Two lives of Pavel Chernykh

The Bolshoi Theatre soloist Pavel Chernykh has been working with the Bolshoi Company for 17 years and can’t imagine his life outside its walls. However, two years ago the actor lost his voice. Fortunately he has been able to restore it and now he feels as if he had started a new life, Pavel says, and adds that he is ready to reach new peaks.

On March 29, 2005 we met Pavel Chernykh at the Bolshoi where he sang Mazeppa that night. We met him in his dressing room where we started talking and continued it between his appearances on stage.

- When did you first feel that singing is your vocation?

- I have been singing since as early as childhood. Then my singing was loud and buoyant. I used to hear: ‘why are you shouting...!’ I didn't shout, though, it was my voice that was so strong.

- When a student at the Conservatoire you used to be a bass, yet later at the Bolshoi theatre you sang baritone parts. What happened?

- As I was born in Moscow, I grew up in Moscow and on top of all, my father used to sing in the Bolshoi’s chorus, I couldn’t even think of any other theatre but the Bolshoi. In this sense I’m a "stay-at-home" man, I hate leaving Moscow even for a fortnight. The very idea of going to another town made me panic. Such a reaction left no choice for me but the Bolshoi. I came here three times to deliver my singing in bass, and all the three times I was asked to sing something in a higher tone. I couldn’t make up my mind for a long time but finally I thought: " Well, for what shall I rear my bass which is incomplete in the lower tone”. I changed my voice for baritone, let’s say, I did it for merely materialistic reasons, to join the Bolshoi Theatre Company. I was accepted. I can’t say it was difficult for me to adjust my voice to the new tembro diapason - I had always had the high notes of it. Yet the process took 15 years and the efforts resulted in my voice’s disappearing.

- How did it happen?

- You see, I had a purely forcing manner of singing. I sang worse and worse. This, certainly, couldn’t last forever. Nevertheless, there was a man who never stopped telling me all the time: " Pasha, you sing in the wrong way. Let me help you". The man is Alexander Fillipovich Vedernikov, the man that kindly gave me a chance to start anew my career as a singer.

- However, there is no denying that your career now is something to be envied: a great number of parts, celebrities as directors, most talented partners. Besides, you have been on tours to many countries. Could you recall some funny and peculiar incident while you were on a tour?

- Actually, I haven’t been abroad so much. I never loved shortlistings for I got my voice stubbed there. It’s not that I was nervous…but I often sang in the wrong way again there. That is why I usually sang either at the Bolshoi or for the Bolshoi. But once there happened a thing that I will never forget, never in my life. In 1991 the Bolshoi Company was giving guest performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. During the performance, (I sang Onegin and Eugenie Eugenievich Nesterenko – Gremin) Eugenie Eugenievich appears on stage and takes me by my arm (strictly according to the scenario) and I feel his arm shaking nervously. But when he began singing … I had never heard anybody sing it so brilliantly, Gremin’s part, and will hardly hear again. When his aria was over the audience were shouting, moaning and crying, I felt Onegin might go and have a rest. I had to finish my part, though. (smiling) It was the impression of the century!

- And have you ever felt you’d like to go and work abroad?

- Those who say they wouldn’t, probably, have never been invited. To tell you the truth, working abroad, it’s always more attractive in terms of money. Secondly, when a singer works for one company only it’s a catastrophe for him. One needs to appear in different places and all the time to prove one’s merits as a singer. Working with different partners, conductors etc., enriches both the actor’s professionalism and personality.

- Nevertheless, in terms of your artistic career are you satisfied with what you have at the moment?

- I consider that my career is only two years old. I’ll have to prove my merits, to show that I’m still an accomplished singer at this slightly advanced (smiles) age of mine. I cannot say that I’ve got everything in store either. Nobody knows that.

- Does it mean you believe in destiny, in God?

- As to the God, I’m a passive believer rather that an active one. For me personally the question about religion is not a proper question to ask. It’s so personal and private that people shouldn’t talk about it. If God exists, we, all of us depend on him as electric bulbs depend on their power station. So should we get in touch with other “bulbs” and discuss what voltage we are having today? It doesn’t seem important – the only thing important is that the current runs and the bulbs give light. And so much to that. But, certainly, I believe in its Majesty Chance. I’m superstitious, but to a certain degree: one will better avoid dropping and losing one’s music sheets, and once you have dropped them it’s advisable to sit on them for a while; this is the rule followed by the singers all over the world.

- Your attitude to the modern productions, for example, the sensational "Rosental’s Children"?

- I haven’t seen or heard the opera, to my shame. Therefore I can hardly say anything about it and that’s why I’m not going to join the chorus of angry voices. Certainly, I hear that there are deputies who rose against the production. But you shouldn’t just curse it and neglect its good points. For instance, let’s take one of the repertoire pieces - Turandot, whose finale sounds communistic to some part of the audience and draws their negative response. For me personally such innovations sound wonderful – they stir emotions and give pleasure! Or, for example, let’s take Senta from " The Flying Dutch ", she was accused of terrorism, you know! The problem, to my mind, is evidently far fetched.

- As far as I know, in your repertoire there are pieces that cannot be attributed to opera music. What else is to your liking?

- I sing romances and I consider it being part and parcel of my work. If somebody invites my to sing some spiritual music, I shall, certainly, agree, though, so far there has not been a chance to do it. In December, 2003 I took part in a concert devoted to bard Andrey Nikolsky’s birthday, he composes and performs his own songs. I sang two of his songs to phonograph accompaniment. It was very interesting on the one hand, and terrible strain and stress on the other. It was equal to, I would say, a shortlisting at the Bolshoi. As I am used to alive accompaniment, with people playing for me here and now, when there is a link between the orchestra and me. In order to get used to the phonogram rhythm I had been stubbornly humming it for a week and still I was terribly nervous while singing.

- Had you many teachers?

- Yes. My first teacher, Bolshakov Alexey Alexeevich, was an outstanding, brilliant Soviet baritone; his wife became my second teacher. The third one was Eugenie Eugenievich Nesterenko. I’d rather say I borrowed very much from Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova’s experience, though we are more on friendly terms than on professional ones. We first met in Kishinev in 1990 during the festival "Ìaria Bieshu Inviting". Then we happened to in the same hotel in Paris. Ìishka, my son, each morning, after breakfast, headed for Irina Konstantinovna’s room to play. I dare say that we are friends. But we don’t transfer our relations into professional field. She never pulled strings for me and so on and so forth. We are both people of character and may have a spot of argument from time to time.

- What is your ‘emploi’? Which roles do you find easier to get used to?

- I wouldn’t like to stamp myself. I love all of them. Most of my characters are dressed in tails, fortunately or not. With pleasure I would try myself in a buffoon role with great pleasure. Moreover I would very much want to do a drama role. My dream is working on something together with the director Petr Naumovich Fomenko, whom I adore.

- Who are your idols if any?

- Still, the Bible is a book of wisdom, I’d rather use the word ‘a man of authority’ instead of the word ‘an idol’. Firstly, Alexander Fillipovich Vedernikov, whom I respect both as a singer and as a teacher, Eugenie Eugenievich Nesterenko is perfectly good at acting and singing… All of them belong to the past, though. As to contemporary singers… (thinks) I do not know whom to name. (Pavel Chernykh’s accompanist looks into the dressing room. Pavel sees her, smiles and rises to greet her). My favourite accompanist, she is my second mother, actually, at the Bolshoi Natalia Petrovna Rassudova (the family name is translated as ‘reasonable’). When I’m alone, without her, I am an unreasonable man (laughs).

- What do you listen to in your free time?

- I don’t listen to music when I have some free time, but to the voices of the guys working on my construction sight (smiles). I adore the film "Pokrovskye Vorota (Pokrovskye Gates)". I watch it once a week and every time I find something new in it, just like in a piece of good literature.

- What is of your interest besides theatre? As far as I know you are a car-specialist and you are fond of history.

- Cars are an expensive hobby, which takes much money. Money today is an estimation of a man’s labour. You need to be a star to get paid so much as to afford such a hobby. I haven’t got hobbies; I’ve got a life where I try to make up for the shortage of money with my own labour. In my free time now I think I don’t like to do anything at all. But I would say I still find some things interesting. It would be interesting, for example, to make a music-literary composition on the radio with Alexander Vodopyanov.

- Are there some favourite directors interesting for you to work with?

- Probably, the director’s work is to be judged about by the reaction of the public – a good director’s production usually wins recognition, receives a warm welcome from the public. And the director of the production is important, but still the music is its most important aspect, it comes to the theatre’s rescue!

- Which of your numerous partners do you like to work with most of all?

- Really much depends on them: it may be either boring or not, either torturing or pleasant. Probably, it is easier for me to work with women. My favourite partners – Masha Gavrilova, Lolitta Semenina, Larisa Rudakova – good people and bright and creative personalities. Ìarina Poplavskaya so perfectly embodies her character that sometimes I feel at a loss.

- Being creative people actors quite often transfer their emotions from life onto stage. Is it familiar to you?

- Work is work I would say. During the performance I dismiss every thought, every emotion, problem, everything, I concentrate on my work only. I proceed onto the stage and … I feel as if the doors of the car had slammed behind me… I don’t know and I don’t care what is going on outside… In opera it is vital to precisely keep up with the time, with the music. (He makes a pause as if on the Moscow Art Academic Theatre stage) There is no chance to pretend that you are deep in thought if you happen to forget your role. It is no drama theatre… in the opera the conductor is threatening you with his fist, the director is showing every sign of panic (laughs) once you miss your start. You know opera is like front preparations in the army. But all the same I can’t help it sometimes.

- Alongside with a great number of main roles you’ve got a supporting one, Silvano in Un Ballo in Maschera. Why do you so much like it?

- Un Ballo in Maschera is a very picturesque performance, good both in terms of staging and music, a 100% performance. The director Semyon Stein understands that the main thing in opera is its music, mood and the image of the heroes. It turned out to be a very cosy production. Everything you see on stage seems so authentic that you feel you’ve found yourself in a fairy tale. And now just imagine: I arrive at seven, at half past eight I sing Silvano to be free at eight. Afterwards I go down to the auditorium and watch it on till the end. This is a session in the best meaning of the word! Afterwards I always feel as if I had attended a feast.

- You think you’re a careerist?

- No, I don’t think so. Making a career is to win recognition by people, both moral and material. I’m not going to feel bitter about it and search for roundabout ways to incredible popularity. As I see it one must work and blame himself for all his failures.