Apomethe
26-11-2006, 23:07
Friedman là học trò của Heifetz đồng thời cũng là một nghệ sĩ violin vĩ đại, nhưng ông lại thất bại trong giải Tchaikovsky. Lý do có thể thấy trong bức thư người phụ tá của Friedman gửi cho Dennis Rooney (Thư này được assistant của Friedman cung cấp nên chính xác. Ai rảnh thì dịch sang tiếng Việt cho người khác đọc.
Ông Spivakov ở Nga tuy bây giờ thuộc hàng sao lớn giỏi nhất bây giờ, cũng nhiều thế lực và mafia, nhưng giờ mới biết ông này đã mafia từ lâu rồi.
Dear Mr Rooney,
I am happy to oblige.
The last thing on earth Stern wanted was for a Heifetz protege to take over Heifetz's mantle as the undisputed number one. His power base was New York and any future stars simply had to come from Juilliard/Galamian. Erick's career had to be knocked off the rails at all costs, even if it meant doing a deal with the Soviets.
Stern's "saving" of Carnegie Hall was not the big-hearted act it appeared in the newspapers. Far from it. He had sought, and received, absolute control over the future administration of the most prestigious venue in the world prior to becoming its saviour.
The first overt display of this power came when Aaron Rosand was in rehearsal with Bernstein and the New York Phil as they were about to make the premiere recording of Barber's Violin Concerto. During a break, Stern walked onto the stage and, in front of the whole orchestra, said "Lennie, if you record this with him, you'll never play with me again." Bernstein capitulated and ended up making the premiere recording with Stern.
Not long before his death, Bernstein met Aaron in the street and apologised, saying that the episode had haunted him.
Erick was a great admirer of Oistrakh, and the two were on very good terms. Who better than Oistrakh to set the trap?.
Oistrakh assured the naive young Friedman [I can vouch for the fact that Erick was not much less naive at 60] that all he had to do was show up at the Tchaikovsky Competition and he would win it. You see Erick wanted to finally be seen to do something for himself, away from Heifetz. This seemed like a heaven-sent opportunity.
When he told Heifetz of his intentions, Heifetz replied "don't go. You will see what will happen if you do". However the carrot that had been dangled in front of him proved irresistible.
On arrival in Moscow, Erick's passport was taken from him to be returned upon his departure. Whether this was common practice I do not know.
All went well and Erick got to the finals easily enough. Indeed he had received the best response from the audience. Just prior to the final, Erick was approached in the toilet by KGB protege of Oistrakh, and violinist, Vladimir Spivakov. Spivakov told Erick that it was very difficult to obtain US dollars in the USSR, and asked if Erick would exchange fifty dollars for fifty roubles. The disparity between the value of the rouble and the dollar made such a transaction laughable, but Erick felt sorry for him and agreed. Just as he reached for his wallet, Spivakov stopped him and said that it would be safer to do it in a local park.
They met in the park and the exchange took place.
Erick then went for some lunch and, when he returned to his room, he found that an envelope had been placed under his door. It contained photographs of the exchange of money in the park.
Erick panicked. He phoned Heifetz, who said "I told you not to go". He decided to return home immediately, but was told that his passport had been "mislaid".
With a sense of impending doom he took part in the final, was the only contestant to be recalled for an encore by the audience [indeed eventually he was forcibly removed from the stage by officials] and the rest is history.
All the best,
Steve Redrobe.
Ông Spivakov ở Nga tuy bây giờ thuộc hàng sao lớn giỏi nhất bây giờ, cũng nhiều thế lực và mafia, nhưng giờ mới biết ông này đã mafia từ lâu rồi.
Dear Mr Rooney,
I am happy to oblige.
The last thing on earth Stern wanted was for a Heifetz protege to take over Heifetz's mantle as the undisputed number one. His power base was New York and any future stars simply had to come from Juilliard/Galamian. Erick's career had to be knocked off the rails at all costs, even if it meant doing a deal with the Soviets.
Stern's "saving" of Carnegie Hall was not the big-hearted act it appeared in the newspapers. Far from it. He had sought, and received, absolute control over the future administration of the most prestigious venue in the world prior to becoming its saviour.
The first overt display of this power came when Aaron Rosand was in rehearsal with Bernstein and the New York Phil as they were about to make the premiere recording of Barber's Violin Concerto. During a break, Stern walked onto the stage and, in front of the whole orchestra, said "Lennie, if you record this with him, you'll never play with me again." Bernstein capitulated and ended up making the premiere recording with Stern.
Not long before his death, Bernstein met Aaron in the street and apologised, saying that the episode had haunted him.
Erick was a great admirer of Oistrakh, and the two were on very good terms. Who better than Oistrakh to set the trap?.
Oistrakh assured the naive young Friedman [I can vouch for the fact that Erick was not much less naive at 60] that all he had to do was show up at the Tchaikovsky Competition and he would win it. You see Erick wanted to finally be seen to do something for himself, away from Heifetz. This seemed like a heaven-sent opportunity.
When he told Heifetz of his intentions, Heifetz replied "don't go. You will see what will happen if you do". However the carrot that had been dangled in front of him proved irresistible.
On arrival in Moscow, Erick's passport was taken from him to be returned upon his departure. Whether this was common practice I do not know.
All went well and Erick got to the finals easily enough. Indeed he had received the best response from the audience. Just prior to the final, Erick was approached in the toilet by KGB protege of Oistrakh, and violinist, Vladimir Spivakov. Spivakov told Erick that it was very difficult to obtain US dollars in the USSR, and asked if Erick would exchange fifty dollars for fifty roubles. The disparity between the value of the rouble and the dollar made such a transaction laughable, but Erick felt sorry for him and agreed. Just as he reached for his wallet, Spivakov stopped him and said that it would be safer to do it in a local park.
They met in the park and the exchange took place.
Erick then went for some lunch and, when he returned to his room, he found that an envelope had been placed under his door. It contained photographs of the exchange of money in the park.
Erick panicked. He phoned Heifetz, who said "I told you not to go". He decided to return home immediately, but was told that his passport had been "mislaid".
With a sense of impending doom he took part in the final, was the only contestant to be recalled for an encore by the audience [indeed eventually he was forcibly removed from the stage by officials] and the rest is history.
All the best,
Steve Redrobe.