Talk:Max Fishman

Trimming quotes
Raised by @Levikoan at the Teahouse, the personality section of this article needs to have quotes trimmed down (and possibly moved). We currently have five quotes in the section.

My first attempt at the Teahouse, the fifth quote, which is quoting Melnik:

"…Thus, not previously mentioned in any source and until recently not included in the orbit of the study of domestic musicology, M. Fishman's Concert Es-dur has not only artistic, but also historical value, as it is able to complement the picture of the origin of the genre in Moldavian music. Moreover, according to Pavel Borisovich Rivilis, who worked in those years as a senior consultant in the Union of Composers of the MSSR, this work is one of the best examples of a piano concerto of the post-war era..."

I believe the important parts in this quote are 1) it has been called one of the best examples of a piano concerto of the post-war era, and possibly 2) it complements the picture of the original of the genre in Moldavian music. So perhaps it could be trimmed down:

"Fishman's Concert Es-dur has not only artistic, but also historical value...[it] complement[s] the picture of the origin of the genre in Moldavian music."

And then, with attribution to Rivilis:

"[T]his work is one of the best examples of a piano concerto of the post-war era."

Neither are really about his personality so I think they should be moved elsewhere in the article.

StartGrammarTime (talk) 06:40, 10 July 2024 (UTC)


 * What should we do. I like what you offer. There are also other excerpts from articles by famous people. Sincerely Levikoan (talk) 10:09, 11 July 2024 (UTC)
 * Good evening StartGrammarTime .
 * The following quotes are available about Max Fishman. These quotes reveal a lot about the personality of Max Fishman. It would be nice to use them in the Wikipedia article about Max Fishman. I shortened them. I rely on you and believe that you will do the right thing.
 * Life in Poland
 * after the words - and performed at the famous orphan school Janusz Korczak, where he worked as an educator in the summer months.
 * Inserts text - From a letter with Belarusian composer, People's Artist of Belarus, Professor Heinrich Wagner to Lidia Axionova (1986):
 * : "“...He was my close friend back in the days in Warsaw, where we studied at the conservatory... He was a brilliant pianist. He was the leader of any company, a dreamer, an ardent debater, an athlete, a humorist, and a wonderful storyteller. He had burning big eyes, hair with a reddish tint, he was slender, mobile ... Mietek himself was like music...”"
 * Life in the USSR
 * after the words - He also taught piano at the Calarasi Pedagogical College and at the music school in the village Carpineni.
 * Inserts text - From a letter by Belarusian violinist, People's Artist of Belarus, Professor Lev Gorelik to Lidia Axionova (1986):
 * : "“...Next to him, it was very cozy, warm, and interesting. You could immediately feel the breed, great life experience, and the tragic severity of the events experienced by Max. Even then, among us, students and many teachers of the Belarusian Conservatory, he enjoyed authority and respect. I really enjoyed his friendship and the opportunity to learn from him... Many years later, in one of the concerts in Minsk, I managed to hear the piano works of Max Fishman filled with lyrical and romantic expression, bright optimism, and tragedy, in a virtuoso performance by your son Artur Aksenov. I thought that evening that the years lived by him in Chisinau were not in vain and conveyed to us the opportunity to hear wonderful, poignant music...”"
 * Life in the USSR
 * after the words - the choir Chișinău Academy of Music, the choir Chișinău special music school named after E. Coca and others.
 * Inserts text - From an interview with Moldovan violinist and composer, Honored Art Worker of the Moldavian SSR, professor Boris Dubosarschi to music critic, journalist Serghei Pojar (2010)::
 * : "'…In the early 60s, the organizing committee interzonal violin competition in the USSR in Moldova invited composers from all the republics to write a virtuoso work for violin, which was to be performed by all participants in the competition. To avoid accusations of dishonest choice, each composer was given a number and his name is hidden in a sealed envelope. The jury for the selection of this work was solid and mainly represented by the leadership of the Union of Composers of the USSR and Moldova. There were a lot of works for the competition, but there was little controversy, when the envelope with the number of the winning composer was publicly opened, it turned out to be Max Fishman. The responsible persons of the competition were shocked, but it was too late to change the situation, but it was necessary, due to the tension between Israel and the surrounding Arab world. Composer – a Jew did not fit. And they found a way out. There was an experience. At one of the congresses of composers, the surname Fishman on the poster was replaced with the surname Fimshan, which sounded like a Moldavian one, and this time they found a more harmonious surname – Pescaru, that translated from Romanian will be Fishman. The laureates of the competition with great pleasure performed this piece for violin by Max Benovich… and one of these winners was my classmate, the magnificent violinist Boris Goldenblank, later the first violin of the outstanding orchestras of Jurij Silantiev and Andre Rieu '"
 * Life in the USSR
 * after the words - Max Fishman died on September 24, 1985, in Chișinău. He was buried at the Chisinau cemetery of St. Lazarus (also called "Doina")
 * Inserts text - From a speech at the funeral of Max Fishman, Moldavian conductor, People's Artist from the Republic of Moldova, Professor Boris Milyutin :
 * : "“...Max Fishman is an outstanding musician, and composer, who could produce great music from the piano even with broken hands. His encyclopedic mind, excellent education in Warsaw, Saratov, and Minsk, his kind heart attracted students, teachers, and technical staff of the Conservatory and just music lovers to him. He was open to everyone and helped with everything he could ... Max Benovich was the soul of any company, it was very interesting with him. I could enjoy a conversation with him for hours...”"
 * Personality
 * == Inserts text - From an interview with Moldovan composer, Honored Art Worker of the Moldavian SSR Vladimir Slivinsky to music critic, and journalist Serghei Pojar (2004): ==
 * : "'…Fishman was one of the largest composers of Moldova, although he was not formally a member of the Union of Composers. But, to be honest, Max Fishman did not need the Union of Composers, but the Union of Composers needed him.  He was frank, uncompromising, honest, subtle, charming... His music did not leave any listener indifferent. Even obvious ill-wishers and there were many of them, I think, noted his originality and modernity, taking origins from the depths of either Moldovan or Jewish Melos. This uncertainty particularly annoyed them. His suggestions, advice, and analysis of the works of colleagues have always been kind, interesting, and well-reasoned. The main thing for him was to help and not to harm ...'"
 * Inserts text - From an article “Composer and professor Max Fishman” of the associate professor, PhD in the study of arts Tamara Melnik:
 * : "“…as far as even a cursory analysis of his works allows us to appreciate, his talent was original, bright, extraordinary ... The pinnacle of the piano-concert line of M. Fishman's work are 4 piano concertos ... Piano Concerto Es-dur continues the traditions of a great romantic, namely, 'lyrical-epic and lyrical-psychological concerto'... The development and diversity of the piano texture, the expressiveness of the harmonic language, the intensity of the thematic and tonal development, the bright national-colored imagery allow us to put the Es-dur Concerto on a par with the most outstanding examples of this genre in the work of Moldovan composers of the 2nd half of the 20th century... In 1950-1970. M. Fishman becomes a significant figure in the professional composing circles of the republic. The genre palette of his work is extremely diverse - symphonic and chamber-instrumental works, piano concertos, cycles of miniatures, canons, etudes, numerous adaptations. On the one hand, they reflect the harmonic and textural formulas of the Romantic era (allusions to the works of F. Chopin, P. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninov), as well as the innovations of piano music of the 20th century (B. Bartok). However, the originality of his works is largely determined by their national identity, which is not only in modal, intonational or rhythmic characteristics, but also in the peculiarities of the worldview, the structure of feelings of the Moldavian people…”"
 * Inserts text - From an article “The piano trio by M. Fishman as a sound document of its era” by Vice-Rector, Associate Professor of the Pridnestrovian State Institute of Arts (Tiraspol) Irina Pleşcan:
 * : "“...The Max Fishman Trio, as a sound document of its era, synthesizes a variety of ideas and traditions. Despite all the horrors of the 20th century experienced by the composer and his family, who died in Auschwitz, the death of his mother and younger brother, the flight from Nazi-occupied Poland, his stay in the colony and other events, according to L. V. Axionova, the composer’s attitude was bright and optimistic, which is reflected in the Trio's music. In the context of historical and stylistic synthesis, this work reveals the influence of classical and romantic traditions, which is also quite characteristic of Moldovan music of the 1950s. From the point of view of assimilation of the experience of different composer schools, we note the strong influence of Russian music, which has always been present in both Moldovan and Polish musical cultures. Refracted in various works of the composer, these traditions were multiplied by the desire to preserve and convey in music their ethnic and cultural identity…”"
 * Inserts text - From an article  Overture by Max Fişman in Prfofessional European Music and the Third Layer Interaction Context , of the associate professor, PhD in the study of arts Victoria Tcacenco:
 * : "'...Despite the fact that Max Fishman’s Overture exists only in the form of a musical text, no recordings have survived, an analysis of the score allows us to state that this work is bright, theatrical, rich in contrasts, which is quite attributable to the genre of orchestral overture. In its musical language it is democratic, and attractive to the widest audience due to its reliance on the rhythm of everyday genres, the synthesis of elements of Moldavian folklore, and “mass music'. M. Fishman demonstrates an excellent mastery of the laws of listener perception... Max Fishman's Overture is a score that has preserved for us information about one of the best examples of everyday music of its time...'"
 * Inserts text - From an article  The concerto for piano and orchestra es-dur by M. Fishman in the romanticism traditions context , of the associate professor, PhD in the study of arts Tamara Melnik:
 * : "'…Thus, not previously mentioned in any source and until recently not included in the orbit of the study of domestic musicology, M. Fishman's Concert Es-dur has not only artistic, but also historical value, as it is able to complement the picture of the origin of the genre in Moldavian music. Moreover, according to Pavel Borisovich Rivilis, who worked in those years as a senior consultant in the Union of Composers of the MSSR, this work is one of the best examples of a piano concerto of the post-war era...'"
 * Inserts text - From an article “No right to create. To the 100th anniversary of the composer, pianist, teacher Max Fishman” by journalist Ilana Elizarova:
 * : "“…Max Fishman was sensitive to contemporary intonations and used them juicy in his The works. Ideas were developed on the basis of ancient Jewish melodies (almost no one guessed that they were Jewish), Polish folklore and the rhythms and tunes of the folk melos of Moldova… Fishman's works are a rather voluminous organism, where tragedy and humor, lyrics and severity, sadness and touchingness are intertwined into a special musical world. And in this living, diverse, colorful, paradoxical world, various creative aspirations of the composer are manifested…”"
 * Inserts text - From an interview with Moldavian clarinetist, People's Artist from the Republic of Moldova, Professor Evgeny Verbețsky to music critic, journalist Serghei Pojar (2004):
 * : "“...It was comfortable and informative with him. He was a man from the West... Around 1963, after graduating from the conservatory a pianist Gita Borisovna Strakhilevich suggested that I learned Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Max Benovich. I immediately fell in love with this music and we performed it on the radio. Then followed the Scherzino for Clarinet and Piano... His music simultaneously weeps and laughs, sad and dances, disturbs and calms, and besides, it gives the performers the opportunity to show their best qualities. Many of my students at Conservatory have grown up playing this music…”" Levikoan (talk) 16:05, 13 July 2024 (UTC)
 * Hi again @Levikoan! Thank you for your patience; real-life things have made thinking a bit difficult recently. I didn't mean to leave you waiting.
 * Although you've picked some really lovely quotes, I think we're going to have to find another way to include most of them - the article is already being tagged for having too many quotes, so we probably need to only have the very best of them in full. I will, however, investigate WikiQuote and see whether we can't put all of them on there. You've worked so hard to put them together, I'd like to be able to use that work!
 * For this article, I propose instead that we find the commonalities, the things everyone who knew him (or his music) agrees on, and then we put those things into the article in prose. I'm seeing multiple people say that despite a very difficult life, he was a kind, gentle, compassionate man who used his music to bring joy. Those seem like things we could and should have in the personality section. If you would be kind enough to stay patient a little while longer, I'll go through the quotes and see what threads we can weave into a song of his life. I'll leave a comment with my proposed text here and we can work on it together. What do you think about that idea? StartGrammarTime (talk) 00:45, 14 July 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank you very much StartGrammarTime. I like your idea. Please do what is best. I am sent to the Rest House on July 16th and return by August 1st. They take my computer away so that I can take a break from it, and he can take a break from me. But maybe I'll find a computer somewhere. Low bow Levikoan (talk) 06:12, 14 July 2024 (UTC)