The Swiss conductor, whose original contract would expire in 2024, replaced Arthur Nestrovski in the orchestra’s artistic choices.
The Swiss contract Thierry Fischermusical director and principal conductor of State Symphony Orchestra of Sao Paulowill be renewed until the end of 2027. The decision takes place after the announcement of the departure of Arthur Nestrovsky of the position of artistic director, announced last week, and already approved by the board of directors.
With Nestrovsky’s resignation, the orchestra had informed that the functions of the artistic direction would be divided between Fischer and the executive direction of the obsp, commanded by Marcelo Lopes. But the announcement left some doubts, such as the reasons for the termination of the position of artistic director and the very permanence of the format, given that Fischer’s original contract ended in the 2024 season.
In an interview with Estadio, Lopes suggests that, instead of talking about the extinction of the position of artistic director, what actually happened was a change of nomenclature. “All the artistic work, everything that happens on stage, is now the responsibility of the musical director. Why not artistic director but musical director? Because it is the most common term, most used in the universe of classic music“, He explains.
“The music director will be in charge of defining the artistic goals. The executive area is more clearly responsible for running the machine, the hiring processes, the payments. There is no radical change in this aspect,” says Lopes. Fischer intends to increase the period he will spend in Sao Paulo starting next year, from 13 to 15 weeks. From 2024, the goal is to be in Brazil for four months of the year. “It would be four periods a month. And I want to be here not only when I conduct. I want to be here to listen to the orchestra and have even greater contact with the city and its cultural activity. And, besides, in these four months, there will be also periods in which I will dedicate myself to recordings “, says the host. Marin Alsop, who preceded him in office, stayed in São Paulo 12 weeks a year.
Division
With the decision, the obsp recovers a form of artistic administration abandoned at the end of 2009, with the arrival of Nestrovski. Until then, the master John Neschling he occupied the artistic direction and the titular regency of the group, as Eleazar de Carvalho had done before him. His departure, however, represented a traumatic moment for the institution, with disagreements between the director and the musicians and the director and the public authorities: the disagreements between Neschling and the then governor José Serra left the backstage and earned the pages of the press.
The hiring of Nestrovski created a division of powers. For the first time, the positions of artistic director and principal director are separated, a position then temporarily occupied by the master. Yan Pascal Tortelier and then from also p. “The musical director is the person who takes care of the orchestra on stage. He is closer to the musicians, closer to the audience, which makes this format more coherent in terms of the overall organization of the institution,” says Lopes.
Fischer officially arrived at Osesp in 2020 and, in his first seasons, had to deal with the pandemic and restrictions imposed on artistic activity. With no audience, he led the group in a series dedicated to the symphonies of Beethoven. In a sense, the current season is the first in which she can develop her work with Osesp. “In this new situation, I will have the opportunity to be closer to the musicians, to the needs of the orchestra, being able to create the necessary instruments so that everyone feels part of an artistic identity. A sonic identity”, believes the maestro.
However, he says that nothing changes from the point of view of the project’s objectives with the new configuration. “There are practical changes. Yes, of course. I am responsible for choosing repertoires, guest artists and for creating links between the different parts of the institution. Academy. Define how many rehearsals an opera will require, how many stringed instruments there will be stage , how the orchestra will be set up on stage. Everything is connected. But, as before, my job is to share broader lines of programming, clear definitions of the organization’s needs and articulate ideas. This is more important than structure. . “
In the next season Fischer will conduct a vast repertoire, from baroque composers to 20th century music, while at the same time affirming that one of his goals with regards to the repertoire is what he calls a return to origins, with the pursuit of excellence. in the interpretation of the works of Haydn, Mozart And Beethoven. “Especially after the pandemic, I need to experience the orchestra in its strengths and weaknesses. We need to meet and reinforce the best we have and rework some things,” he explained in September when the program was announced.
The conductor says that “the determination is not negotiable”. “We are making music and we don’t sell cars. That means we don’t need to show results immediately. We have an obligation to be illogical, to accept the doubts. This is part of the creative process. The role of the music director is, from my beliefs. , to be able to spread a creative spirit that accepts doubt, because that’s what counts in art “, says the host. “What is art for on the planet? It is to illuminate and offer perspectives on how we perceive who we are, who we are not and who we can be”.
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Source: Terra
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
