Pietari Inkinen: Conductor Interview for the 744th Tokyo Subscription Concert

Interviewer: Haruka Takasaka

—The Beethoven Cycle, which had been suspended due to the effects of COVID-4, resumed in April.

　I was relieved that we were able to welcome so many guests into the hall for the concert. The orchestra has found a way to move forward little by little, but at the same time, I am shocked by the fact that humanity has once again started war. But that doesn't change the fact that music has the power to bring people together. There is always something hopeful in the concert hall. When I stand before Beethoven's great music, I am reminded of how small we humans really are.

—It seems like you had thorough rehearsals before the performance.

　Yes, there are many different approaches to a piece. If it's a well-known piece, an orchestra can rehearse it once and perform it to a reasonable standard. But if that's good enough, there's no point in playing it over and over again. You have to find a reason why you're playing it over and over again. Routine performances just don't interest me.
　I often tell orchestras, "It may be impossible to play it as if it were the first time, but I want you to play it as if it were your last chance. I believe that's the only way to deliver music to the audience with the same freshness as it was at the premiere."
　In car racing, driving at high speed around the corners is much better than driving safely, even if it means going off course. You can't win without taking risks. Of course, music isn't a competition.
　I think I will take a similar approach at our upcoming regular concert in October.

—Performing knowing that it will be your last performance seems a little realistic and scary in today's social situation.

　It's true, the possibility is not zero. There are many enemies, from invisible viruses to visible bombings. Life is short. There is no time for routine. I hate it when even 1% of my music feels routine.

-By the way, as a performer, do you have any pre-performance routines?

　Yes, it happens. I try to show up to rehearsals and finish on time, but I always end up running out of time (laughs). I always end up running out of time while trying to find something new.

-Your next performance will feature Symphonies No. 7 and No. 8. What are your impressions of these works?

　Just when you wonder what comes after "Pastoral," Beethoven delivers a big surprise. The Seventh Symphony exudes unbridled power from its rhythm, on a level comparable to "The Rite of Spring." The slow movement exudes the power of simplicity. The ostinato and orchestration take the piece farther into the distance, and I'm always moved by the way it moves.
　The following No. 8 was unlike any music people had imagined after No. 7. It feels like a joke about all the past. The more I think about it, the more intrigued I become as to what decision he had made to write a piece like No. 8.
　The beautiful, leisurely movement is full of unexpected musical surprises and humor, while the finale is robust and full of tonal surprises.
　The mammoth Ninth Symphony was written next, which resulted in a huge contrast.

—No. 7 is popular with a wide range of people. What is it about it that attracts people so much?

　The rhythmic flow must be a big factor. It's music that easily inspires excitement. It's said that the audience responded enthusiastically at the premiere, calling for an encore. I wish there were footage from that time. Beethoven gathered the best musicians of the time for these occasions, so it would be fascinating to see what they were performing like, what it was like to perform from a score in the condition it was in at the time, and even how Beethoven himself conducted when he was deaf. I wish we had a time machine.

When would you most like to go back?

　Well, it's hard to choose. If I could, I would want to see them all from the beginning.

—You'll never be able to come back (laughs).

　That's right (laughs). It's the perfect new hobby for after retirement. Instead of going to modern concerts, I'd like to travel back in time and go to old concerts every day.

--But if you're going to see that, wouldn't it be better if you were still active, rather than after retirement, and could use what you've seen to perform on stage?

　No, I think that if that were possible, it would be a tragic situation for performers, because if they had the chance to hear the composer's own performance, most people would try to copy that performance, thinking that that's the only authentic way. But I don't think that's a good thing. I believe that the more perspectives and possibilities there are in creating an interpretation of a performance, the better. So it's probably better not to know.

--It is well known that Wagner called Symphony No. 7 the "apotheosis of dance."

　I'm no musicologist, but that phrase is well known, and I think it suits the piece very well.

-By the way, do you dance, Inkinen?

　When you're conducting?

- No, but maybe you enjoy dancing?

　Ah, regular dancing. I've tried it, but it's never been something I'm passionate about.
　As for what happens on the podium, sometimes I feel the urge to dance when we're playing pieces like Strauss waltzes. But it's not our job to dance there. Some conductors do it, but very few conductors in the Finnish school do. My teacher, Panula, told me that it's not okay. The fact that I don't jump or turn on the podium is a result of my training.

--This summer you will finally be conducting Wagner's Ring Cycle tetralogy in Bayreuth.

*Inkinen was infected with COVID-7 at the end of July and unfortunately had to withdraw from conducting in the summer of 2022. The Bayreuth Festival Secretariat has announced that "we look forward to next year's Ring Cycle conducted by Pietari Inkinen."

　Well, it's like I've been preparing these works my whole life, figuring things out bit by bit.
　Bayreuth is a special place. I experienced it once last summer and the architecture is so unique, the acoustics are unlike any other place. I've been rehearsing there a lot recently and trying to spend as much time as possible there.
　Thielemann often said that conducting in Bayreuth requires a special ear switch, that you have to put your regular ears aside and switch to your Bayreuth ear. He said that you need to switch to a special ear in the pit to listen to the sounds, read the resonance, and react. I completely agree with that opinion.
　It's a historic place, so I feel a great sense of responsibility, but at the same time it's incredible to be able to be part of that tradition.

--The Japan Philharmonic has also performed Wagner's works in the past.

　Yes, it was a big challenge for the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, but at the same time, I think it was very healthy. I believe that opera house orchestras should learn from the experience of performing symphonies, and symphony orchestras should learn from the experience of performing operas. If we can one day complete the entire Ring Cycle, I think it will be a big step forward.

- I have the impression that both Beethoven and Wagner were people who fought aggressively for their musical ideals. At first glance, you seem cool and kind, but what do you think of musicians who fight so passionately?

　People seem to think I'm a nice person, but I also fight for my own interpretation (laughs).
　Of course, Wagner fought not only for music but also on political fronts. It was a very risky move to think that he might have been captured and killed. If that had happened, none of his subsequent works would have been produced.
　Perhaps a spirit of willingness to take risks was necessary to write such a work. In Finland, the ability to endure difficulties and an indomitable spirit is called "sisu," and I feel that Beethoven and Wagner possessed a lot of this.

—This will be your last season as Principal Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.

　Everything has an end, but I believe it's best to end it at a high point. The final performance of my term will be Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Sibelius's Kullervo Symphony. I think it would be a good ending to complete the Beethoven cycle and end it with a special Sibelius work. I feel like I've followed the right path, concluded it here, and now I'm entering a new chapter. I would be happy to discuss what we can do together in the future.

Inkinen's Beethoven cycle resumes! Special interviewHEREから

744th Tokyo Subscription Concert
Friday, October 21, 2022 19:00
Saturday, October 22, 2022 14:00
Conductor: Pietari Inkinen [Chief Conductor]
[Beethoven Cycle Vol.5]
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op.93
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op.92
 

749th Tokyo Subscription Concert　Released on November 12
Friday, October 28, 2023 19:00
Saturday, October 29, 2023 14:00
Conductor: Pietari Inkinen [Chief Conductor]
Soprano: Johanna Rusanen
Baritone: Ville Rusanen
Male Choir: University of Helsinki Male Choir, Tokyo College of Music
Sibelius: Kullervo Symphony, Op.7
 

387th Yokohama Subscription Concert　Released on November 12
Saturday, October 20, 2023 17:00
Conductor: Pietari Inkinen [Chief Conductor]
Soprano: Mari Moriya Alto: Kaori Ikeda　
Tenor: Naoki Miyazato Baritone: Sora Onishi Chorus: Tokyo College of Music
[Beethoven Cycle Vol.6]
Sibelius: Symphonic poem "Tapiola" op.112
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op.125