ENGLISH VERSION BELOW
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| Mstislav Rostropovich i Oriol Galgo |
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| Mstislav Rostropovich i Oriol Galgo |
Recordo perfectament, els meus nervis, sabia que era un senyor importantissim que tocava molt bé el violoncel i que era el Padrí de la Reina Sofia, no sabia massa més d’ell, però, mentre jo m’estava al seu camerino organitzant-li la Rostrocompra i mirant que tingues les tovalloles del bany netes, ganivets i forquilles per menjar-se la fruita, etc... el recordo sempre assegut a una cadira negre assajant la partitura –mai en vaig veure una de partitura, s’ho sabia de memòria- que havia de tocar. Durant tota la gira Espanyola, el concert que feia era el mateix: Variations Rococco Opus.33 de Txaikovski. Pel que sempre que estava amb ell es dedicava a tocar un cop rere un altre aquesta música, que sent tota l’estona igual cada vegada és més ràpida.... jo a vegades m’asseia a un racó i l’observava, ell ni em mirava, no em feia cas....recordo un dia, a Madrid, mentre assajava, poca minuts abans d’entrar a escena, que li va donar per parlar-me i em va dir: - Tu saps que les Variations Rococco Opus.33 és la composició escrita més difícil de interpretar? Jo que me’l vaig mirar incrèdul vaig assentir amb el cap i li vaig fer un somriure com si sàpigues que volia dir una composició que era difícil si ni tant sols diferenciava un “andante”, d’un “moderato semplice” així com d’un “andante grazioso”, per mi la música era maca o lletja i em prou feina podia ubicar històrica i musicalment al seu compositor: Piotr Ilich Txaikovski.
Recordo molt clarament també, un dia que en acabar el concert volent-lo ajudar per acompanyar-lo cap el seu cotxe privat vaig agafar-li el violoncel -imagino que era un dels 63 Stradivarius que queden en la actualitat i d'un valor incalculable- i em va fotre un crit que em vaig quedar glaçat sense saber que fer; si seguir, si deixar-lo, si donar-li...buf! Li vaig donar i li vaig obrir la porta per marxar....
El fet es que ara, cada cop que escolto aquestes variations inevitablement em ve al cap ell i com jo innocentment vaig aprendre a estimar aquesta meva feina que tantíssima gent meravellosa m’ha fet conèixer.
Aquí en teniu la Variation III - Andante sostenuto
I si busqueu a Spotify, escolteu la versió de Rostropovich amb direcció musical de Herbert Von Karajan.
MY VERY FIRST CONCERT WITH ROSTROPOVICH
On March 14th, 2001 I started to work in the fascinating world of show business production, due to so many reasons not really related with the story I am about to tell. The fact is that I was hired to become the tour manager for a Russian orchestra during several concerts they played in Spain, with Mstislav Rostropovich. My job was to go with the orchestra’s two busses and deal with the housing issues or any medical issue that could easily arise during our tour; truth is my main job was to work as a translator. In fact, my real duties were almost none once we reached our destinations, so I basically dedicated myself to set up Mr. Rostropovich’s dressing room on every single city where he performed. So I stuck to him and I was all the time buying what my boss at the time and I called the “Rastrolist”: 74% Swiss black chocolate, black grapes, Danish cookies, fresh fruit and nuts. Every single day, his dressing room had all that stuff plus a big flower arrangement on his table.
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| Mstislav Rostropovich |
I remember flawlessly my nerves, he was such a well-known cello player, the godfather of Queen Sofia, and I actually didn’t know much more about him, yet there I was organizing the Rastrolist in his room, and checking that he had clean towels and forks and knives for the fruit, among many other tiny details…while he was sitting on a black chair rehearsing the play, that of course he knew by hearth, that he was supposed to perform. At every step of the tour in Spain, his concert was always the same: Txaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococco Theme Opus.33. So while I was with him, he played continuously the same music, getting faster each time, and I used to sit in a corner, mesmerised by him, looking at him while he ignored my presence. I remember one particular day, in Madrid, while he rehearsed, a few minutes before he was supposed to go on stage, he decided to talk to me and he said: “Did you know that Txaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococco Theme Opus.33 is the hardest written composition to play?” I stared at him with disbelieve in my eyes and nodded while I smiled pretending to understand what he meant, while in fact I couldn’t tell the difference between an ‘andante’, a ‘moderato semplice’ and an ‘andante grazioso’. As for me, the music was nice or ugly, and I hardly could place in history or music his composer: Piotr Ilich Txaikovsky.
I also recall another day perfectly. After his concert I was trying to help him to get to his private car so I picked his cello - I guess it may have been one of the 63 Stradivarius that still exist and by all means priceless – and he yelled at me. I was iced and I couldn’t tell what to do next: either to keep carrying it, leave it on the floor or just handle it to him. So I gave it to him and opened the door to leave…
Now, every single time I listen those variations, I can’t help but think on him and how I unknowingly started to love this profession of mine that so many wonderful people has introduced me to.
You’ll find enclosed the Variation III – Andante sostenuto. And if you ever look up for it on Spotify, check Rostropovich’s version directed by Herbert Von Karajan.
