On March 21, a special guest will conduct the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra at the LVSO Concert Hall – one of the most famous Estonian conductors, artistic director and chief conductor of the Estonian National Opera, Arvo Volmer.
In addition to his work in Estonia and Finland, A. Volmer spent nine years leading the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Australia and was its principal guest conductor for another two. In Vilnius, the renowned maestro will present what he is most appreciated for – interpretations of Nordic composers. The concert will also feature works by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák, alongside the impressive opuses of Arvo Pärt and Jean Sibelius. Concert for cello, performed by one of the most famous cellists of his generation, the charismatic Ivan Karizna. About everything in a row – a conversation before a concert with conductor A. Volmer.
— Arvo, will this be your first time working with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, or have you conducted it before?
— I have conducted the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, but that was a long time ago – long before the reconstruction of the LVSO concert hall.
— This time the concert in Vilnius will begin with A. Pärt's composition "Swan Song". Tell us why you chose this piece.
— A. Pärt turns 90 this year, and his “Swan Song”, in my opinion, can help us to see his entire long and exceptionally creative creative life, his development from a searching young composer writing in a modern style to the creation of his own “tintinnabuli” style in the XNUMXs. The composer’s religious purity and spiritual enlightenment inspire musicians and listeners all over the world. A. Pärt remains one of the most performed authors today. And speaking of this work, swans migrate in autumn with the last birds – after which silence falls on the northern landscape, and nature prepares for rest. In my opinion, it is like a summary of the composer’s life and work.
— You also proposed performing J. Sibelius's "Four Legends from the Kalevala" together with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra. How did this work come to your attention?
— J. Sibelius is one of the most interesting composers of symphonic music of the early 20th century, his works undergo a significant development from pronounced romanticism to J. Sibelius’s own very personal style. “Four Legends from the Kalevala” represents the early period of the composer’s work: J. Sibelius is looking for his own style and finds inspiration in the Finnish national epic “Kalevala”. The melody of the work is already very clearly “Sibelian”, as are the harmonies. One can see a slight “Wagnerian” influence, and it is likely that the success of Richard Strauss’s symphonic poems encouraged J. Sibelius to undertake a work of this form. “Four Legends from the Kalevala” forms the structure of a symphony and becomes a large-scale musical landscape, transporting us to a fabulous realm, similar to an epic.
— You are famous for your unique interpretations of music by Nordic composers. How does this music differ from others?
— This is a difficult question to answer, because the answer lies in the listener's mind. I think the harmonies and orchestrations created by the composers reflect a Nordic color palette. The pace of change in the music is a little slower, the lines are longer, the music seems to be closely connected to nature and often has a dominant longing character.
— You have accumulated a wealth of experience conducting top-level orchestras. How has your approach to conducting and music itself changed over time?
— Everyone changes with time. Over time, I realized how privileged we, musicians, are to be able to call our passion a job and devote ourselves completely to it. The experience I have and the different way I return to the works that I have conducted many times are very inspiring.
— Modern technologies occupy an increasingly large part of our lives. What impact do you think they have on classical music, its relevance?
— The gap between technology and human-made or performed music is enormous, and this only encourages listeners to appreciate live classical music performances even more. On the other hand, technology can make it more difficult to attract people to concert halls, so we must keep this in mind and try to overcome this challenge.
The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra's concert "Ivan Karizna plays A. Dvořák" will take place on March 21 at 19 p.m. in the LVSO Concert Hall. Conductor Arvo Volmer. Tickets are distributed by the LVSO Concert Hall box office and Bilietai.lt. The orchestra's general sponsor is Embank, and the patron is the law firm Cobalt.
