<B>Viktor Fedotov - obituary</B> <BR>BY NADINE MEISNER in The Independent <P><BR>DURING THE last two decades, Viktor Fedotov became a star among the newer generation of ballet fans who were discovering the Kirov Ballet (now the Maryinsky Ballet) in London seasons that had resumed after a long absence.<P>Fedotov did not share the visibility of the dancers on stage; he was tucked in the orchestra pit, a gaunt back view in a black tailcoat topped by a head of very thick, very straight white hair. Yet for every second you knew he was there. He reminded you that a great dance performance cannot exist without great music playing. Tchaikovsky's ballet scores may be familiar to the point of near-hackneydom, but Fedotov made them swell with a drama and sing with a soul that gave them fresh life. It was a whole-heartedness that marked Fedotov out as a true Russian musician. "In my family, for 400 years everybody plays music," he told Louise Levene in a 1997 interview in The Independent. "Music is my life, not my profession."<P><A HREF="http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011211001338&query=ballet" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><P>Stuart adds: I have heard dancers say how remarkable he was as a conductor, taking account of individual differences, such as length of stride, to enhance their performance. I regret to tell you that orchestral players at the ROH often hold the ballet conductors in some disdain. But one told me that Fedotov commanded great respect. <BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited December 11, 2001).]

It is always sad when someone dies , but when it was someone like Viktor he will be sorely missed . The arts world won't be quite the same without him.

Sugar P, what are your fondest memories of ballet under Fedotov's baton?