Festival in Parnu lucky in comparison with the Tallinn Birgitta festival, which canceled until next year.
Paavo järvi: We are waiting for news from the government and experts, and finally got a solution that can gather on the stage for up to 50 people. And I thought I would be able to hold the festival, and most importantly, during the festival will be able to engage with students, to teach young conductors. For me pedagogy is one of the most important principles for this festival. Young musicians are the future. Of course, the audience in the hall will be less, and the repertoire will be more intimate. But we are trying to come up with something new. Every concert and all the rehearsals and even workshops, which are still passed without public, will be broadcast all of our events will be available for all.
What value do you attach the format of the concerts online?
Paavo järvi: Pop music and similar industries have long enjoyed the online video and other technologies. Now classical music needs to catch up. In a situation when nobody is not allowed, it is still a viable way to keep playing music. To record or to give online concerts with the orchestra is not easy, but possible. Although it does not replace a full-fledged concert, with the audience in the hall. I dream about the usual full houses, and we will try to do everything possible for this. But while we are allowed to fill with students half or a little more.
the program of the festival, which was finished last year, probably had to adjust in the new environment?
Paavo järvi: Yes, we now urgently make a new program, Refine the list of musicians. Unfortunately, you will not be able to bring all those musicians that were planned initially. A – because of the prohibitions to fly to Estonia: they will not be able to withstand a two-week quarantine. While there are curfews in England due to the unfavorable situation. But the picture changes, details are updated every week. In Estonia there were days when recorded zero infections. So everything is under control. The festival will be good soloists, many from Estonia. I was very fascinated by the challenge to create a program from another chamber – repertoire. We’re always prepared with the orchestra, large symphonic scores. But chamber compositions written a lot of music that usually doesn’t happen very often to perform. And, of course, I want to make to the festival as many musicians from other countries. This festival is international and for me it is a question of principle. Musicians around the world to feel the solidarity, to be above politics.
by the Way, where did you serve quarantine?
Paavo järvi: I was alone in London. Not here had quarantine been the only rule is to comply with the 2-meter distance and wear masks. Maybe the quarantine will introduce now. They woke up late. But I tried nowhere to go, and I enjoyed it very much. Had the opportunity to live the lives of normal people: sleep in the hotel, but at home, in my bed. The last 10-15 years I have lived, constantly working, with no vacations, except for a couple of weeks into the New year and Christmas, every week, preparing new programs. And these two months have been very important to me, I would be even a month sat. I always felt that I have little time to reflect on what I do, everything for me is so necessary. I learned a lot of new music, listened a lot. When you’ve got music, you will never be alone.
where was your family?
Paavo järvi: my Two daughters, whom I daily talked more than ever, are now in California, parents at home in Florida in palm beach. Insulation has not broken their usual lifestyle. They have tried all my life a little bit isolated. Father (world-renowned conductor Neeme järvi – approx. ed.) loves in solitude to listen to music, mother also not too secular man both value their personal space, as in ordinary life, they have too much to communicate. Now they feel fine.
What is the mood Neeme järvi, who in June was 83 years-old?
Paavo järvi: every day I talk to him for hours on various topics, which previously could not afford. I like aspects of his life, which previously did not know. His mood is generally normal, but if you are over 80, and around – not only viruses, but also a lot of riots, wars, political games, of course, is not easy. He, like me, very concerned about how music will live on, what will happen to the musicians, orchestras. Orchestral music was under threat. He could hardly understand how do we get out of this situation. Will there be a time when all will return to normal? But it keeps very well, reads a lot. In his huge library, he collected all his life, not only scores, but also a lot of books. And I am very interested to hear his thoughts on the read, about Dostoevsky, letters of Wagner, etc. If you have books, music, sheet music and glass of good red wine, what else is needed in life? You have to be optimistic and believe that we will be back to normal. For this we need to believe in the power of music and art. If we think only about the economy and politics, which they say is too much, life will become boring and uninteresting. Only music gives us something that requires a soul, what makes us human.
Paavo järvi is an Estonian-American conductor, the son of Neeme järvi. He has studied conducting and playing percussion instrumentah at the Tallinn school of music. Played in a rock band. In USA he studied at the Curtis Institute of music and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute under the direction of Leonard Bernstein.
From 1994 to 1997 he was principal conductor of the Symphonic orchestra of Malmo. In 2001, he became the music Director of the Symphony orchestra of Cincinnati. The Estonian conductor of the festival orchestra, principal conductor of the Zurich Tonhalle, NHK of Tokyo and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.
the Repertoire of Paavo järvi includes works from classicism to contemporary music (Arvo pärt, Erki-Sven Tuur, Lepo Sumera, Eduard Tubin). Recorded all of Beethoven’s symphonies (with the Bremen chamber orchestra), Schumann (with the Bremen chamber orchestra), Bruckner (Symphony orchestra of Frankfurt radio), works by Gustav Mahler, Jean Sibelius, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich.
