Вера Дулова. Воспоминания. Статьи. Документы

Несмотря на мои импровизированные оправдания, она строго глядела на меня, и ни одна из причин, которые я перечислила, не имела ценности в её глазах. Я допустила ошибки на профессиональном пути, и она дала мне это понять. Возвращаясь в отель, я осознала преданность этой женщины, которая не довольствовалась лишь преподаванием и игрой, но чувствовала себя ответственной за своих учеников и за пределами музыки. Она привела своих учениц на высочайшие посты в России и за рубежом. И я не стала исключением из этого правила. Поездка была очень насыщенной. Наташа водила меня по музеям и великолепным церквям, а мадам Дулова организовала мне встречу в Московской консерватории с тридцатью учащимися. Их игра произвела на меня большое впечатление, и я была глубоко тронута оказанной мне честью. В день отъезда, после посещения собора Василия Блаженного на Красной площади, я в последний раз навестила мадам Дулову. Её шофёр ждал, чтобы отвезти её на дачу. Она настояла на том, чтобы подвезти меня в аэропорт, и долго махала мне вслед. Я понимала, что скорее всего вижу её в последний раз…

«Дорогая Мадам, теперь, когда Вы вновь встретились с Пьером Жаме, мне остаётся поблагодарить Вас за то, что Вы были такой цельной, естественной, притягательной, требовательной, весёлой, строгой, такой спонтанной и такой любящей. Спасибо, Мадам».]

Personal Memories of Vera Dulova [47] by Josef Molnar

We have lost one of the last great harp players with the death of Vera Dulova. So many memories came back to me when I received the sad message of her death. I first met her at the Holland Harpweeks and, after we got to know each other, I had the opportunity to visit her in Moscow several times. Whenever I went to Moscow, there was always an «open house» at Vera Dulova’s home, and the tables were always full of food.

Once I visited just before Christmas, and Vera said that as soon as I arrived at the Hotel National, I should come to Swan Lake. The hotel was just in front of the Bolshoi, so I hurried to the box office where hundreds of people were waiting to get tickets. I was sold a ticket for two rubles, and within minutes I was in the theatre, but to my surprise, there was no Swan Lake. Instead, Eugene Onegin was being performed. I was there and I saw it — an unbelievable event with Mstislav Rostropovich conducting while his wife sang the role of Tatyana. Everything seemed so romantic with the snow coming down outside and the music of Tschaikovsky inside!

At the end I suddenly realized that I had to find Swan Lake and Mme. Dulova! The only thing I could think of was to go to her home. When I arrived, to my great surprise, everybody was there — Mme. Dulova and all her famous students, Natalya, Tatyana, Emilia, Irina and more. They had arranged a welcome party for me, and wondered what had taken me so long to get there. When I told them that I had been at the Bolshoi looking for Swan Lake and instead seeing Eugene Onegin, there was a cry of surprise, because it had been the opening night, and none of them had been able to get tickets!

Once Vera arranged a concert for me and I played Salzedo’s Song in the Night. At one point I missed a pedal, and Vera called out from the audience, «Put in the F!»

We were very good friends, and Vera also came to Japan. The last time she came to Japan was for the Soka Harp Festival, just after the Perestroika began in Russia. She was welcomed by all of us and we wanted to help her as much as possible so that she could get safely through the Russian winter. At the Festival Concert, she played a piece by Gliere and we all stood backstage and wept. It was such a great performance. The Japanese liked her very much, and when she went back to Moscow, she was fully packed with food, medicine and clothing.

It was a great privilege for me to have been invited to the Russian Harp Competition and to see her again. It was the last time, and I am honored to have known her — such a great artist and human being.

[Личные воспоминания о Вере Дуловой Джозеф Мольнар [48]