Vladimir Jurowski’s credentials are impressive indeed, both in the concert hall and in the opera house. Since 2007, he has been principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and he has held the title of music director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera since 2001. And on September 26, he will wear both his LPO and operatic hats when he launches the new Birmingham International Concert season with a concert performance of Britten’s great opera Peter Grimes, celebrating the centenary of the composer’s birth, with the LPO at Symphony Hall.
Rather like Gustav Mahler over a century ago and now like many conductors today, Jurowski’s conducting portfolio is busy with both opera and concert dates. How does he manage to cope with conducting an orchestral concert, for example, when he is already thinking about an operatic performance the next day?
“That would not make for a good concert – and probably not for a good opera performance either! It’s all about the ability to concentrate upon, or simply dwelling in, here and now, which is very much my life philosophy,” he says.
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Conductors have to undertake a great deal of travelling. But Vladimir prefers to use those airline hours relaxing than for score-studying.
“Time spent on the aeroplane is not ideal for studying, and if the object of study is the piece you are about to conduct tomorrow, the results can be disastrous,” he explains. “But it can be used for refreshing your memory on something you have learned sometime ago or for the initial acquaintance with a new piece. But normally I prefer spending my time in the air reading books, or watching movies if it’s a long flight.”
Vladimir has an interesting perspective about English music, agreeing that his position with the London Philharmonic Orchestra implies a certain amount of responsibility towards it.
“English music occupies an important role in my work with the LPO. The names of the composers Vaughan Williams, Bantock, Walton, Britten, Birtwistle, Ades, MacMillan, Turnage, whose music we have performed over the years or are going to perform in the very near future, should speak for themselves. But Elgar is not necessarily my favourite composer. I have conducted his Violin Concerto a few times but generally I would prefer to leave his music to other conductors – those who love and understand Elgar more than I do,” he explains with an honest admission.
I remember having lunch near Symphony Hall with David Curtis, conductor of the Orchestra of the Swan.
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We were discussing Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, and Vladimir was at the table next to us, and joined in with the conversation. What is his relationship with other conductors? Do their paths often cross?
“As you probably know, I am in a familial relationship with two conductors – my father and my younger brother and our paths cross quite often!
“I have a very special relationship with Gennady Rozhdestvensky but that is more of a master-pupil type of relationship. I had met, and briefly studied with, the late Sir Colin Davis. I also had a few memorable meetings with Charles Mackerras and Edward Downes, but also with Claudio Abbado, Yuri Temirkanov, Mariss Jansons, Neeme Jarvi, Valery Gergiev.
“We are sort of neighbours with Esa-Pekka Salonen and sometimes we visit one another’s rehearsals. And then of course there are those conductors whom I have met at Glyndebourne or at the LPO over the years, with some of whom we developed an artistic friendship (even if we don’t see each other that often) – Andrew Davies, Simon Rattle, Mark Elder, William Christie, Emmanuelle Haim, Richard Egarr, Louis Langree, Philippe Jordan, Vassily Petrenko and many others. But of course generally conductors are solitary animals.”
* Vladimir Jurowski conducts Britten’s Peter Grimes at Symphony Hall on September 26 (7pm, details on 0121 780 3333).