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15 Questions to Torleif Thedeen

  Tobias

Hi! How are you? Where are you?
I am fine and in Stockholm right now.

What’s on your schedule right now?
I have a week with my chamberorchestra Musica Vitae next, and after that I am going to the Bergen festival with "Julian Rachlin and friends". That´s a full week with a lot of chambermusic. Looking forward to that very much!

Your concert at Spectrum is up on June 14th. Anxious to get up on stage and play already?
I am always eager to get on stage when there is great music and wonderful musicians involved.

If one takes a look at the success of Spectrum Concerts right from the first season, it seems as though these concerts filled a need in music lovers. What do you think they provided audiences with that they had been missing?
Usually in festivals we take on unknown works as well as well known. In Spectrum we do the same, but the programmes are very carefully planned, and we spend longer time to rehearse. On top of that we also know eachother very well by now.

Would you say you feel part of a “Spectrum Family”?
Yes, I do!

A question in the same vein: Do you feel it to be important to not  only share a common musical understanding with your on-stage partners,  but also to get along on a personal level?
The older I get, it gets increasingly important. I dont want to spend time with people I dont feel a connection with. For me, musicmaking gets easier that way.

What’s your relationship to Chamber Music in general? Would you agree that it may well be regarded as one of the most contemporary forms of  music?    
I simply love it and it is probably the most fascinating and difficult way to make music.

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What’s your view on the classical music scene at present? Is there a crisis?
People love it and there is a big audience. The problem is that the money is sometimes lacking at a time when everything gets more and more expensive....

Some feel there is no need to record classical music any more, that it’s all been done before. What do you tell them?
Difficult to say, I always did recordings for my self and the joy of having done the pieces i love so much.

What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage?
I don't make a difference between live or recorded performances. It complicates the process too much - it is difficult enough as it is.......

What does the word “interpretation” mean to you?
It means letting the text speak to you in a objective way, and then let it come out from your instrument as much subjective as possible.

True or false: It is the duty of an artist to put his personal emotions into the music he plays.
YES!!!

True or false: People need to be educated about classical music, before they can really appreciate it.
NOOOO!!

You are given the position of artistic director of a concert hall. What would be on your program for this season?
Not enough space  here for such a season....

Have you ever tried playing a different instrument? If yes, how good were you at it?
Unfortunately........

Discography:
The Russian Cello (BIS) 1986
The Russian Cello 2 (BIS) 1988
Britten - The Complete Suites for Solo Cello (BIS) 1990
Kokkonen - Symphonic Sketches (BIS) 1990
Schnittke - Cello Concerto No.1 (BIS) 1990
Cello Concertos by Schumann and Elgar (BIS) 1991
Schnittke - Cello Concerto No.2 (BIS) 1992
Sallinen - Variations for Orchesta (BIS) 1992
Bloch - Symphony in C sharp minor (BIS) 1993
Gubaidulina - Offertorium (BIS) 1993
Shostakovich - Cello Concertos Nos.1 & 2 (BIS) 1994
Schulhoff - Chamber Music (BIS) 1996
Sibelius - Music for Cello and Piano (BIS) 1996
Dag Wirén - Chamber Music, Vol.2 (BIS) 1996
Schnittke - Chamber Music: Prelude in memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich (BIS) 1997
Hindemith - Cello Music (BIS) 1998
Duos for Violin and Cello (BIS) 1998
Saint-Saëns - Cello Concertos (BIS) 1998
The Japanese cello (BIS) 1998
Lutosławski & Penderecki Concertos (BIS) 1999
J. S. Bach - Six Suites for Solo Cello (BIS) 2000
Finntastic - Musical Souvenirs from Finland (BIS) 2001
Saint-Saëns - Spartacus (BIS) 2001
Chopin & Schumann - Works for Cello & Piano (BIS) 2002
Concertos for Cello & Winds (BIS) 2002
Antonín Dvorák - Music for cello and orchestra (BIS) 2002
Music by Alfred Schnittke from 'Der Neunte Tag' (BIS) 2004
Schoenberg / Webern - Chamber Music  (BIS) 2005
Brahms - Clarinet Sonatas & Trio (BIS) 2005
Lalo - Orchestral Works (BIS) 2006
Gubaidulina - The Deceitful Face of Hope and Despair (BIS) 2006

Homepage:
Thorleif Thedeen at Spectrum Concerts