15 Questions to Katerina Englichova
TobiasHi! How are you? Where are you?
Hi! I am fine. Just came back from Vermont. Now in Prague.
What’s on your schedule right now?
Recording a new CD of contemporary Czech music.And performing the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto at the Prague Autumn Festival with Salzburg Kammerorchester.
If you hadn’t chosen for music, what do you think you would do right now?
Hard to say. I like languages. Perhaps an interpretor or translator. For Korean or Japanese.
What or who was your biggest influence as an artist?
As a teenager (living behind the “iron curtain”) playing with the GMJO (Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester with Claudio Abbado), then meeting world-class musicians at my school in the US (Curtis Institute of Music), playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra for a few years and most of all my parents. Without them and their enthusiasm and support I wouldn´t get anywhere!
What’s the hardest part about being a musician and what’s the best?
The hardest is to get the “gig” and then not to have too many...
The best is that you get into a different state of mind. You don´t need drugs. Classical music is a drug. Once you get to know it more, you can never leave it. You start having a different perspective on people, on life.
What’s your view on the classical music scene at present? Is there a crisis?
Crisis? No. There are just too many exceptional musicians, as well as less exceptional musicians. And they all want to play. Somewhere. Plus there is, in my opinion, too much focus on mega-projects. Classical music never was, is not and never will be for the masses. (I actually think that Pop music is in a crisis...)
Some feel there is no need to record classical music any more, that it’s all been done before. What do you tell them?
Everyting was already “discovered”...? Didn´t we hear this before? About 150 years ago? Again, I think the mega-recording-projects are over. Small labels have a future. And certainly live concerts!!!
What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage?
Many circumstances. Good programming, the place you're performing at, good acoustics, erruptions on the sun... and certainly some kind of a chemistry between the audience and the performer. But a live concert is THE BEST!!!
What does the word “interpretation” mean to you?
To give your entire artistry and soul to the piece.
True or false: It is the duty of an artist to put his personal emotions into the music he plays.
True. (Is it even possible in any different way?)
True or false: “Music is my first love”
False. (I try not to be a slave...)
True or false: People need to be educated about classical music, before they can really appreciate it.
False. My daughter (3years) listens to Vivaldi, Beethoven or Mozart. She loves it and calls it songs. She doesn´t have any prejudice, yet. However, regarding grown-ups, I wouldn´t send them for their first classical music experience to listen to Schostakovitch´11th Symphony, the same way I wouldn´t give “Brothers Karamazov “ to somebody who just learned to read.)
You are given the position of artistic director of a concert hall. What would be on your program for this season?
Greatly depends on where. You can´t go against the people with their 20 years long subscription. I would certainly try a variety. One contemporary piece on the programm. We shouldn´t become a museum, Ravel is no more a contemporary author!!! Chamber Music concerts with a pre-concert talk. Musicians speaking about the music they play, about their instruments...etc.
What’s your favourite classical CD at the moment?
Bach Arias with Magdalena Kozena.
Have you ever tried playing a different instrument? If yes, how good were you at it?
Piano-very good. Flute-terrible.
Discography:
RAVEL - DEBUSSY - JOLIVET - TOURNIER (1995) Panton
MEDITATION (1995) Discover Koch International
ALBERT ROUSSEL (1995) Praga
ZLATE STRUNY (1996) Lotos
TOLERANCE - Czech contemporary music (1997) Triga
MAGIC OF BAROQUE (1997) Igzi
PETR EBEN - MUSIC FOR HARP (1998) Nibiru
RÖSSLER-ROSETTI - HARP SONATAS (2000) Supraphon
FLORENT SCHMITT (2000) Praga Digitals
FLAHAR (2001) Brusegan NMC
ENRIQUE GRANADOS - 12 DANZAS ESPANOLAS (2002) Supraphon
DUETTINI (2003) Exton
MOZART - SONATAS FOR FLUTE AND HARP (2004) Arcodiva
Homepage:
Katerina Englichova