Teodor Currentzis: “Mozart knew he was the best.” MusicAeterna orchestra and choir, Teodor Currentzis
"Requiem" by Mozart in the Concert Hall. P. I. Tchaikovsky performed by the MusicAeterna orchestra and choir conducted by Teodor Currentzis and in the text of our correspondent Ekaterina Nechitailo.
With any requiem, jokes are bad. Is it humor: a funeral mass, high genre sacred concert music, a kind of funeral oratorio. Luigi Cherubini dedicated his creation to the memory Louis XVI, Verdi - Gioachino Rossini, "German Requiem" by Brahms - an offering to his dead mother.
About Mozart and his work late XVIII centuries, there are still so many rumors that one could write a whole music book. Like, he had a presentiment, he worked for the sake of money, he didn’t finish that, this, this part, he called trouble himself, he wrote the beats on his deathbed. Everyone knows “Lacrimosa”, if you want to make a performance or a film epic, then turn on “Agnus Dei”, there are legends about a certain Black Man. And Salieri is to blame for everything, of course. Chorus and musicAeterna Orchestra, teaming up with soloists and conductor Teodor Currentzis, presented their vision of history to the Moscow public by performing the Requiem by the great Austrian on the stage of the Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. More precisely, by playing a requiem for Mozart. Not according to the image, but according to dreams, fears and desires, not according to the score, but according to the totality of variations on a theme, not according to the composer, but according to the person who went There.
At the Perm Opera, where this opus was performed a few days ago, the foyer smelled of incense before the concert, and artificial candles were placed along the edge of the stage. In Moscow, they didn’t start the spirit experiment, but they decided not to remove the candles, keeping the mood in the given key: you can’t destroy the context, you can’t paint over the note, you can’t throw out the word from the song. The choir is in black, the orchestra is in black, the conductor is in black, most of the public is in black. Cassocks, dresses, a textbook concert shirt and tight pants. It's not a secret for anyone that Mozart never completed the work: the composer managed to write only the first section of Introitus - "Requiem aeternam" in its entirety, made a sketch of the orchestration of "Kyrie", deduced vocal parts. "Lacrimosa" broke off after bar 8, "Sanctus", "Benedictus" and "Agnus Dei" remained in sketches, the work was completed by Mozart's student Franz Xaver Süssmeier and musician Josef Eibler. In the version of musicAeterna, I must say, there is absolutely no feeling of fragmentation, cutting, distortions in quality. It seems that the stage is a single mass, a common organism, an integral structure, which is outwardly gloomy, but inwardly brighter than the fire of a candle. The clarity of pronunciation is mesmerizing, the energy is gushing, the cantilenas and staccatos are tuned to breaths. Conductor Teodor Currentzis and choirmaster Vitaly Polonsky build the entire performance on dynamic drops and enhanced articulation: sound jumps are unpredictable, the “s” in the endings are pronounced with frenzy, the “r” in the beginnings cut the space, the middle “k” create support. “Kyrie eleison” covers the hall in waves, “Confutatis maledictis” is a cautious strain, “Dies irae” is a concentrated force, the popularly known part of “Lacrimosa”, which sounds restrained and crystal, is saved from sublime and worn tearfulness. Each pronunciation of "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine" / "Give them eternal rest, Lord" is an intimate request, uttered meekly and a little embarrassedly in public. It is worth noting that for all the swiftness and electrification that accompanies the sound, this performance is devoid of an excessive platoon of the orchestra, which often turns into the aggression of the strings, the hysteria of the wind instruments, the pathos cry of the choir, working on a common fuse. Everything is very delicate and even meditative: transitions, general fragments, and the work of a quartet of soloists. The point here is not beauty, but sincerity, not singing, but the awareness of sound production, not that Currentzis skillfully restrains zealous horses, but in real closeness to the prayer for eternal rest. Natalia Lyaskova (mezzo-soprano) and Elizaveta Sveshnikova (soprano) follow each other, working harmoniously in duets, Edwin Crossley's bass voice - Mercer envelops the hall, tenor Thomas Cooley heats up the space around him with sounds. It is impossible not to pay attention to the fact that in 2010 Currentzis and musicAeterna released a CD with "Requiem" (with other soloists) on the Alpha label. Comparison of readings is inevitable, but any attempt to compare them will not be entirely correct: a work that has not been fully completed, obviously has an imperishable right to a lot of the most different interpretations. And each option has every chance for a long and happy life.
“Mozart kept getting weaker and weaker, and on the seventh day he died, and on the third day he was buried,” the choir sings airy closer to the finale, weaving into the score the number of Sergei Zagniy, which was created several years ago by order of Teodor Currentzis. I must say that in this reading of the "Requiem", written in the canonical Latin text of the funeral mass, there is generally a lot of oxygen, and it itself, piercing and deep, is similar to the flight of an aircraft. Lightning fast, reliable and ... burning. Beautiful in his peak, impetuous, united with his team, fearless, moving along the route Perm - Moscow - Salzburg clearly and uniquely. And therefore, not breaking on stones, but a meter from the leprous earth, which is visible from afar, taking off into open sky where Mozart is still working on his latest work. And he doesn't know it himself.
It was an amazing event.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to return to such a seemingly (and very erroneously) familiar work, to immerse yourself in these divine sounds and learn about the intrigue that has developed around its interpretation.
Theodore's personality struck me completely, it is a joy and pleasure to see and listen to such a talented, inspired, enthusiastic and purposeful person.
Impressions do not let me go. I listen to Dido and Aeneas - already familiar handwriting - the same passion, the same accuracy, purity and, of course, drama. I never imagined that I would like baroque music so much. A Italian opera against this background, it now looks like a very entertaining genre;)
If I may, I would like to ask the following questions:
1. About interpretation. It was a surprise for me to learn that conductors can change the score so much. It's one thing to give a certain shade, it's another thing to change the duration or pitch of sounds. IN this case You have returned to the authentic version. Does the opposite happen to you? When do you intentionally rework the text in accordance with your personal perception?
2.About contemporary works. If a work is modern, has never been performed and there are no existing examples of interpretation, how is work on it going? Do you consult with the composer, or do you completely rely on your feelings?
3. About the profession or vocation of a conductor. The conductor, on the one hand, subtly feels, doubts, analyzes, passes through himself, and on the other hand, makes decisions, manages, dictates. Qualities that are quite inherent in women. Why is it that almost all conductors are men?
Major musical event International Festival Diaghilev P.S. Petersburg was the performance Perm choir and the Music Aeterna orchestra conducted by maestro Teodor Currentzis.
Opera opera - "Don Giovanni" by Mozart - they presented in a concert performance with a European cast of soloists. Teodor Currentzis spoke about the genius of Mozart, the political nature of Wagner and how to resist the invasion of Evil.
- Was the line-up of singers presented in Don Juan at the Diaghilev P.S. festival a dream team?
– I don’t think there is a concept of “ideal composition”. Today these singers sang, tomorrow there may be others. Everyone is changing. In general, everything should be treated very flexibly. It is more important to get into the right state. In my opinion, in St. Petersburg we all succeeded.
- And how were you received a little more than a week ago in Dortmund, where you performed all three operas of the so-called Mozart da Ponte trilogy - “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Everybody Does It So” and “Don Giovanni”?
- In Dortmund, after our performances, they yelled and squealed, like at a rock concert. There were standing ovations. Petersburg success seemed cooler to us.
- Do not forget that in St. Petersburg, by definition, it is cooler than in Dortmund, so the reception that you were given can still be regarded as “very hot”.
– For me, it is a huge event to perform all three operas one after another. It is not easy, but it is very important for me to show the results of my long-term laboratory work. After all, I don’t give concerts that much, I prefer laboratory work, collecting and analyzing the concepts of works for a long time - that’s what I’m really interested in. And the records are important only as a fixation of that huge period of laboratory work that will remain for history.
– We once already spoke with you about the very fast pace at which you interpret Mozart's operas. Perhaps it is a delusion to think that in the 18th century life was a little calmer than it is now?
- The funny thing is that our tempo interpretations correspond to Mozart's instructions! I think I told you the story of Wagner. At one time, as a maestro, he rehearsed Le nozze di Figaro, conducting 4/4 slowly - on two counts.
Suddenly someone from the audience said: “Maestro, it must be fast, fast! Mozart loved very much fast pace". - "How do you know?" “I was at his rehearsals.” So today we play Mozart as fast as possible. In 10 years, most orchestras will play Mozart the way I do now. But even today, many are changing their minds about the interpretation of the music of this composer.
Many people in Europe tell me that my cadences are made left and right. And I am very pleased if I can offer my little stone in the evolution of performance.
- Evolution, and at the same time revolutions?
– Mozart's music itself is revolutionary, if, of course, it is performed correctly. Mozart was a revolutionary in life. Mozart is not a composer of his era: he is an eternal composer. It will always be up to date. In his "Don Giovanni" one can hear avant-gardism, and baroque, and classicism with romanticism, and everything in the world. Therefore, Mozart will always be relevant.
Didn't you have the feeling that you were listening to some old naive music of the 18th century? And she will never look like that. And look, for example, at the operas of Salieri or some other contemporaries of Mozart - they really look somehow outdated, naive. Mozart knew that he was the best, that he was a genius.
Being a genius is not easy when you are surrounded by mediocrity. Although, of course, if everyone were brilliant, the world would be different. Why did this composer die so early? Precisely because he had nowhere to put his genius. He experienced the loneliness of a genius.
- Do you have any desire to deepen the context to perform some opera by Salieri?
- He has good music. In general, in my opinion, our conversations about Mozart and Salieri have more to do with Pushkin's tragedy. To be honest, there are so many brilliant music, which I have not yet performed, but I must, that I don’t even know if I have enough time to take on Salieri as well. It is better to learn some compositions by Michael Haydn.
And how much baroque music has not yet been performed, which I have to do. Now the orchestra and I are recording Beethoven's symphonies also on Sony at the same time as Mahler's symphonies. Our plans include the release of a whole corpus of Beethoven's works in addition to symphonies - and the Solemn Mass, and all the piano concertos, and the violin concerto.
The musicians played standing up. Was it also an authentic tribute to the era?
– Yes, but it is also a tradition of our orchestra. We and Mahler's symphonies are played standing up, and all the operas in the pit are performed standing up. It's a different energy, body language.
- Don't they get tired?
– Tired, terribly tired, but what to do? Music requires sacrifice.
– Last season you performed Wagner's Rheingold at the Rurtriennale. Is he as close to you as Mozart?
It's a different story, a different world. But we have done a lot Good work and I'm happy. We play Wagner in a completely different way than usual, on gut strings, making his music much more transparent. Our orchestra has such high precision, everything works like clockwork. We play symphonic music like a chamber music, like a quartet, and this gives a completely different volume, a different feeling of space. There is no pompous pathos. More - philosophical ideograms.
This is not the romanticism that comes from Bayreuth in the 1930s. My Wagner is not Hitler's Wagner, but Bakunin's Wagner. Feel the difference? Wagner touched me very much, he is very serious. But all this fog of philosophical texts that accompanies it seems to me unnecessary. Wagner's music is very ambiguous and I feel like it's being mishandled. You need to perceive his music in a different way - as a mystery theater, and not as a museum of the history of mankind.
- Will there be a continuation of the tetralogy?
- I don’t know, but we will definitely prepare his “Tristan and Isolde” - we were invited to the Wiener Festwochen with this opera. Honestly, the next composer, whom we will study for a very long time, will be Beethoven. We are purists. We are engaged in facsimile, historical instruments. We approach Beethoven not through romanticism, but through baroque. We have a sense of the revolutionary nature of a person who lived in the Baroque era and suddenly became aware of the existence of Beethoven, and there was a big explosion in his mind.
- How do you balance performances in Russia and Europe in your schedule?
- Of course, I would like to perform more in Russia. I am a Russian, I love Russia. But we, unfortunately, have fewer opportunities to perform in the capitals, in St. Petersburg - once a year. And in Western Europe I perform with my orchestra all the time. We have been invited to the Salzburg Festival to stage Mozart's "Mercy of Titus". IN Parisian Theater Champs-Elysées, we will present Mozart's “Thus Everyone Do It”. In Amsterdam, they expect us to take part in the production of Purcell's Indian Queen.
– Do you sometimes cross paths with Valery Gergiev? It manages several beautiful halls, among which the main pearl is Concert hall Mariinsky Theater where you and your orchestra, choir and soloists would listen perfectly.
– No, our roads do not intersect, but for communication we need intersections. I have great respect as a conductor and as a person, but we do not communicate. I live in Perm, I rarely go to St. Petersburg. Maybe he would communicate if he came here more often. Our intersection with Valery lies only in the fact that we studied with the same teacher - Ilya Musin.
- What are your moods now?
– I perfectly understand that Evil encroached on the world. We must get rid of darkness by turning on the light, which is not afraid of darkness. Evil will reign as long as we pay attention to it, so it must be ignored, stop talking about it - then it will disappear. Although it is very aggressive.
I. Introitus: Requiem;
II. Kyrie;
III. Sequentia: Dies Irae;
III. Sequentia: Tuba Mirum;
III. Sequentia: Rex Tremendae;
III. Sequentia: Recordare, Jesupie;
III. Sequentia: Confutatis Maledictis;
III. Sequentia: Lacrimosa;
IV. Offertorium: Domine Jesu;
IV. Offertorium: Domine Hostias;
V. Sanctus;
VI. Benedictus;
VII. Agnus Dei;
VIII. Communio: Lux Aeterna.
Simone Kermes - soprano, Stéphanie Houtzeel - contralto, Markus Brutscher - tenor, Arnaud Richard - bass / The New Siberian Singers / MusicAeterna, Teodor Currentzis - conductor / Novosibirsk, Feb. 2010
2. Theodor KURENTZIS (conductor): Georg Friedrich Handel - Psalm Dixit Dominus for soloists, choir and orchestra in G minor HWV 232 - Download
1. Dixit Dominus
2. Virgam virtutis
3. Tecum principium
4. Juravit Dominus
5. Tu es sacerdos
6. Dominus a dextris
7. Judicabit
8. Conquassabit
9. De torrente in via
10 Gloria Patri
(1707)
Nuria Rial (soprano), Anna Prohaska (soprano), Vitaly Polonsky (choirmaster), orch. & choir MusicAeterna (Perm) / cond. - Teodor Currentzis / Live Rec. 2014
Theodor KURENTZIS (b. 1972)- conductor, musician, actor: | | | | | .
Teodor Currentzis is one of the most famous and unique young conductors of our time. Concerts and opera performances with his participation always become unforgettable events. Theodor Currentzis was born in 1972 in Athens. Graduated from the Hellenic Conservatory: Faculty of Theory (1987) and Faculty of string instruments(1989), also studied vocals at the Greek Conservatory and the "Academy of Athens", attended master classes. He began studying conducting in 1987 and three years later he headed the Musica Aeterna Ensemble. Since 1991 - chief conductor Summer International Festival in Greece.
From 1994 to 1999 he studied with the legendary professor I.A. Musin at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. He was an assistant to Y. Temirkanov in the Honored Collective of Russia Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic.
In addition to this team, he collaborated with the Academic symphony orchestra Petersburg Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra (in particular, in February-March 2008 he made a big tour of the USA with the RNO), the Grand Symphony Orchestra. P.I. Tchaikovsky, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia named after. E.F. Svetlanov, State Symphony Orchestra " New Russia”, the State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuosos”, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra “Musica Viva”, the Greek National, Sofia and Cleveland Festival Orchestras. Since 2003 he has been a permanent guest conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia.
Creative cooperation connects the conductor with the Moscow theater "Helikon-Opera". In the autumn of 2001, the theater hosted the premiere of G. Verdi's opera Falstaff, in which Teodor Currentzis acted as a stage director. Also, Currentzis repeatedly conducted another Verdi opera, Aida, at the Helikon-Opera.
Teodor Currentzis has performed at many international music festivals in Moscow, Colmar, Bangkok, Carton, London, Ludwigsburg, Miami. Conductor of the world premiere of the Russian opera performance"The Blind Swallow" by A. Shchetinsky (libretto by A. Parin) in Lokkum (Germany) as part of music festival (2002).
In 2003, he acted as conductor-producer of the ballet "The Fairy's Kiss" by I. Stravinsky at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater (choreographer A. Sigalova), in March 2004 - the opera "Aida" by G. Verdi (stage director D. Chernyakov), which was awarded several awards at the Golden Mask (2005), including in the nomination "conductor-producer".
Since May 2004 T. Currentzis has been the chief conductor of the Novosibirsk State academic theater opera and ballet. In the same year, on the basis of the theater, he created Chamber Orchestra Musica Aeterna Ensemble and the New Siberian Singers chamber choir specializing in historical performance. Over the 5 years of their existence, these groups have become popular not only in Russia, but also abroad.
At the end of the 2005-2006 season, according to leading critics, the conductor was named "Person of the Year".
At the beginning of the 2006-2007 season, Teodor Currentzis again acted as a conductor-producer of the performances of the Novosibirsk state theater opera and ballet - "The Marriage of Figaro" (stage director T. Gurbach) and "Lady Macbeth Mtsensk district"(director G. Baranovsky).
The conductor is widely known as a specialist in the field of vocal and opera style. Concert performances of the operas Dido and Aeneas by G. Purcell, Orpheus and Eurydice by K.V. Gluck, "The Wedding of Figaro", "Everyone Does It" and "Don Juan" by V.A. Mozart, "Cinderella" by G. Rossini, "The Soul of a Philosopher, or Orpheus and Eurydice" by J. Haydn. Within the framework of the project "Offering to Svyatoslav Richter" on March 20, 2007, on the birthday of the great pianist, in Great Hall At the Moscow Conservatory Teodor Currentzis presented G. Verdi's Requiem to the public, changing the usual interpretation and bringing the composition of the instruments closer to that which sounded at the premiere in 1874.
In addition to the interest in the music of baroque and classic composers, successful experiences in the field of authentic performance, Teodor Currentzis in his work pays great attention music of our day. Over the past few years, the conductor has performed more than 20 world premieres of works by Russian and foreign authors. Since the autumn of 2006, among the well-known young cultural figures, he has been co-organizing the festival contemporary art"Territory".
In the 2007-2008 season, the Moscow Philharmonic presented a personal subscription "Teodor Currentzis Conducts", whose concerts were a phenomenal success.
Teodor Currentzis twice became the laureate of the National theater award « Golden Mask”: “For the vivid embodiment of the score by S.S. Prokofiev” (ballet “Cinderella”, 2007) and “For impressive achievements in the field of musical authenticity” (opera “The Marriage of Figaro” by W. A. Mozart, 2008).
In June 2008 he made his debut at the Paris National Opera (director of G. Verdi's Don Carlos).
In the fall of 2008, the record company Alpha released a disc with the opera Dido and Aeneas by H. Purcell (Teodor Currentzis, Musica Aeterna Ensemble, New Siberian Singers, Simona Kermes, Dimitris Tilyakos, Deborah York).
In December 2008 he performed music director performances of G. Verdi's opera "Macbeth" - joint project Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater and the Paris National Opera. In April 2009, the premiere was also a huge success in Paris.
By the Decree of the President of Russia D. Medvedev dated October 29, 2008, Teodor Currentzis, among the cultural figures - citizens of foreign states - was awarded the Order of Friendship.
From the 2009-2010 season Teodor Currentzis is a permanent guest conductor of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater Russia, in which he prepared the premiere of the opera Wozzeck by A. Berg (staged by D. Chernyakov). In addition, under the direction of maestro Currentzis, new performances were staged at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, concerts in Novosibirsk with the Musica Aeterna Ensemble, in which works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich were performed (soloists A. Melnikov, piano and V. Repin, violin) , concert in Brussels with Belgian National Orchestra March 11, 2010 (symphony "Manfred" by Tchaikovsky and Concerto for Piano and Orchestra by Grieg, soloist E. Leonskaya) and many others.
From 2011 - artistic director Perm Opera and Ballet Theater named after Tchaikovsky.
The musicians perform the requiem in cassocks. Photo from the official website of the Moscow Philharmonic
In a month, the famous summer festival will open in Salzburg. As an orchestra in residence (or rather, an orchestra and a choir) this year they will be visiting here (unprecedented case) Russian musicians- wards of Teodor Currentzis, representing Perm theater opera and ballet. In addition to Mozart's opera "The Mercy of Titus", Currentzis and MusicAeterna will present several concert programs, including the legendary Mozart Requiem.
Currentzis would not be true to himself if he did not introduce an element of performance into the performance. The stage was decorated with burning candles, and the orchestra and choir were dressed in cassocks; for himself and the soloists, the maestro made an exception - however, they were all in black, except for the red laces on the conductor's shoes. Whether this helps perception, whether it brings additional meanings is a debatable question, rather not, it can even be perceived as kitsch, because this music does not need vignettes. By the way, about additional meanings - perhaps, in addition to the actual clothes of the priests, this is also the same Black man? Territory”, when modern composers were asked to complete parts of the Requiem that Mozart had not completed (see). In this Hosanna, just - in Russian - the story of last days Mozart's life.
As for the performance, the amazing thing is that, at first glance, Currentzis' interpretation seems to be devoid of or even deliberately avoiding sacralization. On the contrary, the play of light and shadow - in extremely contrasting tempos, sudden (and amazing!) Changes of forte and piano, even intangible, weightless pianissimo - operatic expressiveness of ensembles of soloists ( Russian singers Elizaveta Sveshnikova and Natalia Lyaskova, American tenor Thomas Cooley and bass Edwin Crossley-Mercer from France) - all this seems to speak more about life than about death. Yes, and Currentzis himself believes, judging by his interview in 2011, that Requiem is “the music of love and light”, and other conductors, in his (it must be said, controversial) opinion, “rely on a false tradition of performing sacred music, from which unambiguously It follows that God does not love people.
It is worth conducting an experiment - to compare, thanks to the century technical progress, Lacrimosa by Abbado, as well as the recognized "authenticists" Harnoncourt and Gardiner, and it turns out that Currentzis' interpretation is one of the most ascetic, where there are no romantic crescendos or emphasized lamentation by the choir. Lacrimosa by Currentzis is a strict choir, where the sonority is added with each new stanza (but not within it) and grows to the scale of an unpretentious, unostentatious - restrained, but still very heartfelt farewell. Lacrimosa in the compositional logic of the Requiem for Currentzis has an impassable meaning. In the recording, which was made five or six years ago, bells sounded at the end (like a farewell to Mozart, who, according to one version, last minutes or hours of life worked on Lacrimosa), and this part was closed, as this time, by a small Amen near the choir a cappella, apparently borrowed from Mozart's sketches.
And as a conclusion or afterword to the concert, already in the foyer, by candlelight, the musicians performed the music of the 12th century - the compositions of the German nun Hildegard von Bingen. Yet love and light is God.
