Evgeny Grinko - Symbol: What is modern classical music and who writes it: an interview with composer Evgeny Grinko

In honor of the release of his new album Orange Marmalade

Having started with punk and shot onto YouTube 10 years ago with the famous “Waltz ,” neoclassical Evgeny Grinko continues his journey through genres and styles. The artist’s new album Orange Marmalade and two videos for compositions from it were released at the end of last year. We discussed the premiere with Evgeniy, his relationship with that same hit of the tenth and the problems of creative search.

When presenting the new Orange Marmalade album, you wrote that it was like a collection of short stories. Which work would you compare the record to?

With Truman Capote’s collection of short stories, Other Voices, Other Rooms. These are unrelated, but very beautiful stories. For any album, the most important thing is not the concept, but the atmosphere. I am a proponent of working with the viewer or listener directly. Art that needs to be explained first is not very good.

Let’s discuss the name. To me it sounds nostalgic – like something from childhood. Where did “orange marmalade” come from?

This is Alice in Wonderland, specifically the moment when she fell into a hole and flew past the orange marmalade. Of course, the correct translation is “jam,” but in my memory marmalade is lemon drops from the Soviet past. I got hooked on the image and ended up calling the album that.

ART THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED FIRST IS NOT VERY GOOD

You’ve worked on it long enough.

Right. Initially, something else was planned, but the pandemic happened and the borders were closed. I wanted to rewrite several compositions. First I waited, and then I did what was possible in Moscow.

Did you rewrite it due to perfectionism, as often happens, or did your idea or mood change?

I think it’s less about perfectionism and more about creative flow. For example, at a studio in Berlin, I asked the accordionist to urgently change her part. There, I urgently asked to simplify the part in the strings, and then I listened to the recording in Moscow and realized that it was necessary to simplify further – so they rewrote the strings again in Moscow. Sometimes I deliberately ask my team to improvise and put the resulting track on the album. In the current one it’s the track On the Waves (where I asked our violist Pavel Metskevich to write the string parts), in the previous one it’s the opening composition Where Art Thou. It consists entirely of improvisation.

Isn’t it scary to release such “live” material?

No, besides, I often like it even more because of its liveliness and because I didn’t have to grind out each note for a long time.

About honing notes. As far as I remember, you have no academic education behind you. What do you think now: does this give more freedom or, on the contrary, limit it?

Hard to tell. I think so and so. Let’s say, due to its absence in the process, you have to reinvent the wheel, but there is no intrusive background and no axioms, statements, rules. This is why the music of academic musicians is often predictable. Unless, of course, you take composers such as Schnittke, Shostakovich and Stravinsky.

How would you then describe the fundamental difference between classical and neoclassical?

Modern music just has a more minimalistic sound. I sometimes don’t like classical music for the reason that its purpose is not only to convey emotions, but also to show the skill of the performer. There is an element of competition. You must not only play, but also write masterfully. Neoclassicism is simpler, although sometimes it turns into some kind of McDonald’s.

Suddenly. Why?

Unfortunately, it’s often the same sound. It can be explained by genre, but there are also a lot of empty harmonies. There’s a lot of elevator music in neoclassical music.

Doesn’t this sound pessimistic?

Rather realistic. This is my problem too. I want to find new music and fall in love like before. I open the application and see: “We have put together a selection for you. You should like it.” And I listen and understand that I have known 80% of the performers for a long time. The last thing I got stuck on was Italian folk with Arabic influences. I heard it on the recommendation of friends. Even earlier there was a Transylvania store. You told the seller the era, the country, and he brought you a million discs. A lot of new things could be found. It turns out that it would be great to bring back music journalism and editorial playlists. Although perhaps I am looking at this issue too dramatically.

THERE’S A LOT OF ELEVATOR MUSIC IN NEOCLASSICAL MUSIC.

In the context of searching for a new sound, have you thought about collaborations? Which artist from other genres would you record a duet with?

I thought about it! But the manager and I are in a stupor. I would like to join the Krovostok group, but the problem is that I have a lot of non-Russian-speaking listeners. I also like the Ninja Tune label and their instrumental hip-hop. They even sampled Philip Glass’s orchestral works.

You started out as punk. When did the genre change occur?

In fact, everything in my story seems organic to me. I just traveled through genres.

Many artists refuse to play old hits. What is your relationship with your “Waltz”?

I’ve been cold towards him for a long time, but you can’t do that to a listener. Maybe people travel to a concert from afar for the sake of one specific composition – and you just got tired of it. I remember how upset I was when Jan Tiersen was brought to Moscow. He was then in a period of denial and refused to play his piano works. Now he is not so categorical. So it’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes and not repeat them, so as not to upset your listeners.

How have you yourself changed in the 10 years since the release of your hit?

Professionalism has arrived in stage performance. For a long time, I was still part of the team, and not a responsible person who communicates with the public. Nowadays concerts are becoming more frequent and venues are becoming more diverse. There is not so much adrenaline before going on stage. That’s why you need to drink wine. Strictly two glasses, so as not to miss the keys – the dose was selected empirically (laughs) .

What other rituals are there besides wine?

You can also start communicating with the audience immediately after the first composition. Because it’s even scarier than acting, performing immediately becomes calmer. Provided that you didn’t make a mistake or say something stupid.