Eschenbach: "Raising the Invisible Curtain"

DW-WORLD.DE: What differences do you see between American and European orchestras?

Christoph Eschenbach: The main differences are how American orchestras and European orchestras are managed -- that is, how they are subsidized. American orchestras are subsidized privately through sponsoring and private donors and the European system works with subsidies from the state, the government or the city.

Which aspects of the European system would you like to see incorporated into the American system and vice versa?

It would be nice in the American system if the governments and states and cities were a bit more involved in culture and take more responsibility. On the other hand, in Europe we need to learn from private sponsoring because the economy is no longer providing for the so-called "specials" -- media and recording and all the extras. We can learn from both sides.

American musicians work on a much tighter schedule and have much fewer rehearsals than a German orchestra, for example. Do American orchestras work more efficiently?

It's not really the case anymore that the European orchestras, even the radio orchestras, have so much rehearsal time. They have to work more because they have to earn money too. You're right; the American orchestras have very tight rehearsal schedules and are accustomed to working with a lot of concentration and discipline in order to have an excellent product. But European orchestras have learned that too -- in the last two decades or so. And that's also healthy for them.

The program for the Beethoven Festival's opening concert included two Beethoven symphonies (Nr. 1 and Nr. 7) and "Hèrodiade-Fragmente" by the contemporary German composer Matthias Pintscher. Does the modern work fit in with the Beethoven symphonies?

It's more of a contrast program. We have played all the Beethoven symphonies this season in Philadelphia -- juxtaposing them, sandwiching them between pieces from the 20th and even 21st centuries, including commissioned works. We've had very good reactions from the audience. For me, it's interesting to hear a piece from our time between two Beethoven symphonies. The audience can reflect on the symphony they've just heard and, in my opinion, they will certainly hear the Beethoven symphony after that with different ears -- cleansed ears, if I may say so. Listening to music in a fresh way -- that was Beethoven's aim and should be the aim of every interpreter of Beethoven. His music is so revolutionary and so fresh that it really works in our time.

The Philadelphia Orchestra could be termed a "traditional" orchestra in the new world. Are your audiences open to this kind of experimental programming?

One must make them open to it, and we are very successful with this. We call it "raising the invisible curtain" between the hall and the stage, between the audience and the orchestra. In the case of new music, I often invite the composer to come and speak. I speak as well and present the composer to the audience so that they see that he's not a monster who writes horrid sounds, but a human being who wants to express himself in the language of our time. That human aspect helps to listen better to the music. We have good success with this.

About tradition…we love what Gustav Mahler said: "Tradition is not worshipping the ashes, it's carrying on the fire." And that's what we want to do.

Do you get the same response in Europe and the United States when you mix contemporary music with traditional pieces on the same program?

In Europe, the people are a bit more used to music of this kind. In America, there's new music but it's kind of more "pleasant music," which I am not such a partisan of. It's harder for American audiences to listen to a work by Pintscher or Riem, or even Ligeti. So we have to educate them to know and understand that this is very good, first-class music. As I said before, a word or two helps. Year after year you get people more involved in this kind of music.

Tell us about the Pintscher piece -- "Hèrodiade-Fragmente," Dramatic Scenes for Soprano and Orchestra.

It's very colorful, like all of Pintscher's pieces. He works with colors, sounds and after-sounds. There are aggressive sounds and, all of a sudden, you hear an after-sound of that. He has a brilliant understanding of the voice and the text. We are very lucky to have a phenomenal singer for this, Marisol Montalvo, who really lives this piece and projects it to the audience. The piece itself is excellent -- it's full of drama, but also full of poetry.

Which other new composers do you find noteworthy? Who should we be hearing more of on both sides of the Atlantic?

The composer scene nowadays is richer than ever. This is a wonderful sign and encourages me and my fellow musicians very much. In every country, there is a great list of first-class composers we should hear. In Germany, Pintscher is one of the younger ones. Riem is among the middle-aged and Reimann is among the older composers. In France there is Dalbavie, Dusapin, and others. In England, there is Adès, Turnage, Macmillan. In America, there are interesting people like Lieberson and Thomas. Not to mention the old ones in France like Boulez and Dutilleux, who are still enormously avant-garde -- but in the best way. These are only some people, but I could write lists and lists of first-class composers. We have to serve these composers and their music, so that it is played and becomes known.