On Monday, May 18, the Meleagris Art Festival welcomes two leading musicians of the international classical scene: violinist Alissa Margulis and pianist Lily Maisky. With a strong presence in Europe’s most important concert halls, the two performers collaborate on a program dedicated to German Romanticism with works by Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. This is a world-class concert not to be missed – especially after you read the interview given by the two musicians. As you will discover, their ties to Greece are many, and the recitals they will give in our country will have the warmth of artists playing for friends.
You are two international artists with diverse activities. Where can we find you at the moment?
AM: Right now, you find me on the train to Munich, where I will be performing in the coming days at the Chiemgauer Musikfrühling, a wonderful concert series that will be broadcast by Bavarian Radio. I’m glad I caught this train, as I already had a busy day, teaching my violin class this morning at the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen, Germany.
LM: I continue my path as an active chamber musician, slowly building my repertoire — something that for a pianist seems endless! I enjoy new collaborations as well as older ones, like our duo with Alissa; we recently realized we’ve been playing together for 20 years! I’m also very happy that we finally scheduled the first recording with my family trio, the “Maisky Trio,” which will take place in October and is a project that has been in the making for a long time.
On May 18, you will play at Meleagris Farm. In fact, I learned that you requested to play there. How did you find out about it and what motivated you to play there?
AM: I am truly excited and look forward to performing for the first time at Meleagris Farm. I’m glad that my dear friend and piano partner, Lily Maisky, knew this wonderful place and suggested we play there. It was perfect timing, as two days earlier we are presenting the same program at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall. For me personally, it is a great joy and honor, because I love Greece very much and adore performing in your magical country. Thank you for your hospitality!
LM: As you know, we are presenting the same program in Thessaloniki a few days earlier, and we wanted another opportunity to perform it in Greece, a country very close to my heart. I have played many times in Greece over the years — perhaps more than in many other European countries — and somehow I feel at home here. To be honest, one of the main motivations for this concert was to come to Athens and visit our very dear friend and great musician, Dora Bakopoulou!
You will play a program with three composers: Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, who were very closely connected in their personal lives and artistic creation. How is this expressed in their lives and music?
AM: I think this program is absolutely wonderful and hard to surpass in romanticism, expressiveness, emotional nuances, and pure beauty. The complex story of these three people, musicians, and composers was indeed deeply intertwined, which essentially influenced their compositions and mutually inspired them. All three bring immense emotional depth to their music and touch the core of our hearts.
LM: The relationship between these three great composers is one of the great love stories in the history of classical music, consisting of many different forms of love. Although each had their own strong compositional voice, it is clear that they deeply influenced each other. Personally, I love combining these three composers in different programs and forms, and this particular program contains so much beauty and love that it almost overflows.
Until recently, the world was unaware of Clara Schumann’s music, which remained in her husband’s shadow. Why do you think she deserves to be better known?
AM: I believe Clara was one of the most impressive women in history. Today, as society is finally more open-minded and women have space for careers equal to men — something that was not true in Clara’s time — we can now recognize her incredible talent. She was an exceptional pianist, while also raising nine children, supporting Robert, and writing all these wonderful compositions. It’s fascinating to discover her music and see how she was influenced by Robert and Brahms, yet maintained her own unique and beautiful voice. Her music is very pure. I deeply admire her and would have loved to have met her and heard her play. What strength she had — and how much she continues to inspire us to this day!
LM: It’s no secret that, historically, it was extremely difficult for women to create and express their own voice. Those few who dared to defy the social norms of their time and had the courage to create deserve to be recognized and honored today. For me personally, discovering these wonderful Romances for violin and piano led to them becoming some of my most beloved works for violin and piano recitals; they are truly little gems.
For the work of hers that you will play, what are its characteristics and how does it relate to the other works of the evening?
AM: Clara Schumann’s 3 Romances are three little gems. They speak of passion, pain, joy, contemplation, desire, love, doubt, and much more — where words fail, her music speaks. What I particularly love is that each of the three romances has a completely different character. They are not long and feel like a wonderful appetizer that you never get enough of, ideally opening the program and leading us deeper into it. I also particularly love a beautiful moment towards the end of the last Romance, where Clara essentially “quotes” Robert within her writing. Every time I play these measures, I can’t help but smile internally; it’s truly moving.
LM: These are simply three very beautiful short Romances, each with a different character and form. I believe they ideally open the listener’s ears to the program and serve as a perfect prologue to Robert Schumann’s stunningly beautiful pieces that follow, before Brahms’ Second Sonata which closes the first part — personally my favorite of all Brahms’ instrumental sonatas. It is very important for me that a program has a clear dramatic arc and structure, and that the first work is as important as the last.
Both of you — like Clara Schumann — come from musical families. How much did this influence your decision to pursue music?
AM: Of course, my family influenced me to become a musician, but never in a pushy way. I grew up listening mostly to piano music throughout my childhood — I fell asleep and woke up to it, as my father, my mother, my brother, or my sister were always at the piano. For me, it was an absolutely natural way of life, surrounded by music. From childhood, I associated specific musical works with life experiences. For example, one Christmas my father was preparing to record Schumann’s “Kreisleriana,” and so this work became the sound of Christmas for me — at an age when I didn’t even know who Schumann was. So I couldn’t imagine my life without music.
LM: Realistically, it influenced me a great deal. I was fully immersed in the world of classical music my entire life, which I consider a huge gift and privilege. Who knows if I would have ended up a musician if I had been born into a different family — probably not! Everything happened very organically; I don’t remember my life without the piano and, although I didn’t choose the instrument, I wouldn’t choose any other, nor a different life path. The same goes for Lily Maisky, with whom you have been collaborating for a long time.
How did you meet and how important is stable collaboration in chamber music?
AM: We met many years ago, when we were still almost teenagers, and immediately felt a very similar energy and connection. Our families already knew each other from Soviet Russia, where Lily’s father and my parents come from, so we knew of each other’s existence, but we actually met much later. We met at Martha Argerich’s house and a little later at the Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano. We connected immediately on all levels and became very close friends — so much so that I consider her family. From the very first moment, we loved making music together and discovered that we have many common interests and a similar way of thinking. Lily has always been very inspiring to me, and I continue to learn from her and admire her. She is a very special person with a huge heart and gives me a lot of strength. We have been through a lot together, and this is certainly reflected in our musical collaboration. She is one of my favorite musical partners and one of the people I love most to have by my side. Every moment with her is precious. Playing with her is like having a conversation about life and sharing every human emotion.
LM: Our paths had crossed many times in our youth; our parents knew each other and we moved in the same circles, but we immediately became friends in 2006 at the Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano, which Alissa mentioned. Although we had already met in the past, that’s when Alissa and I truly connected, and since then we’ve been living a whirlwind of wonderful shared moments, on and off stage. Very soon we started playing frequently as a duo, but also chamber music in many different forms and festivals, and now we are lifelong friends. It has always been extremely easy and natural for me to play with Alissa, and that is indeed something very important and enjoyable when creating music with someone.
Do you perceive each place you play differently? You have played in Greece before. How do you find the Greek audience?
AM: I love the Greek audience. In fact, I have Greek roots on my maternal grandfather’s side — so I have one-eighth Greek blood, although I never met my grandfather. But I feel it very strongly. Greece and the Greeks are very close to my heart, which is why I incredibly enjoy every time I come here and I have many Greek friends. Furthermore, my sister-in-law is Greek, the wonderful pianist Maria Panagiotidou. I have also been many times to the wonderful Aegina Music Festival with our dear friend Dora Bakopoulou — it is one of my favorite places in the world. I look forward to returning there every time. Another very special place for me is the Molyvos International Music Festival, organized by my friends Danae and Kiveli Dörken and Lito Dakou-Dörken. It is a fascinating festival and place, like Aegina, and for me it ranks among the best in the world: top musicians and concerts in breathtaking landscapes. This can only happen in Greece! It is truly worth traveling from anywhere in the world to experience this magic. I would highly recommend it to everyone. It is important to support such institutions so that they continue to exist for as long as possible.
LM: I absolutely love Greece — I love everything about it and I love performing here. Somehow, I’ve happened to come to Greece very often; this year alone I will perform here on three different occasions. I strongly feel the importance of culture and the love for music, something that should not be taken for granted nowadays.
You will also present the same program at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall. How does it differ when you play in a traditional concert hall versus a “festival” venue, like Meleagris Farm?
AM: Both have their own charm. Of course, a concert hall has very different acoustics — perhaps a more focused and clear sound. On the other hand, a festival environment can have a unique atmosphere and an irresistible charm. Both experiences can be magical for both the audience and us performers. I can’t say which I prefer; the variety of both is a luxury.
LM: In the end, music is music, and we are used to adapting to all kinds of different environments. Of course, when a concert takes place in a large hall, the atmosphere is somewhat more impersonal compared to a more intimate venue or a festival — although festivals vary greatly. For me, the atmosphere of the moment and the exchange of energy between the musicians and the audience are more important than the venue itself.
You already know the spirit of the festival. It is a place in nature that, after the concert, offers traditional delicacies and wine from a local winery.
AM: I haven’t visited the venue yet, but it sounds like an amazing place where something magical happens! I look forward to playing there for you.
LM: Yes. It’s our first time at this festival and we are really looking forward to discovering it and sharing this moment with you!
