Music is 'real life' for traveling performer

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At 74, pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim is still as passionate as ever when it comes to performing.

Conductor Daniel Barenboim (center) with Staatskapelle Berlin in Shanghai

Born in argentina in 1942, Barenboim received his first piano lessons at 5, and gave his first public concert at 7. he later moved to israel, before going on to study conducting with igor Markevich, as well as harmony and composition with nadia Boulanger in Paris.

Along with his decade-spanning ca­reer as a solo pianist, Barenboim has also been in high demand as a conductor since first raising the baton with the Lon­don Philharmonia Orchestra in 1967.

Additionally, he has served as music director for the Chicago Symphony Or­chestra, the Orchestra de Paris, La Scala in Milan, and is currently the music direc­tor of Staatskapelle Berlin and the Berlin State Opera. he is also known for his work with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, a Seville-based orchestra comprised of young arab and israeli musicians.

He speaks fluent Spanish, hebrew, English, French, italian and german, and holds citizenship in argentina, israel, Palestine and Spain.

"Is true that i don't have a sense of belonging geographically. am free from that. feel comfortable living in London, Paris, Chicago and Berlin," says Barenboim. "am happy to see the de­velopment in the Middle East and the Jewish dream has gone in the direction that it should. Jewish people were never meant to rule other people."

The legendary musician was at Shang­hai Symphony hall in late January, where he staged a concert with Staatskapelle Berlin. During his visit, he sat down for an interview with Shanghai Daily.

Q: How is your visit to China going?

A: Ihave always been impressed by how China has developed in the 20th century, especially in the past 30 years. it is a forward-looking country.

It is amazing how China has achieved its look today, but hope that its culture and spiritual development will match what we have witnessed in science and engineering as well. So many Chinese politicians were engineers and scien­tists. Raising business and the economy are important, but it will be better if cul­ture and human development are not left behind.

I am not young. don't know if can come back again. But will be very in­terested to see how these things will develop in China.

Q: What do you intend to bring to China this time?

A: Staatskapelle Berlin is the third oldest orchestra in the world. it was born in 1570, and it has accompanied german life for so many centuries. This is ex­actly what talked about — the culture. Regardless of all the changes that have happened to germany since 1570, the Staatskapelle Berlin was there through­out that time as part of germany. This is what they bring and what they represent. is one of the most important messages that the orchestra brings to the world and China.

Q: Which qualities impress you most when recruiting orchestra members?

A: Of course they have to play their in­strument well, and they also need to have creativity. it is not right for a musi­cian to just sit there and wait for the conductor.

The conductor can inspire and educate, but it is the musicians who produce the sound. Every member of the orchestra should be creative and then the conduc­tor can guide them to work together.

Ithink that a big problem for many young people worldwide, including China, is that they consider music just playing the instrument. They play fast or loud without thinking about it. There is no good music education for the public in the world, and in most music schools the education is just about playing the instrument.

We will start a new music school in Berlin next year. apart from normal music programs like instruments and theory, we will insist on philosophy les­sons twice a week.

You cannot be a great musician if you only learn how to play the violin and nothing else. To be a good musician, you should be able to think and absorb ideas from other fields.

Q: Do you have any advice for young conductors?

A: In fact, nobody can really talk about music. if anyone could talk about or ex­plain music, there would be no need to play it. When talking about music, we are actually talking about our reaction to it... is very important for a musician to have general knowledge of literature, paintings and other cultural things, because in music, you cannot really explain things in words. But the richer your knowledge about culture is, the more interesting your music will be.

It is not true to think that if you prac­tice an instrument for eight hours every day starting at age 14, you will master music and be top at it. does not work like that.

Music is not the cream that you put on a cake. Music is a comprehensive art... Music is not a profession; music is real life, though you have to do it professionally.

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