Lady in Black: Vladimir Spivakov brought Alice Freundlich back to Moscow
The great Alice Freundlich returned to the Moscow stage after a long break. The program, which brought together two People's Artists of the USSR on one stage — the legend of Soviet and Russian theater and cinema Alice Freundlich and Vladimir Spivakov — together with the "Virtuosi of Moscow" chamber orchestra, caused an unprecedented audience excitement. A unique musical and literary evening "…She is both music and the word ..." took place on September 12 in the Svetlanovsky Hall of the Moscow International House of Music.
Spiritual Food
The capital's audience was looking forward to this evening with special trepidation — festive bustle reigned in the foyer of the House of Music, the atmosphere was electrified with anticipation. The meeting, originally scheduled for early summer, was postponed to September, which only whetted interest. The new date was chosen for a reason: September 12 is Maestro Spivakov's birthday. A prepared audience came to congratulate Vladimir Theodorovich and pay their respects to Alice Brunovna. Due to the abundance of huge flower baskets and luxurious bouquets, the check at the entrance to the MMDM slowed down noticeably, and a long queue formed on the street.
"I just didn't have time to get anything for the June concert, they dared everything in a matter of hours," Natalia, one of the spectators, told Izvestia at the entrance. — I was in complete despair, but a miracle happened the night before: literally several tickets from the reservation were posted on the website. The cheapest one that I could afford cost 12 thousand rubles for a balcony. But for the sake of Alice Brunovna, no money is spared. It's a legend!
"And my wife and I postponed the purchase of a new refrigerator for this evening," another viewer, who introduced himself as Mikhail, cheerfully picked up. — I told her: the groceries will wait, but Freundlich and Spivakov on the same night — this happens once in a lifetime. We will eat spiritual food.
There is a full house in the hall. Among the guests were opera diva Hibla Gerzmava, maestro Sati Spivakova's wife, Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of the capital, Leonid and Oksana Yarmolnik, brothers Igor and Vadim Verniki, Elena Podkaminskaya, Alexander Yatsko, Dina Korzun. They all came to witness a rare event.
— This is a completely unique, historical concert. A great actress, a great conductor and a legendary orchestra — what could be more magical and beautiful? Alisa Brunovna has not performed in Moscow for a long time, the summer concert was postponed, and today I am looking forward to it," Vadim Vernik shared with "Izvestia".
He recalled that the last play with her participation, "Summer of One Year," had disappeared from the poster of the Bolshoi Drama Theater, where Alisa Brunovna has served for more than forty years. Therefore, it was an exceptional piece of luck to see Freundlich on stage that evening.
They brought the word back to the stage
While the audience in the hall waited with bated breath for the People's Artists of the USSR, the "Virtuosos of Moscow" took the stage one at a time and gradually took their places. The audience greeted each of the musicians with welcoming applause, enhancing the solemnity of the moment. Immediately after the third bell, when the lights began to go out, Vladimir Spivakov's voice rang out in the semi—darkness: "I don't know what this evening will be like. Only God knows. Anticipating the silence, the beating of hearts and the light that music and the incomparable Alice radiate."
After these words, the main characters of the evening took the stage. Vladimir Teodorovich and Alisa Brunovna were both wearing black, formal classic pantsuits. The only bright accent in the image of the actress was a diamond brooch that shone on the lapel of her jacket. The maestro gently led Alice Freundlich by the hand, and then invited her to sit in a chair next to the conductor's console.
The creative union of the two masters has a deep history. If Vladimir Spivakov has always had a keen sense of the drama of music, then Alice Freundlich, who has become a symbol of the St. Petersburg theater school, has a musical flair that is rare for a dramatic actress. In recent years, their joint performances have been associated with significant dates. In January 2024, they performed in St. Petersburg at the "Dedication" evening dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad. In the spring of 2026, the program "... She is both music and a word..." was born on the stage of the BDT, which has now finally been seen in the capital.
The concert opened with a piece by the Austrian composer Anton von Webern — the orchestra performed the "Slow Movement" (Langsamer Satz). Alice Freundlich listened without taking her eyes off the maestro's hands. Then she took the floor herself. The main focus of the evening was the poetry of the Silver Age — in Freundlich's performance, the poems sounded like a continuation of a musical phrase.
In the absolute silence of the hall, she read the famous poem "Silentium". A line by Osip Mandelstam from this poetic masterpiece gave the program its name: "She has not yet been born, / She is both music and word, / And therefore all living things / Are an indestructible connection."
The hall froze when Marina Tsvetaeva's "Requiem" was performed by Freundlich: "So many of them fell into this abyss, / Opened in the distance! / The day will come when I will disappear / From the surface of the earth." Next is another Tsvetaeva poem, "In my huge city it is night...". The actress pronounced the lines about the finiteness of existence and the fragility of human life with a confessional intonation.
Poetry was accompanied by works by composers from different eras: Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Astor Piazzolla.
The hour-long concert without intermission ended with a ten-minute standing ovation. The audience gave a standing ovation. A stream of fans with flowers rushed to the stage.
In the finale, the orchestra played a waltz. Alisa Freundlich and Vladimir Spivakov performed a few light dance steps, thanked the audience and ended the evening to sustained applause.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
