Shatskaya will convey to the public the magic of Zykina

– Dmitry, how did the idea of ​​​​creating such an unusual project dedicated to the work of Zykina come about?

– You said the key phrase: “dedicated to the work of Zykina.” The fact of the matter is that this is perhaps the first project that is not dedicated to the work of Zykina, but is dedicated to Zykina herself – to a person: a girl Lyuda Zykina, a girl Lyudmila Zykina, a woman Lyudmila Georgievna Zykina. Her character, her friends, her views on life, her attitude to her mother, to close people, her experiences. But … Zykina never sang a single song that she would not live. When she married Viktor Gridin, she sang a song: “Sunsets are burning, embraced by flames, reddening brightly, like a poppy color. And I’m ready to give up all the sunsets for my one and only dawn … ”Any song in her life, in her work is an intersection with her life, with some kind of human feelings, emotions, experiences. It’s all inseparable. This performance, in fact, is about a specific person, whose name was Lyudmila Zykina. And this person, by a happy coincidence, was also a great Russian singer. But above all, a person. And so we left as such the external image of Zykina – and practically left the repertoire. Because Nina Shatskaya sings works that embody purely human notes in the image of Zykina herself.

– Will the premiere of the performance take place on April 21 at the House of Music?

– Yes, we had only one performance in Moscow, so this performance can be considered a premiere. This is a very organic combination of the dramaturgy of Dmitry Minchenko, who is the playwright and the main narrator of the entire performance. The images of the orchestra musicians are also taken from life. Because the ensemble “Russia”, which was created by Lyudmila Zykina, is not just a musical group in which she worked and which she nurtured. She built her home, created her world, surrounding herself with the musicians she loved, and they called her nothing less than “mother.” They were also called “madame”, but it was a sublime appeal. In general, she was a kind, sensitive leader, she knew who lived in what conditions, she came to visit her musicians for pancakes, dumplings … It was part of her life, and this atmosphere is recreated during the performance. Of course, with the help of Dmitry Minchenko’s dramaturgy, with the help of that music, those songs that very organically express precisely the sensual side of her life. Not even some events and biography facts, but feelings and experiences – this is the most valuable thing. She is artistically unique.

– Does the play itself adhere to the main biographical events that Lyudmila Zykina lived through?

– Not that word! In fact, this performance is genuine. We managed to talk with a close friend of Lyudmila Zykina Elena Vladimirovna Loseva, with whom they have been together since kindergarten, from pots, sorry for the expression. Thank God she’s alive. And she knows Lyudmila Zykina – not just the queen of Russian songs, but just a girl, Lyuda Zykina. “Luca” she called her, in a friendly way. Even now he calls it that. Therefore, everything is based on true facts and on the analysis of these facts. This is not just a retelling, a presentation of events, but a dramatic analysis. Dramaturgy in this performance has a key meaning, meaning. But the performance is based on true facts from the life of Zykina.

– Zykina has a very bright image: outfits, memorable appearance, hairstyle. Will the performance focus on Zykina’s style?

– Many aspired to be like Lyudmila Zykina, but she was like no one else. She was exactly Lyudmila Zykina number one. But there is no attempt at imitation, copying in the performance. The costumes will be in the style of the performers, and, in particular, Nina Shatskaya. Because we are more interested primarily in the inner world of man.

— But will the aroma of the era be conveyed somehow, or will everything be only modern?

– The Zykin era will be present constantly, in every sound. It is inseparable – the ensemble “Russia” and Lyudmila Zykina. But we do not embody any external comparisons – what is more important is the integral essence that we want to say and are talking about.

– Will some of Zykina’s songs still be performed?

– Certainly! “Volga” will definitely be, it will be performed by Nina Shatskaya. We have another very talented performer Valeria Yankovskaya involved in the performance, who, as it were, reincarnates on the stage the image of a very young girl, Luda Zykina. She sings the famous “Meadow Duck”, which Zykina performed in her younger years. But once again I repeat: this is conceived more allegorically than copying or imitation.

– But for Nina Shatskaya, is this a difficult repertoire? After all, Zykina’s voice range was phenomenal!

— Of course, it is not easy. Listen, Zykina’s range is almost two octaves! But Nina Shatskaya is a professional singer who vocally copes completely with the material, and we don’t have any difficulties. Another thing is that it is more important to somehow rethink it, to make it a part of oneself … For Zykina, each song was some kind of lived period of life. Therefore, the main thing is not only to sing a song, but also to live. This is an even more interesting task in artistic terms. I repeat once again: we have already performed this performance once, and it was very spiritually close.

Was it well received by the audience?

– Fabulous!

– Is Zykina modern enough today, given all our reality?

– Zykina will always be modern, and I will explain why. No matter what they say about Lyudmila Zykina – about the sincerity of her performance, about some purely emotional aspects, about her appearance – Zykina, in addition to everything else, was an impeccable professional. She was, is and will forever remain the standard of Russian song. And Zykina was recognized not only by lovers of Russian songs, colleague performers – she was recognized by the entire musical community. She was an eminently professional singer and would sometimes work for years on a song. With her, as in a good theater, the song was done to the smallest detail, to the nuances, to the detail, to every syllable it was done. Absolutely identical, if you like, to the Stanislavsky system. Therefore, Zykina will always be relevant, modern and interesting, because she is a phenomenon. This is the most real, genuine phenomenon, if you like, – this is, in fact, our domestic musical classics. A classic cannot grow old, nothing can happen to it. This is the facet of great art, which is the standard.

– Agree with you. By the way, Zykina sang not only Russian folk songs, by which literally everyone knows her, but also romances, some other unexpected song finds …

Yes, she turned to completely different genres and styles. There were such words of Lyudmila Georgievna: “There is right singing, and there is wrong singing.” This is very important in the context of our performance. Lyudmila Zykina did not divide singing as such into folk, pop, and academic. She just said: either you sing right, or you sing wrong. If you build a musical phrase incorrectly, then it does not matter how you sing it, in what manner: folk, academic, pop or some other. Therefore, Zykina was absolutely multifaceted … And let’s remember Shchedrin’s “Poetoria” alone. And she learned it all by heart! And she sang impeccably intonation, I would say, absolutely standard. She was a very versatile singer – she was exactly a singer of a very high level, class.

Will the fact that she turned to other genres also be shown in the performance?

– Certainly. It will be through the prism of her destiny. These are human feelings, relationships, emotions, even disappointment … Everything was in her life, she was a person, and this person is nothing less than a great singer.

– And why did you offer this role to Nina Shatskaya?

– We agreed in some kind of dialogue, in mutual understanding somehow immediately united. We often spoke with Dmitry Minchenko, then this idea arose absolutely in unison. And I repeat once again: there was no task to choose a singer who would be as similar as possible to Zykina, who would sing in her voice. No. Here the task was to select a person who, like Zykina, embodies real art, who lives all this. Therefore, of course, Nina Shatskaya in this regard, with her creative, professional credo, was ideal, it was of great importance to us. Then, Nina Shatskaya had a mezzo-soprano voice, and Lyudmila Georgievna had a mezzo-soprano voice, and their range is certainly very close. Therefore, some things here, of course, coincide.

– Nina, of course, is very beautiful, and Zykina was very beautiful, this brings them very close.

– Yes, sure! Stage charisma! And how does it matter. And personality magic, if you will, is important. Not similarity, namely magic.

Is this a significant project for you personally?

Yes, of course, that’s why I talk about it in such detail. We are looking forward to the audience and will be glad to this meeting.

Will he stay in the program for a long time?

– Certainly. The performance, as they say, we put in the repertoire.