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С наилучшими пожеланиями и любовью,

Сьюзен] [41]

В тот год, когда Вера Георгиевна ушла из жизни, в журнале «World Harp Congress Review», который выходит каждую весну и зиму, были опубликованы написанный мною «Творческий портрет» Веры Георгиевны, воспоминания Катрин Мишель, Джозефа Мольнара и мои, небольшие реминисценции Адоне Цекки, Сьюзен Макдональд, Энн Стоктон, большая статья Ольги Ортенберг (в следующем номере [42] ) и множество фотографий.

Vera Dulova is the person whose name symbolizes the highest achievements of the Russian Harp School and international harp performance.

Vera Georgiyevna was born on 27 January 1909. Her musical fate was predetermined in her childhood. Her grandmother was a splendid pianist who, according to P. Tchaikovsky was “one of the most brilliant representatives of the modern virtuosity.” Her father, George Dulov, was a violinist, a professor at the Moscow Conservatory and the author of twelve notebooks called The Full Course of Russian Violin Playing. Her mother, Maria Bukovskaya, was a leading singer in the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. It is interesting to note that even Vera’s great – grandfather was a hero of the First Patriotic War and was awarded a golden weapon by the great Russian General, M. Kutuzov.

As a child, Vera liked the cello and asked to play that instrument. Her father insisted that “the cello was not for a woman.” Vera responded, “Then, teach me to play the harp.”

Vera studied harp for her first two years with Ksenia Erdeli (1879-1971). K. Erdeli was the oldest Russian harpist, People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor of the Moscow Conservatory, and soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. During that time, Vera had the opportunity to hear a performance by harpist Maria Korchinskaya (1895-1979), who was also a professor at the Moscow Conservatory and soloist with the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. That single concert absolutely changed Vera’s life and her concept of the harp. From that time on, Maria Korchinskaya not only became her teacher but also her most honored and respected authority. Many years later, when Mme. Dulova was at the peak of her career touring as an established artist, she admitted to being “as nervous as a small girl” any time she knew Maria Korchinskaya was in the audience!

Anatoly Lunacharsky, the Minister of Education, also played a very important role in Vera Dulova’s musical career. He organized the “Fund to Help Gifted Young People,” and this fund subsidized young Vera’s study in Germany with Professor Max Saal. In Germany, she not only studied but also listened to vast amounts of music and worked at music libraries. At the Berlin Library she found manuscripts written for harpsichord by composers of the 17th-18th centuries, which she later transcribed for harp and published in Russia. As an outstanding young harpist in Germany, she was invited to the home of Albert Einstein; she performed Mozart’s Concerto for flute and harp with Bruno Walter; and she was formally presented to Otto Klemperer.

In 1929, Vera Dulova returned to Russia, and in 1935, she was awarded a shared first prize of the All-Union Competition of Musicians with D. Oistrakh and Y. Flier. It was from the 1930 that her active concert life began, and she became a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. Soon after that she also began teaching.

It is difficult to enumerate all the towns and regions of the former Soviet Union where Vera gave concerts. Her harp sounded from the most southern town in Russia – Kushka – to the North Pole. At a drifting station called North Pole-4, Vera was awarded the title “Honored Polar Explorer” on 12 April 1955.

Vera Dulova gave many concerts with her husband, the famous bass-baritone, People’s Artist of Russia, Alexander Baturin. Vera also enjoyed a great popularity in Russia, and her portraits were painted by many outstanding Russian artists.

One of the most distinctive features of her concerts were the first performances in Russia of many works she had brought from abroad. She was the first harpist in Russia to perform harp pieces by P. Hindemith, B. Britten, A. Jolivet, G. Tailleferre, A. Casella, C. Pascal, J. M. Damase, H. Villa-Lobos, A. Zecchi and others.

Inspired by her art performance, many Russian composers wrote for her and dedicated their compositions to her. Among these composers are A. Mosolov, L. Knipper, S. Vasilenko, E. Golubev, A. Khachaturian, E. Denisov, A. Baltin and V. Kikta.

Dulova also made some perfect harp transcriptions of clavecin [harpsichord] music by L. Daquin, J.-B. Lully, E Couperin, and J.-F. Rameau, as well as her very popular transcriptions of Ravel’s “Laideronnette, Empresse des Pagodes” from Mother Goose Suite and “Morning Serenade” from Prokofiev’s ballet, Romeo and Juliette.

It is natural that such an outstanding artistic personality belonged not only to Russia but also to the whole world. Her appearances were highlighted occasions in every country – Great Britain, The Netherlands, USA, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Australia, to name a few. In 1968, the Berlin Radio asked its listeners to name the concert artist they would most want to hear in its final concert. Vera Dulova’s name was the unanimous first choice. Vera Dulova was made an “Honored Citizen of Gargilesse (France),” awarded a golden medal by the American Harp Society and given such titles by newspaper critics as “Queen of the Harp,” “The Harpist No. 1,” and “The Harpist of the World.” Her recordings, CDs and radio recordings are an anthology of the vast performing art of this great harpist.

The Bolshoi Theater had a very special place in Vera Dulova’s life. Her famous performances of the solos, cadenzas and variations from Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Don Quixote and Raymonda were a brilliant enrichment to the ballets.

Vera Dulova was Professor of the Moscow Conservatory and a recognized leader of the Russian Harp School. She educated many outstanding harpists who work in Russia and abroad today. She gave master classes in many countries, and her pupils received prizes at the most prestigious international competitions. One other very important contribution Mme. Dulova made to Russia was her initiative to create a Russian harp company. She understood perfectly that without a factory within Russia to build harps, Russian harp education would be impossible. With her constant consultation, the Russian harp was designed and manufactured. Schools, colleges and conservatories could buy instruments. It was the necessary foundation of the Russian harp education.

In 1964, Mme. Dulova formed the Russian Harp Society. Her service to music was awarded by the Government, and she received the title People’s Artist of the USSR as well as the State Prize of the USSR.

While Vera Dulova has passed away, she will be remembered in the world of music as the great harpist of the 20th century and her harp music will continue to sound in our hearts.

I met Vera Dulova after my graduation from the Gnessins Musical and Pedagogical Institute. l was her student at the post-graduate course of the Moscow Conservatory. First of all, she completely changed my hand position and very soon we started to prepare for the All-Union Competition and then international competitions. During the summer, she took me to her dacha (small house) in the Crimea and gave me lessons even though it was the holidays.

One of her most important qualities as a teacher was that she helped her students to overcome defects or weaknesses through humor! Vera could always find a very special word to make a student laugh rather than feel hurt and communicate in a way that the student always remembered and made the change. It was often her actual presence and the atmosphere that she created that made us play our best. She played the piano very well and often accompanied her students in concerti at the Moscow Conservatory. She was able to perform all the music she taught and very often took another harp and demonstrated certain passages during lessons.