NEWS AND LINKS: Controversy at Tchaikovsky Competition has a Pasadena angle

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

What would a music competition be without a little controversy — or a big controversy? The 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition was jolted last week when Mark Gorenstein, artistic director of the Svetlanov State Symphony Orchestra, used what was reported to be a racial slur against Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, who is one of five finalists in his discipline. According to ArtsJournal.com (LINK) and the Tass News Agency (LINK), Gorenstein called Hakhnazaryan “an au, something like a village fiddler, a term which expresses Russian disdain for its former provinces.”

Gorenstein apologized and withdrew from his conducting assignment. The competition organization committee posted the following statement on its Web site:

“The Organizing Committee of the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition regards as insulting the statements addressed by Artistic Director of the Svetlanov State Symphony Orchestra of Russia Mark Gorenstein to competition participant Narek Hakhnazaryan.

We consider that words reflecting on an individual's dignity do damage to the creative atmosphere that we have worked so hard to establish. The purpose of the Tchaikovsky Competition is to support young musicians, and every one of the competition's organizers and participants is obliged to treat its competitors with the utmost respect.”

According to the Tass report, Hakhnazaryan said, “All is well. My head, my thoughts are now only on the competition. I am concentrating on the music for my upcoming performance in the finals.” He played the Dvorak Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme in the final round yesterday and today.

Hakhnazaryan, 22, appeared with the Pasadena Symphony last January as soloist in the Dvorak Cello Concerto. Of that performance, I wrote: “It’s no surprise that Hakhnazaryan displayed prodigious technique; what might be more noteworthy was his somewhat lean, but silky tone (he plays a 1698 David Tecchler cello). He ripped through the Dvorak’s arpeggios, luxuriated in the second movement and, apart from a momentary intonation bobble at the opening of the third movement, brought grace and style to this most famous of cello concertos.” Read the entire review HERE.
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(c) Copyright 2011, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.