Ashkenazy began his studies at the age of 6 and showing prodigious talent, was accepted at the Central Music School at 8. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, he won second prize in the prestigious International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955 and shared first prize in the 1962 International Tchaikovsky Competition with English pianist John Ogdon. He is celebrated for his intelligent and well thought-out interpretations. He often recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra; two of these recordings were of the Emperor Concerto by Beethoven, and a number of Rachmaninoff pieces (including his Second Concerto).
He has recorded the complete 24 Preludes and Fugues of Shostakovich, and Chopin's entire works for piano.
Midway through his pianistic career, Ashkenazy branched into conducting. His performances of the Sibelius symphonies have been lauded in particular. He was the principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1987 to 1994, and in 1998 he became principal conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held until September 1, 2003.
Vladimir Ashkenazy is currently President of the Rachmaninoff Society.
An excellent resource covering Ashkenazy's musical philosophy and opinions on many other subjects is the book Beyond Frontiers (New York: Atheneum, 1985) which he co-wrote in 1985 with his associate Jasper Parrott.
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Awards and Recognitions
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
* Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell & Itzhak Perlman for Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios (1988)
* Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell & Itzhak Perlman for Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A Minor (1982)
* Itzhak Perlman & Vladimir Ashkenazy for Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (1979)
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra):
* Vladimir Ashkenazy for Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87 (2000)
* Vladimir Ashkenazy for Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit; Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte; Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (1986)
Dances of the Dolls: Lyric Waltz
Vladimir Ashkenazy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anata Garasu no me de
Donna yume wo
Mirareru no?
Miirareru no?
Mata atashi
Kokoro ga sakete
Nagarederu
Sukima ni sasaru
Kioku tachi
Hi Miss Alice.
Anata Kajitsu no kuchi de
Dare ni ai wo
Nageteiru no?
Nageiteiru no?
Mou atashi
Kotoba wo tsumugu
Shita no netsu
Same kitte
Mederu outa mo
Utaenai
Still, you do not answer.
The lyrics of Vladimir Ashkenazy's song 'Dances of the Dolls: Lyric Waltz in 2-3' inquires Miss Alice on what kind of dreams she sees with her glass eyes. However, it seems that Miss Alice is not responding as the singer feels a rift between them, and her memories are slipping through the gaps. She then wonders whether Miss Alice, with her fruit-like mouth, is throwing away her love for someone in particular. The singer then sorrowfully tells that she cannot weave words anymore because the heat inside her has disappeared, and the song she sings cannot be sung anymore.
The song's lyrics express the feeling of loss of a close relationship, where one counterpart cannot understand the other's thoughts and feels as if they are being disconnected. The song's melancholic tone and the use of the doll's imagery signify the soullessness of the person's relationship, where nothing seems real; everything seems to be artificial and runs on autopilot. The use of the doll's metaphor emphasizes the emptiness of the conversation and the fakeness of intimacy, which further adds a sense of desolation.
Line by Line Meaning
Hi Miss Alice.
An expression of greeting addressed to Miss Alice.
Anata Garasu no me de
Looking through glass eyes,
Donna yume wo
What kind of dreams
Mirareru no?
Can be seen?
Miirareru no?
Can be seen?
Mata atashi
Again, I
Kokoro ga sakete
Am brokenhearted
Nagarederu
Drifting away
Tsukurotta
The memories
Sukima ni sasaru
Pierce through the gaps.
Kioku tachi
Of the created dolls.
Anata Kajitsu no kuchi de
In your fruit mouth,
Dare ni ai wo
To whom do you throw
Nageteiru no?
The love?
Nageiteiru no?
Are you throwing it?
Mou atashi
Now I,
Kotoba wo tsumugu
Weave words
Shita no netsu
And the fever of the tongue,
Same kitte
Turns cold.
Mederu outa mo
Even the singing voice,
Utaenai
Cannot sing.
Still, you do not answer.
An indication that Miss Alice still hasn't replied or responded.
Writer(s): dmitry shostakovich
Contributed by Liliana B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.