Russian SH series--from website--part 12
For friends old and new--resuming translation...;)
Cheers,
Cat
**
MUSIC
This legendary series had many fortunate creative achievements and finds. Even the tandem of composer Vladimir Dashkevich and Igor Maslennikov itself is worth a great deal. Before “Sherlock Holmes” they worked together in different films, and that’s why they knew and felt very well what is needed for this or that specific movie. However, it took them some time to define the music style for the series. The producer tried the best he could to explain to the composer, what kind of “British, imperial” and at the same time, ironic music he wanted to have in the film; he even spent the night listening to his radio, recording the musical themes of BBC through the roar of the dampers onto his cassette player..
Vladimir Dashkevich, composer:
There’s an element of randomness, but most likely, everything happened the way it should have. I did not even treat Maslennikov’s proposal too seriously, because we have just finished the wide screen film “Yaroslavna, Queen of France.” In that film there was quite a lot of music, rather complicated music, and in general, it was a large and interesting piece of work. Livanov participated in that film also. But, naturally, none of us thought what would happen next. You know, that is how it usually goes-the film is finished, everybody has become great friends, everybody wants to work-but how to work, what to make the next film about, when one would be allowed to start filming it-you never know. Usually, I meet my friends who are film directors on average once every three years. With Maslennikov, I’ve done two other films prior to that one: “Race car drivers” with young Oleg Yankovsky and Evgeniy Leonov, then “Sentimental Novel” based on a novel by Vera Panova. Livanov was, of course, well known by his other works, but definitely nobody perceived him as Holmes.
One time, I came to Lenfilm, and Igor Fedorovich is reading some kind of script. He says, “Frid and Dunsky wrote a very interesting script “Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.” And he says, half-joking-“Here, take the pipe. You have something like that in your face-you could play Holmes.” I got scared, because I admire actors exactly because they do what I myself could never do. To come out on the stage, to say something, to play somebody else, to cry or to laugh-it seems to me that is something I could never do. I told Igor Fedorovich that he could never pull that off, he should just forget it.
Maslennikov most likely forgot about that conversation, but some time later he says, “Well, there is an actor Vitaly Solomin.” I said, “Yes, he is a very good actor, I worked with him, I wrote the music for the play “Krechinsky’s Wedding,” which Leonid Heifets staged. Solomin played very well in it. You could see the quality, he is a sharp, vivid actor. That was in the Maly Theater. Maslennikov asked, “And what is your attitude towards Livanov? Would he be able to play Sherlock Holmes?” For me, that was a very strange question, because he played the parts of members of Russian intelligentsia, the Chekhov types. It was clear that he was a wonderful actor. I felt that Maslennikov was working on something. He said, “Well, all right. Here, take the script and read it.” I took the script and left for Moscow.
The script was wonderful. The story of friendship between two totally different people was written wonderfully well, it interested me very much. But it was very far still till we got to music. I thought-it would be yet a long while till they start filming it, then a while after that when they’d show it to me…. And suddenly, Igor Fedorovich telephones from Leningrad to Moscow and says: “You know, I’ve heard the theme music to the BBC’s cultural program, and it seems to me that that music is similar to the kind we need for Sherlock Holmes.” That was on Saturday morning, and the BBC program was broadcast on Friday evenings. So of course, by the time Friday came, I forgot to listen to it, and on Saturday he called again. I said, “I forgot to listen to it.” He: “Well you definitely need to listen to it.”
Another week passed, I forgot again, he telephoned me again. I could already tell that he’s beginning to get tense about this. I promised to listen to it next time. But a third week passed, and I forgot to listen to it once again. And Maslennikov says to me every time: “That is Britain, that’s an empire, and in it are chivalry, and irony, and might, and optimism, and nobility…” And all the time he kept telling me all that. So long story short, when I forgot once again, and he telephoned me once again, in despair I just picked up the phone with a long cord, moved it near the grand piano and played the first thing that came into my head. And that was the theme song to Sherlock Holmes, about which Igor Fedorovich was talking. Being a wise man, he said, “Vladimir Sergeevich, in no event should you leave it like this, pick up a pencil right now and write it down, because you’ll forget later.” However, I have a good memory [)))))-author’s note], but nonetheless I picked up a pencil and wrote it down, as the director told me-director is the most important person in the movies, he should be obeyed. I was pleased that I finally don’t need to worry about listening to that theme song for the cultural program; so I still don’t know what that song was like.
And so, some time later, Maslennikov said that they have edited the footage, the film is almost ready, and I should start writing the music. I have looked through the footage and I liked it very much, it was really unexpected and very modern, it was a Russian Sherlock Holmes, but it was more interesting and in some sense more British than those British wilted Holmeses and Watsons, who even now show up sometimes and irritate me awfully with their anemicity, senselessness, and gracelessness. When I started thinking what kind of music I should choose, this is what played a large role here-the fact that I’ve loved Conan Doyle since my childhood, and at one time, he made quite a strong impression on me. But there was something else that was also important. That music possessed optimism specific to British mentality, it had a great feeling of respect.
They were truly people, who respect themselves, who can respect others, who always act in a dignified manner. It was that feeling of respect and worth that I wanted to convey, because in our life, in the Russian mentality, it is still rare. We seldom think about always retaining dignity and respect towards each other. And there is little true optimism in us, unfortunately-because it is a very valuable quality for a person to have; it gives him some kind of lighthouse, something directing him in life.
Among our specialists, the music caused a stir. People keep trying to find some kind of trick in it even today. I remember how I came to Repino once, to the House of Creative Composers, and there were two music historians-one was, I think, Mikhail Bialik, and the second one someone else. And they were arguing, and one was saying that it is music written by late Purcell, the 17th century British composer, and the other-that it is music by early Britten, early 20th century composer. And so they saw that I arrived, and immediately made a bet for a bottle of cognac, and attacked me with their question. And when I told them that I don’t do ethnography, don’t use other people’s melodies but write what comes to my mind, they became very offended and they are probably still convinced that I had not told them the truth, that somewhere in some obscure volume which they did not find but I dug up, there was that music.
It is unknown why certain melodies are born in composers’ minds that people later take a liking to. It is a matter of happenstance. It is probably to a large extent Igor Fedorovich’s fault, because if he didn’t go after me like that, I would have started working, thinking about what kind of music to write, but this way, it happened instantly. A second prior to that I didn’t know what I would play. It’s the kind of state when you don’t expect it of yourself. Mark Zakharov told me that Gennadiy Gladkov surprised him just that way sometimes-he wrote “Uno uno momento” in the same way.
In cinematography, and even in Russian music overall, there are very many minor key themes, especially today. Minor key feeling pours, the people drink grief by the glass. And a major key theme is very difficult to write, that is to a significant extent an indicator of your level and ability. In my opinion, only Dunaevskiy and Gladkov wrote good major key music in the movies. In our life, it seems, there is more misfortune than good fortune, and that is why such major key themes as the one in Holmes are truly a rarity.
The fortunate event of specifically myself being offered to write music for Sherlock Holmes might not have occurred. But perhaps there is somewhere some kind of divine truth, which dictates why what happens is what should happen. Perhaps there is some kind of justice in specifically myself having done it.
Cheers,
Cat
**
MUSIC
This legendary series had many fortunate creative achievements and finds. Even the tandem of composer Vladimir Dashkevich and Igor Maslennikov itself is worth a great deal. Before “Sherlock Holmes” they worked together in different films, and that’s why they knew and felt very well what is needed for this or that specific movie. However, it took them some time to define the music style for the series. The producer tried the best he could to explain to the composer, what kind of “British, imperial” and at the same time, ironic music he wanted to have in the film; he even spent the night listening to his radio, recording the musical themes of BBC through the roar of the dampers onto his cassette player..
Vladimir Dashkevich, composer:
There’s an element of randomness, but most likely, everything happened the way it should have. I did not even treat Maslennikov’s proposal too seriously, because we have just finished the wide screen film “Yaroslavna, Queen of France.” In that film there was quite a lot of music, rather complicated music, and in general, it was a large and interesting piece of work. Livanov participated in that film also. But, naturally, none of us thought what would happen next. You know, that is how it usually goes-the film is finished, everybody has become great friends, everybody wants to work-but how to work, what to make the next film about, when one would be allowed to start filming it-you never know. Usually, I meet my friends who are film directors on average once every three years. With Maslennikov, I’ve done two other films prior to that one: “Race car drivers” with young Oleg Yankovsky and Evgeniy Leonov, then “Sentimental Novel” based on a novel by Vera Panova. Livanov was, of course, well known by his other works, but definitely nobody perceived him as Holmes.
One time, I came to Lenfilm, and Igor Fedorovich is reading some kind of script. He says, “Frid and Dunsky wrote a very interesting script “Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.” And he says, half-joking-“Here, take the pipe. You have something like that in your face-you could play Holmes.” I got scared, because I admire actors exactly because they do what I myself could never do. To come out on the stage, to say something, to play somebody else, to cry or to laugh-it seems to me that is something I could never do. I told Igor Fedorovich that he could never pull that off, he should just forget it.
Maslennikov most likely forgot about that conversation, but some time later he says, “Well, there is an actor Vitaly Solomin.” I said, “Yes, he is a very good actor, I worked with him, I wrote the music for the play “Krechinsky’s Wedding,” which Leonid Heifets staged. Solomin played very well in it. You could see the quality, he is a sharp, vivid actor. That was in the Maly Theater. Maslennikov asked, “And what is your attitude towards Livanov? Would he be able to play Sherlock Holmes?” For me, that was a very strange question, because he played the parts of members of Russian intelligentsia, the Chekhov types. It was clear that he was a wonderful actor. I felt that Maslennikov was working on something. He said, “Well, all right. Here, take the script and read it.” I took the script and left for Moscow.
The script was wonderful. The story of friendship between two totally different people was written wonderfully well, it interested me very much. But it was very far still till we got to music. I thought-it would be yet a long while till they start filming it, then a while after that when they’d show it to me…. And suddenly, Igor Fedorovich telephones from Leningrad to Moscow and says: “You know, I’ve heard the theme music to the BBC’s cultural program, and it seems to me that that music is similar to the kind we need for Sherlock Holmes.” That was on Saturday morning, and the BBC program was broadcast on Friday evenings. So of course, by the time Friday came, I forgot to listen to it, and on Saturday he called again. I said, “I forgot to listen to it.” He: “Well you definitely need to listen to it.”
Another week passed, I forgot again, he telephoned me again. I could already tell that he’s beginning to get tense about this. I promised to listen to it next time. But a third week passed, and I forgot to listen to it once again. And Maslennikov says to me every time: “That is Britain, that’s an empire, and in it are chivalry, and irony, and might, and optimism, and nobility…” And all the time he kept telling me all that. So long story short, when I forgot once again, and he telephoned me once again, in despair I just picked up the phone with a long cord, moved it near the grand piano and played the first thing that came into my head. And that was the theme song to Sherlock Holmes, about which Igor Fedorovich was talking. Being a wise man, he said, “Vladimir Sergeevich, in no event should you leave it like this, pick up a pencil right now and write it down, because you’ll forget later.” However, I have a good memory [)))))-author’s note], but nonetheless I picked up a pencil and wrote it down, as the director told me-director is the most important person in the movies, he should be obeyed. I was pleased that I finally don’t need to worry about listening to that theme song for the cultural program; so I still don’t know what that song was like.
And so, some time later, Maslennikov said that they have edited the footage, the film is almost ready, and I should start writing the music. I have looked through the footage and I liked it very much, it was really unexpected and very modern, it was a Russian Sherlock Holmes, but it was more interesting and in some sense more British than those British wilted Holmeses and Watsons, who even now show up sometimes and irritate me awfully with their anemicity, senselessness, and gracelessness. When I started thinking what kind of music I should choose, this is what played a large role here-the fact that I’ve loved Conan Doyle since my childhood, and at one time, he made quite a strong impression on me. But there was something else that was also important. That music possessed optimism specific to British mentality, it had a great feeling of respect.
They were truly people, who respect themselves, who can respect others, who always act in a dignified manner. It was that feeling of respect and worth that I wanted to convey, because in our life, in the Russian mentality, it is still rare. We seldom think about always retaining dignity and respect towards each other. And there is little true optimism in us, unfortunately-because it is a very valuable quality for a person to have; it gives him some kind of lighthouse, something directing him in life.
Among our specialists, the music caused a stir. People keep trying to find some kind of trick in it even today. I remember how I came to Repino once, to the House of Creative Composers, and there were two music historians-one was, I think, Mikhail Bialik, and the second one someone else. And they were arguing, and one was saying that it is music written by late Purcell, the 17th century British composer, and the other-that it is music by early Britten, early 20th century composer. And so they saw that I arrived, and immediately made a bet for a bottle of cognac, and attacked me with their question. And when I told them that I don’t do ethnography, don’t use other people’s melodies but write what comes to my mind, they became very offended and they are probably still convinced that I had not told them the truth, that somewhere in some obscure volume which they did not find but I dug up, there was that music.
It is unknown why certain melodies are born in composers’ minds that people later take a liking to. It is a matter of happenstance. It is probably to a large extent Igor Fedorovich’s fault, because if he didn’t go after me like that, I would have started working, thinking about what kind of music to write, but this way, it happened instantly. A second prior to that I didn’t know what I would play. It’s the kind of state when you don’t expect it of yourself. Mark Zakharov told me that Gennadiy Gladkov surprised him just that way sometimes-he wrote “Uno uno momento” in the same way.
In cinematography, and even in Russian music overall, there are very many minor key themes, especially today. Minor key feeling pours, the people drink grief by the glass. And a major key theme is very difficult to write, that is to a significant extent an indicator of your level and ability. In my opinion, only Dunaevskiy and Gladkov wrote good major key music in the movies. In our life, it seems, there is more misfortune than good fortune, and that is why such major key themes as the one in Holmes are truly a rarity.
The fortunate event of specifically myself being offered to write music for Sherlock Holmes might not have occurred. But perhaps there is somewhere some kind of divine truth, which dictates why what happens is what should happen. Perhaps there is some kind of justice in specifically myself having done it.