Yudina was born in Nevel, Russia. She studied at the Petrograd Conservatory under Anna Essipova and Leonid Nikolayev. She also briefly studied privately with Felix Blumenfeld. Her classmates included Dmitri Shostakovich and Vladimir Sofronitsky. Though primarily known for her interpretations of Bach and Beethoven, she was a keen champion of contemporary composers including works of her good friend Shostakovich. Yudina was also a highly regarded champion of J. S. Bach's music. Some have claimed that Yudina's way of playing Bach foreshadows the style of Glenn Gould.
Yudina was one of the few Soviet artists who openly opposed the Communist regime, resulting in her being banned from teaching or performing on stage on several occasions. She can also be considered one of the great Christian thinkers of Russia in the twentieth century (among her friends was the philosopher Pavel Florensky).
After her graduation from the Petrograd Conservatory, Yudina was invited to teach there, which she did until 1930, when she was thrown out of the institution because of her religious convictions and vocal criticism of the Soviet leadership. After being unemployed and homeless for a couple of years, Yudina was invited to teach the graduate piano course at the Tbilisi conservatoire (1932-1933). In 1936, upon Heinrich Neuhaus's suggestion, Maria Yudina joined the piano faculty of the Moscow Conservatory, where she taught until 1951. In 1944-1960, Yudina taught chamber ensemble and vocal class at the Gnessins Institute (now Russian Academy of Music). In 1960, Maria Yudina was thrown out of the Gnessins Institute because of her religious attitudes and her advocation of modern Western music. She continued to perform in public, but her recitals were forbidden to be recorded. After an incident during one of her recitals in Leningrad, when she read Boris Pasternak's poetry from the stage as encore, Yudina was banned from performing for five years. In 1966, when the ban was lifted, Maria Yudina gave a cycle of lectures on Romanticism at the Moscow Conservatory.
Yudina has the distinction of being Joseph Stalin's favorite pianist. Legend has it that one night, Stalin heard a performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 on the radio performed by Yudina and asked for a copy. It was a live broadcast so officials woke up Yudina, drove her to a recording studio where a small orchestra had quickly been assembled, and made her record the concerto in the middle of the night, then presented the recording to Stalin. It is said that he broke out in tears after hearing only the first notes of Yudina's playing. Despite the recognition from Stalin the pianist remained an uncompromising critic of the Soviet regime until the end of her days. She died in Moscow.
Yudina's playing was marked by great virtuosity, spirituality, an almost masculine strength and intellectual rigor. However, her playing was also very individual in style and tone.
The art of Yudina represents a whole epoch in the Russian cultural history. Unlike other fellow musicians, Yudina always tried to go beyond her major, making friends and collaborating with famous writers, artists and architects.
Among her friends were Boris Pasternak (who did the first reading of his novel Doctor Zhivago at Yudina's apartment as early as February 1947), Ossip Mandelshtam, Mikhail Bakhtin, Pierre Suvchinsky, Dmitry Shostakovich, Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen and many others.
Thanks to efforts of Yudina's friends in Russia, particularly Anatoly Kuznetsov, Yudina's letters and writings were published in the late 90s-early 00s. There were several attempts to complete the set of Yudina's recordings. Most of her recordings released on LPs in Russia are hard to obtain.
Fantasia In D Minor K 397
Maria Yudina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Еще минута, и я скажу, что раставаться невозможно.
Еще минута до прощанья и последнего прости,
Она, как будто обещанье наше прошлое спасти,
Еще минута, и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
Еще минута, и я пойму, что мы друг друга потеряли,
И я забуду, что в прежней жизни мы любили и желали.
Она, как будто обещанье наше прошлое спасти,
Еще минута и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
Еще минута до прощанья, оглянись и позови,
И я забуду все на свете ради счастья и любви,
Еще минута, и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
Еще минута до прощанья оглянись и позови,
И я забуду все на свете ради счастья и любви,
Еще минута, и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
These are the lyrics to Maria Yudina's song Fantasia in D Minor K 397. The song is about the last moments before saying goodbye to a loved one. The singer is counting down the minutes until the end and expressing her desire for the other person to stay with her. She talks about the past, their love and the memories they have shared. The singer wants the other person to look back and call out for her because she is willing to forget everything in the world for the sake of their happiness and love. She hopes that by the end of the song, the other person will choose to stay with her.
Line by Line Meaning
Еще минута, и я держу твои ладони осторожно,
In just one more minute, I will be cautiously holding your hands,
Еще минута, и я скажу, что расставаться невозможно.
In just one more minute, I will say that it's impossible to part ways.
Еще минута до прощанья и последнего прости,
In just one more minute until we say goodbye and exchange our last forgiveness,
Она, как будто обещанье наше прошлое спасти,
It's as if that one more minute holds a promise to save our past,
Еще минута, и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
In just one more minute, I will believe that you will stay with me.
Еще минута, и я пойму, что мы друг друга потеряли,
In just one more minute, I will realize that we have lost each other,
И я забуду, что в прежней жизни мы любили и желали.
And I will forget that in our past lives we loved and desired each other.
Еще минута до прощанья и последнего прости,
In just one more minute until we say goodbye and exchange our last forgiveness,
Она, как будто обещанье наше прошлое спасти,
It's as if that one more minute holds a promise to save our past,
Еще минута и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
In just one more minute, I will believe that you will stay with me.
Еще минута до прощанья, оглянись и позови,
In just one more minute until we say goodbye, look back and call my name,
И я забуду все на свете ради счастья и любви,
And I will forget everything in this world for the sake of happiness and love,
Еще минута, и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
In just one more minute, I will believe that you will stay with me.
Еще минута до прощанья оглянись и позови,
In just one more minute until we say goodbye, look back and call my name,
И я забуду все на свете ради счастья и любви,
And I will forget everything in this world for the sake of happiness and love,
Еще минута, и я поверю, что ты останешься со мною.
In just one more minute, I will believe that you will stay with me.
Contributed by Nora N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-wy8kr4re4j
Светлая ей память,нет слов,какая запись
@BytomGirl
Amazing performance of this piece, I saw it live on video and was looking for it but couldn't find it but this will do. I just like looking at her when she played.
@dhulfiqaral-taqi3799
This is the best Mozart Fantasia in D performance I ever have heard.
@qdwre
نسخة گلين گولد و كلوديو اراو ايضًا رائعة
@boonyboony100
The most mind blowing performance of this piece that I've ever heard. At last it makes sense!
@ellandelachapelle
Thanks ever so much for putting this out. I´ve longed to hear this woman for YEARS! My new heroine! How is ist POSSIBLE to put so much into this piece??? (I´ve played it myself. Hundreds of times. Feels like this is the first time I really HEAR it.) (please check out Shostakotich´s phantastic story abut her in his memoirs.)
@belavarplaniie8933
I have to agree, having also played this hundreds of times. Most recordings are disappointingly 'horizonal' only scratching the surface. Yudina intuits, finds and expresses the dynamic 'vertical' variations. Also this is some wonderful piano: eg. 3:06-3:07. so clear in the top notes, no 'ponk'.
@SDefinn
Mozart is one of my favorite composers. I heard Fantasia in D minor K397 performed by various pianists. This version is very different. I really like it! Thank you!
@koshkasheba1935
Великий человек!!! Беспредельной доброты и бескорыстия. Гениальная пианистка.Бог дол талант во всём.
@PhilipLu3
the best interpretation i've heard so far.