Interviews – Page 2 – Seen and Heard International

Geoffrey Newman in conversation with conductor Gerard Schwarz

28/11/202307/10/2023 by Geoffrey Newman

American conductor Gerard Schwarz talks to Geoffrey Newman

The career of conductor Gerard Schwarz stretches over five very productive decades. He currently serves as Music Director of the Palm Beach Symphony, the Mozart Orchestra of New York and the Eastern Music Festival. He also heads a distinguished All-Star Orchestra for educational concerts designed for public television. He is Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Emeritus of the Mostly Mozart Festival and Distinguished Professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he also conducts the university orchestra.

Gregor Tassie in conversation with mezzo-soprano Gergana Rusekova

28/11/202306/10/2023 by Gregor Tassie

The Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Gergana Rusekova talks to Gregor Tassie

Among the outstanding performances of the 2023 Wagner Festival in Sofia were those of the Brünnhilde in Die Walkure and the Kundry in Parsifal given by the young mezzo-soprano Gergana Rusekova. In my review of Die Walküre, I wrote, ‘Immediately, we are aware of the striking vocal gifts and personality of Gergana Rusekova, ‘Vater! Vater! Sage, was ist dir?’ And a couple of weeks later, in Parsifal, she was even more impressive, ‘The Kundry of Gergana Rusekova was world-class in both singing and characterisation – every word was clear and beautiful at times when revealing her plight and in other scenes of her lustful desire.’

Gregor Tassie in conversation with conductor Constantin Trinks

28/11/202316/09/2023 by Gregor Tassie

The German conductor Constantin Trinks talks to Gregor Tassie

The Sofia Opera and Ballet company’s Wagner Festival staged seven operas during July this year; six of which including the Ring cycle were conducted by Constantin Trinks, over just six days! This workload would break many musicians, yet Trinks took it all in his stride despite the often-intensive heatwave which hit Bulgaria this summer – often temperatures were touching 37ºC outside. Despite all of this, he directed outstanding performances achieving the maximum results from his singers, chorus and musicians.

Gregor Tassie in conversation with soprano Iordanka Derilova

28/11/202306/09/2023 by Gregor Tassie

Gregor Tassie talks to Sofia Opera’s Iordanka Derilova about her career and her return to performing in Bulgaria

One of the highlights of the recent Sofia Ring cycle was the outstanding performance of the dramatic soprano Iordanka Derilova – both for her superb vocal talents and her complete characterisation as Brünnhilde. I had seen her Brünnhilde before in the Blu-ray recording of the first Sofia Ring in 2013, of which I wrote, ‘Derilova as Brünnhilde displays extraordinary stamina and vocal strength, and acting make her the star of the show.’ I was surprised that I had not heard her before, yet the Kammersängerin – who is the leading soprano in Dessau, has been singing on some of Europe’s finest theatres since 1998.

Gregor Tassie in conversation with tenor Daniel Ostretsov

28/11/202323/08/2023 by Gregor Tassie

Gregor Tassie talks to Sofia Opera’s Daniel Ostretsov about his career and opera in Bulgaria

My first acquaintance with the singers of the Sofia Opera was watching films of the first Ring cycle from 10 years ago, and apart from the innovative and often sensational staging by Plamen Kartaloff, one of the singers that I noticed was in Das Rheingold. ‘Daniel Ostretsov’s Loge is brilliant in voice and acting with a suitably apt costume.’ I was recently fortunate to meet up with Daniel between his Ring performances and The Flying Dutchman, the concluding opera of the 2023 Sofia Wagner Festival.

Conductor Charlotte Corderoy talks to John Quinn and looks forward to Pilgrim’s Progress at the Three Choirs Festival

27/08/202314/06/2023 by John Quinn

Charlotte Corderoy in conversation with John Quinn

One of the most eagerly anticipated events of the 2023 Three Choirs Festival is the semi-staged production of Vaughan Williams’ The Pilgrim’s Progress. This is a key work in Vaughan Williams’ output; the composition occupied him for a very long time – for three decades, from the early 1920s until its first performance in 1951 – and it blends several different aspects of his style. I first came to know and love it fully fifty years ago through Sir Adrian Boult’s famous EMI recording, issued in 1972 to mark the composer’s centenary. Opportunities to experience it live have been few and far between, though. I managed to see a semi-staged performance that Richard Hickox conducted in Symphony Hall, Birmingham in 1997, in which, as I recall, several singers took part who later featured in his excellent 1998 Chandos recording. To my lasting regret, I never saw the widely praised production which the Royal Northern College of Music put on in 1992, though I subsequently obtained and admired the live audio recording that was issued. Finally, in 2012 I was able to see a full staged production at English National Opera and though I was irritated by some aspects of the production, the musical performance, under the expert baton of Martyn Brabbins, was excellent (review). When I learned that the work was to feature in the Three Choirs Festival it became an unmissable event as far as I was concerned.

My interest was further piqued when I discovered that the performance is to be conducted by Charlotte Corderoy, a young British conductor and someone, moreover, for whom this performance will be something of a musical homecoming because she has strong connections with Gloucester Cathedral and the Three Choirs Festival. Interestingly, in returning to conduct at Three Choirs she will follow in the footsteps of Gloucester-born Edward Gardner, a former chorister at Gloucester Cathedral, who appeared as a guest conductor at the 2013, 2016 and 2019 Festivals, all held in his home city.

COMPOSER DAVID LANG IN CONVERSATION WITH DANIELE SAHR ABOUT note to a friend

28/11/202303/01/2023 by Daniele Sahr

David Lang’s new opera note to a friend will be presented by the Japan Society and Tokyo Bunka Kaikan as part of the 2023 Prototype Festival and he talks to Daniele Sahr about its composition

On 12 January, David Lang’s note to a friend will premiere at the Japan Society as part of New York’s Prototype Festival of new opera.

PIANIST YEOL EUM SON IN CONVERSATION WITH GREGOR TASSIE

02/03/202309/12/2022 by Gregor Tassie

Gregor Tassie’s interview with pianist Yeol Eum Son

Music lovers in Scotland will be able to enjoy a rare festive musical occasion when the brilliant young Korean pianist plays Mozart’s sparkling Concerto No.27 in B flat. She is not only magnificent at the keyboard, but also an artist of the highest order. In musical terms, Yeol Eum shares Shakespeare’s truism, ‘To thine own self be true’, reflecting ‘As an artist, I want to become more adventurous, free and daring but, at the same time, remain curious and “up-to-date”.’ Her choice of repertoire, which spans the works of Bach and Mozart to those of Shchedrin and Kapustin, is guided chiefly by the quality and depth of the music.

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