Poet Mikhail Feldman: “All that is paradoxical is interesting!” - ForumDaily
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Poet Mikhail Feldman: “All that is paradoxical is interesting!”

Mikhail Feldman was born in 1964 in Moscow. Graduated from MADI. Repatriated in 1991. Laureate of art song festivals, released the discs “Ticket to Alpha Centauri” (2005), “Along the Off-Road” (2009), one of the authors of the disc “Jerusalem Album”. Author of books of poems, songs and palindromes “From Wednesday to Friday” (2002) and “The Good and the Best” (2014). Laureate of the Israeli festival “Dugovka-2000” in the category “best author”, regular contributor to the “Jerusalem Magazine”. The lyrics of Mikhail Feldman’s songs were included in the Anthology of Israeli art songs “And the ball is flying...” and in the Anthology of art songs (compiled by D. A. Sukharev). Currently, Mikhail Feldman is one of the most popular bards in Israel; participates in the group Creative Association “Ristalische” together with Mikhail Siper, Mikhail Volkov, Alexander Dayan, Asya Glikson.

“Mikhail Feldman’s songs are filled with high poetry. He has the rare gift of combining impeccable versification technique with the most natural - conversational - intonation. It is a great honor for me to recommend one of my brightest and most beloved bards not only to fellow literary scholars, but also to the discerning public of the New World, which I do with great pleasure, especially envying those who will hear Mikhail Feldman for the first time.”
Igor Byalsky

“The high culture of verse, irresistible humor and the elegiac intonation characteristic of the present time, rather sadness than joy - this is the precious alloy that constitutes the song poetry of Mikhail Feldman. For me, this is an established and energetically developing master, who, in addition to what has been said, is also distinguished by personal modesty - the fundamental sign of an intelligent person.”
Julius Kim

Rachel Gedrich spoke with the poet Mikhail Feldman

— Mikhail, your publications adorn the pages of the Jerusalem Journal, Article, Seven Arts and other well-known publications. Two of your books have been published, and your original CDs are coming out. And most importantly, your songs are known, loved and sung by numerous admirers of your talent. What is the secret of your success?

It seems to me that the secret of success or failure is the same for all poets, artists, musicians, and so on. There are laws of harmony. If you manage to arrange words (colors, sounds, movements, depending on who has what instrument) in the right order, then you will be successful. In other words, you need to resonate with those to whom you convey your vision of the world. Apparently, I sometimes succeed in this... hence the success! Plus, I use such reliable “tools” as humor and self-irony.

This brings you to the recently departed poet and performer Mark Freudkin. And one more thing - you often use in your songs biting and precise profanity, never at the same time crossing the line between expediency of its use and vulgarity. How do you do it?

The whole secret is that I have a keen sense of vulgarity and in every possible way avoid engaging in it. With obscenity, everything is quite simple: it is all concentrated below the belt, and when you know the location of a mine (or a pile of crap), then you step carefully. It is much more difficult not to be vulgar when you wander into the realm of the sublime, sensual... love, for example. For me, using the word “soul” in poetry is much riskier than using the word “ass.”

— Your poems are distinguished by the brightness and originality of rhymes, sincerity and talent for conveying complex thoughts through accessible means...

Sincerity? Yes, there is such a thing. There is a place to be, otherwise it does not make sense to write. I hate pathos, and ruined, destroyed a lot of drafts, because I felt that something was wrong. For example, he wrote the song “From Wednesday to Friday” for several months, wrote ten verses, but felt that all this was not that, it was a mock thing. And suddenly it opened up as it should be, and I removed the six verses, to the remaining four I added a new one and it turned out a song that lay for the soul. I realized that this is the present.

What is primary in your poetry? Thought, idea, rhyme?

I am a man of the Word, I love to play with him, this is my strong point. Basically, 70 percent, it all starts with an idea. For example, Igor Mironovich Guberman and I were standing smoking, I once made a successful joke - he laughed and said that he would definitely rhyme it. And I understand him. He does it in his own format, I do it in mine, which is completely different. But when rhymed, the idea becomes brilliant and evokes a state of delight. I'm waiting for the moment when an original idea comes to me. “From Among Friday” came to mind - a paradoxical idea. Everything that is paradoxical is interesting, and I started working. I’ve already told you how it ended: I searched, worried, survived, and as a result I found the real thing. I’ll tell you a terrible secret - one of my most popular songs, “Pasternak’s Candle,” was born from a pun on “every creature is Campari.” I didn’t think of writing something serious, the song was conceived as something light and cheerful. But then I moved away from the play on words and began to live in another dimension within the framework of this song. And so it happens: a song can grow from a joke. And sometimes a song is born from a good original rhyme that comes to mind.

— Do you have any songs of inspiration?

Yes, this happened to me too. Two or three times in my life... This, apparently, is real poetry. But basically this is a serious work of thought, a search for beautiful solutions, because for me the completeness of the form is important, and only then the content. The beauty and melody of the rhyme, right down to the alternation of consonants, is very important. I cannot afford the artificiality of speech, since in this case the thought passes through linguistic obstacles. When I come across them, I reject the original thought and look for another, new one. In a word, a good graphomaniac is better than a weak poet.

Inspiration is a scourge, these thoughts are crazy lust,
This is how to crush a brick and a palace from it.
Inspiration - An antidote suitable for many poisons.
Who feels it, that ... He is next to God!

— Let me disagree with your critical self-assessment, Mikhail. You are a gifted lyric poet - original, ironic and witty, with a masterly command of the Word...

Original - in the sense that I did not study at the Literary Institute? Yes. But in my life I read a lot of poems, however, not all. I have a taste, I can appreciate the word and rhyme. When people ask me if I write in Hebrew, I answer - no. Tried, did not work. I do not feel this language to the degree of virtuosity that allows you to operate it absolutely freely. I have a desire to search for variations, I can shovel tons of ore for a few grams of precious metal, proof of which are my palindromes. Their writing process is time consuming and very dynamic, patience and hard work are important here. But the inscription happens ...

— How do you cope with periods of creative stagnation?

Patiently waiting. I apologize to the readers who are also waiting. Stagnation is an unpleasant phenomenon, but it does not bother me.

Alas, there are times when there are absolutely no-lyks lines,
Poems are pale and one-sided - no inspiration, no shit.
Words do not fit at all, but if they do, it is viscous ...
Need a problem or shake! But there are no shocks or problems.
And the world around is burdened with waiting for bad weather,
And on the fragments of autocracy neither dates, nor places, nor names ...
And there is no spark of the past, and the soul tormented chills.
On such days, lie down on the bottom and pretend to be a flounder!
But I believe: She will rise (They, It - I don’t know clearly),
And the rattle will crackle again, just like in those old times!

— How do you feel about the principle of absolute freedom in art?

I think there should be no forbidden themes in art. First, it's about consumers. I understand that your question, Rachel, is not accidental. Of course, I heard about the premiere at the Metropolitan Opera. In any serious conflict, both opposing implacable camps have the right to use works of art for their own political purposes. But I prefer this phenomenon, as an integral part of propaganda, to ignore. For me, such art is of no interest, and I consider the reaction of the MET sponsors, who have canceled financial support for the theater to which they have lost interest, a natural reaction. Similarly, I belong to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations — I will not participate in them, but I will not condemn. Their members are our enemies, they have the right to protest against Israel. I am indifferent to this phenomenon.

- Mikhail, you own frank and, without a doubt, sincere lines: “I love my homeland, I love uncontrollably and zealously.” Was this feeling “love at first sight”? How did it originate?

No, love at first sight did not work, she matured for years and was born in agony. And when the feeling of homeland arose, then love was born. It was then that I realized that the willingness to die for the Motherland is not a pompous statement, but a natural feeling of a person.

I love my homeland
And it is not a sense of duty that drives me!
Love and everything! On that stand
Although I would sit down for a while.

Love almost like moses
He loved to carry the Ark of the Covenant,
I love spite the whole planet,
And let the planet choke!

I love my home airfield,
The Supreme Court, and even the Knesset,
Where Mind Fights Good
And still can not outweigh.

I love for a rare mixture
Medieval and Progress
For the way they suffer here
The idea of ​​a peace process.

For the selection of spices and seasonings,
For exotic dishes,
For the fact that someone went through,
Do not shout to me: "Get out of here."

I love my homeland, and that’s it!
I love impetuously and zealously.
I love for that, I love for this,
But for the most part - despite ...

- Everyone knows the apocryphal expression attributed to Gogol, Karamzin, and Prince Vyazemsky: “There are two troubles in Russia - fools and roads.” Let me note that this problem is relevant not only for Russia. You masterfully make fun of fools in your poems and songs, and roads... You have been tirelessly designing and building roads for more than 20 years.

I have this topic:

“Provide with asphalt and rollers,
And I swear, Holy Russia,
Solve a problem with fools ...
I can’t swear about the roads.”

But seriously, I don't like my profession. She does not bring me any moral satisfaction, but she feeds me. And thanks for that. And I love to work not with asphalt, but with the Word.

— Every new road construction project in Israel is met with hostility by representatives of the left-wing press. Why do you think? After all, common sense dictates that a developed infrastructure is equally useful for both the Jewish and Arab populations of the country, or am I wrong?

Of course you're right! I just can not and do not want to understand and explain the position of the left press. Now, if I was a psychiatrist or a psychologist, then I probably would have tried. And so no.

“This irrational thinking in the Arab sector has a very negative impact not only on the economy, but also on the daily lives of Israelis. Mikhail, you have been living in Israel for 23 years - enough time to understand the nature of the claims of your obstinate neighbors. Why is peace not beneficial for them?

And who will give them money for peace? This is the first thing. And secondly, only a blind person today does not see that this entire so-called “peace process” has one goal: to get rid of the Jews from here. In addition to the material disadvantage of peace, there is also its spiritual impossibility, for the land on which a Muslim has walked is declared sacred Muslim land, and compromise is impossible here.

— The reaction of the countries of the European community confirms your words: “half-rotten Europe emits incense, it is all saturated with cynicism.” Do you have any hope that the world community will support Israel's actions? If so, why? Is it possible to somehow change this situation?

At this stage, neither I hope, nor hope feeds me. It seems that progressive humanity has realized its oversight in 1948, and is now trying to fix it, while appeasing a restless and growing Muslim population. I do not exclude that the situation may change, but not at this stage.

— In January 2007, you wrote the stunningly biting “Bestial Song” on the painful topic of “Oslo ideology.” Why did the “peace at any cost” theory fail in practice?

Because peace can only be achieved at one price! And even the left does not agree on this price. The practice of constant concessions has so far led only to a deterioration of the situation and to an increase in the appetite of our cousins.

There was a time of human melancholy, there was a time of bad ideas -
They sent a goat to the sands to answer for the sins of people.
But for centuries the river flows, consciousness goes rift,
And today, great honor with impunity to be a goat!

But sometimes there are not enough words - justice is not like no,
Because they found donkeys to hold the answer for the goat.
There were sickly ass brains, and the feeling of guilt was growing,
And the donkeys sent ambassadors to the donkey's council at Oslo.

And they decided to donkeys seriously on their donkey court
Provide goats oats, do not contradict the goats in food.
And the grass thinned around, and the mosles grew at the goats ...
They were incarnated with might and main, those who gave donkeys to goats.

And the donkeys decided, shivering, to stand between them
Oh! Prevents the goat Meza trample a foreign garden !!!
And while the donkey was pondering - how to beat the goat, -
In the houses of cities and villages, impenetrable darkness slipped.

If you take and start from scratch, then literally read the basics:
Do not boil, so to speak, goats, in milk, so to speak, goats.
And the Creator also commanded, separating good from evil,
To save your sheep - in anything you want to wet the goat!

Oh, lay on two oars, accelerate to a hundred knots,
And moor, where there is no donkey that can not kill the goats.

Where the goat answers itself, where they cherish their sheep,
Where on each rotten box would be immediately put hots.
To live and drink to the bottom, so that someone does not interfere in the chest ...
But we have one lawn, and lawn - that look ...

— Do you think restraint and patience can help the Israelis in this difficult situation? And is it possible to demand a balanced, non-emotional approach from people exhausted by endless rocket attacks?

The question is simple. When there is no choice but to be patient and patient, what remains? Psychic? Do not wait!

— In peacetime, it is easier for people to understand each other. War hardens and destroys family and friendly ties. How can one avoid a catastrophe of misunderstanding in such a situation?

I don't know, Rachel. I have no ready-made recipes. Only what has already been written ...

You said that white is black,
I said that black is white,
And there was a damn crack
We make enemies with fierce ones.

Both, in the rightness of their faith,
We argued fiercely and frantically
And a gray cloud crawled on us ...
It was all ponamesh.

The time flies wild
What is ahead of us bequeathed?
For now everything is black and white
In the meantime, bitter ... and crack.

Michael, do you often visit America? What are your impressions of New York?

Impressions are awesome. I fell in love with Manhattan. I had some kind of image, formed from stories, articles, propaganda - this city as something pressing on the psyche, on the person ... But I felt complete freedom and liberation. And I am proud that there is such a society on earth that created this amazing place - Manhattan. It's good.
I walked down half of Broadway — from Central Park to Down Town — and enjoyed. We wandered around the Metropolitan Museum of Art, climbed the observation platform of the Empire State Building, and looked at the city from a bird's-eye view. And all the myths disappeared overnight. It is a pity that I did not have time to go to the Broadway shows.

— What was the atmosphere like at the concerts? How did the American audience receive you?

There were a lot of halls, and they received me in different ways: from enchanting complete unity with the audience to a complex, sometimes tense state. I don't know what it depends on. Perhaps, in many respects, it depends on the filling of the hall. Sometimes 20 people at a home concert are better than 100 in a huge 500-seat hall. I'm not a professional artist, and I don't put on a mask before a concert. Sometimes you get drive and courage, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes there is no reaction from the audience, and then you have to strain and work hard. Today this was not the case - the unity with the audience was complete, and it was a thrill. There was a wonderful atmosphere at the concert in Cleveland - there was a dog in the audience who was patiently silent all evening, but twice she did speak up, and did it very timely and on topic. The concert was interrupted for several minutes, the audience laughed until they dropped. If I ever write memoirs, I will definitely include this episode in them.

— How did you meet the poet Naum Korzhavin?

|This happened six years ago, thanks to Korzhavin’s friend Seva Fabrikant. He invited Naum Moiseevich to our concert with Mikhail Siper in Boston. During the intermission we talked a little, and the next morning Korzhavin called us himself, thanked us very warmly for the concert and told us to bow to Israel. The way he spoke about Israel is absolutely indescribable. Low bow to him...

— Tomorrow you are returning home and straight from the ship to the ball?

Yes, 30 of October we have with Svetlana and Alexander Mendelevym a concert in Beersheba.

— Which Israeli writer and musician are you especially close to?

Oh, this is a dangerous question, you can offend anyone by forgetfulness. Among the authors of the performers are Angela Shteyngart, Dmitry Kimelfeld, Marina Melamed, Sveta and Sasha Mendelevy, Mikhail Siper and Mikhail Volkov.
Igor Byalsky, a poet and editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Journal, occupies a special place in my soul. He is my friend, we talk on the phone often, and of course, I would like to see more often.

Igor often invites me to the presentations of new issues of the magazine, and at his home, in the beautiful large village of Tkoa, in the Judean Desert, we gather annually on Israel’s Independence Day. He appreciates me, and often literally drives me to his desk - “Come on, write. Send everything you write. We need to publish!”

Of course, Julius Kim and Igor Guberman. I envy them creative longevity - continue to write, as always clever and sharp. I would like to wish this to myself ...

American viewers reviews:

I was lucky enough to attend a meeting with the brilliant author-performer and witty Mikhail Feldman. Both the meeting itself and the aftertaste from it were amazing. Once again I was convinced that “Russian soil can give birth to talented Jews!”
Leonid Liebkind

Misha Feldman is a wonderful poet with an amazing sense of humor. He is a lyricist, although he often hides it with irony and banter. He is not ashamed to laugh at himself, which is characteristic only of strong and open people. His songs are great, you want to listen to them all the time. Misha has long been one of my most revered and listened to authors.
Zahar Leventul

Photos provided by the authors: Zakhar Leventul, Roman Zamostin and Andrey Rosen. The author of Israeli photos is unknown.

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