An Improvisation beyond Military Discipline – An Interview

with Stefan Rakić

 
 
Stefan, over the course of the past few years your development and the
occasional “split times”, measured on numerous competitions and concerts
indicated that a great pianist talent is at hand. The first prize and the title of
laureate on the last “Isidor Bajić“ Memorial are just some of the signs of such
a development. You will soon turn 21 and you are a fourth year student at the
Novi Sad Academy of Arts. Do you consider that you have reached your first
pianist maturity during these two years? And did your widely praised and
recognized talent mold into a figure of an interpreter from which one always
expects a professional level of performance and a creative artistic exhibition?
 
Winning the first prize and the title of laureate certainly took a great part in my
pianist development and is a part of the “positive walk” of my life. It is a result of
hard work and renunciation, not just from me as a student, but from the professor
as well – in this case Professor Svetlana Bogino, to whom I am exceedingly
grateful. Generally speaking, a development of a pianist is not focused merely on
competitions and concerts. It is rather accompanied with the support of “the whole
crew” of people – their close ones, family, friends and colleagues – they all inspire
me in a specific way and give me support to hang on. When I look back, I think
that in the two years since the last Memorial I’ve gained plenty on pianist maturity,
but not a full maturity, those two should be differentiated.
 
Did the fact that you were the first prize winner and a B category laureate
contribute to your pianist emancipation in these two years, and in what way?
What part did the Memorial’s management program that follows the work of
awarded competitors have in this process?
 
One of the most beautiful moments of my life was the solo performance in
“Kolarčeva zadužbina” within the Memorial’s management program. It was a great
festivity for me considering it was our most important hall, in which some of the
greatest names of the pianist world played in front of a „devoted“ auditorium. That
performance influenced my further mental and emotional approach to music, it
presented me with a sort of musical revelation.It is a great pity that us students
don’t have opportunities to play more often in halls such as this.
 
A compulsory question we ask almost every young pianist – who is your role
model and/or favorite pianist?
 
I love Russian pianists. Not just because I am a Russian student, but also because
they represent, as Harold Schoenberg said in his book “Great Pianists”, “the last
fortification of romanticism”. I wouldn’t attach myself to anyone specific, because
all of them are endowed with great individualism. I like Gilels’ depth of
expression, Horovitz’ magic, Levin’s flawless technique…
 
I cannot help but ask, what response from the audience does one of your styles
that is slowly becoming a trademark have? I am talking about “upcomposing”
certain works with short, aphoristic extracts that are often popular musical
proveniences. Can you tell us how you came up with this idea and how the
audience reacts to such an attitude towards musical pieces? Does Stravinski’s
statement saying ‘You can respect, but I love’ remind you of this?
 
I came up with this idea spontaneously. Once during practice my mind wandered
towards some improvisation and I thought about using something like that in some
of my performances as well. I wouldn’t call this my trademark, or like to be
recognized by it. I’ve had several opportunities to work on introductions and
endings of certain pieces and the audience was satisfied. I am generally in favor of
truthfully presenting a piece, but I wanted to feel the improvisation spirit that was
once quite legitimate, if only a little bit.
 
Preparing for the interview with you, I took a glance at your Facebook profile.
Looking at the pictures I’ve noticed that your hair became significantly
shorter as time went by, although it is nowhere near the ideal of military
perfection. Without implying that this is the way it should become, I want to
know if it ever occurred to you that perhaps as a true believer, you seek for
the archetypical strength of a Samson in your hair? Will you ever cut your
hair short?
 
It’s nowhere near the military discipline, but I have a wish to join the army
anyways. The Hungarian virtuoso and pianist George Cifra inspired me for that.
Yes, yes. He was in the infantry, and also a tank commander during the war, and is
also the only living soldier from his battalion today. For that reason I am
systematically shortening my hair so I could slowly prepare my close ones for my
irrevocable decision.
 
Steffie, you’re the man. Just one more question – at the Academy of Arts you
are known as a passionate video game admirer. Can you tell us what you’re
playing at the moment, and how you’re going?
 
I used to play a lot of games earlier, but the nightmares became more and more
frequent, and I was forced to abandon this and pursue some finer activities. Like
more practicing, for example.