Vladimir Vasilyevich Boykov (September 22, 1935 – February 20, 2009) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, and professor at the Nizhny Novgorod Glinka Conservatory. For forty years he worked at the A. S. Pushkin Nizhny Novgorod Opera and Ballet Theater, where he became one of the key figures in shaping the musical character of the company.
Work at the theater
In 1969 Boykov joined the A. S. Pushkin Nizhny Novgorod Opera and Ballet Theater and remained there until his death in 2009 — forty years of service in all. For twenty-three of them he led the theater as principal conductor. Colleagues and musicians who worked alongside him noted his exceptional exactingness and meticulousness: at rehearsals he tested knowledge of the parts right in front of the full orchestra, and could ask a separate group of instruments, a pair of players, or a soloist to perform a passage. He came to every rehearsal with a plan of tasks drawn up in advance and invariably strove to carry it out in full.
Boykov attached paramount importance to realizing the composer's intent: he worked on individual phrases for as long as it took to achieve the desired sound, knew the specifics of all the orchestral instruments well, and could give concrete advice on fingering and bowing. He described a poor, "wooden" performance with the word "kondovo" (clumsy, crude), and sought delicacy and spirituality. In 1994 the theater was awarded the title "Academic" — in the view of colleagues, this was largely owed to the high musical culture that Boykov created and maintained.
Teaching career
Alongside his work at the theater, Boykov taught at the M. I. Glinka Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory with the rank of professor.
Legacy
After Boykov's death, his name was included in the "Gallery of Memory" of the A. S. Pushkin Nizhny Novgorod Opera and Ballet Theater — a section dedicated to the people who are the pride of the theater.[1]
Sources
- ttheaterermakova.tilda.ws — Theater Conductor Vladimir Vasilyevich Boykov