Arnold Mikhailovich Kats |

Arnold Kats

The third largest city in Russia has always had three attractions: Akademgorodok, the Opera and Ballet Theater and the symphony orchestra conducted by Arnold Katz. The conductors from the capital, who come to Novosibirsk with concerts, in their numerous interviews with unfailing respect mentioned the name of the famous maestro: “Oh, your Katz is a block!”. For musicians, Arnold Katz has always been an indisputable authority.

He was born on September 18, 1924 in Baku, graduated from the Moscow, then the Leningrad Conservatory in the class of opera and symphony conducting, but for the last fifty years he proudly called himself a Siberian, because the work of his whole life was connected precisely with Novosibirsk. Since the founding of the Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in 1956, Arnold Mikhailovich has been its permanent artistic director and chief conductor. He had an outstanding organizational talent and the ability to captivate the team to solve the most complex creative problems. His extraordinary magnetism and temperament, will, artistry captivated both colleagues and listeners, who became true fans of the symphony orchestra.

Two years ago, outstanding conductors and performers from Russia and foreign countries honored the maestro on his 80th birthday. On the eve of the anniversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, II degree, with the wording: “For outstanding contribution to the development of domestic musical art.” The concert dedicated to the anniversary of Arnold Katz was attended by six conductors, students of the maestro. According to fellow musicians, the strict and demanding Arnold Mikhailovich was very kind to his work with future conductors. He liked to teach, he liked to be needed by his wards.

The maestro did not tolerate falsehood either in music or in relations between people. To put it mildly, he disliked journalists for the eternal pursuit of “fried” facts and “yellowness” in the presentation of materials. But for all his external secrecy, the maestro had a rare gift to win over interlocutors. It was as if he had specially prepared a funny story for different life situations. As for his age, gray-haired Arnold Mikhailovich always joked that he lived to such a respectable age only because he did gymnastics every morning.

According to him, the conductor must always be in shape, alert. Such a huge team as a symphony orchestra does not let you relax even for a minute. And you relax – and there is no team. He said that he loves and hates his musicians at the same time. Orchestra and conductor for fifty years were “bound in one chain.” The maestro was sure that not even the most first-class team could compare with his own. He was a born leader at the console and in life, sensitive to the changing moods of the “orchestral masses”.

Arnold Katz has always relied on the graduates of the Novosibirsk Conservatory. The maestro himself said that in fifty years three generations of musicians have changed in the team. When at the end of the 80s a significant part of his orchestra members, and the best ones at that, ended up abroad, he was very worried. Then, in troubled times for the whole country, he managed to resist and save the orchestra.

The maestro always talked philosophically about the vicissitudes of fate, saying that he was destined to “settle down” in Novosibirsk. For the first time, Katz visited the capital of Siberia in October 1941 – he was on his way to the evacuation in Frunze via Novosibirsk. The next time I ended up in our city with a conductor’s diploma in my pocket. He laughed that a newly received diploma is the same as a newly obtained license to drive a car. It is better not to go on the big road without sufficient experience. Katz then took a chance and “left” along with his newly created orchestra. Since then, for fifty years, he has been behind the console of a huge team. The maestro, without false modesty, called the orchestra a “lighthouse” among his brothers. And he strongly complained that the “lighthouse” still does not have its own good concert hall …

“Probably, I will not live to see the moment when the orchestra finally has a new concert hall. It’s a pity … ”, Arnold Mikhailovich lamented. He did not live, but his ardent desire to hear the sound of his “brainchild” within the walls of the new hall can be considered a testament for followers …

Alla Maksimova, izvestia.ru