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Tatiana Nikolaeva: Life in the name of music.

Saturday, 26 June 2010 14:11 Lozbeneva C.

Tatiana NikolaevaTatiana Nikolaeva is one of the brightest names of Russian musical culture of the last century. A

brilliant pianist, who won world fame, an outstanding pedagogue, composer, musician ... God generously gave her not

only the unsurpassed musical talent, but also a rare kindness, flaming heart, deep humility and infinite love of music

what now is rarely found among professional musicians. Having came from the Bryansk region to Moscow at the age

of thirteen and entered the Central Music School, Tatiana Nikolaeva enraptured Alexander Goldenweiser by her talent

and became his favorite pupil. She always uttered name Goldenweiser with a deep sense of respect. "He taught me

not only to play the piano, he taught me how to live, to see life in all its aspects" – she said about her teacher in the

interview.

The traditions of Russian piano school were given her "at first hand". Naturalness and great simplicity, the absence of

any external affectation, structural alignment, impeccable rhythmic will and at the same time inner freedom, shining

with a unique beauty continuous flow of melodic singing - these qualities of her performance manners became

apparent already during her studies in the class of Goldenweiser.

Tatiana Nikolaeva And then - the rapid creative growth. In 1945 she won the first prize at the Philharmonic contest

dedicated to the 30 anniversary of the death of Scriabin. In 1947 - the second prize at the First World Festival of Youth

and Students in Prague. That year Nikolaeva graduated with honours the piano faculty of Moscow Conservatory and in

1950 – composer’s one, having received for her degree work – the First piano concerto - the USSR State Prize. Her

name is carved on marble conservatory slab, where the names of its best graduates were. And then, from the late

1940's, her semicentennial concert marathon begins. She played the first solo concerts at Small Hall of the

Conservatory, striking the Moscow audience by large and exciting programs. The real triumph of Tatiana Nikolaeva

was her victory at the First I.S. Bach International Competition in Leipzig in 1950. Being quite young pianist, Nikolaeva

caused a sensation when she proposed the jury the choice of all 48 preludes and fugues from "Well-Tempered Clavier"

of Bach. The German music press immediately christened her as "Queen of fugues". Another important event besides

getting the first prize and gold medal, was meeting with D. Shostakovich - one of the members of the Bach

Competition’s jury. Nikolaeva treasured this long-standing friendship all her life. She was the first who performed 24

Preludes and Fugues written by Shostakovich immediately after the contest. She often recorded them on plates,

promoted them throughout the world. This great music accompanied her to the last minutes of her life.

In the early 50's she made her first big tour in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. The vast

majority of Soviet artists of the time this could only dream of it... She played with all outstanding conductors in almost

all countries of the world. Long-term creative friendship tied Tatiana Nikolaeva with the Lithuanian Chamber

Orchestra and its leader S. Sondeckis. They played together more than a hundred concerts. Their most valuable and

memorable joint work was the performance of twelve clavier concertos of Bach, played as a cycle (during three

evenings, one after another) in all thirteen times.

Tatiana NikolaevaThe immense repertoire of Nikolaeva is unparalleled in the history of modern pianism. She could

compete unless with Anton Rubinstein. Concerts, played by Tatyana Nikolaeva during nearly 50 years of her artistic

activity, are not emuneratable. And every year she tried to play more and more. Almost all the clavier works of Bach,

32 sonatas of Beethoven and his concerts and variations, cycles by Schumann, the most part of Schubert music,

Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Medtner, Prokofiev, all Shostakovich's

piano works ...

It is difficult to imagine how one artistic biography can contain such a variety of repertory layers. It is known that when

one of the recording companies asked Nikolayeva about her repertoire, Tatiana said: "The whole world piano

literature, excepting Bartok Second Concerto".

At the same time Nikolayeva didn’t cease to enrich her repertoire. Many composers asked her to perform their new

compositions. Nikolaeva smoothly learnt them as soon as possible. These were concerts of Golubeva, Kryukov, Eshpai

and many others. When Stravinsky came to Russia the panic arose: who will be able to learn and play still unknown at

that time in our country Capriccio for piano and orchestra in a few days? All interviewed Soviet celebrities refused to...

Excepting Nikolaeva. Stravinsky himself, of course, was delighted with courage and talent of young pianist. Such the

events happened more than once in the life of Tatiana Nikolaeva. And she took them with quiet and humble thanks,

speaking a little about them and without boasting. Having enormous prestige, she was completely devoid of the ability

to depress an interlocutor by it; she always listened attentively to other people's opinions. Under no circumstances

she didn’t overemphasized her person and never allowed herself the “whims of prima donnas”. Her internal self-

appraisal expressed more in the character and scale of creative tasks that set for herself. Truly unique creative

accomplishments of Tatyana Nikolaeva were never accompanied by some advertising; moreover, it not always

received well-deserved resonance. Recording disks one after another that are still reprinted around the world, she

never flaunted it. Meanwhile, everyone knew how Tatiana loved to listen to other musicians’ recordings, what a

passionate plates’ collector she was.

Another important facet of Nikolaeva’s activities is teaching at Moscow Conservatory. In this area, she worked no less

selflessly. Living in the incredible pace as a performer, returning from her regular touring trip, she immediately went

to class. As Goldenveiser, Nikolaeva was not just a teacher, she was a teacher in the broadest sense. She formed in

her students certain attitude not only to art but to life in general, educating them by personal example. Tatiana liked

to perform with her students as ensemble. She saw in it that inextricable link, which is the ultimate goal and main

reward for the teacher. Her regular partners in the Bach cycle were such students as M. Petukhov, S. Senkov, A.

Schmidt, A.M. Evseev and later N. Lugansky.

Tatiana NikolaevaNikolaeva didn’t know professional jealousy, she could appreciate other people's achievements. For

his outstanding colleagues and talented students from other classes, she responded with a sincere respect and

recognition. She gave sincere respect and recognition to her outstanding colleagues and talented students from other

classes. Incredible on a scale talent and tremendous musical opportunities simply left no place in her heart for

jealousy that is often so characteristic of artists. Nikolaeva also gave many forces to composition activity. Two piano

and violin concertos, symphonic work "Borodino field", string quartets and trios, sonatas, 24 concert etudes,

numerous pieces, transcriptions ... All her writings, as well as performance, are directly linked with the great Russian

tradition.

Music filled her life to the brim. Her incredible creative activity was fed only by one passion she entirely gave herself to

- a huge love for Music. And it was this love that gave her strength for all spheres of her activities. When one

interviewer asked her: "You perform much, you are recorded, are a member of the jury of many competitions, you

have a great class ... Are you not tired?" Nikolaeva said: "I do not understand how you can get tired of music?".

She went as every artist could wish about. At her last concert in San Francisco after the performance of one of her

favorite part of Shostakovich cycle - b-moll fugues, she felt unwell and left the scene, closing the keyboard piano. She

always finished playing "The Art of Fugue" by Bach exactly in such symbolic way - on the unfinished counterpoint in

the whole silence...

Tatiana NikolaevaAs all great, over the years the true value of Tatyana Nikolaeva’s art becomes more and more

evident. Her name will remain to be a synonym with loyalty to high art and Russian musical culture, not only for those

who had luck to know her, but also for future generations.

The author thanks the Goldenweiser Museum for assistance and provided materials.

Translated by Gavrilova N.