic below.
“For success, you need to strive to do what others have not done, or at least have your own face, your own style, then everything will work out. Perhaps this is the main and most valuable advice that I can give."
“I just don’t undertake to do things that I’m not sure about, and experience and proven technology give confidence, which includes not only the subtleties of assembly, but also the accuracy of yarn selection and the smallest nuances of knitting motifs.”
“That doesn't happen! It is given to everyone, many "do not take". Just look out the window. There you probably have something blooming - tie it up!
“You need to learn from the masters, but not copy, but synthesize YOUR OWN, analyzing their techniques.”
Theater of Music and Poetry n/r Elena Kamburova (B. Pirogovskaya, 53/55)
on the. Russia Antonina Kuznetsova "V. Vysotsky. Conversation with Alice about Time and Destiny"
Kuznetsova Antonina
People's Artist of Russia
The author and performer of reading programs, professor of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts, author of articles about Marina Tsvetaeva, essayist, Antonina Kuznetsova occupies a special place among the most outstanding masters of art in Russia. In 1966, immediately after graduating with honors from the Yaroslavl Theater School, which she dearly loved and to this day keeps in touch with him, she became an artist at the Moscow Yermolova Drama Theater. Here is what the actress recalls about that time: “I played girls, boys, girls all the time and thought all the time: where am I? What will I say? I already wanted to say ... Not to show myself, but to say. Therefore, in parallel, she actively developed a reading repertoire. And even then there was something to say to the young artist: serious, classic and even forbidden books read from the 4th grade (for example, Ackerman's "Conversations with Goethe" or Bulgakov's "Heart of a Dog") after rethinking demanded to go out. She is always internally free, and even in the years of stagnation, she did only what she considered necessary, sweeping aside the lists of recommended (in the form, for example, Leniniana) literature. Then, under “developed” socialism, working without looking back at the artistic council was not easy and fraught with trouble. In 1968, her love for reading led her to the Moscow Philharmonic, where then a very strong creative team was formed in the literary and reading department: Dmitry Zhuravlev, Yakov Smolensky, Emmanuil Kaminka, Suren Kocharyan, Alexander Kutepov, Yuri Myshkin. To this day, Antonina Kuznetsova serves in the Moscow Philharmonic. In the Central House of Artists, the artist has had a permanent personal subscription for many years.
Now the artist's repertoire includes more than 30 (!) solo programs on foreign and domestic literature, covering the period from the 15th to the 20th century. All of the artist's programs are surprisingly diverse both in terms of topics and selection of materials. One thing unites them - it is always very good literature. According to Antonina Kuznetsova, she was "always interested in the spiritual and spiritual existence of man." The artist in her works uses not only purely literary material, but also historical and archival documents, letters, memoirs, which gives depth and richness to her programs.
Her concerts with symphony orchestras are very interesting and unusual: "Arlesian" by A. Daudet-J. Bizet, "Peer Gynt" by G. Ibsen-E. Grieg, "Snowstorm" by A. Pushkin-G. Sviridov, "Eugene Onegin" by A. Pushkin-S. Prokofiev, "A Poem without a Hero" by A. Akhmatova-I. Stravinsky, D. Shostakovich and others. The WORD still remains the main thing in these programs. The artist is constantly at work: every year her new works appear.
Antonina Kuznetsova traveled all over the country with her solo performances. Here are just a few cities: Nizhny Novgorod, Sverdlovsk, Cherepovets, Vologda, Saratov, Kaliningrad, Naberezhnye Chelny, Simbirsk, Samara.
All these years, Antonina Mikhailovna Kuznetsova has been teaching at the acting and directing department of the RATI. During her work at the stage speech department, she trained many actors and directors: Sergei Frolov, Olesya Zheleznyak, Agrippina Steklova, Ksenia Karaeva, Anna Ardova, Dmitry Dyuzhev, Fyokla Tolstaya, Viktor Shamirov, Roman Samgin, Sergei Aldonin.
And Antonina Kuznetsova is a teacher at the International School of Mikhail Chekhov, conducts master classes in the poetic word at the Center for Support of Russian Theaters Abroad. Has been with solo performances and master classes in London, Bologna, Amsterdam, Brno, Paris, Prague, Geneva.
Since 1992, Antonina Kuznetsova has been the chairman of the Moscow Speech Center at the STD RF. In 1999, she was awarded the Golden Pushkin Medal. In 2001, Sonna became a laureate of the Moscow government award in the field of literature and art. In 2006 she was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor.
In general, she just likes to live, she loves life in all its manifestations and never ceases to be surprised by this life. She is interested in trying something new and new, even if she makes mistakes - it's not scary when there is a passion for life. After all, mistakes are a small price to pay for the happiness of doing something new, unusual for yourself.
The program "Love ancient fogs", with which Antonina Kuznetsova will perform in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, includes works by Guy de Maupassant, M. Tsvetaeva, V. Nabokov, D. Samoilov, M. Bulgakov.
In 1966 she graduated with honors from the Yaroslavl Theater School and became an artist of the Moscow Drama Theater named after M. N. Yermolova. The actress recalls that time: “I played girls, boys, d...
Antonina Kuznetsova - People's Artist of Russia, winner of the Moscow Government Prize in the field of literature and art, author and performer of reading programs, professor at the Russian Academy of Theater Arts, author of articles about Marina Tsvetaeva, essayist.
In 1966 she graduated with honors from the Yaroslavl Theater School and became an artist of the Moscow Drama Theater named after M. N. Yermolova. The actress recalls that time: “I played girls, boys, girls all the time and thought all the time: where am I? What will I say? I already wanted to say ... Not to show myself, but to say. Therefore, in parallel, A. Kuznetsova actively developed a reading repertoire. From childhood, she was passionate about reading, interested in classical literature, as well as books banned at that time (Conversations with Goethe by Eckerman, Heart of a Dog by Bulgakov). In 1968, her love for reading led her to the Moscow Philharmonic, where a strong creative team was formed in the literary and reading department, which included Dmitry Zhuravlev, Yakov Smolensky, Emmanuil Kaminka, Suren Kocharyan, Alexander Kutepov, Yuri Myshkin. Antonina Kuznetsova has been working here for over 45 years. For many seasons, the artist has a personal subscription at the Central House of Artists, whose concerts are sold out.
Currently, A. Kuznetsova's repertoire includes more than 30 solo programs dedicated to foreign and domestic literature of the 15th-20th centuries. All of the artist's programs are surprisingly diverse both in terms of topics and selection of materials. They are united by one thing - the highest taste and skill of the author of the subscription, offering his listeners the best examples of world literature. According to Antonina Kuznetsova, her " always interested in the spiritual and spiritual existence of man". That is why in her programs the artist refers not only to literary sources, but also to historical and archival documents - letters, memoirs. This diversity gives her programs depth and richness.
The concerts of Antonina Kuznetsova with symphony orchestras are always interesting, where music by J. Bizet for A. Daudet's play "The Arlesian", music by E. Grieg for G. Ibsen's drama "Peer Gynt", musical illustrations by G. Sviridov for A. Pushkin's poem "The Snowstorm" ”, music by S. Prokofiev for the unrealized play “Eugene Onegin” based on the novel by A. Pushkin, “Poem without a Hero” by A. Akhmatova with music by I. Stravinsky and D. Shostakovich and other programs. The dominant role is assigned to the word.
With her solo performances Antonina Kuznetsova performed throughout Russia - in Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Cherepovets, Vologda, Saratov, Kaliningrad, Naberezhnye Chelny, Ulyanovsk, Samara.
For many years, A. M. Kuznetsova has been teaching at the acting and directing department of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts. During her work at the stage speech department, she trained many famous actors and directors: Sergei Frolov, Olesya Zheleznyak, Agrippina Steklova, Ksenia Karaeva, Anna Ardova, Dmitry Dyuzhev, Fekla Tolstaya, Viktor Shamirov, Roman Samgin, Sergei Aldonin.
In addition, Antonina Kuznetsova teaches at the International School of Mikhail Chekhov, conducts master classes in poetry at the Center for Support of Russian Theaters Abroad. The artist performed with solo performances and gave master classes in London, Bologna, Amsterdam, Brno, Paris, Prague, Geneva. In 2011/13, she successfully performed in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, and France on a tour project of the Ministry of Culture.
Photo Description
"I can't refuse ice cream"
Antonina, the work of an actor requires a lot of energy and dedication. Someone replenishes their strength with abundant food, someone - with sleep or communication with loved ones. And how are you?
I noticed a long time ago that I do not draw energy from food. I will say even more: the less I eat, the better I feel. This realization came to me during one of the fasts - I regularly observe them. And at some point I decided that even after the end of the fast I could live without meat and other heavy food. And partly pushed me to this ... dumplings. One of my friends said that dumplings are digested in the human body for about 20 hours! I don't know if this is true. But I decided to give up dumplings and meat altogether. Didn't even have to make an effort. You just don't want to, that's all.
And then my stove broke. And a friend jokingly offered to become a raw foodist. I'm interested. But, to be honest, the categorical nature of this direction confused me. As soon as there are some prohibitions, they immediately want to break. In addition, there are products that I still can’t refuse in any way. I have a sweet tooth, I love ice cream, and sometimes I indulge myself with chips ... Such deviations are incompatible with a raw food diet.
- How did your family react to the decision to remove heavy foods from the diet?
Daughter Sasha - in March she turns 11 years old - she consciously refrains from heavy food. I am not strict, I do not limit my daughter in choosing. She decides for herself what she wants and what she doesn't. Although many acquaintances are perplexed: they say that a child is a growing organism, he needs to eat everything. But Sasha does not lag behind either in growth or in development. She just likes it that way. She doesn’t even fall for grandmother’s tricks when she tries to feed her with a salad with fatty mayonnaise or something like that. In general, of course, the simplest thing is to orient the child to a healthy diet from childhood. Then it will become a habit.
- After giving up heavy food, many feel light, the complexion changes, excess weight goes away ...
I have never had problems with being overweight. But many friends said that after I gave up meat, I lost weight. Although in our profession there are enough reasons for losing weight without special nutrition. Nerves, emotions, experiences - that's the weight and goes away.
Photo Description
“Between laundry and cleaning, I chose to sleep”
- How do you replenish your energy after the performance? Many fatigue prefer to seize ...
Sometimes after the performance you don't feel tired - it seems you can play more. This happens when everything works out on stage with colleagues, the viewer reacts sensitively to what is happening, you get a big emotional charge. It is always important for artists to feel the response of the audience. Especially when some emergency situations occur during the performance.
I remember that once during the performance “Without Words” the sound disappeared, and the music there is one of actors. The sound engineer comes out and announces to the audience, they say, technical problems. Everything was eliminated literally in 3-4 minutes, but for us, the actors on the stage, they seemed like an eternity! But during this time we have become so close to the hall! This show always goes well. But then the hall gave a long standing ovation and shouted "bravo"!
And it happens that the performance goes on in such a way that you don’t feel anything but emptiness. Recently, we had to play the play “All About Women” (it is designed for about a hundred spectators) in the House of Scientists of Academgorodok, which can accommodate about a thousand people. No matter how hard we tried, the dialogue did not work out. After such performances, you feel very tired, completely exhausted. Still, the performance is a mutual exchange of energy between the audience and the actors.
You are involved in many theater performances. How do you manage to stay in great shape with such a busy schedule? Share a secret.
It may sound strange, but I learned to sleep. Earlier, when the child was still small, my grandmother told me: "The daughter is sleeping, and you sleep." But I couldn't. It turned out that I got up with Sasha early in the morning, and went to bed only late at night. Now I can lie down during the day. For me, this is a restorative sleep, after which you wake up like a child, unprotected and open. I really like this state. The daughter even jokes: “Between washing and cleaning, mom chose to sleep.”
It still seems to me that appearance largely associated with internal state. In a state of spirituality, a woman is beautiful! And also when you are in love - after all, at this time lightness, charm, a desire to please appear.
And of course, motherhood adorns a woman. I can’t judge how I looked from the outside during pregnancy and the first years of motherhood, but looking at my friends who recently had children, I see how much they are changing. Moreover, this does not happen at the level of appearance - it is some other attractiveness, a special energy.
Blitz poll
Favourite dish: green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, vegetable stew, stewed cabbage, buckwheat, lean pancakes, lentils
Favorite vacation: theater visit
I go to my theater and others. Of course, not everything corresponds to my ideas about what the theater should be like. But I'm interested.
Favorite moment at work: rehearsals
It is a search in which something new is born. And in order for this new to be born, you need to invest a lot of effort.
Text: Tatyana BUSHMAKINA
Photo: provided by the Red Torch Theater