Russian by birth and cellist on stages across Europe, Leonid Gorokov, great interpreter and excellent teacher, willingly accepts to answer some of our questions.
When did you start playing and why did you choose the cello?
I started playing piano with 5 and cello with 7 years of age. Cello was suggested to me (I guess) because there were some spaces available in the freshly-started cello class.
Which teachers were the most decisive in your training, and from which points of view?
I started studying with S. Zagursky, a true poet of the instrument. When he emigrated from USSR I was accepted in the class of A. Nikitin, a great musician, and a dedicated Professor. My undying inspiration was and is still the great Daniil Shafran.
During the first years of study, have you ever thought about stopping playing the cello to dedicate yourself to something else?
I never thought of stopping. It was made it or break it.
In your opinion, is there a way to tell if a young cellist has the chance to become a great cellist?
Only in the process of work, there is a combination of factors to be established, I believe.
Is it useful to participate in competitions during the study period? All students are able to calmly face competition, even accepting a possible defeat?
Competitions have become very numerous. Some still maintain great standards of professionalism and fairness, but, sadly, not all. It very much depends. There could be a great motivation to learn new repertoire to a deadline, meet fellow participants and great colleagues; but some pointless tasks could also be disheartening. Choose with care and don’t get disappointed, make the best of it. I feel that there is life after competitions for some as well
There are, in your opinion, compositions that, in any case, a teacher should include in the course of his students’ studies, or it is necessary to select for each student a different path suitable for strengthening weaknesses and improving the strengths of each one?
Agree with both; flexibility is very important but there are, I feel, some works essential for the development of a young cellist. The Studies, the works written by cellists, Bach Suites.
Is it useful for a cellist to attend master classes with different cellistis during his training period?
Masterclasses with great colleagues centered on detailed, hard, honest work with students and not used for a narcissistic purpose.
In the student-teacher relationship, a student learns more by listening to a theoretical explanation or by listening to the teacher who plays?
Both for sure, the delivery of information is crucial: one word out of focus, one bad demonstration = loss of hard-gained trust
Do you prefer to play alone, with other cellists, or with musicians who play other instruments?
I love all of the above, especially with friends and like-minded musicians.
And what are the musicians with whom you collaborated and collaborate more willingly?
Those I play with now and then ..)
What is the moment of your life as a cellist that you remember with more pleasure?
Streams of uncontrolled tears after hearing Shafran live in London in 1994 after a long break
Your latest CD has just been released. Which CD have you recorded and which would you like to record?
Hopefully not too many to contribute to plastic garbage situation, really only ones I could not resist recording. The last one, just released, for exactly the same reason. With my very dear friend and a wonderful artist, Niklas Sivelöv.
Many of the musicians I interviewed see in the spread of musical culture a way to create peace among peoples. Do you also believe it is true?
I believe that to achieve that, we need an educated audience. People can only really understand the message when they can relate to the language. So, to a degree, true; the playing alone is not quite enough.
What are your musical projects for 2020?
Now most projects are suspended; the main one is to deliver enough to my students to make sure they feel inspired, looked after and never alone.
Thank you so much for your willingness to answer my questions. I hope that your “suspended” projects can be realized.
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