The Foundation - News

October 2009
Soon on the German book market: Autobiographies of Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin

Punctually to the Frankfurt Book Fair 2009, which take place from 14 to 18 October, SCHOTT MUSIC publishes two autobiographies of Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin in German translation.

On the Russian book market the autobiography of Plisetskaya (German title “Haltung bewahren. Zornige Aufzeichnungen einer Primaballerina Assoluta”/“Retaining composure. Angry notes of a prima ballerina assoluta”) had caused a stir of interest shortly after its publication in September 2007. 13 years after the publication of her first autobiography, which had a tremendous success by fans and critics (German edition "Ich, Maija" come out in paperback by Lübbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2006), Plisetskaya’s second book was expected with bated breath. The famous Russian ballerina describes here, without to mince matter, the most moving events and experiences of the past years with entertaining and insightful details to the international ballet scene.

The autobiography “Was man schreibt, ist unantastbar. Autobiografische Notizen” ("What is already written is inviolable. Autobiographical notes") – the original Russian edition was published in Moscow 2008 – is an important key to get a better understanding and a whole picture of Rodion Shchedrin’s artistic activity. Shchedrin looks back on his eventful life and admits exciting insights behind the scenes of the international music world. He develops his personal view on the political situation and life in the former Soviet Union as well as the consequences of the political and ideological repression for the artistic practice. Especially the short anecdotes and humorous hints, sometimes mixed with a bitter irony, reveal a very pleasant side of Shchedrin as a man who, in spite of some adverse experiences, has kept his cheerfulness and joy of life.