Gerello singer. Vasily Gerello: “my great-grandfather is Italian, but my voice is Ukrainian”

Vasily Georgievich Gerello(born March 13, 1963, Vaslovtsy, Ukrainian SSR, USSR) - Soviet and Russian Opera singer(baritone), soloist Mariinsky Theater since 1990. National artist RF (2008).

Biography

Vasily Gerello was born in the village of Vaslovivtsi, Chernivtsi region (Ukraine).

Already as a small boy, he began to sing, sometimes to earn money for clothes. As a teenager, he sang and played the accordion - a trophy German "Hochner" given by his father - at weddings. At the same time, Vasily mastered playing the button accordion, accordion, trumpet and saxophone.

Yours musical education Gerello started at the Chernivtsi Music College, but a year later he was drafted into the army, where he played in a brass band.

While serving in the army, Vasily met his future wife Alena. They met at a dance at the House of Officers in Chernivtsi. A friend brought her to see handsome guy who played the guitar and sang. Vasily worked part-time dancing in the evenings. It was love at first sight. On October 8, 1983, Vasily and Alena registered their marriage.

After serving in the army, Vasily Gerello does the same School of Music, to the vocal department. But he does not graduate from college, and without a diploma he enters the Leningrad Conservatory in the class of Nina Aleksandrovna Serval, whom Gerello gratefully mentions in most interviews.

In 1991, V. Gerello graduated from the Conservatory.

In 1990, while a 4th year student at the Conservatory, Vasily Gerello was invited to join the Mariinsky Theater troupe. Thanks to Valery Gergiev, who listened to the student Gerello and believed in his voice, Vasily was invited to the Mariinsky Theater, and to the main roles. Gerello's debut was Valentin in Faust, and soon there were the roles of Onegin and Rodrigo.

He became the first person to sing La Traviata in the original language at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Also in student years the singer made his foreign debut: on stage Dutch Opera in the play “The Barber of Seville” he sang the role of Figaro. Working with the wonderful conductor Alberto Zedda, a professional in his field who studies Rossini's music, and with director Dario Fo, Nobel laureate became more than a serious achievement for the aspiring singer.

Vasily Gerello tours with the Mariinsky Theater company in Spain, Italy, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Finland (Mikkeli Festival), France and Portugal. Invited by the largest opera houses in the world, including the Bastille Opera (Paris), Dresden Semperoper, Deutsche Oper and Berlin State Opera, Metropolitan Opera (New York), Vienna State Opera, Royal Covent Garden (London), La Fenice Theater (Venice), Canadian national opera(Toronto), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Teatro San Paolo (Brazil), Opera Santiago de Chile, La Scala (Milan), opera houses in Amsterdam and Bergen.

The singer is active concert activities. He took part in the concert of young soloists of the countries Pacific Ocean V opera house San Francisco, performed a chamber solo program at the Chatelet Theater, sang in the Belcanto concert with symphony orchestra Belgium. He has performed in New York (Carnegie Hall) and London (Royal Albert Hall), with the Dallas and New York Symphony Orchestras.

Gives solo concerts on the stage Concert hall Mariinsky Theater, performs with charity concerts on the stages of St. Petersburg. Participant of many international festivals, including VII International festival“Music of the Great Hermitage”, XIV International music Festival"Palaces of St. Petersburg", the "Stars of the White Nights" festival and the Moscow Easter Festival.

Performs worldwide famous conductors- Valery Gergiev, Riccardo Muti, Mung-Wun Chung, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi and many others.

Gerello speaks fluent Italian, Spanish, English, Ukrainian, Russian, which allows him to feel like an artist of the world.

In 2000, the opera film “War and Peace” (La guerre et la paix) directed by Francois Roussillon with Vasily Gerello in one of the main roles was released in France.

Today our guest is Phil Ginzburg, a Soviet and Russian opera singer (baritone), soloist of the Mariinsky Theater since 1990. People's Artist of the Russian Federation Vasily Gerello.

F.G. Vasily, I have no doubt that you have visited a lot of places and seen a lot of things. What places on the globe were left the most vivid impressions and where would you be happy to return?

V.G. I will say without false modesty, I have traveled all over Earth, But better than the city than St. Petersburg - no!

F.G. And besides Peter?

V.G. Our Mother Russia is extremely great. I want to tell you about the Republic Mountain Altai, amazing Khakassia... Move away from St. Petersburg - Pskov, Novgorod, Golden Ring...

We are used to eating someone else’s “Parmesan”, but it’s better to eat our products and drive around our beautiful most beautiful country. You will get incredible pleasure and see how rich and beautiful our Russia is!

F.G. Every adult was once a child. Please tell me, is there any story from childhood that you still remember with pleasure?

V.G. You know, God gave me such happiness - I am still a child. I never came out of this state and I hope that it will last for a very long time.

Despite all my regalia, I still continue to be in childhood and feel very good (smiles).

F.G. Tell me, when did you realize what you wanted to do in life and were there people who influenced your choice?

V.G. Since childhood, I really wanted to make music. Already as a small child, I felt that I could and knew how to do it. Of course, great musicians influenced me. There was no such terrible pop music then. I was born when real singers sang even on the stage. They were amazing beautiful voices! Not like now, a basin-toilet, a washcloth-blotter...

I listened to real professionals - Vladimir Atlantov, Elena Obraztsova. You can’t imagine how great a blessing it is to see and hear these people! And even my dream came true, then I not only met with them, but also sang.

As you can see, dreams come true not only in Gazprom (laughs).

F.G. As far as I know, you, without graduating from a music school in Ukraine, entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory on the course of Nina Serval. Please tell us more about this.

V.G. A great singer and a wonderful teacher! At that time I already had a huge opera repertoire. I played almost all instruments and realized that I wanted to make real music, real art, and not what I call two claps and three whistles.

The conservatory usually accepts a sub-course if you do not have a diploma from a music school, but I entered the main course straight away. In my third year I became a soloist at the Mariinsky Theater.

When I entered the conservatory, I sang the repertoire that is not sung even at graduation.

F.G. You successful man and it is known that success is talent multiplied by work, but often this is not enough. Please tell us about your formula for success.

V.G. I'm afraid of the word “successful”. We have a lot of successful and popular people, but there is no one to sing.

The first component of my formula is that you need to be vaccinated against Star Sickness from childhood. Especially in our profession. And not only in ours. Pride needs to be fought off from childhood.

In general, everything is written. We read the 10 commandments and it doesn’t matter whether we are Orthodox or not, keep this a little and everything will be fine. And success will come to you!

In fact, a person needs little, very little...

This is now the age of consumers and we are literally instilled with the idea that we need a lot. Actually this is not true.

And yet, you cannot live without faith. Whether you are a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist, an Orthodox...

Another component is respect. Respect for people, respect for parents. If you have all this, then success will come to you.

Anyone who thinks that he is the most important in this world is worthless.

F.G. I saw you at hockey and that's why it's a sports question. Please tell us about your sports hobbies. About a team or athlete that interests you and that you follow.

V.G. I am an ambassador for the FIFA World Cup and the Confederation Cup. I like any sport because it really lifts your spirit. I don’t follow anyone, there are special services for that (laughs)

F.G. Can we call sports theater?

V.G. I don’t think so, sport is sport, and theater is theater. There is a wonderful song “Real men play hockey, a coward doesn’t play hockey.”

In the theater there are a lot of cowards, there are set-ups, but in sports this is not the case. Of course, there is a little in sports, but much less than in the theater.

At the theater, boys come out with lipstick. I think there is no such thing in sports (laughs).

F.G. And our last question, traditional.The quintessence of happiness from Vasily Gerello.

V.G. Love life Live with God.

Vasily, thank you for finding time in your busy schedule and thank you for the mood. May your life have what you deserve and those who you need and enjoy.

(photo from personal archive Vasily Gerello)

The “star” baritone Vasily Gerello came to St. Petersburg literally for one day - to sing a solo concert in his native Mariinsky Theater and go to Helsinki. Arias from “Rigoletto”, “Don Carlos”, “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Il Trovatore” and “Aleko” were performed with Gerello’s usual vocal perfection. For endless applause, the audience received Figaro's cavatina and the Ukrainian "Black Eyebrows, Brown Eyes", which almost brought the theater down. Izvestia special correspondent Yulia KANTOR met with Vasily GERELLO.

Vasily, you come to Russia maximum twice a year - do you still feel at home here?

Certainly. Here is my family, my friends and, of course, my theater. In this sense, I am a monogamist - after all, I started in St. Petersburg. This city is everything to me, it accepted me, for which I am grateful: St. Petersburg has the ability to accept or reject. I was lucky... Russia is so powerful, vast and unbridled. And soulfulness. I miss it, it’s hard for me to imagine my life without it - I love coming back. I have Russian passport, Russian citizenship By the way, it was very difficult for me to get it. It seemed that all the documents were in order, even the Russian insert in the old Soviet passport, but they hounded me for a very long time. Either they asked about Ukraine, where I was born, then they demanded some additional papers, or they offered to wait six months. But I don’t have time - I travel a lot. But, thank God, by December 31, 2003, I received Russian citizenship.

Russia is home, but what is Ukraine?

This is my homeland. I definitely go there at least once a year. My parents and sister are in Western Ukraine. My "tribe". I come from there 20 kilograms fatter. Do you know what Ukrainian food is, what Ukrainian hospitality is? Nothing has changed in our country since Gogol. In general, Ukraine is a fertile climate, beautiful women and wonderful nature. Have you been to Ukraine, what do you remember?

Lermontov's "Nights of Ukraine in the Twinkling of Unsunset Stars."

Exactly! stars... I have never seen such a night and evening sky anywhere, not even in Italy, not even in Naples. In Ukraine, the sky is at arm's length, but it does not press, it is simply velvety and bottomless. And you can touch the stars, huge and bright, with your hand.

At home with your wife Alena, also a native of Western Ukraine and a graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, you speak Ukrainian, but with your son Andrey?

In Russian. Although Andrey knows Ukrainian. And I myself am absolutely bilingual. And it’s very nice when you have two native languages. Son Andrei is studying at the gymnasium at the Russian Museum, and plans to go to college in Russia. We haven’t chosen which one yet, we still have a few years left, but apparently it will be something humanitarian.

They say that the secret of the “Italianness” of your voice is that your ancestors are supposedly from Italy, is this true?

My great-grandfather is Italian. I was born in Bukovina, where Austria-Hungary was before the First World War and the Austrian army fought there during that war, where my great-grandfather served. And he fell in love with a Ukrainian girl. That's how it turned out that I have an Italian element in me. But our voice is Ukrainian. We will not give this to Italy. (Laughs.)

You recently released a CD with Ukrainian songs and are sure to include Ukrainian songs in your concerts - nostalgia?

A need, perhaps. Ukrainian songs are loved in Russia. I have a dream: in December, when I arrive from Madrid, I will give a concert at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, consisting only of Ukrainian songs, and then another one - from Neapolitan.

Now you are leaving for Helsinki, then to America, what next?

At the Metropolitan Opera I have La Traviata, and in original version, the one that was originally created by Verdi, everything is much more complicated there, the part is written half a tone higher than in the usual version. They don’t sing it anywhere except La Scala, so now we’ll try it at the Metropolitan. Then in Budapest I have “The Queen of Spades”, then I will come to St. Petersburg for the “Stars of the White Nights” festival, then to San Sebastiano, where I have “Ball in Masquerade” at the festival, then Madrid.

What are the most interesting impressions from this season?

The most shocking thing, perhaps, is Il Trovatore at the Hamburg Opera. The action begins in the morgue. In Hamburg they considered this a phenomenal find, but for me it was a disaster. And the best part is the Masquerade Ball in Thessaloniki. An excellent orchestra from Belgrade led by Dejan Savic, a wonderful choir from the Sofia Opera and wonderful, cozy people. And, of course, the very aura of the place.

Listening to your Rigoletto at the concert and almost crying with him, I thought, when can we expect this production at the Mariinsky Theater?

Will this tear remain in the interview? So I’ve been dreaming about it for several years now. I thought it would be this year, but the Mariinsky Theater isn’t up to it yet. Just now there were “The Nose” and “Snow Maiden”. So we'll have to wait. But, apparently, in the next season there will also be an interesting “Simon Bocanegra”.

How do you relax?

How it will turn out, I’m not inventing anything on purpose. After Helsinki, I hope for a bathhouse, brooms and barbecue. In Ukraine I like to sing with friends. A glass of good wine - and I take the accordion and the songs begin. The most excellent holiday. I like to relax when there are nice people around me, this does not depend on the country or place. It's up to them.

What quality in people is unacceptable to you?

Snobbery. If success changes a person, if, having received a rank and shoulder straps, he changes his gait and timbre of his voice, the conversation is over.

With such bright rich life is there anything you are missing?

I don’t know... Maybe Ukrainian close stars and warm sun.

In 1990, as a 4th year student at the Conservatory, he was invited to join the Mariinsky Theater troupe.

People's Artist of Russia

Honored Artist of Ukraine

Winner of the World Competition opera singers BBC Cardiff singer of the world (1993)

Laureate International competition young opera singers named after. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov (1st prize, St. Petersburg, 1994)

Laureate of the highest theater award of St. Petersburg “Golden Sofit” (1999)

Laureate music award Fortissimo, established by the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov (nomination “Performing Skills”)

Vasily Gerello was born in the village of Vaslovitsy, Chernivtsi region (Ukraine). In 1991 he graduated from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov (class of N.A. Serval). In 1990, as a 4th year student at the Conservatory, he was invited to join the Mariinsky Theater troupe.

Among the roles performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater:

Pastor (“Khovanshchina”)

Shchelkalov (“Boris Godunov”)

Onegin (Eugene Onegin)

Robert ("Iolanta")

Tomsky and Yeletsky (“The Queen of Spades”)

Pantalone (The Love for Three Oranges)

Napoleon (War and Peace)

Figaro (The Barber of Seville)

Henry Ashton ("Lucia di Lammermoor")

Georges Germont (La Traviata)

Renato ("Un ballo in maschera")

Don Carlos (Force of Destiny)

Marquis di Posa (Don Carlos)

Macbeth ("Macbeth")

Amonasro ("Aida")

Ford (Falstaff)

Marcel (La Bohème)

Sharples (Madama Butterfly)

Valentine (Faust)

Count Almaviva (The Marriage of Figaro)

The singer’s repertoire also includes the roles of the Duke (“ Stingy Knight"), the young Balearic ("Salambo"), Papageno ("The Magic Flute"), Julius Caesar ("Julius Caesar"), Simon Boccanegra ("Simon Boccanegra"), Richard Fort ("The Puritans"), Alfio ("Honour Rural" "), Filippo Maria Visconti ("Beatrice di Tenda"), Tonio ("Pagliacci"), Don Carlos ("Ernani"), Count di Luna ("Il Trovatore").

Vasily Gerello tours with the Mariinsky Theater company in Spain, Italy, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Finland (Mikkeli Festival), France and Portugal. Invited by the largest opera houses in the world, including the Bastille Opera (Paris), Dresden Semperoper, Berlin Deutsche Oper and Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera (New York), Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera House Covent Garden (London), La Fenice Theater (Venice) ), Canadian National Opera (Toronto), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Teatro San Paolo (Brazil), Opera Santiago de Chile, La Scala (Milan), opera houses in Amsterdam and Bergen.

The singer is active in concert activities. He participated in the Young Pacific Soloists Concert at the San Francisco Opera, performed a chamber solo program at the Chatelet Theater, and sang in the Belcanto concert with the Belgian Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in New York (Carnegie Hall) and London (Royal Albert Hall), with the Dallas and New York Symphony Orchestras. Gives solo concerts on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall. He often performs at charity concerts on the stages of St. Petersburg.

Participant in many international festivals, including the VII International Festival “Music of the Great Hermitage”, XIV International Music Festival “Palaces of St. Petersburg”, the “Stars of the White Nights” festival and the Moscow Easter Festival. Performs with world-famous conductors - Valery Gergiev, Riccardo Muti, Mung-Wun Chung, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi and many others.

AiF-Petersburg: - Vasily, I won’t hide that the reason for the interview was not only his birthday, but also April 1 - I really want to talk to a cheerful, optimistic person. There are few such people even among St. Petersburg celebrities.

I categorically disagree that among St. Petersburg residents there are few cheerful and optimistic people. At a recent concert there were such bright faces in the hall, I didn’t see a single frowning one! The real residents of the Northern capital are just like that. Because if a city survived a blockade, a war and did not give up, then it is necessary to follow the example of older generations. No despondency better than life- only life!
And everything else is vanity of vanities.

Well, about the first of April - I loved to play pranks on people in my youth, it’s very difficult to prank people yourself. Although... everything is ahead. I would like someone to prank me, to deceive me, but not for money (smiles). So far this has not happened, and in general I am a lucky person, although I was born on March 13th. Someone is counting this number " damn dozen“, and I heard that it is holy because it consists of the 12 apostles and Jesus Christ.

AIF-Petersburg:- There are different attitudes towards the number 13, and towards politics. You have chosen a neutral position, you often emphasize that you are apolitical, but is it possible to hide from problems? Some people become so focused on the negative that they become depressed.

You won't expect this from me! Yes, I didn’t even learn the word “depression” very long ago ( smiling). Of course, I cannot isolate myself from what is happening in the country and in the world; I see that people have simply been possessed by a demon. But pull yourself together, respect each other. The mood is for bright thoughts, love and joy.

“I learned the word “depression” not so long ago.” Photo: www.russianlook.com

AIF-Petersburg:- Your words might seem too declarative and idealistic if I didn’t know that you yourself live by these principles. How is it possible?

You have to start with yourself, and everything will change. Is there something wrong? Blame yourself. And here we like to blame everything on those near and far. And hope for a “good uncle.” Unfortunately, modern man doesn’t want to take responsibility, especially men. Just look at how many families live in civil marriages. Because men are afraid to get married. And this is not Orthodox, not Christian, and not according to anything! If you are a man, be real, and you don’t need to deal with nonsense.

I'm friends with the guys from our armed forces, sang on submarines, on ships, in units - those are the real guys. They love music, they have a serious education: to work with the latest technology, to lead such a unit as a nuclear Submarine, it won’t work with jelly in your head.

They won't wait!

AIF-Petersburg:- The 70th anniversary of the Victory is approaching. For many years now you have been giving a concert for the townspeople on St. Isaac's Square. Will the crisis prevent us from continuing the tradition?

This is a holy holiday. So it was and will be. But do you see what’s happening?! Some rabid crazy people are starting to rewrite history. They won't wait! Because the memory is alive, and the people who were on the battlefields are alive. The concert will take place in any crisis and any weather, because when our fathers and grandfathers fought, they did not think about the weather, but only about victory. So we must not spare ourselves. And the day before, at the end of April, I will give a concert in Kremlin Palace. I perform with a symphony orchestra and choir, a wonderful repertoire: the first part is songs of the war years, and the second part is classics. After all, I'm an opera singer.

“You have to start with yourself, and everything will change.” Photo: www.russianlook.com

AIF-Petersburg:- How do new parts appear in your repertoire? Are they offered by theater managers?

Yes, directors and opera impresarios call: “Would you like to sing such and such a part?” I ask how much time I have to learn, open the sheet music, sit down at the piano, and start to see if it’s for my voice, if I’m not going to kill myself. If I understand that I can sing, I agree; if it’s “not mine,” I won’t say “yes” for any amount of millions. You need to correctly assess your capabilities, treat your voice and yourself honestly. Some of our singers, once in the West, strive to master everything and quickly lose their voice. Greed destroys.
Well, to keep yourself in shape, you need to exercise every day. In the morning I woke up and went to the instrument. Otherwise, you are worthless as a vocalist.

AIF-Petersburg:- You tour abroad a lot. Is interest in Russian music declining due to political vicissitudes?

No. I just sang Russian romances and chamber music in Vienna, Prague, Bratislava - there is great interest, as well as success.

AIF-Petersburg:- Fame is also a test, isn't it? Television increasingly tempts young people to demonstrate their talent and immediately call themselves a “star.”

Yes, I have met people who, having become successful, even changed their voice and gait! Also jelly in the head. Copper pipes you need to be able to pass, and if a person cannot, he stops developing. This is a problem. I have a good vaccination against such nasty things as “stardom”, I received it in the family, from my parents.

“I’ve met people who, having become successful, even changed their voice and gait.” Photo: www.russianlook.com

AIF-Petersburg:- What other people influenced your destiny?

On my life path meet wonderful personalities from the most different areas. There's a lot around good people. Our selfishness, pride, and sometimes busyness do not allow us to get to know others better, and this is scary. Look for the good, discard the bad and you will see that your soul will become lighter, look at those around you in a new way.

You need to take care of yourself, understand yourself. Are you not loved enough? Is there a reason for it? Love must be earned. Who are you? Why are you here? Now, if you feel that someone on this earth needs you, you can respect yourself. Be more honest, and those who seemed bad will turn to you. There are no bad ones!

The Age of Consumerism

AIF-Petersburg:- I know that people are turning to you with requests to help in the construction of churches. There are more and more churches. What about faith?

People build temples according to their hearts. And people are turning to faith. And it doesn’t matter what religion you are. All religions call for goodness, follow the commandments, and everything in this world will be safe.

Probably, it comes from above... Yes, and the parents gave, the family. What could be more important for a man than good wife? I have one wife - Alyonka, and we will be together until the end. If the house is orderly, calm, you are looked after, you are fed and watered, ironed and washed, if there is concern for each other, then your voice sounds and you want to serve the Motherland.

AIF-Petersburg:- You have achieved recognition and fame, could you have dreamed of this in your village childhood?

When I was tending cows in the village, I dreamed of having an accordion, and my dad bought it. I dreamed of having an electric guitar - and it came true.

As a boy, I began to make my dreams come true, to earn money, because I played at weddings, christenings, and funerals. The engineer received 100-140 rubles, I received much more. But this money didn’t spoil me, it doesn’t spoil me if there is gray matter in my head. And I realized a long time ago that a person doesn’t need much. I swear! We have turned into consumers: such a nightmare when in one part of the world mountains of food and clothing are thrown away, and in another they go hungry. It is a sin. But I think the era of consumerism will pass. The main thing is that there is peace.