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- [00:00]
David Krauss
Hey listeners, thanks for tuning in. If you're enjoying speaking soundly, please consider supporting our work with a tax deductible donation. You can easily contribute on our website@artfullnarrativesmedia.com donate or just click the link in the show notes of this episode. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us keep bringing you inspiring conversations with remarkable artists. Thank you so much for your continued support. We really appreciate it. Be sure to check out slippeddisc.com for the latest inside information on classical music Now. Want to know more about your favorite composers, masterpieces and instruments of the orchestra? Check out Weta Classical's podcast, Classical Breakdown, your guide to classical music to discover more about the music you love. You can find Classical Breakdown wherever you listen to podcasts or online@classicalbreakdown.org Looking for world class performances at an accessible price point? See yourself at Lincoln center presents free and choose what you pay performances. Where else in New York City can you experience contemporary flamenco, mental health, inspired choral works, experimental jazz, and an interactive family dance performance all in the same week and for less than the price of lunch? Explore the full calendar of events today@lincoln center.org presents Grammy Award winning Violin Virtuoso and Carnegie Hall Perspectives. Artist Maxime Van Goraff knew early on that the violin was more than just an instrument to master. It was his ticket to a musical journey.
- [01:41]
Maxime Van Goraff
I was quite realistic when all kids at the age of five, they were dreaming, I'm going to become astronaut. I'm going to be president. I knew what I was doing, what I was going to become. It was a green path for me to the world. I wanted to travel. My instrument was my transportation.
- [02:02]
David Krauss
You're listening to Speaking Soundly, a backstage pass to today's biggest stars of the music world. I'm your host, David Krauss, principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera. During each episode you'll hear me speak with inspiring performers about their creative process and the personal journey that led them to the stage. It's so great to be speaking with you and actually it's kind of surreal because when I was in college I had a CD of yours called Virtuoso Vengoroff and it made a huge impact on me, not only because of your incredible violin playing, but it just felt cool somehow that someone my same age was performing on a level that sounded like it took a lifetime to achieve. It just sounded limitless. So now that I have you here, I'd like to ask, when you play, do you feel what I heard in that recording that like Anything is possible.
- [02:58]
Maxime Van Goraff
First of all, David, thanks for having me here. This is a wonderful honor to be here. Yes. As long as I remember myself, music meant more than just a job. It was always way of living, philosophy of life. I always had the spiritual, religious feeling about music. Once I get into the stage, the aim was always to be in the zone. And yes, you play for people, but you play for yourself. You play for something that will make you possibly better every day. And that was also the goal is a little bit also the sporty feeling, because every day has to be better one. And I remember the first time I went into the recording studio in Melodia, the legendary producer Kondrasan, who, you know, I was 10 years old, I didn't know how the recording is going to be. And he said, you know, you arguably can be Maxim, the youngest person ever to record lp. He said that the first time. And I remember we worked quite intensely for two days, and after the recording has been edited, I couldn't believe my ears. I was so much better than I could have expected. So I wanted immediately to bring this quality onto the stage and to make this a live performance. And I must stress that during the time of Soviet Union, you weren't just presenting your art and yourself, but you were playing for the country. As big as it sounds, yes.
- [04:45]
David Krauss
Did you feel that at 10?
- [04:46]
Maxime Van Goraff
Of course. It was enormous pressure. Thank God I was 10. And, you know, but even when I was younger, it was always bigger than myself. But then, on the other hand, it really helped me in the later life. You know, I present music and I have to be the greatest advocate today, because I'm standing on big stage. I have to make a justice to this music.
- [05:11]
David Krauss
What do you think it is about music as an art form that allowed you as a young child to tap into it so profoundly and so deeply?
- [05:21]
Maxime Van Goraff
In Soviet Union, you know, we didn't have many things to do. The greatest values for people were friendship, love, sports and music. And then everything that involved socializing. And even there we had restrictions. So finally, when I was with my violin, I felt liberated, even though, of course, I didn't feel to certain degrees the limitations of Soviet Union, because I was born there and it was my life. I had a very strict discipline at home. I had to work seven, eight hours a day. I had only very limited time to socialize. So I learned to enjoy every instant. And I think that's the greatest thing. When you play music, you enjoy everything.
- [06:16]
David Krauss
Given the countless hours you dedicated to the violin, do you think that you could have achieved a similar level of success in any other pursuit.
- [06:27]
Maxime Van Goraff
I think, you know, because of also my name, Maxim. I wanted to do everything to the maximum. Even I remember I loved swimming very much. So I. I started swimming and I was swimming for. For an hour, you know, quite fast. And then one sports trainer said, look, he's going to be a champion. I think, you know, just, I enjoy doing everything to the max and to do the best I can.
- [06:55]
David Krauss
Yeah.
- [06:56]
Maxime Van Goraff
Again, it was never always about me only, but it was about, can I make an impact? Can I touch people? Can I move them?
- [07:08]
David Krauss
You grew up in a very musical household. Your father was an oboist and your mom a choral conductor. What drew you to the violin instead of following in their footsteps as a child, I would have been much more interested in seeing my mom wave her arms in front of a choir or seeing my dad with sharp knives making reeds. Why the violin?
- [07:29]
Maxime Van Goraff
Well, surely I didn't want to make reeds because my father got so frustrated doing them and breaking them every time. He wasn't happy with it.
- [07:37]
David Krauss
That happens.
- [07:38]
Maxime Van Goraff
Yeah. So I didn't want to have that life of my dad playing oboe. Also for the reason that oboists are sitting far behind.
- [07:48]
David Krauss
And you wanted to be in front.
- [07:49]
Maxime Van Goraff
I wanted to be in front. I wanted to shine. I wanted to play for people. Now, initially I wanted to become a conductor because I watched my mom. And then there was a local orchestra, Novosibirsk Philharmonik, where our legendary conductor Nolte Katz was conducting. And I looked up to him when I was already three, and I spent all my early days in the orchestra. I was practically.
- [08:17]
David Krauss
You wanted to be a conductor at three?
- [08:19]
Maxime Van Goraff
Yeah. I said, you know, I'd like to be like you. I said to conductor. And he said, oh, don't, don't conduct. Why don't you play the oboe and I can fire your dead. But then I had to start an instrument and I chose violin.
- [08:41]
David Krauss
Your parents and your teachers knew very early on that you had a natural gift for the violin. But when was the first time you realized you had something special? And I mean, as a child, it must have felt like having a superpower.
- [08:55]
Maxime Van Goraff
I remember it was already in the first one of the first concerts when I played, played for half an hour at the age of five, played some great works of Mozart and small variations of Paganini. And I was really preparing quite hard for that. And I didn't know why I should be doing this. But then there was audience of like 500 people, and I thought, wow, that's Cool. And I was really. I was telling my friends, you know, I was. I felt so proud that I could play for people. And all of a sudden, all my efforts, they were worth it. I remember being surrounded with music and I just loved this feeling. It was totally awesome. And then I was quite realistic. When all kids at the age of five, they were dreaming and I'm going to become astronaut. I'm going to be president. I knew what I was doing. It was about always a reality. And also again, you know, about Soviet Union. It was a green path for me to the world. I wanted to travel. My instrument was my transportation.
- [10:14]
David Krauss
I want to ask you about your first teacher, Kalina Turchanova.
- [10:18]
Maxime Van Goraff
Is that right? So first of all, torture.
- [10:23]
David Krauss
Torchany nova. Got it.
- [10:25]
Maxime Van Goraff
All right.
- [10:25]
David Krauss
Well, that's a good way to put it. Well, speaking of torture, I know that you two didn't hit it off very well at first. And I have to ask you if it's true that when you were five, you became so frustrated with the violin that you actually threw a punch during a tantrum and it landed on her.
- [10:42]
Maxime Van Goraff
You know, I love.
- [10:43]
David Krauss
I mean, this is legend, but you're here, so I figured I'd ask.
- [10:47]
Maxime Van Goraff
It's good that you ask me. You know, it actually was during our first meeting, she asked me to sing some songs just to test my musicality. She asked me to tap a few things. So I was tapping the rhythm, different rhythm, and she says, okay, I'm quite happy with that now. Do you have any strength? Can you show me? Yeah. And I punched her in the stomach.
- [11:18]
David Krauss
You talked about the countless hours that you put in when you were younger. Did you enjoy practicing?
- [11:25]
Maxime Van Goraff
At first I hated practicing, to be honest, because who does, you know, rarely. I enjoyed practicing. I enjoyed the results later. Yes.
- [11:37]
David Krauss
So did that early discipline come also from your parents? Like, were you just forced to practice or was it all on you?
- [11:45]
Maxime Van Goraff
Of course, parents, especially my mother, played indispensable role because basically the Galina Torchenynova treated kids like adults. So I didn't feel like I was a child already. At the first concert, she would. After the concert, she would criticize me. I said, this was good, this was not good. So, yeah, I mean, psychologically there was not much choice for me. I just had to do it. And mother, my mom was incredible in finding always a key friendly key. I would say, you know, to convince me to say, let's do it together, you know. And she would be. During nights, I would practice during nights because during day she was working for 12 hours. At her music school, she was also just an incredible person. She led the orphanage where she organized a music school. She was director of another school and director of the choir, teacher for voice piano. So her responsibilities and social responsibilities were huge. So when she came home, we had very short time. She cooked dinner, then we played together for half an hour. And then, as I said, the torture started.
- [13:13]
David Krauss
And how long into the night would you practice?
- [13:15]
Maxime Van Goraff
Yeah, sometimes until 3, 4 in the morning.
- [13:18]
David Krauss
Come on.
- [13:19]
Maxime Van Goraff
Because we had to do things. We had to achieve things for the next lesson. So, you know, I would come the next morning to the lesson completely like, you know, not awake. And then the teacher said, well done, but why? You look as if you didn't sleep the whole night. And my mom said, yeah, it's true. You didn't, you know, for good or for bad, it served the purpose, and I never regret it.
- [13:52]
David Krauss
Did you feel like that training that you got toughened you up? For example, I've seen videos of you playing in gloves. Is that just a necessary skill to master, having grown up in a place like Siberia?
- [14:06]
Maxime Van Goraff
My teacher, first teacher, Galian Turchineva, used to say, if he can play with gloves, you can definitely do without. And I'd say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And I'm really that I was born in the hardship, in the coldness and the wilderness, and now I take this strength with me. I take the better part of that, and I use it all the time, and that makes me, and also my music stronger. Nothing happens for no reason.
- [14:43]
David Krauss
You have a prolific recording career, and most people only have photos or videos to look back on. But you have recordings that capture specific moments in time through your playing. When you listen to these recordings, do you appreciate the musical choices from that time, or do you find them kind of dated and cringey, like you're looking back at old hairstyles and outfits?
- [15:09]
Maxime Van Goraff
One of the greatest assets in my life, it was recording because I learned from my recordings. I sometimes refer to the ones that I was 22, 23, and I want to get one or another element back to my playing. Because throughout the life, your style changes. But then it's important to look back and say, what has been lost, Possibly because, you know, if you don't take time and don't take track of your life, if you don't analyze, life goes by, and, you know, you can have the tendency to lose the roots. For instance, two years ago, I was playing Mozart. I was listening to the current recording. I said, something is missing for me. And Then I went back to the 10 year old recording and said, okay, that we can get back.
- [16:04]
David Krauss
Most people are exactly the opposite. Like, they keep trying to, you know, reinvent themselves. You listen to actors all the time, say, I never watch my movies. You know, once it's done, it's done, it's in the past. But it's nice to hear someone say, I want to capture something that was in my past, because it was a beautiful thing. And I'm trying to, trying to retain it.
- [16:25]
Maxime Van Goraff
Sometimes when in the earlier recordings there is this spontaneity and there is, you know, some element of playing that was without thinking. Of course, at that time, you know, there was no probably wisdom and you know, there were no deeper colors. But, you know, you don't want to forget the good old self, right?
- [16:49]
David Krauss
Following in the footsteps of one of your great inspirations and mentors, Rostropovich, of course, the great cellist and conductor, you began conducting alongside your busy career as a violin soloist. Now, maybe you know this already, but every member of an orchestra secretly thinks that he or she could do a better job of conducting than most conductors and that playing the music is way harder than leading it. So I want to hear it from the horse's mouth. What's more difficult, playing the violin or conducting?
- [17:22]
Maxime Van Goraff
I have the solidarity with all musicians that think they can do it better. Because, you know, until I started conducting, I. I also thought to myself, I can do it better. But then when I stood in front of orchestra, I asked myself two questions. First of all, can the orchestra play without me and can I add anything? So for me there was always a question, why do I stand in front of the orchestra? Under which authority is it just my name? And then this was absolutely no, no for me, because I wanted to be there, because I could add something. And then what can I add? And the first thing that occurred to me, I want, I have imagination of the sound. So if the conductor doesn't bring the sound of his or her own, then probably, you know, it's better to let musicians play on their own, because the sound identity must be brought by individual. And the identity of sound is like a fingerprint of every musician. And this is why we need conductor for the big symphonies at least. I think there is nothing more fulfilling than actually producing the sound that comes out of your fingers right and left hand. You know, there's something physical about this. Conducting is more spiritual. Your instrument is the orchestra, and you connect to it at some level is very stronger because you're not bound to some material but, you know, I think while we're alive and while we can, it's so wonderful to play.
- [19:07]
David Krauss
You were appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, where you perform for children all over the world. Can you share a memorable experience from that role and how it shaped your views on music as you see its impact in the communities that you're playing?
- [19:25]
Maxime Van Goraff
Because I was growing up in this severe society with its limitations in many aspects. In Soviet Union, when I moved to the west, it was like being in heaven. And I went to study in Germany when I was 13. Then I went to UK, then started traveling around the world. And by the age of 20, 21, life was like a dream, and I was so thankful. But then there came a point, and I said, so, what's next? And then I met my pr. She asked me, what do I like to do? I said, you know, I feel so fortunate. I'd like to also give something back. And I love to work with kids because my mother set the great example of impacting children, and she set me up with people from unicef, and I said, I'd like to go to the trouble areas, even with the conflict areas, where I could bring my valley and play for kids directly. I want to play somewhere where music would not be performed. And they initiated the first project for me in Uganda, and they were in a terrible state. They were war children. It was incredibly traumatic experience for me to see these kids without parts of their bodies that had nothing to look for in their lives. And I could see how my music, when I started playing, has littered their souls. The change I was able to make with just violin and the bow, and they started, you know, waving and dancing to it. It was unforgettable experience that changed me forever and probably added another dimension into my human life. I think music is the greatest resort and the escape music is not anymore luxury, but a savior. So I'm very fortunate to be a musician.
- [21:33]
David Krauss
You are one of this season's perspective artists at Carnegie hall, which gives audiences a unique insight, your inspirations as a performer and an artist. You'll be performing throughout the season, and I'm particularly excited for your Brahms concerto with my orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. What does being a perspectives artist mean to you? And what can audiences expect to hear throughout the season from you at Carnegie Hall?
- [22:01]
Maxime Van Goraff
It's an enormous honor, privilege, and joy to be here in Carnegie hall, not only performing once, but to hold several performances throughout the year. I wanted to share my musical aspirations with audiences that I love in different aspects. First of all, as a violinist, of course, I'M really looking forward to the concert that you mentioned with the Metropolitan Orchestra. I'm starting with the prospective season with the two performances of complete Mozart concertos with Orpheus Jumbo Orchestra, where I performed all five concertos.
- [22:41]
David Krauss
That's a lot of playing.
- [22:43]
Maxime Van Goraff
It's a lot of playing. But I always loved Mozart. I used to perform it already when I was five. And Mozart follows me all my life. Young Mozart, he was 19 when he wrote these five violin concertos. A genius playing on the violin. And the funny thing is that when he performed concerto number five, his father. You wrote a letter to mtr, Wolfgang, I think your fifth concerto finally reached out to me, and I dropped a tear in the second movement. And I also think if you give it a little more time to practice violin, you could have become a good violinist.
- [23:26]
David Krauss
I know Carnegie hall is like a home to you in that you've played here many times throughout your career. What was your first experience?
- [23:34]
Maxime Van Goraff
I remember playing the first time in Carnegie when I was 16 and the wife of a late Isaac Stern stood up after a performance on stage, and she asked me to say a few words, and I took the microphone and that's where I really became frightened during performance. I felt so much at home. It was so beautiful. First of all, Carnegie hall has unique acoustic. There isn't another hall of this enormous beauty. But when I had the microphone in my hand, you know, I started shaking.
- [24:11]
David Krauss
That's when you freaked out.
- [24:13]
Maxime Van Goraff
Yeah, that's when I freaked out. But I always feel at home there because the audience, the building itself, the history and so much music that has been here, legendary composers, musicians and chamber music, you name it. And now I was offered to perspective. What a great honor and great joy.
- [24:39]
David Krauss
I want to end by asking you about resonance. As a violinist, you can actually feel your Stradivarius resonating throughout your body. As a conductor, you can hear the resonance of a legendary acoustic like Carnegie Hall. And as a performer, you can sense how the music you create resonates with the audience. How does that process of performing resonate within you?
- [25:04]
Maxime Van Goraff
I think you tapped into the area that is probably one of the important aspects of our life, because on the daily basis, we have to create this resonance, whether in our families, in society, speaking with friends, dealing with our businesses, or indeed in the stage. And as a musician, I was lucky to have the opportunity to create this resonance on daily basis, because every note you have to strive for the perfection there is nothing perfect. But when you jump into the perfect resonance, you hit the target right in the middle and you feel this is a perfection. This is the ideal case scenario for the world when there is peace and love and respect for others.
- [25:57]
David Krauss
And you get to experience that every time you pick up the violin.
- [26:00]
Maxime Van Goraff
Yes, that's how lucky I am.
- [26:04]
David Krauss
I hope you enjoyed this episode of Speaking Soundly. If you liked what you heard, please tell your friends about it. Help spread the word and follow us on Instagram at Speaking Sndly. For more information, you can Visit our website artfulnarrativesmedia.com if you're new to the show, you can go back and check out earlier episodes featuring Wynton Marsalis, Regina Spector, Joyce Did, Donato, Emmanuel Axe and Rufus Wainwright, just to name a few. And tune in two weeks from today on December 24th to hear Cellist Elisa Wylerstein Speaking Soundly.