Interview for the magazine In Rock (N1, Summer 2000)
Even the preparation of the third issue of ALIVE, I went on a visit at our wonderful guitarist
Ivan Smirnov.
As always, until the material is "ripe" and was prepared, number has already been laid out and released, and only now is a small, but hopefully informative interview before you.
But above all - a bit of information:
Smirnov, perhaps Russia's best musicians, playing acoustic guitar.
A musician known and respected, to date,
Ivan officially issued one album - "Carousel Father" (about his re-release, CD "At the other end of the world" (99)), read in the reviews section.
Also there magnitoalbom "miles and miles away, which, besides the already well-known tracks from the CD, includes several bonus tracks. It's - things are usually executed on the concerts, but this time they are presented in the studio version.)
So, as they say, went.
Ivan, what can you tell readers about the long-awaited new relizaN
- Plans with us (with his eldest son - Michael) a lot. Of the new products are going to issue a live album, where half of the disc completely new material, and some things - with a carousel Father ", they will be played in quite a different arrangement. Of course, planned for publication on CD and the new studio work, in particular, music from movies. Plus the album, which will be recorded guitar duet, ie. the tools are two guitars and only.
I wonder what kind of music to filmamN may be more detail about etomN
- We work with many directors. In particular, with Behtier Hudoynazarovym, film Bratan "and" Kosh ba kosh. (One of them has received several awards, such as "Silver Lion in Venice in 1991. This is joint work with
Ivan composer Ahmad Bakayev, who wrote with him the music for this film.) Well, "Women's Property," directed by Mesheeva, 1999, there we were doing music together with his son. (Mikhail
Smirnov, too, has a job with the music to films - "Serpentine Channel", directed by Nikolai Lebedev, recently screened at ORT.)
Interesting.
Ivan, you are very famous in our country guitarist, probably, you know and abroad. Are you familiar with someone from the world-famous cult muzykantovN But honestly, without false modesty.
- Yes, I am familiar with Tony Levin (bass), Al Di Meola, Allan Holdsworth.
Wow, only Fripp and Hekketa is added to this list!
- No, they still failed to meet.
Ivan, how long you play the guitar, with which all nachinalosN
- The game has nearly thirty years. It all began in childhood, in a Pioneer camp, where I heard some guy playing guitar and singing. Then my mother bought me a gift first guitar. With regard to serious art, it existed in the mid 70's we have such a group, "Second Breath", playing something close to a jazz-rock, where I played for about five years. Later - even a band "Boomerang", which played music based on jazz-rock, but sometimes something more avant-garde. We even gave a joint concert with Eduard Artemiev and pianist Tatiana Grindenko, pianist Alexei Lyubimov, in the Concert Hall. Tchaikovsky. Well, then I played with Arsenal for five years, from 84 to 89 years. Incidentally, in the summer of 99-th we went to the Edinburgh International Festival (Scotland), which received very positive feedback in the press. And this is one of the largest festivals in the world, focusing on different areas of art: music, cinema, literature, theater, opera, etc..
Few obvious question, but I think it will be interesting to readers: What kind of music do you slushaeshN
- I've been listening to someone (smiles). Very like Miles Davis, Paco de Lucia, King Crimson, Pat Meteni, Christopher Parkeninga, Jan Garbarek, love the classics, Mussorgsky in particular.
And it is art-rock question: What album King Crimson you now enjoy more vsegoN
- "Discipline".
"Discipline" N odd. Generally, all "Red" is called!
- Well, "Red" - a classic. Following is up holes, we can say. And on "Discipline" I find a lot of new. And really quite recently most often listen to the double live album "Cirsus".
What can you say about the situation of art-rock and all good music in our country seychasN
- Alas, I see the lack of a live musical environment. Only recently I began to notice some positive movement. This applies to co-creation among musicians.
And the last question, about the plans.
- As for new products on CD, we have already talked, but in general, are planning a global tour of Europe. In particular, we want to visit Spain, France, Germany. In Moscow, we can listen to different clubs, for example, in "Le Club", "Poor People", "Bunker". And, naturally, in CHA.
Country where the sun sleeps
That was the name of the program, presented May 12 in CHA
Ivan Smirnov. And I must say, this name is very appropriate musical material submitted. But first things first.
Surprisingly cold for May Day, a gray overcast sky, sometimes a very fine snow. The reality is loathsome, dank and cold, their intrusive injections. But the path from the metro and to its place in the concert hall passes, turn off the light, softly lit stage and a comfortable chair create a feeling of tranquility. Want to quickly dive into the music
Smirnova, which is so much like magic, where the same onN
And then they go out, sit on chairs. They - this is
Ivan himself, his son, keyboardist Michael and the second acoustic guitar. Before Mikhail installed keyboards and he just wrapped up various percussion, even a small hanging gong ...
The first chords, played "Celebration" with a "carousel Father" (or "At the other end of the world", as someone more like it), begins a slow immersion in the story.. The mood becomes more peaceful, play "Long Lake". Bird's voice, soft keyboard "lights" set off a beautiful play by
Ivan. Very well for the beginning. And for the "long lake" stretched "Wild Field", and even the light that flooded from the small spotlights the scene, was green, this harmony of shadows and music ...
In the contemplation of nature paintings by
Ivan moved to the lyric observation, no, even the disclosure of the human soul. "Weather changes", it is this thing was a highlight of the program, it is fully completed the connection to the senses, memory and music. Soft, sensual, but at the same time rather complex music, like something out of the best things of the maestro guitar, Steve Hekketa ... "Rotary's grandfather was a little hard after the previous lyrical compositions, but it took a raid of melancholy, and, probably, was indeed the place. However, such a "lively" mood did not last long: "Nocturne" once again plunged the hall into the atmosphere of harmony and gentle heat.
Ivan behaved very relaxed, the atmosphere was so warm, which do not often see ... Only occasionally hall exploded with applause, but from the first new guitar sound room plunged into complete silence. Sometimes
Smirnov made little comments to some of the songs, and this too was interesting and pleasant, and not thoroughly destroyed the mood created by music.
Romantic "meeting" turned into a cheerful "Tango", followed by
Ivan played the thing from the movie "Kosh Ba Kosh". Another piece de resistance - "Among the desert", which suffered a room in the sand dunes, in the haze under the bright hot sun south. And it was very useful, at something around zero degrees on the street.. And at the end of the concert
Smirnov and Co. played a song from the movie, with a bit of a strange name "Bratan, but how does it amazingly well, it is also one of the definitive" fighters "concert.
Action that lasted for more than one and a half hours, it ended suddenly, suddenly, it was somehow a bit strange to be back in a normal room, illuminated by ordinary light, with the voices of the public to go to Subway all under the same low-ice-air. Tale came to an end as all ends well, what are you waiting for a long time. People do not like when they pull out of a fairy tale, but nothing can be done, we can only listen to house a CD-ROM
Ivan and wait for a new gig.
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Two brief essays with PFMusic.com
