A longtime concertmaster of the Odessa Philharmonic said something remarkable: “There is something about this city, I don't know what it is, that won't let go of me. It isn't easy to explain, but there is a quality about Odessa, sadness maybe, or desire, that makes music more beautiful." Can you relate to what he said?
There is a great music scene. People really love culture, and especially music. They are proud of their history and all the great artists that came from their city.
Just look at the Opera house. It was the second most important opera of the Russian Empire, right after Saint Petersburg. All the big stars went there- Caruso, Chaliapin, Pavlova…
But while everyone remembers Oistrakh, few people know Stolyarsky.
Yes, people usually only know his students. But Stolyarsky was a phenomenon. His method and his individual approach to every one of his students was remarkable. He put a lot of importance on chamber music, on orchestra playing, but also on general education- literature, and visual arts. He hated musicians who played like “machines” and told it was harmful to ask young musicians to perform in public too much, too early, before they were able to truly absorb and master a piece mentally and emotionally.
"We are just fanatics about our music. It's in the water or the air. There is this belief now in Moscow and abroad that technical skills above all are the path to achievement. That without them you can be nothing. But we have always disagreed. Here you play with the heart. First comes the freedom. Then comes the technique."
Pavel P. Butovsky, former Deputy Director of the Stolyarsky Music School.
