IMMERSION IN ARTS

Our smart society has been gratified in two aspects at once: one is intellectual and spiritual and the other is material. A gathering in the conference hall of the Azerbaijan Theatre of Musical Comedy organically merged high fashion and high art. Manuel Carrera, the founder and permanent director of one of the world's most renowned jewellery brands, and leading actors of the A. Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre [MHT] Renata Litvinova, Igor Vernik, Sergey Chonishvili and Yevgeniya Dobrovol-skaya held not exactly a news conference with journalists as had been planned but rather a frank, warm and friendly talk. Earlier that day, the MHT actors had given their first performance in Baku showing "Witness for the Prosecution".

There is good reason behind the idea to combine the seemingly incompatible categories, such as a jewellery brand and a theatrical performance. As we know, high-style jewellery as an art and the value of the theatre as an art are irreplaceable. The guests had one more thing in common though: the people gathered around one table are true professionals in their business and their high standards ruled out any pomp and tension. The faces of Maitre Manuel Carrera himself and his charming companion, Senora Marina, radiated sincere kindness and friendliness.

First of all, the maestro answered journalists' questions and spoke about his work, about the difficult path he had travelled and his eternal Muse.

- I must admit, it was quite difficult for me to create my own company. The brand was established after the Civil War in Spain. It was a very hard time for the country as there was total crisis and cultural stagnation. When we speak about the art of jewellery, we mean that its development must be based on rich cultural traditions as a whole. The merit of the brand is that, at a difficult time for Spain, both a new trademark and a new line in the art of jewellery were created. As regards myself, I am lucky to engage in jewellery as the business of my life which is more art than merely craft. To achieve success, one has to work much and hard but a difficult path always brings its fruit.

- Have you ever been to Baku before?

- Yes, I was here in 2008 at an event devoted to a death anniversary of Mstislav Rostropovich. His wife invited me to that event as a close friend of Rostropovich. I spoke from the stage saying words of commemoration about Rostropovich. He had told me a lot about Baku in words of vehement tenderness. I must thank you for your country giving such a man as a gift to the world. On that occasion, I spent only a few days in your city and my attendants showed me the city and its sights. I am amazed by your people, so very warm and hospitable. I can say with certainty that the collections that enjoyed most popularity in Baku were those that are very complicated to understand. They were made with high artistry and it is remarkable that people in Baku understand high art. I am not speaking about the price tags on the articles because their value is not measured in money alone.

- (Question to Renata Litvinova:) You are the author of a TV programme on the history of costume. Have you now got the idea of making a programme on the history of the art of jewellery?

- I would dream about making such a programme but it is quite difficult to do because a story about any brand would be taken in TV as advertising. In addition, I have a special attitude to Maestro Manuel: most things are commercialised in the world of jewellery but all his things are auteur pieces.

- (Question to Sergey Chonishvili:) Do you remember the first time you stepped onto the stage in "Witness for the Prosecution"? What were your first feelings then and what are you feeling now after you've played it so many times?

- My playing in this production is a piece of my life. As long as you feel that you are part of it, like an erythrocyte in blood, you play it all in one burst of inspiration… But suffice it to "drop out" of this sense of unity, and you may break down.

- (Question to Yevgeniya Dobrovolskaya:) Originally, the prosecutor in the play was a man. But specially for you, the role was rewritten to make this character a woman…

- Yes, indeed, the role was rewritten and we hope it was justified. The play has two love lines, one of them being in its final phase and the other just beginning. The latent plotline is between the barrister and the prosecutor. Thus the character's gender did not change for any reason. In general, we are feeling very anxious as we are playing this version before you for the first time and the Baku public is new to us. This is a different country and we are excited about the audience's response.

Igor Vernik: - This is the second time I've been to Baku. My first visit was 30 years ago when Chilean film director Sebastian Alarcon was shooting a film in which I played a cadet. I remember the Old City. We were there today and it stirred up my old memories... I certainly wanted to come here many times but somehow it did not happen…

- (Question to Renata Litvinova:) - Another most famous version of the play "Witness for the Prosecution" is the 1957 film with the charming Marlene Dietrich made by Billy Wilder. It seems to me it was not by accident that Renata was chosen for the same part: you are also a femme fatale in a way…

- Do you find me a femme fatale?

- You were asked this question in many interviews but you never answered it…

- As regards the film… I like very much every thing made by Billy Wilder but, to be honest, I failed to view his "Witness for the Prosecution" to the end. B. Wilder put the accent on the barrister's play. Marlene Dietrich was at a fairly considerable age and she is in a static condition. It is no secret that during the shooting she personally set up lighting for herself, choosing the most advantageous positions and, despite all that, she was free and uninhibited but she didn't dare be plain… In our version the emphasis is on all the actors.

- (Question to Litvinova:) It seems that, of all priorities in your life, arts is number one. Is it so?

- In order to do something important, one cannot afford to dissipate one's energies. One should choose one's top priority. Yes, I have moved away from TV work as TV takes up a lot of energy. It is a real factory processing humans. It seems to me that there is too much talking there now while silence has become a forgotten ritual.

- (Question to Igor Vernik:) It is nice to see people of your generation doing certain social functions apart from their core activity. For instance, Igor Vernik runs a charitable fund to support artists. What did you want when setting up the fund? Did you want to attract young people to the theatre who are currently focused on TV serials and pop music? Or support existing talents?

- Youth is known for its carelessness and it's a pity if this quality is taken away. It is natural for their age to be keen on serials and entertaining content. But the function of the fund is different: it renders direct aid to elderly actors who once were the idols and favourites of millions but, coming to a certain age, they become deprived of the most important thing. They suffer from loneliness and from the lack of fulfilment and demand for them. Many of them gave themselves up to art and now their life is devastated. On top of that, many have day-to-day problems related to health and finance and we help them with those things, even providing nurses to take care of those sick and weak. However, what really matters for them is that they cannot do their labour of love. Day of Old People was marked in Moscow a few days ago. We organized a special action inviting elderly artists for a drill at a fitness centre. And, you know, those ballerinas from the Bolshoi Theatre aged 60 to 70 were doing such stretching and other exercises that we failed to do!

- (Question to Sergey Chonishvili:) You used to feature on TV frequently but it seems you've been trying to avoid it lately…

- I want to do things that really excite me. In addition, I am engaged in many projects recording the voiceover. At the moment I prefer to stay off screen and educate the audience from there. My financial claims are not high, so I have enough to get by. Thank God, I haven't had so far to compromise with myself for the sake of money.

- (Question to Renata Litvinova:) You made a documentary, a kind of confession, a very heartfelt thing entitled "No Death for Me" ["Net Smerti Dlya Menya"]. What was it that you learned from the gone heroines of Soviet cinema?

- That film gave me the gift of friendship with many legends of Soviet cinema, for example, Nonna Mordyukova. I took her as some incredible phenomenon, as a kind of "mistress of the wind". The range of roles she played is incredibly wide. She was an amazing actress, both dramatic and comedian, and in general she was a beauty. In addition, she had a literary gift. She failed to receive many star roles, such as for instance Aksinya in "Quiet Flows the Don". Nonna Mordyukova was the first person I showed my film to. She was already ill. And she said that it was her best role. Regrettably I had to cut out a lot of footage. I also made friends with another Soviet actress, Tatyana Okunevskaya. Do you know what amazed me most of all? All of them were already advanced in age, but their passions ran high like in the young. I heard such criticism levelled at Lyubov Orlova and Faina Ranevskaya… There were also passions over their garments and husbands. I asked them: "What is your greatest desire?" What they wanted was neither money, nor husbands, but just one more role of genius that would give them an opportunity to become famous again…

The news conference lasted about an hour and a half or two hours but the good time we spent talking went too quickly. What amazed and attracted most of all was not revelling in titles, awards and achievements, as often is the case with honoured stars, but their sincere and full immersion in their work. As Renata Litvinova said in conclusion, "we all are non-standard. We want to create something non-material and leave behind as much of it as possible."

As regards the performance, it is the brilliant play by Agatha Christie, the Queen of Mystery. "Witness for the Prosecution" features unique English humour, an entangled plot and very subtle psychological details. There are bright-coloured characters. There are lightness, elegance and grotesque. All these features are interwoven in the fabric of the play in such a bizarre fashion that not only the mystery of the murder but also the living flesh of the theatre with all its astonishing transformations, actors' somersaults and mesmerizing theatricality kept the audience in suspense until the last second.

The result was a talented theatrical play of an English detective story partly tracing back to the Soviet TV hit "Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson" and partly to musicals like "My Fair Lady". This mystery story ranks among the pinnacles of the author's work, so it has lots of adaptations in many countries which are warmly welcomed by the audience. The play produced by Swiss director Marie-Louise Bischofberger has been shown in many countries throughout the world. In Baku, there were virtually no vacant seats in the hall. After the end, the Baku audience just overwhelmed the actors with flowers and would not let them go for a long time.