Bassoons

Talgat Sarsembayev

In the orchestra since 2004

WHAT MAKES MUSICAETERNA DIFFER FROM OTHER ORCHESTRAS?

I have been in the orchestra since its foundation. I remember how the first concert was prepared. Its programme consisted of very different music: not only academic 'hits', but also spiritual compositions. Teodor said that sacred music is a must at our concerts. It was important to him that every musician not only felt like an artist on stage, but also focused on the purity of their thoughts. I think that's where the task of playing with full dedication and the appropriate attitude towards the audience — as people who came to see a miracle — came from.

HOW CAN ONE TELL THEY SHOULD MAKE MUSIC THEIR JOB?

Music is a way to express yourself. Having an affinity towards music means striving to experience and express your emotions through it. Everyone is musical to a certain extent — but I think every person has a different kind of music within. Some people do not even have an ear for music — but when they hear it, their heart starts singing, and so do they.

Each professional musician’s story always starts with love towards music. Later on, they feel the need not only to express their own emotions through music, but also to understand the composer’s original message. Discovering this world of music-related data feels like going into outer space. It is up to you to decide whether you want to stay. The decision will come naturally.

CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING ANYTHING ELSE BUT A MUSICIAN?

Of course. Even though I began playing the violin when I was 7, I had other hobbies, too. I went in for sports: swimming, fencing, boxing. My childhood dream was to become a pilot; I even considered going to pilot school later on. My parents convinced me otherwise, so I chose music. I still love swimming and jogging: it gives me energy.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR INSTRUMENT

When I first saw the bassoon, its appearance impressed me, and the sound even more so. A subtle, pleasant timbre, wooden body, shiny valves. My teacher made it sound very soft, velvety, voluminous. I liked the bassoon so much that no one ever had to force me to practice anymore. At the conservatory, I decided that I had to learn everything about the bassoon, to reach the utmost level of skill. To do this, I had to use the instrument the way an artist uses a brush, that is, to create what I want as freely as possible.

To play the bassoon well, you need a certain reed. This is one of the main challenges of playing the bassoon: not everything depends on the skill of the musician and his mastery of the instrument, 70% of the sound depends on the reed. I've put a lot of years and effort into finding the right sound and the right reeds. Now I have a reed workshop at home. On vacation, I prepare material for the entire working season — reeds are made of bulrush. I sit down at eleven o'clock in the evening and can work until four in the morning: tie, soak, cut, dry. I take ten reeds with me on tour and just before the concert I select the right one: for Sochi it's this, for Dubai — that. Reeds reshape, react to the climate, and wear out.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

I'm resting at the wheel. I usually spend my holidays travelling by car. I often visit my parents in Kazakhstan. I usually hit the road together with my wife. Our car is equipped with everything needed for a long journey: there we have a tent, a barbecue, and fishing rods. This year, for example, after the Diaghilev Festival, we agreed with my wife to go to Altai. And this is about 6,000 kilometres only one way. We'd stop by the lakes, fish, and make steaks. I get a boost while being close to nature, in the mountains. I do not stand beach all-inclusive holidays — in a hotel or on sun beds by the sea.

WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF?

I've learned to take it one day at a time. I used to contemplate the past or speculate about the future. As I got older, I realized that I wanted to live the present moment to the fullest, enjoy what I have now. I am happy to return home, I cook meat and pilaf on the grill with particular pleasure. In the cool season, my wife and I light a fireplace — how wonderfully it complements a cosy family evening. I love looking at the forest from the window of my own house and feeling: 'This is exactly what I dreamed of'.