Principal Conductor Pietari Inkinen 10/19 Tokyo Regular Pre-Talk
Principal Conductor Pietari Inkinen
10/19 Tokyo Regular Pre-Talk
Funaki (omitted): Welcome to the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's 714th Tokyo Regular Concert. Today marks the start of the Japan Philharmonic's Beethoven cycle. We had one last night, but today is the first of the cycle, so we would like to begin the cycle by listening to a speech by Principal Conductor Pietari Inkinen. Please give us another big round of applause. I am Atsuya Funaki, a music critic, and I will be serving as your interviewer. Thank you very much. Your translator will be Yukako Inoue. Maestro, do you have any memories of the first time you heard Beethoven as a child?
Inkinen (omitted): As far as I can remember, I don't actually have a memory of the first time I encountered Beethoven in my life. I think I probably listened to Beethoven from when I was still in my mother's womb. And when I started playing the violin, around the age of three or four, I was probably playing some Beethoven. Then, after I graduated from the Suzuki Method and was able to play entirely with open strings in Finland, I played the melody of the Ninth Symphony. I remember using all four fingers. But I didn't realize that it was Beethoven.
Mr. Inkinen, you originally aspired to be a violinist, and you still play today, but as a conductor, and this may just be my impression, I get the impression that you are surprisingly good at music from the Romantic period onwards. How much of Beethoven's classical music have you been working on up until now?
In fact, I started with classical Beethoven quite early. This was thanks to my conducting teacher, Professor Panula, who I began working with at the age of 14. I immediately realized that Beethoven's music was a core part of my education. I first analyzed his piano pieces, but then I was soon able to conduct orchestral works, including symphonies. His works contain all the elements you need as a conductor. Beethoven and his predecessors, including those before the Classical period, are definitely part of my repertoire. However, recently, when I conduct a full-sized symphony orchestra, I have inevitably been conducting more late Romantic works. But this classical music is definitely part of my repertoire.
Next year will mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, and you have a cycle planned that runs through 2021. While there are many Beethoven cycles, one unique feature of your work with the Japan Philharmonic this time around is that you are combining pieces by other composers besides Beethoven, such as Dvorak, Bruckner, and Richard Strauss. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.
When we decided to perform this cycle over two seasons, we considered incorporating other composers. Of course, if we were to perform Beethoven alone, we could do it in a few concerts, but this time we decided to pair it with other composers. Bruckner has been a project I've been working on with the Japan Philharmonic for the past few years, so I've included Bruckner as a continuation of the cycle. As for Dvorak, I've also been working in Prague, where I've studied Czech music extensively over the years. I wanted to share with Japanese audiences the lessons and styles I learned there. Today, we'll be listening to Dvorak's late opera, "Armida" Overture. I wonder why it's so rarely performed, but I hope you enjoy this work by a famous composer who is rarely performed. My recordings with German orchestras were released yesterday, and they also include Dvorak cycles and overtures, so if you have time, please pick them up. We haven't performed Richard Strauss very often. However, over the past few seasons, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and I have also been working on Wagner, so I wanted to take up this Strauss piece, with its Romantic tone, in order to further expand this world of sound and palette. I hope that through works like this, the orchestra's technical capabilities and scale will expand.
So it's not just a Beethoven cycle, it's a kind of culmination of your work with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, a culmination of all the work you've done together up to this point. Today's main pieces are Piano Concerto No. 4 and the Eroica Symphony, but we performed the same program last night on the first day of the cycle. In a brief discussion then, Inkinen said that the Eroica Symphony is close to Romanticism, and has elements of Romanticism, and that he started with that. In what ways can you say that this symphony has that aspect?
In fact, this piece is moving in the direction of a large orchestra, with the addition of horns and various other small details. So it's not just the size, but the sound also has a Romantic orchestration feel to it, so to me it gives off a strong Romantic impression. Of course, in terms of compositional technique, it incorporates a lot of his past, classical elements, but in terms of content, I feel that the expressiveness and the way he handles music lean more towards Romanticism. My own tastes are also leaning in that direction, so I interpret it more towards Romanticism.
As you've probably noticed looking at the stage today, the double bass is on the left. The cello is sitting on this side, and over there is the second violin, and then the viola. This is apparently called an opposing arrangement, as the first and second violins are facing each other. What are the benefits and intentions behind this arrangement?
Of course, I always think that this seating arrangement is a constant compromise. It has its pros and cons. But recently, I've been sitting like this for Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruckner. It depends on the symphony, but for example, with Brahms, if the second violin sits next to the first violin in his works, the sound actually gets drowned out and becomes inaudible. This is often the case in Beethoven's works as well. So, by having the first and second violins sit facing each other, the exchange of notes really stands out, and this is more clearly conveyed to the audience. It's not just the sound, but also the visuals that convey the exchange of notes. However, in Italian and Czech works, for example, the first and second violins always play together. And there are many fast passages. In those cases, it's difficult to synchronize the notes if they're facing each other, so it's actually easier for them to sit next to each other. Another aspect is acoustics. While this isn't a major issue at Suntory Hall, the positioning of the horns is crucial in rectangular halls. This is the case in venues like Vienna's Musikverein or Berlin's Konzerthaus. If the horns are blowing toward a wall, the sound will be amplified by the reverberation. This upsets the balance. Therefore, the best sound balance is achieved when the horns are seated facing each other. Another example I'll use today is the funeral march in the Eroica, in the second movement. The theme begins in the first violin, but the double basses immediately add supporting sounds. Therefore, I think it's more effective to have the supporters right next to the horns than sitting on the other side of the stage.
As time is up, I will just say one final thing. Today, I'm celebrating the start of the Beethoven cycle, and there's one more thing. Mr. Inkinen has been selected to conduct Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival next year. I'd like to ask our dear Mr. Inkinen just one question: you have also performed Wagner with the Japan Philharmonic. What is it about Wagner that attracts you?
The first time I heard Wagner's music, I was bitten by the Wagner bug. I believe it's like an incurable disease. I'm sure all of you Wagner fans here know this, but once you're drawn into his world, there's no getting out. It speaks to your soul, and you're firmly gripped. You get immersed in a world where time disappears, and it feels like everything else disappears. And I think this feeling is getting stronger every year.
Funaki: Beethoven and Wagner, Wagner was greatly influenced by Beethoven. Mr. Inkinen, you are working on these two in parallel, and I believe we will be able to hear even better results here. The Beethoven Cycle will include all of the symphonies, including the Yokohama performance, so please come along. Thank you very much for your time today, Mr. Inkinen.
Interviewer: Atsuya Funaki
Interpreter: Yukako Inoue
Click here for the 10/18 after-talk
Click here for the 10/26 Orchestra Guide
