Interview with Prokofiev in Japan

In the beginning of August of 1918 Otaguro Motoo published in his magazine (Vol.3, No.8, pp. 2-13) his interview with Sergei Prokofiev, who was at that time in Japan. This interview was never more published in Japan or abroad.

Otaguro Motoo - What is the current state of Russian music?
Prokofiev - Better than one can imagine. I even gave a concert in April, and there are many orchestras.

Sergei Koussevitzky

Otaguro Motoo - Who is the best conductor in Russia?
Prokofiev - Who? First of all, I think Koussevitzky. Siloti is famous too.

I listened to Siloti playing the piano in London.
- Yes, he is a student of Liszt. Surely, he is rather aged for a pianist, that is why he became a conductor. However, I can’t say that he is good as a conductor. But he is good in organizing concerts, that’s why he is popular. There is also this English man, Albert Coates, he is an excellent conductor.

- Who are your favourite modern Russian composers?
- I like Scriabin, and also Stravinsky and Myaskovsky.

- What’s the attitude to Scriabin’s music in Russia?
- I think today there is better understanding of him.

- Really? I listened to him in London. But his music is rather difficult. I listened to his “Prometheus”.
- “Prometheus”? Very good. I was also in London in July of 1914. Perhaps, at the same time with you.

- Which of the Scriabin’s sonatas is your favourite? As to me, a haven’t listened to the Tenth sonata, however, I listened to the Ninth in his performance.
- I wouldn’t say that I like the ninth, but the fifth and the sixth are good. I also like the tenth, albeit it is rather short.

- What a pity he is no more. In several years a lot of famous people have gone.
- Yes. Max Reger died, Debussy died. I always liked Reger more than Strauss. The death of Granados is a great loss.

- I agree with you. But the greatest loss is Debussy.
- Surely. I never had occasion to meet Ravel, but I met Debussy.

- When did that happen?
- Not long before the war; Debussy came to Petrograd, he was the conductor in Koussevitzky's concert. They performed his “Sea” and “Nocturne”.

I wanted to continue our conversation about Debussy, but at this moment several maiko entered the room, and the subject has naturally changed. I showed at their colourful kimono.

- How do you like it? Beautiful kimonos, aren’t they?
- Very beautiful.

- By the way, when did you come to Japan?
- I arrived in Tokyo on June 1, and then I spent 10 days in Nara and Kyoto.

- You liked these places, didn’t you?
- Yes, they are quiet and beautiful places. I even started composing a sonata for the violin in Nara. But there are so many amazing things around, that it is just impossible for me to write music in Japan; I can’t concentrate.

- However, I hope that one day you will express your Japanese impressions. Like Charpentier, who wrote his “Italian impressions”, you will also write about Japan; I am sure it will be interesting.
- I’ll try. Now I am getting ready to my trip to America and anticipate the pleasure of writing music about my voyage across the Pacific Ocean.

- Perhaps it will be suite “In the Pacific Ocean”, or “Sunrise”, or “Sunset”, or even “Hurricane”.
- Oh, I don’t think so! Anyway, I am looking forward to my three-week sea voyage, in fact, it will be my first.

- How long will you stay in America?
- A month or two I suppose. I would like to visit the Niagara falls, and I am curious about this big city – New York. Anyway, first of all I am going there as an ordinary tourist. By the way, in one American magazine they wrote, introducing me, that I am the composer-futurist. This has nothing in common with me. However, American journalists are right, when they say, that Russian futurists have moved forward in comparison with the American ones.

- Do you know any American composers?
- Nobody. Except Kurt Schindler. He came to Petrograd. He has a good knowledge of the Russian music.

- I also know him, though merely his songs. They are rather popular.
- Yes, he gave me his songs, and I, in response – my works.

While we were talking, they served tray with snacks. Prokofiev looked with surprise at the little cups. I explained, that they are for sake. So we immediately drank. He said: “Very strong”. Then they served him beer, but he hardly drank it. Unskillfully operating with the sticks, he turned to me. I wanted to learn more about the situation with orchestras in Russia, and our conversation continued.

Prokofiev: "Of all my teachers,
Tcherepnin was the liveliest and most
interesting musician."

- Your teacher was Tcherepnin, wasn’t he?
- Yes. He is a good composer with excellent orchestration skills, though he lacks a personal touch.

- And Cui, is he alive?
- Alas, he is no more. We all used to call him “Old General” because he was one of the oldest and distinguished generals. However he couldn’t bear my music.

- Really? And Glazunov, is he also from the “old guard”?
- That’s it. Glazunov also couldn’t tolerate my works. Once, when I performed my “Scythian suite”, he came to listen, but left before the end.

- Really? And Lyadov also doesn’t like your music?
- Surely. Although he was my teacher, he is rather my opponent.

- And what do you know about Rachmaninoff?
- I heard he is currently in Sweden. He is a very touchy person, and the war badly affected him. They say he will perform as conductor in America soon.

- He will present his own works?
- I think so. And he will also perform as a pianist.

- Rachmaninoff is an excellent pianist, isn’t he? I listened to him in London with admiration. He is amazing! Do you agree with me?
- You are right. In Russia he is number one. As to his works, some people like them, others don’t. But he is considered to be the best pianist. He is especially good when he plays his First concerto. I am going to America through Siberia and Japan; and Rachmaninoff – through Switzerland and Northern countries. It would be interesting when we will meet in America and shake hands.

- And what about Vasilenko, Akimenko?
- Perhaps, they are in Petrograd. But both of them are not the first-class composers.

- Aren’t they? I thought Vasilenko was rather famous.
- Of course not. Medtner is much better.

- Medtner… there is something German in him.
- Maybe there is something German, maybe not, but he is an excellent composer. But even more than Metner I like Myaskovsky.

- I never listened to his music. And it is impossible to find it here. To tell the truth, for the first time I learned about you from the Montagu’s book. And in this book, I read for the first time about Myaskovsky. In this book the author quotes your words, that his sonatas are rather difficult.
- Really? Well, in fact his sonatas are difficult. Myaskovsky was wounded in the war, he returned and wrote five symphonies.

- Five? Quite a lot. And what can you say about his music?
- In a few words, his music is sombre. He is a very shy man, and he is usually rather reluctant to publish his works, thus few of them are known.

- I wonder where is Stravinsky now?
- I am not sure. He usually lives either in France, or in Switzerland, and he is virtually a stranger in Russia. Four years ago I met him in Milan. I came there by the invitation of that futurist Marinetti.

- I admire Stravinsky’s music. Scriabin was a genius, and after him if we can name anybody a genius, this will be Stravinsky.
- You are right, he is a genius. He is unrivalled in orchestration. Whatever they say, his music is very picturesque, but also -perhaps- lacks depth.

- Did you hear his “Wedding”?
- Oh, that new work? In Milan he played a part of it, but then never performed it any more. And did you hear his “Nightingale”?

- Yes. I was greatly impressed.
- I must admit I don’t like it very much. In my opinion “Petrushka” and "Le Sacre du Printemps" are much better.

- Yes, “Petrushka” is an excellent work. He used a lot of folk songs there, didn’t he?
- Sure. Besides, he boldly introduces music phrases, which sounds awful for some people.

- You mean this melody?
And I started to sing this simple melody “Nanny’s dance”. He immediately joined me, whistling, and laughed. Then he said:
- You know, I understand “Petrushka” quite well, but Le Sacre du Printemps is rather difficult for perception. When I listened to it for the first time, I understood nothing. Only when we met in Milan? and I listened to its piano performance in four hands, I understood this work. Especially this wonderful waltz. Anyway, it is an outstanding work of art.

- Do you compose music for ballet?
- I did; “Scythian suite” is one. I wrote it at the request of that famous Dyaghilev. This is a tragedy ballet about the life of primitive people, who lived in the Russian lands even before the Slavs. The characters are Ala and Lolly. However in the process of writing the ballet turned into the symphonic composition, and I decided that it would be better as a symphony, than ballet.

- And what about ballet?
- For a ballet I wrote other music. They plan to stage it in Paris.

- Dyaghilev, is he in America now?
- No, he is in Madrid.

- And Nizhinsky?
- When the war began, he was on tour in Austria, and they arrested him. At least, currently they say he is dancing every night in Vienna, in the Emperor’s Opera.

- Really? I heard nothing about it. By the way, how did it come out that you were not conscripted to the military service?
- I am the only son in the family and the only sons are not called up. Besides, today they try to protect musicians, thus I am not in the army.

- You are lucky; Now you can write music and travel.
- Yes. Recently I was in the Caucasus, wrote music. But riots started there, and I couldn’t come back to Petrograd. I had to stay there and continued my work. Consequently I wrote the third and the fourth sonatas and a Violin concerto.

- “Transience” and “Fantasy” – these are your new works, which you will perform in the Emperor’s Theatre?
- Yes. “Transience” is a very short composition. Just before the departure from Petrograd I made proofs, and now it is already published. As to the “Fantasy”, it is in fact the final part of the Fourth sonata, but I will not play the whole sonata, because it is rather long. So I’ll play only the final part.

- You have symphoniettas, and what about symphonies? Did you write any?
- Yes, I wrote the Classical symphony. In fact that symphonietta can be considered as symphony. And among the recent compositions I have “Vocal symphony”.

- What’s its name?
Prokofiev became thoughtful. The point was that he didn’t know how to call it in English. So he gave its French name. Unfortunately, I understood nothing, and we didn’t manage to find out the name of that composition. But I learned, that Prokofiev wrote music for the religious Assyrian poem, translated by Balmont.

- At least this is the chorus to the accompaniment of wind- and stringed instruments with the solo tenor part, who performs the role of the priest. All these need participation of a large number of people, thus it is rather difficult to perform it completely.

- I heard, Balmont visited Japan last year?
- That’s right, and he continues to admire this country.

- He liked it?
- Yes, very much.

- Unfortunately, the weather is very hot now. It would be nice if you come two months earlier.
- Yes, very hot. It is hard to work at the daytime.

- It’s hard really. Your concerts begin after 1 p.m.
- But I’ll visit America, and when I come back, I hope, the weather will be milder. I think autumn here must be good.

- Yes, October and November are the best seasons.
At this moment the sound of Syamisen was heard, and two women-dancers maiko started to dance. We once again filled our cups with sake and watched them. The name of the dance was “Matsusima”. I didn’t know its content, so I couldn’t explain it to Prokofiev. So we continued our conversation.

- Will you play Chopin at the concert?
- Yes. In fact, up to now I performed only my own compositions. However it will be my first concert in Japan, and I think it would be wrong to play only music which is difficult to understand. So I decided to include Chopin in the program, because everybody understands him. But I wasn’t training for more than two and a half months and I am afraid, that my fingers wouldn’t move properly.

- Will you play without rehearsal?
- Of course, not. Today I for the first time here played the piano at a friend of mine in Yokohama.

- Oh, you visited Grand Hotel?
- Yes.

- I live halfway between Yokohama and Tokyo. Please, come to my place, Omori.
- Omori? I remember the station with such a name. I’ll visit you after the concert in the Emperor’s Theatre.

- You are welcome. And although my piano isn’t a first-class instrument, it is at your disposal. Maybe, you’ll play a part of your “Scythian suite”? I would be delighted to listen to it in your performance.
- “Scythian suite”? Why not… I was considering performing it as a conductor in America and brought the music with me. I’ll show it to you.

- Really? That’s wonderful!
- Goodbye. See you in the Emperor’s Theatre.

We shook hands. I set off for the station Simbasi. In the car on the way to the station I recalled our conversation and smiled.

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