Renaissance man. Remembering Sollertinsky

VITEBSK. The opening of the XXVII Sollertinsky Music Festival took place.

In Russia, which is associated with most of the life of the great musicologist, teacher and educator Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky, his name is known only to experts and experts on the history of Russian culture. In Vitebsk, where he was born, where he left at the age of 4, an international music festival has been held in memory of him for several decades. Its benevolent and inspired atmosphere, the idea of the cultural renaissance of the ancient city where Chagall, Malevich, Falk, Dobuzhinsky lived and worked, attracts great musicians from different countries. The festival’s face is characterized by scientific readings with the participation of musicologists. Active participation in his organization is taking Sollertinsky’s son - Dmitry, chairman of the Shostakovich Society in St. Petersburg. A long friendship was associated with the great composer-innovator Ivan Ivanovich. The introductory article to Sollertinsky’s book, Historical Studies, published in 1963, full of admiration for a departed friend, was written by Shostakovich.

A scholar, a polyglot, a brilliant orator, a theater expert, an outstanding teacher - in terms of personality, talent and education Sollertinsky is comparable to the titans of the Renaissance. His lectures were very successful in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk, where he, like thousands of Leningrad residents, was evacuated during the war. The man who had a huge impact on the cultural life of the largest city in Siberia, died at 41 years old. A weak heart could not stand the harsh living conditions, life in a practically unheated room. In the more comfortable housing allocated to him, another person settled, burdened with power.

At the opening of the XXVII International Festival, performed by Moscow musicians, the composition of Dmitry Shostakovich “In memory of I. I. Sollertinsky” was performed. On December 1, the audience was able to enjoy the performance of the Italian composer and organist Eugenio Fagiani, to hear Baroque works written for flute-traverse and harpsichord performed by Galina Matyukova and Dmitry Zubov. Prior to the closing of the unique festival, classical music lovers will meet with the pianist Michael O’Rourke, the Classic Avangard ensemble Vladimir Baidov, and the organist Alexei Lyubimov.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru