“Valya Kholopova Loves Music Tremendously…” An Interview Written in the Form of a Monologue

The presented material is based on a conversation the author of the article had with the outstanding Russian musicologist, Doctor of Arts, and Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, Valentina Nikolayevna Kholopova (1935–2025). The main focus of the discussion revolves around the musicologist’s influence on the creative biography of composers, as well as on the fate of Russian music as a whole. In the interview, Valentina Kholopova recalls her remarkable classmates from the Moscow Conservatory, among whom Sofia Gubaidulina, Edison Denisov, and Alfred Schnittke particularly stand out. The collaboration between the musicologists and the composers of the “Sixtiers” generation significantly shaped many pathways of Soviet musical culture, facilitating the integration of Soviet music into the global musical landscape. The role of the musicologist in these processes was also exceptionally high; it is enough to recall the story of the creation of the monograph on Anton Webern. The monograph, written by Valentina and Yuri Kholopov, is one of the first books about 20th-century music written in Russian; it became a true bestseller, sparking discussions among musicians throughout the country.