Text: Ivan BARKOV
Photo by the author
YAKUTIA.INFO. Yakutian Philharmonic’s main conductor Fabio Mastrangelo presented a cycle of his programs. This is his first arrival to Yakutsk in this season and now beginning from this program, the conductor will perform two more big concerts. At the beginning of the concert was quite notable: vocal-chorus program, consisted of wonderful and colourful music of Debussy, Ravel and Brahms, was really selected in good taste by the conductor. Moreover, as Mastrangelo says, he has an opportunity to present exactly that music, which is very close to him.
In an interview to “Yakutia.Info” the conductor tells about the new cycle of his programs and comments building a house for the Philharmonic:
I remember one story. Once, I conducted Vladimir Spivakov’s National Philharmonic Orchestra. Right after the concert I got an invitation to stay for one more program, because the conductor, who had to be there, could not come. That time I really liked the administration way of working. They told that as the subscription was named “Carte Blanche”, I was able to include anything I wanted into the program. And this is my dream – to do what I want to do. So, when Natalia Bazaleva told me that I visit Yakutsk seldom and I have to do that more often, I agreed that I have to, in case if I choose that music, which I like. This is how the program occurred. Now we have the chorus and this program is somehow dedicated to the chorus very much. The only symphonic work by Brahms – “Academic Overture”, by the way, was written on the base of German student songs. At first sight, Brahms’s works seem to be very serious, but these songs are quite facetious. That’s why even this Brahms’s work is connected with vocal.
In general, I like vocal works a lot. For example, today we performed Debussy’s “La Damoiselle Elue”. If I’m not mistaken I’ve been conducting this work for the 5th time. And this music is very close to me, as a pianist I like Debussy very much. A wonderful work with female chorus and voice parts. What about “Daphnis et Chloé” – fantastic, masterpiece.
The program, you say, is dedicated to the chorus. But the chorus is to be the youngest collective of the Philharmonic and now it is being developing very actively. As the main conductor, what can you say about it? In addition to this, last year in November you already worked with the chorus – you have music hall in the theatre.
In Saint-Petersburg we worked thoroughly together. I can say, that we learnt Rachmaninov’s “Bells” through the length and breadth. After that, I think, they got more sense of purpose. They began to understand what I was telling them. When we began the rehearsals, they were shocked a bit, but then they got adapted to my manner and even liked it. I suppose, they got inspired and the concert was really strong. Now everything is very good on the scene. Sometimes I felt lack of sound, but there are other reasons for that.
Yes… the sound. You haven’t been to Yakutsk since May. That period the Epos Centre Building project was created (where there will be house for the Philharmonic). Own hall, the necessity of which you always told seems to come to life.
By the way, today I was on a small ceremony on this purpose with Philharmonic’s headship on the territory where the centre has to be built. The day before yesterday I was asked what they do in Italy before building something. I said that Italians put a brick.
Yes, and we usually stand a pile (because of the permafrost).
And we held a ritual – we fed the soil and there was kumiss too. Some Italian-Yakutian ceremony took place. And if to speak seriously, I never gave up and every time I arrived here I always started from the very beginning – already almost 10 years ago I told about concert hall’s building necessity. I think, people got it quite quickly that I did not tell it without reason. Because absence of a concert hall means development limits for the orchestra. The better result we got, the more we felt the necessity of the hall. Because on tours our orchestra performed in very good places with wonderful acoustics and the orchestra sounded in absolutely different way. I am very happy, that we made a step to building it at last. I wait for the project’s realization very much and hope that it will be done very quickly and to an accomplished standard
Will you take part in this project as a consultant, for instance?
Yes, I already advised one known specialist on acoustics – Toyota. But during 10 year talks about the project, in Russia many estimable specialists began to work. There is a very good and serious company “Archeton”. I recommended it. Especially, taking into account, that the republic’s leader pointed out the moment to use Russian resources.
Do you already have ideas for coming programs of the cycle?
I do not want to show all my cards. But there will be “the Fairy’s Kiss” by Stravinsky and “the Poem Ecstasy” by Skryabin. We will also play an amazing Stravinsky’s Concert for violin – a fancy work, just fire! This is the music I like. I hope to show many of those things I really like.
