La Stampa, June 2006
“Listening to him while he conducts is like unrolling a precious piece of fabric, hold it against the light and discover in the weave all the emotions of its maker. Semyon Bychkov is one of those exceptional conductors whose elegance and transparency in phrasing is equal to his unfailing skill to grasp the humanity beyond the notes and within the musicians, always with authority but never autocracy. As comfortable with the Italian repertoire as he is with that of Germany and Russia, Bychkov’s style is passionate like the embrace of the cosmopolitan that he is. A man who emigrated from St. Petersburg in the mid 70’s and made ‘reaching beyond boundaries’ both his personal and professional mantra. Well known for his ability to find unexpected and un-hoped for tenderness in Wagner as well as in the rough Richard Strauss (his recording of ‘Elektra’ last year was celebrated by the critics); he uses the same precision on the platform as he does when giving an interview. 53 years old Bychkov is the Chief Conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne and an extremely busy guest of the greatest international orchestras. He has recorded more than 30 discs and he is married to one the Labèque pianist sisters, Marielle. On June 15th he will conduct ‘Don Carlo’ by Verdi at the ‘Teatro Regio’ in Turin, starring Violetta Urmana as ‘Elisabetta’ and Ferruccio Furlanetto as ‘Filippo’.
Some say ‘Don Carlo’ is the greatest of all operas.
‘It is certainly one of the most magnificent operas, but it goes even beyond this grandiosity. Don Carlo contains something very unique, something that only Verdi could achieve at such a high level – the ultimate combination of personal tragedy and historical circumstances in which all the characters are victims. Next season I will conduct more Verdi, ‘Ballo in Maschera’ at the Opera Bastille in Paris and ‘Otello’ at the Metropolitan.’
What makes ‘Don Carlo’ so up-to-date? It is a timeless work?
‘Take King Filippo for example: the price he pays to exercise his power is terribly high and is a common condition for whoever holds power.’
Where do you place Verdi in the Italian repertoire?
‘Verdi is a remarkable figure in Italian culture. He combined an extraordinary creative genius with complete involvement in the life of his country. For a composer of his stature, remaining close to his Italian roots while sharing the highest aspiration of his people is indeed a rare combination.’
You grew up in USSR, where artists were the moral conscience of the country, but the physical freedom did not exist. Then you left.
‘One of the most important definitions of a musician’s work is to go beyond boundaries, surpass the limits. But then you need to feel at home over these borders. Leaving USSR in 1975 was an opportunity to get over the boundaries, and one of the first places I found myself in was Vienna. Afterwards I lived in Rome for six months where I spent the time visiting churches, Santa Cecilia and, just breathing the air. This was followed by 14 years in America and eventually France.
I went away because I wanted to be free, and could not live a life in a cage. In a very twisted way, a cage can be a perfect training field. But, physical or mental, a cage is always a cage and, a limit a limit.’
What do you need to go from the Italian repertoire to the German and Russian one?
‘It is very schizophrenic. When you switch from one culture to the other you change your identity. And all this takes place in the space of a single concert! This mirroring of the culture of the country which gave birth to the music is wearying, especially as it has to feel genuine and natural to the audience listening to it.
The interpretation is something different: it is the vision of a piece. But the spirit of interpretation must be authentic and is a matter of cultural roots. After all, all composers are experts of the human soul, but they communicate by different means. We can think of actors like Laurence Olivier, or Ralph Fiennes: when they change from one role to the other they become unrecognisable. We musicians have the same goal: to completely identify ourselves with the object. In opera it’s even more frenetic, as the conductor has to identify with and constantly be each and every one of the characters on stage.’
Identify oneself – and always in so many different forms.
‘If we think of every note in the score as a single individual, then the rhythm becomes their life. A particular note will have a particular accent and the others will relate to it by supporting, opposing, serving or dominating. It’s a bit like a society. And, music is a wonderful opportunity to organize society in a harmonious way, so that everything can have a place to express and fulfil himself. Who else can make this utopian dream come true, even if for a short span of time? Politicians try, but eventually realize that they can’t, for the subject is infinitely larger and more complex than the power of any individual. I believe nothing can equal the opportunity that we, as musicians, have to turn this illusion into reality.’
And the relationship with the other musicians?
‘As with notes, all human beings want to be loved and fulfill themselves. Some of them are better able to do it; others need more encouragement.’
A bit like Tullio Serafin whose style was “con amore”?
‘You need to believe in what you are doing. If you have strong convictions they will evoke in other musicians the desire to follow them, even though they may have different ideas. But, if an interpretation is not compelling, you need to be ready to change it. You can argue it with your colleagues yet respect their views. When something does not work and somebody has a better idea, I am ready to try it immediately.’”