In this insightful interview, composer and pianist Anna Bondareva explores the delicate balance between tradition and modernity in her music. She shares her thoughts on the role of dissonance, the influence of early 20th-century neoclassical composers, and her improvisational approach to performance. Bondareva’s artistic journey reveals a deep connection to classical forms while fearlessly venturing into new sonic territories.

1. Your music is marked by a distinctive use of dissonances and a neoclassical style reminiscent of early 20th-century compositions. Can you share what drew you to these particular musical elements, and how they influence your creative process?

This is a very good question, and I am happy to answer it. Of course, it must be said that I have a classical education, and from an early age I played the works of great composers, which could not but influence my further musical perception. But having become acquainted with the classical repertoire, an irresistible desire arose to go beyond the generally accepted norms. And this was already achieved by composers of the early 20th century. For example, Alexander Scriabin completely abandoned the definition of tonality in his later works. The search for the so called mystical chord became his goal. I think that the main thing in music for a composer is to remain free, because only in this state can one count on success in the search for a new sound.

2. In both Allure and Seasons, there’s a sense of tension and resolution that feels almost like a conversation between tradition and modernity. How do you approach balancing these two dimensions in your compositions?

The key to the answer lies in improvisation! Mozart evidently had a prodigious ability to “compose on the spot”; that is, to improvise at the keyboard, Bach was a renowned improviser, as were many of the famous composers and performers of centuries ago. There are many stories about Paganini’s abilities as an improviser. In modern times, however, if you ask a classical musician to improvise you often get ‘a rabbit in the headlights’ reaction. Their notes have been taken away from the music stand and they are lost. Most good rock and folk musicians can freely improvise in their own genres, and in jazz in particular improvisation is a vital part of the music. As a musician, composer and singer-songwriter, I have worked in different styles in the past, and I think I benefit a lot from it.

3. The early 20th-century neoclassical movement often sought to reconcile classical forms with contemporary sensibilities. What aspects of that era resonate most with you, and how do you reinterpret them in a modern context?

Today’s composer is more fortunate as they have greater freedom in their forms of musical creation and expression. The themes of their music – love, war, jealousy, revenge, and so on – are all possible for them to write and develop. Moreover, music is not just reduced to auditory entertainment. Quite the opposite as music has long been an indispensable part of visual performances. This is evidenced by its use for staged operas, ballet, and theatre. Music is able to invoke visual associations. And this aspect was very interestingly explored by Scriabin, who proposed to give each note a color. It was an incredibly bold move for those times!

4. Could you walk us through your compositional process? Do you start from a melodic idea, a harmonic texture, or perhaps a visual or emotional inspiration?

Everything starts with love, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has a wonderful quote about this: “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” And I couldn’t agree more.

5. Given your emphasis on harmonic exploration, how do you perceive the role of dissonance in your music? Is it a means of expressing certain emotions or ideas, or do you see it more as a structural component?

I would say that this is my ambitious attempt to sublimate the universal chaos. Nietzsche said: “Cave musican! I began by forbidding myself music,” says the philosopher, “this arrogant, heavy and stifling art, which deprives the spirit of severity and cheerfulness… Cave musicam! – this is my rule and my advice to all who still value the purity of the spirit.” This is very powerful ! Because only by overcoming ourselves do we achieve the best results. And this dissonance comes from the continuous internal struggle in which every thinking person lives.

6. Seasons Live and Allure seem to capture different moods and atmospheres. What themes or experiences inspired these albums, and how do they reflect your artistic evolution?

Life is a game and the music is an art of play. And as in all games, with each new stage you pass, you reach a new level! The anticipation of something new, like the smell of your favorite perfume, inspires and gives charm to every moment. In Allure, I wanted to explore the path of finding inner harmony, it’s a blessing! Great composers and artists often turned to nature for guidance, and the changing seasons have always fascinated me. Seasons album is surely dedicated to Nature.

7. Your performance style is very expressive and dynamic. How do you approach interpreting your own compositions on stage? Do you leave space for improvisation, or is each piece performed as originally conceived?

I thank you for addressing this extremely important topic for me, and I will share with you a secret of sorts! I do not emphasize this in my concert announcements, but all my live performances are improvisational. This improvisation is the inevitable fruit of everything that has been experienced and rethought, the music flows out, is born in the moment on stage, comes into the world from everything that has already been previously felt, experienced, written and performed. Of course there is an initial concept. The place where the show is held has a great influence on the atmosphere and the piano music that I play at that moment is a synthesis of everything mentioned above.

8. As a contemporary artist drawing on historical influences, how do you see the evolution of classical music today? Do you feel there’s a renewed interest in neoclassical styles, or are there other trends that you find inspiring?

Music is one of the best and most accurate methods of relating and transmitting the impulse of time. During the twentieth-century, composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts that were associated with “classicism”, namely, the 17th century emphasis on order, balance, harmony, and emotional restraint. In the twentieth century, Neoclassicism became a trend especially during the interwar period. Unlike its Romantic music program counterpart, within contemporary music one can hear various things, such as post-tonal music, spectral music or post-minimalism. Of course, when new electronic music appeared, it seemed that there was an evolution, but without studying musical history and basics, it is difficult to become a good musician. In neoclassical music, some find the lack of generally accepted norms and classical composition techniques in that modulate tonalities and other similar nuances. For example, the use of pared-down performing forces, an updated or expanded tonal harmony, an emphasis on rhythm and on contrapuntal texture, and so on. The neoclassical impulse found much of its expression in these features a concentration on absolute music. The contemporary artist organically strives to discover a new order of things. There is no need to rid of all the standards and styles imposed by classical music education. Rather, if a composer applies classical musical instruments when creating her works, then she will inevitably be involved in the process of the sounds production. So, the harmony of sound found in past centuries and the experience of composers who lived earlier continues to be useful. But to create a new form of music, the knowledge and use of classical musical instruments still poses a limitation to the ability to create a new impulse to a new style. For this to authentically occur, one needs to forget about the former styles. All of it ought to be left behind. Only then is it genuinely possible to create something completely new, and to label it as a new form of music.

9. What other composers, musicians, or art forms have influenced your music, either historically or in the contemporary scene?

Absolutely all great classical music has an influence on a musician with a musical education. And I would like to see more contemporary musicians turn to the origins of music and think about what they are letting into this world in their musical works. I remember well the indelible impression The Köln Concert by Keith Jarrett had on me, which I saw on tape when I was still a student at the Paris Conservatory. This wind of freedom that the he emitted during his performance is mesmerizing. Piano works by modern classics such as Alfred Schnittke and the French composer Maurice Ohana made me think differently about piano music. Yet I would like to mention the pianist and composer Alain Kremski, whom I knew personally. It is his piano that is in the Parisian theater on the island of Saint Louis, where I have just had concerts. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2018.

10. Lastly, what are your future musical projects or artistic goals? Is there a particular concept or direction you’re excited to explore next?

I remain open to any possibilities and continue my research in the field of new piano sound. I definitely want to take part in international festivals next year related to experimental contemporary improvisational music, in order to have the opportunity to get to know other musicians who are interested in this direction. I think that contemporary piano music will continue to develop and interest in it is only beginning to grow.