 |
Renaud Loranger, OSM Editor and Program Coordinator, interviewed Andrew Wan, the newly-appointed OSM Concertmaster, reached last week in New York. Performing Brahms, the demands of a multi-faceted career, playing under a violin icon…After nearly a year on the job, Wan sums it up in this casual discussion.
What does it feel like to perform as a soloist with the OSM?
Although I have had the pleasure of performing as a soloist with the OSM a couple of times in the past, this is the very first time that I'll be playing with them in such capacity since being appointed co-concertmaster in November of 2008. It means a lot to me to be given this opportunity after a year on the job.
How would you describe this particular interaction?
It is an added bonus that I know these musicians so well. They are my colleagues and we have developed a very strong relationship. This is in itself a rare privilege, which you don't get very often as a soloist - even when performing with the world's best orchestras. There is going to be a very special level of excitement around these performances.
Surely the fact that you'll perform with Brian Manker, the OSM Principal Cellist, adds to it as well...
Absolutely! I have become friends with Brian and his wife over the last year, giving me lots of great advice and really taking me in the orchestra's life in the most welcoming way, and we look forward to performing together tremendously. Also, I would like to mention that this is going to be the very first time that I play my Michel'Angelo Bergonzi violin, which is generously loaned by David Sela, in a solo capacity.
Fantastic!
Yes...I've played the violin for about one month know, starting with the Knowlton Festival concerts. It suits my playing very well, it has stood the the test of bigger or smaller halls, various performing venues, and I'm very happy to have the incredible privilege of using this instrument. Sound-wise and technically, it is just a perfect fit!
Tell us a bit about the piece itself.
I have had the chance to perform it only once before, in my hometown, when I was about 15 or 16 years old. I'm happy to be able to get back to it now, with of course a very different perspective and wider experience. Obviously, some interpretive decisions I made then I am not making today, and in a way this is pretty much what this is about - being able to revisit masterpieces, making adjustments with a different, hopefully enriched approach. I'm lucky to be able to do it this early in my career.
Would you identify some challenges in this piece?
Brahms is never easy to pull off, his writing is extraordinarily challenging for the violin. So, from a technical point of view, it is very difficult to play. The piece itself has its own particularities. Unlike many other Romantic concertos, it is more or less built like a symphony with two obligato instrumental parts sort of weaved into this massive orchestra, which produces a huge, impressive sound.
Do you listen to selected recordings as you prepare to go back to the work?
Honestly, I don't. A lot of people do, however, but for things I've worked on for a long time, it is a bit hard for me to listen to recordings by other people. I'll enjoy them of course, will appreciate their artistic value, but for me it is difficult to come off with interpretive ideas that would match or complement my own vision of a piece as I'm about to perform it.
Aside from your OSM position, you are able to pursue various activities...
Yes! I would say this is one of the greatest things about being with the OSM, is that while the expectations and requirements for the job are exacting, there is some flexibility which allows me to explore other forms of performance: for instance I'm an active chamber musician, I have my own trio, and just before the OSM performances in October I'll be touring Canada, giving solo recitals in numerous cities.
How do you cope with such a schedule?
In a way it forces me to develop a very practical, very pragmatic approach to a lot of what I do. For instance, I'm not able to spend as much time preparing a particular piece or fine-tuning specific details as I used to, whereas the results still must be excellent. I have to build up stamina, develop a form of efficiency that in a way allows me to achieve the same results with sometimes half the time or less.
One of the most interesting aspects of the October concerts is that they will be conducted by a very prominent violinist, Maxim Vengerov, who now devotes his time to conducting. How do you feel about that?
I'm very excited to be part of his career shift, if I may say. I grew up to so many of his extraordinary recordings. I've only heard fantastic things about him as a conductor and I think he definitely has a lot to bring to the music world in such capacity. On the other hand, the thought of playing under his baton certainly is a bit daunting. I regard him as one of the greatest violinists of our time! Knowing his generosity and care though, I'm sure this experience will be fascinating. Performing under a revered artist, with my wonderful colleagues, knowing their level of energy and dedication is nothing less than a true privilege.
Andrew Wan will be in concert with the OSM on October 20 and 21.
