The great men of her life [Interview]

The great men of her life [Interview]
 
Some time passed since the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. For the next one, we will have to wait next 5 years. Dinara Klinton, the pianist who represented Ukraine, was not qualified for the final, but was recognized as the best among all remaining participants. In an interview, Dinara tells Presto, in what way her music career started, who is most important for her in it and what the last year Chopin Competition meant for her.

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Władysław Rokiciński: On both CDs which you already recorded, you play the music of only two composers: Fryderyk Chopin and Franz Liszt. They were almost of the same age, the first one was born in spring 1810, the other one – in autumn 1811. What are they for you, Chopin and Liszt, and why just they?
Dinara Klinton: Chopin and Liszt have been very special composers for me since my early childhood. My love for the Chopin’s music started immediately after I heard his Nocturne Cis Minor. and Fantaisie-Impromptu, and my first Chopin’s work was played when I was 7.  First Liszt’s piece was played two years later, but before that my passion for Liszt was instilled by his Transcendental Etude No. 10. I have been recently told that romantic music is my mother tongue. It is hard for me to say whether it is because of my nature or because I have played a lot of it since my young age.
When it came to the choice of repertoire for my 1^st CD, I wanted it to be something particularly dear to me. These two contemporaries are impressively different in their temper, life story, background, influence, ideals, hence their musical language as well. It seems to me that the main reason for it was the difference in their vision of the reality. Although, they sometimes used the same images, genres and means of expression. One of the most “Lisztian” pieces of Chopin seems to be for me his 3^rd Scherzo, as well as some of the Etudes (as we know, Op.10 was dedicated to Liszt, and Op.25 to Liszt’s long-time partner, Madame d’Agoult). The most “Chopinistic” Liszt’s piece seems to me his 3^rd Consolation, and the 2^nd of the Three Concert Etudes (“La leggierezza”). What strikes me in the music of both authors is the beauty of the melodic expression, acute passion, their range of images. It is amazing that we can feel, how different Chopin and Liszt were as performers, when we look at the scores of their compositions.

Władysław Rokiciński: Does the music of Chopin and Liszt prevail also in the programmes of concerts which you play?
Dinara Klinton: Indeed, I often include Chopin’s and Liszt’s works into my program, and their music forms a very important part of my repertoire. It was quite a few years ago when I learned and started playing in concerts both opuses of Chopin’s Etudes, and a couple of years ago I was fired up  with an idea to perform the complete Transcendental Etudes of Liszt in a recital. After a few performances were done, my dream became to record them, and I was very fortunate to make it true last year by recording them at the Leipziger Gewandhaus with GENUIN classics.
Last year, you took part in the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. You were in the semifinal, but you were not qualified for the final of the Competition. What did you feel then? It is a bit like taking the fourth place in a sport final during the Olympic Games. Sportsmen are said to say that the fourth place is irritating as much as nothing else. Or perhaps, in the case of a music competition such a comparison makes no sense and simplifies the issue?
My time in Warsaw was magnificent. I don’t know whether on any other competition a pianist gets such amount of attention of musicians around the world, who eagerly follow the broadcast, as well as of press and media recognition worldwide. I had a feeling of some emptiness once the competition was over, as it had been more than two weeks in a “spotlight”. Of course, it is a dream of every pianist on this planet to walk on stage of the Chopin’s Competition Final, and it’s a shame I was so close to do it and it didn’t happen. However, I got the nicest comments from the jury members, all tremendous musicians, highly respected by me. There might be no any other occasion in my life to play for them again. I get quite a certain attention after my appearances in Warsaw, and I can certainly say that this competition brought not only my career, but also my “musicianship” on to a new level.
You were recognized as the best participant among the non-finalists. The Alink-Argerich Foundation will take care of your promotion and concert organization. Is it already known, what events it will be?
Ms Argerich looked favourably upon my playing, and with the support of Alink-Argerich Foundation, which launched the Prize for the best non-finalist, I was invited to play on “Progetto Martha Argerich” Festival on 22th June this year.

Władysław Rokiciński: You spent quite a time in Warsaw. If we put aside the competition as such, and will focus on all that what was happening on the so called backstage and during your free time, if you had any, what impressions from Warsaw you took back home?
Dinara Klinton: I tried my best to feel the spirit of Warsaw. For me, exploring the place often starts with knowing people. I met with a few good old friends and made quite a few new ones. I learned from inside the exhibition of the Chopin’s Museum, visited the Royal Palace, and whenever had time, I used to get lost myself in small side-streets and yards, trying to catch the atmosphere of the city. I brought back only the best memories and often look back with nostalgia upon that time and the people I was fortunate to meet!
You are a professional musician, aren’t you? Was this your life plan? How old you were, when you decided to devote your life to music?
I always had a piano at home, as my mother is a piano teacher. Since it became my favourite toy as soon as I was able to stand, my mother brought me to the special music school in my hometown, Kharkiv, where I started my lessons before officially entered it when became 7 years old. My mother didn’t insist on me to take the classes, but playing was somewhat very natural for me, and since all the children in my school were studying music, it was rather unusual for me to know someone who didn’t play. I was blessed to have amazing teachers from the very start. Regina Horowitz, a sister of Vladimir, taught in my hometown for over a quarter of the century, and my teacher, Svetlana Zakharova, was her student.
If you were to mention a single person and a single situation, a circumstance, who and which caused that you are what you are today, would it be at all possible? And if it were possible, whom and what would you mention?
Once in every two years a big music event was taking place in Kharkiv – Vladimir Krainev International Competition for young pianists. I remember going there with my mother to listen when I was 6, and in two years time, I took part myself, won the 1^st Prize, still being the youngest participant in the history of the competition. Since then Vladimir Krainev played a very important role in my professional life. Not only he helped the winners of his competition by giving them support and performance opportunities, even going on stage with them to play double and triple concertos with orchestra; he also was a genius teacher. I have never been his student officially, but I was lucky to play to him on master-classes and before his scholars’ concerts. It’s been already 5 years since we lost him, and it’s still hard to believe – such an exuberant person he was. I dedicated my latest CD to his memory.
Learn more about Dinara Klinton: http://dinaraklinton.com