Modest workshop of Valery Boldin, a secret room, behind the percussion of the Novosibirsk music school in Komsomolsk Avenue. Pointers are no no, but the musicians, and especially violinists, and so know where to go. It is easy to check the road for half a century that the master makes violins and violas, which then travel by orchestras around the world.
Help: Boldin, Valery G. – ‘ 72, Professor of the Department of stringed instruments of Novosibirsk state Conservatory named after Mikhail Glinka. He studied in the city of Krivoy Rog (Ukraine), graduated from the orchestral faculty of the Odessa Conservatoire double bass and graduate school.
Performing career began artist of the Symphony orchestra of the Tajik Philharmonic society, since 1972, working in the Novosibirsk Conservatory. Prepared dozens of musicians, some have won international competitions. Making stringed instruments for 46 years. Married.
In a small workshop he made tools, which are now heard around the world
Behind the doors is a little dusty piano, and the lid – Boldin instruments, violins and violas. For curly head hanging a beautiful viole d’amour “viola of love” of the Baroque era, today the only country who make such tools. Moreover, he’s one luthier in the whole of Novosibirsk – although from time to time trying to educate students. And in the day of the interview at his home sitting Evgeny Denisov, the famous master of the balalaika, which he wanted to make a violin for her granddaughter.
Boldin examines the future of the violin for the granddaughter of a friend – masters of the balalaika Evgeniya Denisova
“Anyway, you have a balalaika worked out,” laughs longtime friend Valery Boldin, feeling graceful, strong fingers, not yet ready frame tool.
Almost half of the Studio occupies a large warehouse of boards of spruce and maple and even parquet Board made of black wood.
– What are you, and from the parquet violin can do?
– What’s the difference – even a helicopter. We will process the file – and the violin work.
Hard to believe that violin can be made from these boards
To agree with Boldin for an interview – how to get a difficult quest, the musician truly said that he “already gave an interview before”, referring to the material 15 years ago. But still let correspondents NGS workshop – taking a promise that the meeting will be short, still need to work. He anticipates the first question is why, as a bassist, he specializiruetsya on building violins.
The master says that his violin he hears in the distance “many meters” – features invisible to the other person
“I just had to find out what’s inside violin. Brought me a broken fiddle in the bag, “Try to do it!”. (M. M.: Specially broke, or what?) It turned out as special though, because it is in the container is not included. Moved to another city, but was so drunk that after the knee broke it and brought it to me. So I found out what’s inside things. Gathered the violin – however, to play it was impossible. Although she looked like a violin.
… I’m probably not a very humble person – first violin, which I have collected, I sent immediately for the competition in Moscow – then in the Soviet Union held luthiers. And there were sent to the tools not under the name, under the motto.
The motto she was hopeless. It caused a huge laugh! But I was singled out and invited to co-operate”, – says Valeriy.
He makes entirely by hand – with the exception of strings
School of masters of musical instruments in the Soviet Union was studied from each other and from their mistakes. The materials on the tools allocated to the party, decided that a violin maker still needs. But I assigned the violin to the palaces of culture and schools are not musicians, and “state people”, so that tools were not just stellar students, but everyone else.
“I wanted to be a cellist. But in the city where I studied – Krivoy Rog, – there was no cello. In the corner stood a broken double bass teacher says “Take the bass, the cello is the same, only more.” From there I became a bassist. When I was in Conservatory, I tried the cello. But just the fact that, being professionally engaged in playing the instrument, I do not find much time to something else,” he says.
From violin makers there is a parable that after the 400th violin offers some truth on how to make the perfect tool
The precise number of violins, which he did for 46 years, Boldin to name. Just stopped to count them.
“Yes, I violin considered first. But not in order to know how many did.
Was a parable – when Stradivari was a student of Amati, he allegedly asked him: “And when I hear a secret?” – “But when 400 will do, you will open the truth!”.
To me it sunk into his head that to 400 tool it is necessary to walk. But when we got to the 400th violin, something of the truth is not opened”, – he shrugs shoulders.
But, according to Valery gennadevicha, automatically on the 400th violin truth is not open
Among the hundreds of stringed instruments in the list, Boldin is one the double bass, which now plays his student in New Zealand.
“The interesting thing is that we play everything on the “fabricca” (factory tools. – M. M.), artisans of instruments-basses especially-no.
When I made my double bass and tried to be honest, I have tears welled up – what was I doing? At some stool. The difference is huge. Bass chic turned.
Student played with a Symphony orchestra in New Zealand and sent me a video – a huge area…” – says the master.
Tools for creating the violin, he also makes himself such not in the store to buy
He does completely by hand – from the shape to the tuning pegs, everything except the strings. How long is the process of making a violin Boldin say difficult:
“I never this question is not raised. Sometimes, doing half did – and then through the knee and into the bucket. Or material which is not the one wrong here – bow saw failed. Time – how to define? Here to me somehow flunked the company’s Chinese – Oh, and as you can tools a month to do let me torture. Say – well, 6-7 tools. They – and a hundred and a thousand? You can’t, well then no, not interested!”.
According to Boldin, the master listen to the tool not as musicians – assess rather on the technical and visual criteria, while the violin is the most important sound.
Boldin left on the memory of the unusual instrument of the viol d’amore, popular in the Baroque era
“The masters say is a beautiful instrument cannot sound, and the violin speak – sounding instrument can’t be ugly. And both are right. I was the winner of the Tchaikovsky competition, Mayuko (Kamio, a famous Japanese violinist. – M. M.) is a student of Bron – she came here. She has come off DECA Stradivarius – and her play. And here he (Zakhar Bron. – M. M.) are in a panic ran: “Valerie, help me out!”. She came in here.
And while did, saying, “Take my come play.” She played the Tchaikovsky Concerto – brilliant sounds, that’s what I the violin did! Then came a pretty decent violinist, began to play – and not.
Making more of these, of course, musician. There is a brilliant violinist is mediocre,” says Valery Boldin.
It does not only violin, but also guitar, violas, cellos and double basses
Restoration he deals only in exceptional cases, preferring to make from scratch. Its a tool he perceives in the process of creation, and when he is ready – he’s already thinking about the next violin.
Boldin is upset that the disciples leave because of the money, but don’t despair. He categorically refuses to say how much his violin
On the question of who will continue to pursue his case, Boldin first refused to answer, but at the end of the interview, nevertheless explained:
“There were guys that wanted to do. But go with a commercial purpose. And that money brings. Married wife just say: drop it. It seems, in the hands of others-what he (the master. – M. M.) millions sculpts, and fast. I’m not making money. This is the place where all forgotten, left alone with this case – as an outlet from everything unpleasant that happens in life”.
The master cannot say that he loves – teaching, or creating tools. According to him, it’s like choosing which child of the two children more love
He himself with his wife, said lucky together since childhood. The wife played the cello, so well aware of her husband-musician. To her he cello, of course, did not play on the “guitar of mass production”, but a decent instrument.
– Why you say – “played”, now isn’t it?
Boldin is silent for a few seconds. She confesses, pulling his fingers: “These hands will not play”.
See also:
Renowned conductor Dmitry Vasiliev has shown how music – for this he attached a led on the baton and took slow shutter speeds. What is the picture of classic songs from Rammstein songs and what emotions absorb rehearsing the main man in the band – in the project NGS.
