1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the thing 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: from iHeart Radio. That's the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by 3 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,639 Speaker 1: my guest today, Pavo Jarvey performing Wagner's dus Rheinhold The 4 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: Entry of the Gods into Valhalla. Pavo Yarvy is one 5 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: of the most in demand maestros in the world. He's 6 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: currently the chief conductor of both the nhkse Symphony Orchestra 7 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: and the tom Hall Orca to Zurich. Over his career, 8 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: he's also led orchestras in Paris, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Malmo, and 9 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: for the decade between two thousand and one and twenty 10 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: eleven here in the US in Cincinnati. Pavo Yarvey was 11 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: born into a musical family in Soviet era Estonia. His father, 12 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: Neme and his brother Christian are both also conductors. The 13 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: family defected to New Jersey in nineteen eighty when Pavo 14 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: was seventeen years old. As one of the most respected 15 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: conductors in the world, Pavo Jarvey travels a lot. When 16 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: the pandemic struck last year, he found some freedom in 17 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: staying put. 18 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 2: It was one of those sort of amazing moments, because 19 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 2: first of all, we never thought it would be three months. 20 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: We thought, oh, it's going to be maybe a couple 21 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: of weeks, and then things will get better. And then 22 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: you realize it's going to be a bit more, and 23 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: then a bit more again, and then you realize that, Okay, 24 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: this is now indefinite. We don't know how long it's 25 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: going to be. And you know, something happens in your 26 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: brain when this happened. I'm sure you went through the 27 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 2: same thing. But I started. First of all, I was 28 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: kind of restless, and I started learning the things that 29 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 2: I was supposed to do, even though I knew that 30 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 2: they were going to be canceled. And then I slowly 31 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 2: started doing less of it. And then I started doing 32 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 2: a lot of nothing. And when you start doing nothing, 33 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: an interesting thing happens. At least happened to me. My 34 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: brain started working in an entirely different way. I didn't 35 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: live by the schedule first time in twenty five years 36 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 2: or thirty years. Even I didn't need to wake up 37 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: at eight, I didn't need to catch the train. I 38 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: didn't need to catch the plane or go to a rehearsal, 39 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 2: be prepared and then all of a sudden, interesting things. 40 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: You start thinking about different things. You know, why am 41 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 2: I doing all of this stuff? This is so great 42 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 2: to actually wake up in your own bed, and also 43 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 2: to know that next day and day after it's also 44 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: your bad. And then you start questioning these sort of 45 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 2: slightly philosophical things, like I am not so young anymore? 46 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 2: Even do I feel like a kid? How many years 47 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: of active life do I have? Do I really need 48 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: to be on a schedule like this for the rest 49 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 2: of my sort of. 50 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: The schedule you've been on for quite a while thirty years, Yeah, 51 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: the schedule you But but it's interesting you say that 52 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: because there are a lot of people in the professional 53 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: world I live in, whether it's acting in film and 54 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: television or theater, and then maestros, soloists and so forth. 55 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: They're like race horses. And what the COVID did was 56 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: it allowed them to just go into the corral and 57 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: just eat some grass. And they said, well, maybe I 58 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: want to go running, but I don't necessarily want a race, 59 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: and I want it to be competitive. I'd like to 60 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: go run on the beach. I'm a horse and I 61 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: want to go take a run for something exactly and 62 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: you realize that when you gave people these bunches of time, 63 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: they started this journey to get back to their true 64 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: nature of what it is they like. 65 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: I think exactly right, And I also think that you 66 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 2: don't have enough time in your schedule or in your 67 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 2: brain to really think. You know, it's a funny thing 68 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 2: because I'm thinking all the time, but I'm thinking about 69 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: things that I need to think about, the things that 70 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: you need to be prepared. I need to learn this, 71 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: I need to make that schedule. I have an interview 72 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 2: coming up, I have a television thing, I have a 73 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: recording whatever. But these are the things you have to do, 74 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 2: and you have to because you have a deadline. But 75 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 2: the kind of thinking that happens when you have no 76 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 2: deadline is so much more valuable and interesting ideas start 77 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 2: coming and said, why didn't I ever think about this before? Well, 78 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: I didn't have time. I didn't have time. I was 79 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 2: with no room in sort of trying to catch up 80 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 2: all the time rather than just heavenly scheduled. Man. 81 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: One thing you don't realize about people in the classical 82 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: repertoire I set is these are people who know exactly 83 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: where they're going to be on August fifteenth, three years 84 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: from now. Absolutely, they've booked festivals and they've booked concerts. 85 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: These things are booked out so far. But I want 86 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: to pivot here and ask you as I was reading 87 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: about your biography, and I want to talk to you 88 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: about popular music and rock and roll music and the 89 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: boy from Estonia who had to smuggle cassettes of rock 90 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: music and then set up a drum set. Tell me 91 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: about your relationship and what I'm looking for really is 92 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: the scene between the two. Are you a man who 93 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: there was a sense of a duty because of your dad? 94 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: I remember watching in the documentary that you said that 95 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,559 Speaker 1: your father had the classical music playing on the radio 96 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: or on an album or cassette all day long, and 97 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: in the middle of the family dinner, he go wait 98 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: and he'd want to hear the passage or whatever the 99 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: moment now was classical music something was a feed a 100 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: complete for you because of your dad. It was a 101 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: true passion. It was both And were you two different 102 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: people that craved two different sources of music? 103 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 2: I think the answer the first thing is that I 104 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 2: think the difference and the distance between these two types 105 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 2: of music is actually not so big. In fact, I 106 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 2: don't really see any distance. I don't think that there 107 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 2: is any difference between rock music, jazz music, or classical 108 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: music if because on the highest levels of it, it 109 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: is just as much hard work, and it requires just 110 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 2: as much talent and requires just as much skill. Very 111 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 2: specific to that particular field. For me, when I have 112 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 2: dinner with my girls, you know, we listen to Eta James, 113 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 2: we listened to you know, Billie Eilish, We listened to 114 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 2: a lot of this stuff. I even play some of 115 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 2: the rock music that they have no idea, but I said, 116 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 2: listen to this, and this is all. This is great. 117 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: This is led Zeppelin, Leed Who fifteen and seventeen years old. 118 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 2: Some of the greatest names in music history, pop music 119 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 2: history are totally unknown to them, just like in films. 120 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 2: And it is very interesting for me to realize that 121 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 2: my girls actually know who bah was bad how and 122 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: chekhovs Gea. They don't know a lot of you know, 123 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 2: If you say who is Peter Gabriel, they say, I 124 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,799 Speaker 2: don't know. And it's one of the greatest of grades, 125 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 2: you know. And so the distance between these two fields, 126 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 2: or the arts in general, is very short, and it's 127 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 2: not actually at all. For me. It was never that 128 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 2: I wanted to become a rock and roll drummer. I 129 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 2: just did it because I loved playing it. But I 130 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 2: was actually studying drums in school, and it was a natural, totally, 131 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 2: totally natural connection from just being a drummer, you know, 132 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 2: like most of the bass players in symphony orchestras are 133 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: all sort of quietly fantasizing being the great rock players 134 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 2: in a rocky Yes. Absolutely, and so it's not actually 135 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 2: so different. And one other thing that's interesting that you 136 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 2: just said, I was never forced into music. I loved 137 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 2: the fact that I never had to make a decision. 138 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 2: I have two girls right now who don't know. They're 139 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 2: very talented, but they don't know what am I going 140 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 2: to do in life. I never had ever that question 141 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 2: because I wanted to not only to be a musician, 142 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 2: I wanted to be a conductor. Way why because my 143 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 2: father was a conductor. I loved my father. I think 144 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 2: he was having a lot of fun and we're very 145 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 2: close to this day. So it was done. It was 146 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 2: a done deal. I wanted to be a conductor, and 147 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 2: I never ever wanted to be anything else ever, And 148 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 2: so it is maybe a little bit unusual. But the 149 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 2: point of the story is that I think that if 150 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 2: somebody sort of makes it fun for you when you're 151 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 2: a kid, it stays with you. You know. If somebody 152 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 2: forces you, that's a different story. But I was never forced. 153 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:42,719 Speaker 1: Your family left Estonia. Your father conducted a piece, if 154 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: I read this correctly, without what we're considered the necessary 155 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 1: permissions back then. 156 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, well the Arvo Credo and Credo is on a 157 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 2: religious text, and Arvo part was a kind of a 158 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 2: dissident composer. Now he's of course the legend, you know, 159 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 2: but my father was not supposed to do it, and 160 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 2: he did it anyway, and it was a huge scandal, 161 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 2: and it was basically it was bordering on a kind 162 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 2: of you might be deported or you might be sent 163 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 2: to someplace really cold. 164 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: And that was happening when you were how old. 165 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 2: I was probably eleven something like that. 166 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 1: Sow as a young child, that's when you head over 167 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: to New York. 168 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 2: No, we came to New York when I was around seventeen. 169 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,319 Speaker 2: But that incident sort of started the whole term a 170 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,199 Speaker 2: longer process, yes, a long process. 171 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 1: Yes, So you came when you were seventeen, You come 172 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: and you talk about seeing as many people on the 173 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: highway coming from the airport into the city as we're 174 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: in your entire town or country, or we're in all 175 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: of Ustonia exactly right. And you thought, no one's going 176 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: to find me here, no one's going to I'm going 177 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: to get so lost here. 178 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 2: You know, if you live in a country of one 179 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,559 Speaker 2: and a half million people and you're isolated because it's 180 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 2: an Iron curtain Soviet Union, you go to Kennedy Airport 181 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 2: and then you take the highway and you see four 182 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 2: lanes this way and four lanes that way, and you 183 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 2: literally you haven't even seen it in films. I mean, 184 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 2: it was that it was this dramatic, you know, so 185 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 2: I thought, Okay, nobody will find me here. 186 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,719 Speaker 1: Now, obviously your father had this reputation. I'm sure when 187 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 1: he came to New York he was not without contacts, 188 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: without friends. He had people he could plug into here. 189 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 2: Correct, absolutely absolutely, And in fact, my father was a 190 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 2: very well known conductor back in a Soviet Union and 191 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 2: in Europe. But you know, since the Soviet Union was 192 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 2: closed and Iron Curtain was very much you know, a 193 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 2: real thing, the actual possibility to make contacts in the 194 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 2: West only came when you were allowed to travel, and 195 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 2: he occasionally was allowed to travel, and in fact he 196 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 2: even conducted in metropolitan opera. He conducted on Eigin and 197 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 2: met a lot of local Estonian expats in America. You know, 198 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 2: in New Jersey and New York has a very large 199 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 2: Estonian community. And you know it fun fact for you 200 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 2: to perhaps to notice that almost every big city in 201 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 2: the world, but also in the United States, has what 202 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 2: they call an Estonian house that was a little community 203 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 2: centers where Estonians would speak Estonian, would do the folk dancing, 204 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 2: they would do the male choir singing, they would have 205 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 2: the newspaper published, they would have Estonian independence. Observed. It 206 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 2: was a little place in every in Chicago, in New York, 207 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 2: in Los Angeles, in New Zealand, in London, in Paris, 208 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 2: everywhere there was an Estonian house. So there are a 209 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 2: lot of Estonians scattered around the world. And one of 210 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 2: those people actually brought us and gave us refuge when 211 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 2: we came here. 212 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: When you get to New York, how does it begin 213 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: for you? You knew you wanted to be a conductor. You 214 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: eventually end up at Curtis and so forth. But what's 215 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: the beginning for you when you land in the United States? 216 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: How does your education begin? 217 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 2: The very first thing is the language, because when we 218 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 2: came to the United States, within speak an perhaps hello, goodbye, 219 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 2: nice to meet you, and I said that was about it. 220 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 2: So this was the first thing which had to be 221 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 2: kind of dealt with. And so we lived in the 222 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 2: house with our Estonian family. Pustrums were their names. I 223 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 2: was seventeen years old. So we went to the high 224 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,319 Speaker 2: school in New Jersey, and it was, in fact one 225 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 2: of those really nice moments where we became and slowly 226 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 2: learned the language through speaking with other kids or trying 227 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 2: to speak with other kids. And of course they never 228 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 2: knew what the Estonian is like. And they said, oh, 229 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 2: there's two Russian kids, because I was my sister, two 230 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 2: Russian kids. And I said, no, no, no, We're not Russians. 231 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 2: Were Estonians. Oh, Astoria Queen's no. No. Estonia then already 232 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 2: applying to schools. I went to Juliel Pre College, I 233 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 2: went to University of I'm. 234 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,079 Speaker 1: Saying, is, how does that happen because of your father's 235 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: reputation proceed but then introduction is made, No. 236 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 2: Not at all. No, In fact, what you have to 237 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 2: do is that there's an audition that you send in 238 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 2: new application, and you have to do an audition. 239 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: You knew you wanted that, you knew you wanted Juilliard. 240 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 2: I was dreaming about Juilliard, and I was. I got 241 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 2: into a pre college as a percussionist, and from. 242 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: There on the John Bonham of Estonia. 243 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 2: I think there are better drummers than me, much better 244 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 2: drummers than me in Estonia. But actually that is a 245 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 2: very very active rock scene also in Estonia. But mainly 246 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 2: Estonia is known for its classical music, of course, but 247 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 2: the rock and the pop music, and it's it's actually 248 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 2: very very big there, and it's a very good some 249 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 2: very very good artists. 250 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: And what was the pre college program at Julliard? How 251 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: did you find that? What was that like? 252 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 2: Well, first of all, I had to travel every morning, 253 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 2: get up at six from New Jersey, get a bus, 254 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 2: go to Port Authority terminal, then walk. But that was 255 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 2: a ford. It was a forty second street, the old 256 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 2: fashioned way, not the cleaned up gentrified Disney thing. It was, 257 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 2: you know, and I barely spoke English, so I always 258 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 2: remember the moment where I was walking from the the 259 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 2: terminal to Juilliard, and the girl came up to me. 260 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 2: A lady came up to me and said, do you 261 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 2: have time? And I was sort of struggled, and I said, yes, 262 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 2: it's seven o'clock am. And then she looked at me 263 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 2: kind of and walked away in disgust. I think she 264 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 2: obviously didn't have. 265 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: Her phone mink jacket on. 266 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 2: She had, Yeah, she didn't really want to know what 267 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 2: time it was. 268 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: She wanted you to know what time it was. But anyway, 269 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: you made it up to sixty sixth Street, and when 270 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: you get there, what kind of work are you doing? 271 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 2: Well? First of all, we had theory lessons, we had 272 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 2: air training, we had solfish, we had a percussion the 273 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: major lessons. But the most interesting thing was always the orchestra. 274 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 2: It was a pre college orchestra. And the orchestra was 275 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 2: full of really wonderful, wonderful musicians, a lot of them, 276 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 2: or not a lot of them, but some of them 277 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 2: I'm still very closely connected, and they are now well 278 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 2: known musicians. And you would every time have an orchestra rehearsal, 279 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 2: and the conductor was rehearsing, and you are playing timpany 280 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: and you are kind of all in that world, you 281 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 2: can see what the conductor test tells to the strings, 282 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 2: and you see how the brass players react to some comments, 283 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 2: and you know, all of a sudden, in the back 284 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 2: of the orchestra, you are actually doing much more than 285 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 2: learning how to play dimpany. You're learning how the process 286 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 2: of conducting is actually happening and what is important. How 287 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 2: what are the things that you like about the way 288 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 2: the conductor asks the musicians, What turns you off, what 289 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 2: makes you angry, what makes you laugh? Who is popular? 290 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 2: Who is lest you know it is it's a whole 291 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 2: process universe. Yeah, and that process is very much to 292 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 2: do with also human ability. You know, some conductors can 293 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 2: know everything, but they can piss everybody off in first 294 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 2: three minutes and nobody will want to hear what they say. 295 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 2: And other people they do they close off, Yes, they 296 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 2: close off, and they immediately build a kind of a 297 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 2: barrier between themselves and the conductor. And you know, there 298 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 2: is not so much love sort of loss between orchestral 299 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 2: musicians and conductors anyway, from the kind of older history 300 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 2: of the kind of tyrannical conductors, which of course now 301 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 2: is not the case anymore because the society is different, 302 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 2: but there is a kind of a built in distrust 303 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 2: and musicians always listen to the teachers, and teachers say, oh, 304 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 2: you know, conductors, they can be this, they can be that. 305 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 2: So it was an interesting kind of experience to see 306 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 2: how the process works. 307 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: Conductor Pavo Jarvey. If you love stories of life on 308 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: the podium, be sure to check out my conversation with 309 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: Finnish composer and conductor Esa Pekasomin. When he arrived in 310 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: the United States to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he 311 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: loved leaving behind the arrogance of the European classical music world. 312 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 3: When I started out in LA, I had this some 313 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 3: kind of residue from this European thing that Okay, I'm 314 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 3: here to bring some kind of culture to elevate you. Yeah, 315 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 3: this culture is medicine kind. 316 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: Of thing, which is vile. 317 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 3: And it was an interesting process because I was talking 318 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 3: about things, you know, the way we used to in europeothdays, 319 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 3: and you know, with this kind of historic necessity of 320 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 3: atonal music and this and that, and people were very nice, 321 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 3: they said, oh, yeah, great, interesting, but how does it sound? 322 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 3: Asking these questions that are the obvious questions that everybody 323 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 3: should ask, but we went for some reason asking. 324 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: Hear more of my conversation with Maestro Essa pecasaloinon and 325 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,719 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing dot Org. After the break, Pavo Yarvey 326 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: talks about the role he plays in the orchestra as 327 00:17:40,800 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: the conductor. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's 328 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: the Thing. This is the sacrificial dance from Igor Stravinsky's 329 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: The Right of Spring, performed by the NHK Symphony Orchestra 330 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: in Tokyo. The conductor is my guest today, Pavo Jarv. 331 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: Pavo Jarvey's home country, Estonia, has a population of just 332 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: over one point three million and a thriving classical music scene, 333 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: in part thanks to the Arv family. Pavo Jarve's life 334 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: and work was featured in the two thousand and three 335 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: documentary Maestro. The film includes interviews with famous classical musicians 336 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,439 Speaker 1: talking about Jarve's talent and explaining the complexities of the 337 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: classical music world. Violinist Joshua Bell goes so far as 338 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 1: to suggest musicians playing at the highest level do not 339 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: need a conductor. Pavo Yarby wouldn't go that far, but 340 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: he agrees his job is probably not quite what you 341 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: think it is. 342 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 2: Two things. Number one, I am not a decider per se, 343 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 2: because I don't believe in this. It's not an autocratic 344 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 2: for me. That doesn't work. What works is I invite 345 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 2: musicians to see my point of view. And when Joshua 346 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 2: or somebody else says that we don't need a conductor, 347 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 2: they are really explaining it to a kind of a 348 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 2: layman who doesn't quite understand the nuances, because what they 349 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 2: don't need is somebody to be the policeman in order 350 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 2: to organize everything, because on that level where he exists 351 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 2: and I exist in a new or philharmonic, and so 352 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 2: they can play the piece together and make sure that 353 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 2: it doesn't fall apart, absolutely without a problem, without a conductor. Now, 354 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 2: so one would ask why is the conductor important or 355 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 2: what's the role. I'll tell you my view of that 356 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 2: is this, somebody has to formulate a point of view. 357 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,959 Speaker 2: That point of view varies from one conductor to another. 358 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 2: And so that is why we still do some standard 359 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 2: repertoire because some younger generation people see it in a 360 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 2: different light. But they have studied the score, they have 361 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 2: studied the tradition, and at the end of the day, 362 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 2: one hundred people cannot make up their mind to be 363 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:51,919 Speaker 2: unified enough to formulate on the spot of the performance 364 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,880 Speaker 2: and interesting enough point of view. Just getting through something 365 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,640 Speaker 2: is not the goal. It's making something exceptional and finding 366 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 2: ways of making an old piece new. That's really the 367 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 2: conductor's job. The other thing is that you know most 368 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 2: of the people. If let's say you go to new 369 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 2: or Philharmonic, a fantastic orchestra, they have to do a 370 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: different program every single week. Every single week, they have 371 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 2: at least three new pieces that they need to master. 372 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,360 Speaker 2: They play all the notes they need to be absolutely perfect. 373 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,199 Speaker 2: They don't have time to study in depth all the 374 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:33,440 Speaker 2: scores for three new pieces. Every research it takes years. 375 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 2: It takes years. If it's a job, that's a conductor's job. 376 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:39,640 Speaker 2: But I would never say that this is a kind 377 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 2: of eye decide or I have a strong point of 378 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,479 Speaker 2: view and then I invite them to see it. And 379 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 2: actually musicians always look for that. They look for somebody 380 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 2: who is going to open the door that illuminates something 381 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 2: in the piece and where a piece that they've played 382 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,479 Speaker 2: a hundred times becomes maybe fun again. Because it has 383 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 2: a little front angle, maybe a slightly different point of view, 384 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 2: and you know there are a lot of subtleties that 385 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 2: can make a piece sound new. Well. 386 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: The reason sometimes I dwell on that topic is because 387 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: theater mirrors the classical repertoire, because very often you're doing 388 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: a revival of classic material. So the work of Chekhov, 389 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: the work of Williams, the work of Miller and O'Neill 390 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: are like all the great composers. And the joke we 391 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: always tell in the theater is we know the material works. 392 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: So if the show's a bomb, it's us. You know 393 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: we got it wrong. And the director's task is to 394 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: do what you're saying, is to sell them a clear 395 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 1: sense of what the film is they want to make. 396 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: How do I sell you on my idea and get 397 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: you to do what I think you should do? Now, 398 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: As I often say, for years when I was the 399 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: announcer for the Philharmonic, I'm the bat boy for the 400 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: New York Philharmonic. I'm not really a great pitcher or fielder, 401 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: but I just love the game, so to speak. But 402 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: when I see, like, for example, a very easy component 403 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: of this or analysis of this is I'll go download 404 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 1: a piece, and let's use a very basic piece. I'll 405 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: get the adagio, the fourth movement of the mal or ninth, 406 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: and I'll see that High Tink plays it, and he 407 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: does it in twenty seven minutes. And then I'll see 408 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: that Mozelle with the Philharmonic does it in thirty one minutes. 409 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 1: It's four minutes longer. And so pace is of course 410 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: one component. And I want you to share with me, 411 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: is that in your realm, you decide or you propose 412 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: the pace of the piece, the emphasis, What are the 413 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: knobs and dials you're controlling. 414 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 2: One of the most fundamental choices that any performer has 415 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: to make is a choice of tempo. And it's an 416 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 2: interesting thing about tempo in general, because tempo can be 417 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 2: a metronomic understanding. You can put the metronome and say, okay, 418 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:54,919 Speaker 2: this is sixty, so this is exactly how it is. 419 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 2: And that's very often how the click tracks and movie 420 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 2: soundtracks are made, because it needs to be absolutely precise. 421 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:03,479 Speaker 2: And then there is a perception of tempo, which is 422 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 2: sometimes a great conductor can make a very slow movement 423 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 2: so compelling that it doesn't feel slow, it doesn't feel 424 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 2: like it never ends. And sometimes an inexperienced conductor or 425 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 2: a less talented conductor can do it even a little 426 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 2: bit faster whatever, and it feels like it never ends. 427 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 2: And if you feel like, my god, this is dragging 428 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,359 Speaker 2: and this is so boring, and then you look at 429 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 2: the timings and actually it was a faster performance that 430 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 2: should have been easier to listen to. And so the 431 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 2: experience of knowing how to say something has a lot 432 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 2: to do with knowing within the whole process when to 433 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 2: speed up, when to take time. This material is repeating, 434 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 2: they have to go a little bit forward, and so on. 435 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 2: So it is really a perception of time that matters. 436 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 2: And very often in older conductors they get slower, but 437 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 2: they get slower because they know how to that space. 438 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 2: And very often the very young musicians they do everything 439 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 2: on adrenaline and say, oh, they're so exciting, you know, 440 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 2: But then it's all adrenaline and nothing else. You know. 441 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 2: Sometimes you look at the old actors and they just 442 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 2: pause in the middle of the dialogue and it's like 443 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 2: there's a long silence, and it is it's filled with tension. 444 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 2: And in some people, in some cases, people are afraid 445 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 2: of being silent, they just need to fill every single 446 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 2: moment with a word. 447 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: Conductor Pavo Yarv. If you're enjoying this conversation, be sure 448 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: to follow Here's the Thing on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify 449 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. When we come back, 450 00:25:49,200 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: Pavo Yarvey talks about his favorite music to conduct. I'm 451 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: Alec Baldwin and you're listening to hear the thing. This 452 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: is Pavo Yarvi conducting one of Jean Sabelius's best known 453 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:27,360 Speaker 1: works of false Trieste, performed by the Estonian National Orchestra. 454 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: When the documentary Maestro about Pavo Yarvey was released in 455 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: two thousand and three, he was the music director of 456 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The film features many performances in 457 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 1: the orchestra's primary home, Cincinnati Music Hall. 458 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 2: It is a fantastic acoustics And the thing with this 459 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 2: hall is that it was built by one of the 460 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 2: taft was a president in old times, and there's a 461 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 2: women's committee in old times. Women's committees got all these 462 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 2: things done. If you were a president's wife, you collected 463 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:48,359 Speaker 2: the women of all the rich people around you, and 464 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 2: they built all the costs, that's right, And so what 465 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 2: happened is that this was built for conventions and concerts 466 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 2: and May Festival, which was of course the Great Choral 467 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 2: Festival still exists in Cincinnati, and when I was their 468 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,199 Speaker 2: music director. I left it ten years ago, but I 469 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 2: was astounded by how large it is. In three thy 470 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 2: five hundred seats is a whole that is way too 471 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 2: big for Cincinnati. Cincinnati is not a very big city. 472 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,159 Speaker 2: It's a great city, but it's not a very big one. 473 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 2: So we started this campaign in trying to do something 474 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,679 Speaker 2: about this hole. So finally it was renovated. It looks 475 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 2: the same, but it is a bit smaller. It's just 476 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 2: so gorgeous. 477 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 1: You have to say, redesigned the inside of the space, right, 478 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: the same thing they're doing at Lincoln Center, Yeah, which 479 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: is the building is landmarked. And I think I've said 480 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: this before on the show. We had Alan Gilbert on 481 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,719 Speaker 1: the show several years ago as he was leaving New 482 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: York and Deborah Border, who I must say, I've never 483 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: been prouder to work on a board than I am 484 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: on the Philharmonic board, simply because of the genius of 485 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: this woman. Debrah's the one who she knew whatever schedule 486 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: they had for the renovation, she said, we're shut down 487 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 1: for the COVID. I think she bumped it up like 488 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: a year. She said, let's blow the place up. Now 489 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 1: we're not in there and we're not going back and there. 490 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: Let's just start. I'm just so excited because they are 491 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: going to have the most beautiful space. They took four 492 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: hundred seats out of there as well. They took a 493 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: lot of seats out. 494 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 2: You know, this is one of those strange phenomena that happened. 495 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 2: Classical music somehow had to compete with the kind of 496 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 2: large show business events, and in a way, the music 497 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 2: is not designed for that. You know, at two thousand seats, okay, fine, 498 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 2: three thousand and four thousand, it's just not the right music. 499 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 1: It's impractical. When you're in a town like Cincinnati, What 500 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: was it like? Explain to people where does the ensemble 501 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 1: come from? Do you have to bring people there and 502 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: house them? Are their natives of Cincinnati? Many of them? 503 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: Where does the town come from? 504 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 2: I'll tell you Cincinnati. This is one of the very 505 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 2: funny things about the United States is that most people 506 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 2: in America don't even realize how much culture is actually 507 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 2: in these smaller places in the Midwest. For example, you know, 508 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 2: since Scinnati is I think the second third oldest orchestra 509 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 2: in the United States, it was created by the same 510 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 2: guy who created Chicago Symphony. It was totally German, you know, 511 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 2: Fritz Reiner, who was a music director for fifteen years 512 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 2: the Isaie. First job of Stokowski was in Cincinnati. You know, 513 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 2: the amazing legacy of horror with Stravinsky, all the great 514 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 2: conductors and great composers, they all went to Cincinnati. There 515 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 2: are pictures and if you listen to, for example, one 516 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 2: of the most iconic American pieces that everybody knows, the 517 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 2: Fanfare for the common Man. You know, that is commissioned 518 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 2: by Cincinnati Orchestra, and many, many, many, many other historic things. 519 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 2: So if you start thinking about all this rust belt, 520 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 2: the best orchestras in America are in Midwest. Okay, there 521 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 2: is of course New York Philharmonic, clearly that is exceptional. 522 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 2: But if you look at Cleveland, if you look at Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, 523 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 2: you know, this is not exactly the glamorous part of 524 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 2: the United States, but this is an unbelievably cultured This 525 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 2: is where all the German European immigrants went, you know, 526 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 2: all the Californias and West Coast and also Texas. That's 527 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 2: already an afterthought that music came later there. But Cincinnati 528 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 2: Symphony was an orchestra where Stokowski was a music director. 529 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 2: He became the greatest Stokovsky of Philadelphia. Ryiner became the 530 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 2: great Fritz Reiner of Chicago Symphony. And so Cincinnati is 531 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 2: really suffering from the basic image that the United States 532 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 2: and Americans have about Ohio. Ohio, waya Wio? Did I 533 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 2: ever live Ohio? You know that this is exactly the 534 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 2: whole thing. That is a kind of a you know, stereotype. 535 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: A prejudice. Toured the Big Five, well, a Big. 536 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 2: Five truly are great, there was no question about it. 537 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 2: But in today's world. 538 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: They have a lot of money. Yes, but I think. 539 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 2: That more than money even, I think it has something 540 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 2: to do with the legacy of long term relationships that 541 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 2: they had with conductors. You have George Zell stayed all 542 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 2: his life in Cleveland and clearly made sure that this 543 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 2: orchestra is unbeatable, and in. 544 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: That hall and that hall in Cleveland. 545 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 2: Well, right now, I would say that Severance Hall in 546 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,239 Speaker 2: Cleveland great as it is without any question, is the 547 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 2: Cincinnati is not anyverse. 548 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: In my life of listening to and collecting first on 549 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: CDs and then downloading this relationship between the maestro and 550 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 1: the ensemble. And I remember a Counzel who was the 551 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 1: Cincinnati Pops conductor for thirty years. Yes, he was there forever, 552 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: he was there forever, Eric, exactly, I was always devouring that, 553 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 1: as you said, that conductor who stayed and developed that 554 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 1: rich relationship to TWA with Montreal Slatkin was Saint Louis 555 00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 1: Mata with the Dallas Symphony, Tilson Thomas and Francisco Asa 556 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: Packer in la and so for you in Cincinnati. But 557 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: getting back to this question about the performers or a 558 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,480 Speaker 1: significant number of them or any significant proportion of them 559 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 1: natives of Ohio or they have to come in for 560 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: the season. 561 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 2: No, they all become residents of Ohio once they get 562 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 2: the job in orchestra. You know, getting a job in 563 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 2: American orchestra it is it's a nightmare. It is so difficult. 564 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 2: I mean there are people who try for ten years 565 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 2: and they don't get the job, and almost give up, 566 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 2: and they say, okay, one more audition and then then 567 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 2: never again and they get a job finally. You know 568 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 2: it is it's it's all behind the screens. It's extremely 569 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 2: tough to get a job. So of course if you 570 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 2: are a member of an orchestra and Cincinnati, you have 571 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 2: to live there because you have to work every week. 572 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 2: But originally all the musicians came from Germany. This was 573 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 2: I mean the area where the whole is located. It's 574 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 2: called over the Rhine. This it has, it has a 575 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 2: local to go back there, has a beautiful architecture, and 576 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,240 Speaker 2: the one of the largest October fests outside of Munich 577 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,919 Speaker 2: is in you know, Kentucky, which is right next door. 578 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 2: So it's a really German and you know, and a 579 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:16,279 Speaker 2: certain cultural sort of DNA remains to this day. 580 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: And I thought the Greater's ice Cream was the number 581 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: one reason to go to Cincinnati. I would ship I 582 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: would ship Greater's ice cream to all my friends on 583 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:26,879 Speaker 1: dry ice I'd send them these cases and they'd all 584 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: be crying. They say, my god, this is the greatest 585 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:32,239 Speaker 1: ice cream I've ever heard. I facilitated their addiction to 586 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 1: Greater's ice Cream and Cincinnati, and now I have to 587 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:36,240 Speaker 1: go back there to a concert. 588 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:38,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, the thing is that the I left the 589 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 2: orchestra already more than ten years ago. But what I 590 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 2: like very much, and I agree with you, is that 591 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,760 Speaker 2: these relationships that are long term are really worth something. 592 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 2: And in a lymic business this is not so common anymore. 593 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 2: People stay a few years and they go to another, 594 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:55,280 Speaker 2: you know, in all things. 595 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 1: In all things, yeah, but I think one. 596 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 2: Who really I love the people who build some who 597 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,320 Speaker 2: leaves something behind it. 598 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 1: So this is a cliched question, but I can't help 599 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 1: myself because you know, there's music I listen to that 600 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 1: I enjoy, and there's music I listened to in the 601 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:12,359 Speaker 1: classical reperte that I don't really care for. I mean, 602 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: I'm not a big fan of Mozart. I mean the 603 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 1: very chirpy kind of complex as it is mathematically as 604 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,279 Speaker 1: multi layered and dimensional as some of these composers are. 605 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 1: As we move, you know, further toward Stravinsky and so forth, 606 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: and things get a little more layered and non traditional, 607 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: there's nonetheless music I listened to, which is I mean, 608 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: I remember I was doing a film and I told 609 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 1: them I said this before on the show. But forgive me, 610 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: but I'm trying to impress you here with my passion 611 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 1: because in my life, if I had my life to 612 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 1: do over again, and I mean this, I swear to 613 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:45,400 Speaker 1: God in Heaven, if I had my life to do 614 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: over again, I'd be you. 615 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:48,719 Speaker 2: You know. You told me that after I told you 616 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 2: that offstage in New York last time, and you came 617 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 2: and you said, I want your life. Yes, I want 618 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 2: to be you. 619 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 1: To Blurn, to play, to play the piano, to all 620 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 1: of them have to master some instrument. Apparently they all 621 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: play something, and then to become a conductor. Because I mean, 622 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 1: I'm racing from a show I was doing, or was 623 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: shooting a film, and they contractually had to let me 624 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:18,360 Speaker 1: leave work at five o'clock on four nights of one week. 625 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:23,239 Speaker 1: They knew in my contract that on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 626 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: I had to leave the show shooting a movie in 627 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 1: Brooklyn at five o'clock so I could go to Carnegie 628 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:33,799 Speaker 1: Hall to see the shots Capel do the Mallorcycle with 629 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 1: Baron Boyme and Boulez, and I wanted to see them 630 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 1: all four, five, six and nine. And I am late. 631 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:44,919 Speaker 1: I went home to change my clothes and I ran down. 632 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 1: I'm going down Central Park West and Obama was in 633 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: town and the cops had everything shut down. And by 634 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: the time I go in the back of Carnegie Hall 635 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:57,080 Speaker 1: and get my tickets and run, and as literally as 636 00:36:56,719 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 1: my ass hits the seat, I'm the last person and 637 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 1: sitting in the hall. And as I sit down and 638 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: I touched the cushion, the door opens and out comes 639 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: Barrenburm to conduct the ninth. Now the music plays, and 640 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,400 Speaker 1: everybody's there to get what they want. I mean, if 641 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: they're dying for this mallorcycle, And the tears are just 642 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 1: streaming down my face, and the tears are streaming down 643 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: the face of everybody to the left of me and 644 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: to the right of way. And this music touches you 645 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: in a way that nothing else can exactly. And the 646 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,560 Speaker 1: woman says that, and the woman says that in the documentary. 647 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 1: She says, this is a music that that goes so deep. 648 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: And I'm wondering, what are the pieces that you play 649 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:35,760 Speaker 1: that touch you. I do know you can't pick favorites, 650 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:37,880 Speaker 1: But what's a piece or two that you play that 651 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,279 Speaker 1: even you're surprise at how much it moves you. 652 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 2: I would think that without any exception, it is something 653 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 2: slow in a dodgo by Bruckner, a dodgo by Maler, 654 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 2: something that is introverted. Like if you listen to the 655 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 2: fourth or the seventh Symphony of Sibelius, you have this 656 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 2: feeling that you have this, this something is just creeping 657 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:06,399 Speaker 2: deep inside you. It is not it's not artificial, superficial, 658 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 2: easy listening. Or Americas say to Tapper, I don't this 659 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 2: doesn't do anything. Really. What does something to me is 660 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:16,879 Speaker 2: a slow you know, like the end of the marl 661 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 2: A three, you know, the last movement. It is just 662 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 2: out of this world. And yeah, I think slow music 663 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,720 Speaker 2: that really just gets inside your. 664 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: Soul, which probably the seventh. 665 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:31,279 Speaker 2: I love the seventh, but listen to the Adago of 666 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:35,760 Speaker 2: the of the of the eighth Bruckner eighth a dodgo 667 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:40,799 Speaker 2: of the Brookner six, unbelievable, Bruckner nine a dodger. But 668 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:43,720 Speaker 2: you know, Beethoven was the person in this ninth Symphony 669 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,800 Speaker 2: who kind of created the prototype for this great adago, 670 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 2: you know, the ninth, the slow movement, and every composer 671 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:54,719 Speaker 2: since tried to kind of outdo him, because it was 672 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 2: the true master knew was really somebody who knew how 673 00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 2: to write a a great a dodger, and that is why, 674 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:07,759 Speaker 2: for example, Mather often ends his symphony in ninth definitely, 675 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:12,320 Speaker 2: but also the third with this incredibly so searching a dodger. 676 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 2: And to me, slow music. Maybe I'm just getting old, 677 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 2: but I always I always loved slow and contemplative music. 678 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 2: I wanted to tell you something funny because you mentioned bottom. 679 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:28,240 Speaker 2: I'm sitting here in karantine in Tokyo in a hotel. 680 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 2: He's upstairs. He's upstairs, and he wanted to come and 681 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 2: see me. They wouldn't let The people are so uptight 682 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:39,360 Speaker 2: here in Tokyo that they wouldn't let him into my room. 683 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 2: And it is so funny because we are literally in 684 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:44,919 Speaker 2: the not in the same wing too. 685 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 1: So it's hard to believe that the six feet of 686 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:50,440 Speaker 1: concrete and steel are separating two of the greatest maestros 687 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,919 Speaker 1: in modern music today in the classical retor. You can't 688 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,360 Speaker 1: have a cup of tea together, well I am, I 689 00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 1: can't have a martini together. 690 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 2: I had a battle already, you prepared with the glass 691 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 2: of even I got two glasses. They wouldn't let him. 692 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 1: You'll have to toast over the internet. 693 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 2: So we did. We were literally doing what we're doing now. 694 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 2: And this is a story. 695 00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: You were married, you're not married now, and you have 696 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:19,839 Speaker 1: two daughters. If your ex wife she was a violinist, 697 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: a very good one, yes, and you met her where I. 698 00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:25,480 Speaker 2: Met her actually in London when I was well. I 699 00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 2: still live in London and between London and US, but 700 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 2: she was studying in Royal Academy and we met in London. 701 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 1: Now I always tell people, and forgive me if this 702 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:41,720 Speaker 1: sounds odd, but that is I often find the talent 703 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 1: is the greatest affordisiac. And if talent is the greatest 704 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:47,840 Speaker 1: afford desiac. And I was a conductor working in the 705 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 1: classical repertoire, I'd want to get married probably two or 706 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:54,319 Speaker 1: three times a month. You know, talented women who are 707 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: playing these instruments are just they're everywhere. 708 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,960 Speaker 2: You know. This is one of those almost dangerous subjects 709 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,520 Speaker 2: in this diamon age. But the truth is exactly what 710 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:08,080 Speaker 2: you're saying. What you're saying is so right because you 711 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:12,080 Speaker 2: first of all speak the same language, you speak music. 712 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:16,560 Speaker 2: It's your passion, both of you nuances. It is so 713 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 2: it is so obvious that most people in that field 714 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,719 Speaker 2: find their partner in the same field. And it is 715 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:27,239 Speaker 2: very difficult to even understand the idiosyncrasis and all the 716 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:31,279 Speaker 2: craziness that one needs to understand if you are not 717 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:34,760 Speaker 2: in part of that business. So this whole thing about 718 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:38,239 Speaker 2: you know, be careful workplace romances and all this. Yeah, 719 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:40,840 Speaker 2: on one level, I understand totally. But on the other hand, 720 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:45,200 Speaker 2: there is almost impossible to create a union that is 721 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:46,240 Speaker 2: really long lasting. 722 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:48,200 Speaker 1: More and more, I think what you're saying, if I'm 723 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: hearing you correctly, which is what I've suspected, which is 724 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 1: more beyond the chemistry between a man and a woman, 725 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,280 Speaker 1: or two women or two men for that matter. Beyond 726 00:41:56,280 --> 00:42:00,160 Speaker 1: that chemistry, it's the chemistry of the arts exactly. It's 727 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 1: just nothing like watching all those tens of thousands of 728 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 1: hours that these people have are hundreds of thousands of hours, 729 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,359 Speaker 1: and they're up there and they're doing their thing, and 730 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:13,400 Speaker 1: you sit there and you watch them all doing the 731 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 1: same thing together in service of the same thing. At 732 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:18,520 Speaker 1: the same time, I think to myself, this is the 733 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:22,040 Speaker 1: most intoxic anything in the world. Now you're there in Tokyo, 734 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:24,200 Speaker 1: just are you doing something with NHK or who are 735 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:24,680 Speaker 1: you working with? 736 00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:27,920 Speaker 2: NHK. I'm a chief conductor in NHK. I am a 737 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:32,239 Speaker 2: chief conductor in don Hale Orchestra Zurich Deutsche kame Philomony 738 00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 2: in Bremen. So geography is quite wild, and I have 739 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:43,120 Speaker 2: not been here because of the COVID now for thirteen months. 740 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:46,279 Speaker 2: So now I have decided, as a chief conductor, I 741 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:50,479 Speaker 2: have to come here and sit through this curantine because 742 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:52,920 Speaker 2: it's my orchestra, and I feel the loyalty and I 743 00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:54,280 Speaker 2: feel the responsibility. 744 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:56,920 Speaker 1: Well, let me just say this to you. You are 745 00:42:57,040 --> 00:42:59,840 Speaker 1: one of the most elegant men I've ever seen on 746 00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:02,560 Speaker 1: the podium in my laftum. And you are a great, great, 747 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 1: great music conductor. And I hope we see you in 748 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:07,319 Speaker 1: New York before too long. We are dying for you 749 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:07,839 Speaker 1: to come back. 750 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:09,600 Speaker 2: Please, thank you, Thank you very much. 751 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:18,280 Speaker 1: Conductor Pavo Jarv. This is Pavo Yarv conducting the Estonian 752 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:22,840 Speaker 1: National Symphony in the Contus in memory of Benjamin Britten, 753 00:43:23,239 --> 00:43:28,000 Speaker 1: written by the world renowned Estonian composer Arvo part I'm 754 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:30,879 Speaker 1: Alec Baldwin. Here's the thing is brought to you by 755 00:43:31,080 --> 00:44:29,759 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio.