To the birthday of the theater. Vadim Zaplechny: "I ​​am a happy person, I found my director"

09.04.2014

To the birthday of the theater

Vadim Zaplechny: "I ​​am a happy person, I found my director”

24 years ago on April 10, 1990 Moscow musical theater "Helikon-Opera" was born. We continue our series of interviews with people who have the most direct relation to the story of success of the theater.

- I was at the opening of "Helikon-Opera" on April 10, 1990, soloist Vadim Zaplechny recalls - I attended it as a spectator. But I caught Helikon’s virus in my blood forever. Six months later, in October 90, I came to serve in "Helikon". I have a photo of that time. We were just boys for whom there was nothing else than the theater life. It was an infinite creative and human enjoyment . If there was a place to put the beds to sleep, we would never go home. After finishing rehearsal in the theater we went to Dmitry’s home, his flat was near Begovaya metro station then. We talked for hours, inventing something new. People, who joined Helikon company, instantly catapulted into this fantastic studio atmosphere.

Now we have a professional, strong theater with all structures and a huge team. But most importantly, there still is exactly the one true spirit of youth! 

- I noticed at the concert, which  Helikon-opera performed to veterans-physicians in March 2014, they looked at you with such an adoration...

- I came to Bertman in such a vocal state, which no other theater would accept me with. Dmitry saw something in me. I remember my first performances in Helikon-opera after operetta theatre: I had a knocked breath, unsettled voice. It was all very strange. I started working with an incredible desire to achieve results. Gradually I began to warm up. Of course, it was both good and bad, but three years later serious stuff already appeared in my repertoire: "Pagliacci", "Carmen". Now it is easier to talk about it, but then it seemed impossible that after the operetta I can sing opera and succeed. It was difficult.

Certainly I want to mention Kirill Tikhonov, who was the chief conductor and musical director of Helikon-opera then. He was just charged with youthful energy. We were very lucky with him. After all, we took challenging productions. And he certainly has made an invaluable contribution to the Helikon’s formation.

And more. I sometimes think no other theater would risk such things, which Dmitry Bertman began with. "Mavra" by Igor Stravinsky, "Return" by P. Hindemith, "Prodigal Son" by Claude Debussy, "Maddalena" by S. Prokofiev, all the rare things. The first more or less traditional performance of Helikon-Opera was "Kashchei the Immortal" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, though still a controversial issue. Then there was Poulenc’s "The Human Voice" with Natasha Zagorinskaya. She was simply "beyond", as they say now, the way it was felt by her. Then Leoncavallo’s "Pagliacci" . This was our first move towards the traditional repertoire. After the "Pagliacci" there were "Carmen" by Bizet, "Undine" , "Eugene Onegin", "Mazeppa", "The Queen of Spades" by Tchaikovsky, etc.

I think Dmitry Bertman was always interested in rare operas and is now interested, because it is an opportunity to open something new without regard to standards.

Thanks to its diverse repertoire Helikon-opera achieved fantastic resonance with the public. Bertman’s unrestrained faith gave us the terrific harmony in the implementation of his plans. Maybe  it wasn’t perfect musically, but when it came to the ensemble, energy, there were brilliant boons.

	Vadim Zaplechny
Scene from "Carmen". Vadim Zaplechny and Natalia Zagorinskaya
Vadim Zaplechny

I often recall "Pagliacci", staged in the courtyard of the House of Physicians, which successfully reminded the Italian courtyard. the audience watched a performance as a movie. During the perfromance we rolled out an old painted "Zaporozhets" and real pigeons were involved. The birds were bought at an old "Birds Market" in advance. During the first performance the perfect bird flew up and sat on the roof of the old porch, began to coo, which illustrated the theme of love. But before the last performance Dmitry called me and said: "Vadik, listen, we have no pigeons . Can you can stop by the "Bird Market" on the road and buy some?", and I promised. The performance started at seven p.m., I got to the market by five, there were no doves. I rushed about the rows in terror. Suddenly someone creeped out, looking miserable

- What do you look for?

- I look for a couple of doves...

- One moment, and a stranger disappeared somewhere and after several minutes brought me a couple of almost dead birds, they look sad. Seems, he had just caught them.

I asked:

- How much ?

- A bottle.

I do not remember how much a bottle cost that time, but I drag these poor pigeons to the theater and the people immediately started to feel pity and started to feed them: "Oh, such ugly birds!". They feed and feed the birds, and the pigeons ate. Nedda's aria began. The first pigeon hardly rised a meter level and did as a bomber : " ...boo-boo" to the orchestra! Along the way the endless stream of feces came out of it directly to the audience. It was a shock! The next bird took off and did exactly the same. After that, we refused pigeons.

I remember how Helikon celebrated it three years. We celebrated it in such a way, that it looked like the theater was running for 50 years. In fact, Helikon was at the edge. If we were not financially supported by the state that time, we would barely managed to survive the nineties. But we were supported! We survived!

- I saw your granddaughter on stage. Can we talk about the eternal continuation of all?

- Let's see. My grandmother was an actress, dad was a dramatic actor, mother was a singer, my  children: Masha - a dancer, Dasha – is an actress at International Chekhov's Laboratory). If Vasilinka will sing, there will be the fifth generation in the dynasty. We do not run over her, she somehow chooses herself. Seems, she likes it.

- Сейчас видел Вашу внучку на сцене. Можно говорить о том, что будет вечное продолжение всего?

- There are grounds for happiness&

- I am the happiest person, I met my director, when it was necessary. He either criticises me, or praises me, or we are in idyllic relations. But that’s all right, all for good. I am very happy with that.

- Which of your works would you like to mention precisely?

- I really hope Dmitry will produce "Othello" someday. I even was a bit unfaithful to him with Othello. But he himself brought me to the audition. But another agency put forward an African of 160 pound of weight. And it was hard made be black then. All I did in Helikon-opera is insanely favorite. I have never disliked my roles. All of them were born in a joint effort with Bertman, with other people and partners and were all important. Both Herman, and Lenski, and Ricard, and Radames, and all.

P.S. Deputy Artistic Director creative teams of "Helikon- Opera" Ilya Ilyin enters the office, where Vadim and me are talking.

Ilya Ilyin: - Are you recording this?

Denis Ryabtsev: - Yes, we are recording

Ilya Ilyin (leaning to the recorder ) - Vadim is the best!

And nobody argues.