“Alexander Zatsepin: The Legendary Composer and His Life in Music”

Alexander Zatsepin

On May 17, a grandiose show was held on the stage of the Moskontsert Hall in honor of the 97th anniversary of the composer Alexander Zatsepin. All evening the maestro sat at the piano and accompanied the artists. The hall was delighted with the excellent physical form of the hero of the occasion, his virtuosity and, of course, the excellent music that he wrote for the legendary films “Operation” Y “and other adventures of Shurik”, “12 chairs”, “June 31”, “Sannikov Land” and many others. On the eve of the speech, Alexander Sergeevich met with the columnist for Express Gazeta.

Our rendezvous took place at Zatsepin’s favorite restaurant on 1905 Goda Street in Moscow. The composer settled in the same house after returning from a long emigration to France.

“I don’t cook myself—I don’t have time,” he explained. – I have lunch or dinner at a restaurant. Or I buy ready-made food at Azbuka Vkusa. All at work – I write music, give concerts … I would invite a girl to my place, but it’s embarrassing. Don Juan of me now no.

– Were they there before?

– I have always been married (now a widower.) And did not cheat on spouses. People do not believe that I did not even have a love affair with any singer who performed my songs. For some reason they think otherwise.

True, during his long life, Alexander Sergeevich was platonically in love with two singers. One of them is Alla Pugacheva.

– Alla was then 22 years old. I will never forget how her number “The Half-Taught Magician” was born, – the patriarch launched into his memories. – She was looking for the right tone. I searched for a long time. At some point, she said that she needed to retire and play music on the piano herself. She returned and began to sing in a male voice. Then she was very demanding of herself. And very flexible. I didn’t notice any whims behind her, or the stardom that appeared after. Yes, I was in love with her as a singer, as a charming woman.

The best album of AB “Mirror of the Soul” with songs by Zatsepin was released in February 1978. The disc includes the hits “Goodbye, summer”, “Where does childhood go”, which the composer appreciates to this day. But, as you know, before the release of the disc, the maestro and his muse quarreled to the nines. Among the masterpieces of Alexander Sergeevich, there were three strange songs, which allegedly were composed by a certain Boris Gorbonos, but in reality Pugacheva herself, who did not want to disclose this fact. But then, Pushkin’s namesake could not survive such a neighborhood. He said something offensive to Alla, but she did not forgive. As a result, for many years they did not communicate, until Pugacheva found the strength to apologize.

Hurt ligaments

Even in the Soviet years, Alexander Sergeevich worked at a recording studio equipped with the latest technology in the very center of Moscow, arranged right in the apartment.

– I had a very difficult exchange to get a studio. And Alexander Pakhmutov helped to solve all the issues. In those years, she was a deputy, – the composer explained.

The second “beloved” maestro, Tatyana Anfitserova, also worked in the studio. Slim brunette with huge velvety eyes. At the invitation of Zatsepin, who was desperately looking for a singer to record compositions for the film musical “June 31”, she came from Kyiv with her husband, musician Vladimir Belousov.

– I immediately realized that Tanya has all the qualities of Alla. And the special timbre of the voice, which you immediately recognize, and the ability to feel the song and convey its content. And drama. She did not just sing notes, but lived with music, – my interlocutor shared. –

It was then that for the first time there were rumors that Pugacheva, who also dreamed of singing for this movie, was destroying her competitors.

– There was such a version that the former favorite of Zatsepin began to take revenge on me. But I don’t have hard evidence. Why would I slander a person? It is my fault. I did not have the necessary qualities to become a star. Yes, and strong vocal data, too, – Tatyana Vladimirovna admitted not so long ago.

Zatsepin spoke about her current troubles:

– Tanya has a very difficult life. She lost her husband. Vladimir Belousov died early. She herself was very sick. She had her thyroid gland removed and her ligaments cut. She couldn’t sing for a long time… She was recovering, but her voice wasn’t the same anymore… After the operation, she became very stout. Worries. The worst thing for Tanya today is the illness of her only son, on whom she had high hopes. He is about 50 years old, and he constantly sits in his room. He has a fear of the street, of people. For years he does not leave the house, although he is physically healthy. Very sorry for her.

The maestro regularly visits Antsiferova. The artist lives in very modest conditions. But Alexander Sergeevich is trying to cheer her up. Speaks:

– I’m an optimist. I live in the present. And in my life there was a lot of grief and loss, but I prefer not to think about it. Why stir up the past? Life is one, and it is beautiful, no matter what.

In addition to refusing to suffer, Zatsepin carefully monitors his health:

– I wake up at 7 am. I drink a liter of water. I am charging. Working. I don’t overeat. I don’t use sugar. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. But I can’t refuse coffee.

Now the composer is closely collaborating with the beautiful Nonna Grishaeva. She writes musicals for the Moscow Regional Theater for Young Spectators, which she heads. And he is trying to find in her face a new creative lover.

– For the sake of an alliance with Nonna, did you return from abroad to Moscow? – Gently interested.

– I have been living in Moscow for the second year. Here I have a job and like-minded people. And in Europe there was not enough communication. Although I have a daughter, grandchildren, great-grandchildren there, and you won’t get bored with them. But communication with colleagues, musicians is another thing. I am expecting my daughter to visit in early June.

Remira, Genevieve and two Svetlanas

Born and raised in Novosibirsk, Zatsepin began his career at the local Philharmonic, where he met his first wife, Revmira Sokolova.

– She was beautiful, self-confident and impudent, – the composer admitted. – I didn’t want to do anything – neither to study, nor to work, nor to take care of our son. Separated.

The heir to the couple, Eugene, died at the age of 24 from radiation sickness received in the army.

One day, a student friend told Alexander that her friend Svetlana Tretyakova liked him. She was a freshman at the conservatory and was the exact opposite of his first wife. They got married and lived for 28 years, until her sudden death. In this marriage, a daughter, Elena, was born.

Having received tremendous success in his homeland, the composer began to look for an opportunity to emigrate. Frenchman Alain Preshak, a translator and teacher of Russian who was married to a friend of his wife Svetlana, introduced Zatsepin to his unmarried sister Genevieve. After an unsuccessful relationship with some man, she lived in a monastery for 15 years, and then returned to the world.

“Zatsepin’s marriage to a Frenchwoman brought his wife Sveta to the coffin,” Vera Ivanovna, the recently deceased widow of his permanent co-author, songwriter Leonid Derbenev, told Express Gazeta. – Yes, yes, the Frenchwoman appeared during her lifetime! In fact, Sasha had nothing with her. At least at first. Sasha did not want to part with Sveta. Agreed with her fictitious divorce. “Well, somehow you need to leave the Union,” he told her. “And when I settle down there, you will come to me.” But only I and her friend, General Nina Ivanovna, knew about it. Light began to call, sympathize, stigmatize Zatsepin – what a scoundrel he is and how could he do this to her. She was very worried. And because of this, she died prematurely.

And then Alexander Zatsepin was planted with a pig by his French wife Genevieve.

“Once before me, she had a lover in Toulouse,” the master shared. – Married, with two children. And then one day, when I was not in Paris, he came and met with Genevieve. He took her to a restaurant, treated her to wine and said that he loved her like Romeo. And she filed for divorce. Then she came back, crying all over. It turned out that her lover could not leave the family. For a while we continued to live together. And one day she asked me to move out of her apartment. Because it’s hard for her: she would like to return to me, but since she cheated, she has no right.

The composer returned to the USSR for a while, where he fell in love with pianist Svetlana Morozovskaya, who was his grandson’s music tutor. He married her and lived for 20 years, including in France. Svetlana passed away in 2014 from cancer.