An interview from the series
“People who impart music
John Axelrod
Usually, music teachers teach their students until they have acquired certain skills. Be it for domestic use or participation in competitions or for a professional career. But there is a group of music teachers who regularly stand in front of already highly skilled instrumentalists or singers: The conductors. Mostly we see only a small part of their work, namely the concert performance. But the preliminary rehearsals take much more time. With it, a conductor teaches the musicians to play the way he imagines. About this work, the International Music School Berlin talked to one of the best conductors of our time: John Axelrod.
John Axelrod calls himself an “Ameropean”. He was born in America, more specifically Texas/USA. But for more than ten years he lives in Europe. Already at the age of 16 he had conducting lessons a few months with no one less than Leonard Bernstein. He studied piano, composition and conducting at Harvard and St. Petersburg. However, he first took a different profession: he was a talent scout for a record company and discovered bands like the Smashing Pumpkins or worked with the singer Tori Amos. After a few years he changed into a completely different activity, he became a director at a famous wine center. But at the age of 28 he decided that he would rather become a conductor.
Before we approached the work of a conductor with an orchestra, we asked John Axelrod about his exceptional professional career. He had lessons with Leonard Bernstein and studied music – why did he initially have other occupations? “To learn at 16 from a legend that you would follow in his footsteps is quite intimidating”, he said. “There could never be another Bernstein, so I had to leave the thought and let go of it, before it would come back to me naturally. Wine and music go easily for me and both jobs in rock-n roll and the wine industry were not difficult justifications. But I was consuming, not creating. My decision to become a conductor, 12 years after Lenny advised me to do so, was an organic return to my roots. And Ive never looked back since.”
How exactly did he come to that decision? “I was working in Napa Valley, and had an epiphany. After a long conversation about following one’s bliss one night at the Mondavi’s, I drove back to my house, thinking about that, and hearing the Vorspiel and Liebestod to Tristan in my head. This is my favorite piece of music, and I felt I could not drive and concentrate. I stopped the car, looked out at the sublime beauty of the valley, and heard, for the first time in my life, pure silence. It was indeed the most beautiful music I ever heard. I got back in the car, turned on the engine and radio, and there was the Tristan prelude. I took it as a sign to change my life and go back to music, and I quit my job the next day.”
In 1997, John Axelrod founded the “Orchestra X” in Houston. This ensemble did a great deal for intriguing young people for classical music. For instance the orchestra doesn’t wait for the audience to come to the concert hall. Instead of that it takes the music to the places, where young peple reside, like barbecue partys, clubs and shopping malls. John Axelrod says, laughing: “In Germany, there are three big “B” – Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. In Texas we made beer, barbecue and Beethoven.”
Today, John Axelrod plays with the best orchestras of the world. From the Los Angeles Philharmonic and London Philharmonic to the Guerzenich Orchestra Cologne to the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Dresden Philharmonic. After being Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra for 5 years, he took this position at Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire in France in September 2009. He assumed in 2009 the Music Directorship of the “Hollywood in Vienna” Series with the ORF. And he remains Principal Guest Conductor of Sinfonietta Cracovia a position he has held since 2001.
Before the conductor can instruct the orchestra, he must get an idea of the piece to play himself. How does a conductor prepare? “A conductor must be more than a musician”, John Axelrod meant. “He or she must know many subjects: from history to psychology to sociology to anthropology to acoustical science to sports strategy to gardening.“ – Now wait a second, gardening? “Yes, exactly! The act of breathing, nurturing and loving applies to making music as well as growing a flower. A score is merely the architectural blueprint. Or a giant piece of marble. For the work to be discovered, one must go under the notes and find the intention of the composer and the character of the music the composer intends. Communicating all that to an orchestra requires humility on one part and sovereignty on another. It requires professional security but also the will to be free. (Richard) Strauss once said to the musicians: ‘This is 2, this is 3 and this is 4. The rest is up to you’.”
An orchestra is a bunch of musicians, who master their instruments perfectly because they have studied and played it for years. How does a conductor make these artists play the way he imagines? “The motivation of an orchestra depends on the understanding of human relationships”, John Axelrod said. “While the musicians play their instruments, the instrument of the conductor is a group of human beings, flesh and blood, hearts and minds, not wood gut or metal. Knowing that can create the ambience necessary to get the best potential out of an ensemble. “
Whenever John Axelrod starts a concert, he radiates “friendly security” to the orchestra, like he wanted to say: “I know that you can do it.” During the concert he doesn’t stiff on the podium, but dances with the music. One could almost lock his/her ears and just *see* what music is just played by the orchestra. It seems like he wants to tell the musicians: “I am one of you.”
“That is indeed my intention”, John Axelrod confirmed. “Sometimes, when an orchestra is unruly, I play the caring parent, seeing all of the players as once being babies. It helps.” The idea that the conductor cannot be friend to the musicians, he thinks is a myth. “We are one and the same. Imagine a company without a CEO. A Football team without a coach. A ship without a captain. Most of all we live and die together. The love you make is equal to the love you take. And when we succeed, it is a reminder of why we make music.
Isn’t there sometimes some kind of power struggle between conductor and orchestra? “One cannot please everyone all of the time”, John Axelrod meant. “So there is always some form of conflict, and of course, not all orchestras play at the same level, so expectations cannot be met all the time. However, based on what I wrote before, its possible to bring any ensemble to a higher level. One must be flexible and adapt to the anthropology of the orchestra respective to its culture; A French orchestra plays like the French, the Italians like Italian culture, the Swiss like the Swiss and so on. But the real power struggle”, he explained, “is between musicians and management. The conductor has wisely chosen not to be in the middle, but in doing so, has surrendered some of the natural authority given to the position.”
As a guest conductor one has only a few days time to work with an orchestra. How many of his ideas can be implemented in such a short period? “Depending on where one works, it can even be as little as one rehearsal before a concert”, John Axelrod pointed out. “Unions, cost, and repertoire can determine the rehearsal schedule. In that case, it is literally impossible to communicate via gesture or words a full interpretation. But if an orchestra is motivated, sometimes that lack of preparation can result in spontaneous magic.”
A chief conductor on the other hand can change the whole tone and character of an orchestra changed. Soon John Axelrod will be principal conductor of another orchestra. Has he been excited? “I’m always excited to conduct an orchestra, whether the first time or the 100th time”, he admitted. “But being an MD is more meaningful because of the work that can be done musically, and the difference one can make within a community. That ultimately is the definition of success. Because music is subjective, some people may love our work, others not. But when an orchestra can become vital and relevant to its audience, serving the higher purpose of making a contribution to the cultural life in its community, then the work has more meaning. Today, an orchestra is more than an artistic pursuit. I do believe there is also a humanitarian and educational role to play.
John Axelrod knows both positions, guest and principal. Which one does he think is more interesting? “Guesting is fun because you are free of the responsibilities associated with being MD and you can travel to many wonderful places in the world. One can also learn much about the similarities and differences between orchestras. “ But then again he does believe being an MD has more significance, because “there is a chance to shape the musical vision and destiny of an organization. Not just the sound and interpretation, but also the importance of the organization in the lives of its public. Without a public, an orchestra cannot really exist. And without an orchestra, the public loses its link to its collective musical inheritance and its cultural patrimony.”
Does John Axelrod have a role model as a conductor? “Christoph Eschenbach certainly, one of my mentors. He gave me my first opportunity as his assistant at Bayreuth and at Schleswig Holstein Festival. And taught me much how to read beneath the notes of a score and technique.” But as for another living conductor who is his role model, he would say Valery Gergiev, “for his vision, his power and his courage. And Gustavo Dudamel, for his energy and style. But the greatest conductors ever for me were Bernstein and Carlos Kleiber. Without them, I cannot imagine we would find freedom in music. “
If John Axelrod wouldn’t be a conductor, which instrument would he like to play mostly? “I’d love to be a singer”, he revealed. “Really, for all the expressiveness the voice offers and to do all the Schubert Lieder. But the other instrument would be the clarinet, for its character and flexibility in repertoire, from jazz to klezmer to classical. Or perhaps the Cor Anglais: It does not play that often, and when it does, it is usually the solo and gets to take a bow. Not bad for a job”, John Axelrod meant laughing. Once he did even sing at a concert. “That was in Dusseldorf”, he told us. “The singer for Porgy and Bess cancelled, and rather than hire another singer, the Intendant asked me to sing. When I turned around to sing ‘Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon from New York’, the audience’s eyes opened wide. It was quite an experience.”
At the International Music School Berlin, conducting isn’t taught. Is there any advice nevertheless, John Axelrod would give our students regarding the use of music in general or learning to play an instrument in specific? “I feel any instrument can serve as a door into the world of conducting, but of course, the polyphonic instruments, mainly the piano can best train the ear and brain. That does serve well for reading scores. But its not limited by any means; many instrumentalists have made wonderful conductors. And being a conductor offers one undeniable truth, that we have the best seat in the house for the experience of a symphony or opera. It is at our fingertips.” And he added: “The goal in my experience is to find freedom and flow in our craft. It is the most wonderful feeling to breath together and experience the creation of sound. Find the moment to let go and hear the music set sail.
And what would he recommend to the parents? “The only advice for a parent, myself being one, is to feed your childs imagination and creativity. If there is a talent, it will expose itself. And if it is music, its best to not force or decide for the child. Let the child choose, one or a few at a time, and become friends with the instruments. And if you don’t like a teacher, choose another. Finding the right teacher is essential. That mentorship will be needed later in life. Lastly, if your child happens to be working professionally, be patient, and allow him or her to play. It is that simple. Like Strauss said: ‘The rest is up to you’.”
By Wieland Aschinger
John Axelrod on the internet:
www.johnaxelrod.com
Verfasst am 26. November 2009 um 6:11 in Interviews
Tags: conductor, music, teacher