Interview Questions: What Would You Ask Marc Minkowski???

[jlaurson]

If any of you could ask musicians/singers/conductors questions, what would they be? Or what questions would you like read be asked in an interview?

In particular, I'll be interviewing Marc Minkowski, Bernada Fink, Werner Guera, Carolin Widmann, Heinz Holliger, and Martin Froest in Salzburg next week. Anything you'd care to know or ask any of these or all artists?

Happy to take suggestions --

jfl

Will he be recording any of the Polish music he now plays relatively often with Sinfonia Varsovia? 0:) (I'm especially interested in Moniuszko.)

Put that on my question list.

[Maciek]

Will he be recording any of the Polish music he now plays relatively often with Sinfonia Varsovia? 0:) (I'm especially interested in Moniuszko.)

[The new erato]

He has done one of my favorite Lully recordings (Acis &Galatee) as well as a superb series of Gluck. I would like to know there are no more of these (though I suspect the answer lies with Universal)?

[Drasko]

In particular, I'll be interviewing Marc Minkowski,

Was the concert from Frauenkirche last June, at which he conducted Staatskapelle Dresden in Bruckner's Die Nullte and Wagner's Das Liebesmahl der Apostel, recorded in any fashion (audio or video)? How he came to such program and are there any plans for recordings in that direction?

More details about the concert in Nigel's review:
http://www.brucknerfreunde.at/forum/konzertkritiken/6393-bruckner-0-minkowski-staatskapelle-dresden-dresden-14-6-08-english.html

[Superhorn]

   Would Minkowski be interested in conducting at the Met, or other top US opera companies such as Chicago, San Francisco, Houston or Seattle etc?
   Possibly doing Gluck operas or Offenbach, or whatever?  That might be really interesting, and the Met could use conductors such as Minkowski.

[Bunny]

I'd love to ask Martin Fröst whether or not he uses circular breathing techniques.  If he does, how does he feel it enhances his performance, and with which composers is it most useful?

[Renfield]

Jens, when I heard Fröst do the Nielsen with Ashkenazy last year, he played a beautiful impromptu encore.

Does he have plans to record a solo recital album, perhaps including improvisations?

Thanks.

[hautbois]

How does Holliger view the future of oboe playing? Has it reached its utmost limit in terms of presenting the possibilities of sound and music today? Does he still record oboe music nowadays? A complete set of Martinu's oboe music would be very admirable and necessary. (There has been no compilation before of Holliger, and i doubt he recorded all of them.)

Howard, Malaysia

[pjme]

Do ask Holliger if he has plans to continue the Koechlin cycle at Hanssler/SWR Stuttgart orchestra. The symphonies would be very welcome!

Peter

As for Minkowski: congratulate him on the way he is expanding his repertoire.

[mozartsneighbor]

for Minkowski:

He made an excellent recording of the oratorio San Giovanni Battista by Alessandro Stradella, thus uncovering a veritable masterpiece that had long been ignored. Does he have plans to record more Stradella? Are there other composers that he feels are unjustly lying in relative obscurity and to which he would like to bring more attention?

[jlaurson]

Just in:

Feel welcome to include questions for Christian Gerhaher, if you should have any.

Unfortunately H.Holliger doesn't feel all that well and has canceled the interview. Next time, hopefully...

[The new erato]

Do ask Holliger if he has plans to continue the Koechlin cycle at Hanssler/SWR Stuttgart orchestra. The symphonies would be very welcome!

That is a most excellent question. Don't ask - demand!

[Bunny]

Do ask Holliger if he has plans to continue the Koechlin cycle at Hanssler/SWR Stuttgart orchestra. The symphonies would be very welcome!

Peter

As for Minkowski: congratulate him on the way he is expanding his repertoire.

The Bizet album was very refreshing.  I wouldn't mind more 19th and 20th century music from him, either.

[Brian]

Jens, when I heard Fröst do the Nielsen with Ashkenazy last year, he played a beautiful impromptu encore.

Does he have plans to record a solo recital album, perhaps including improvisations?

Thanks.

I would preorder such an album without even looking at the contents or price!

[The new erato]

Minkowski's people want to focus on his new Bach B-Minor... suits me.


jfl

Like why do another B Minor when there is so much other fine music from the period in dire need of firstrate recordings - and we are overflowing with fine B  minors?

[jlaurson]

Minkowski's people want to focus on his new Bach B-Minor... suits me.

How about some Martin Helmchen questions? Has anyone heard his recordings? I only have his recent Schubert... but I've heard some positive things about the Mozart concertos he's recorded.

Thanks!

jfl

Like why do another B Minor when there is so much other fine music from the period in dire need of firstrate recordings - and we are overflowing with fine B  minors?

Maybe I'll make that the LAST question. :-)

[jlaurson]

Quick answers:

Jens, when I heard Fröst do the Nielsen with Ashkenazy last year, he played a beautiful impromptu encore.

Does he have plans to record a solo recital album, perhaps including improvisations?

Thanks.

Yes, it's already planned. It will be around the theme of dance, apparently... and include lots of encore pieces. Perhaps not improvisations, since the point of those is 'the moment'...

I'd love to ask Martin Fröst whether or not he uses circular breathing techniques.  If he does, how does he feel it enhances his performance, and with which composers is it most useful?

He does, and he doesn't even think about using them... wherever a phrase demands it or would be enhanced by it, he applies it, although he also "enjoys breathing normally". He uses it extensively in a new performance-art piece (the Hillborg Concerto) and yesterday, for example, in the Kegelstatt Trio in the last movement.

[Renfield]

Yes, it's already planned. It will be around the theme of dance, apparently... and include lots of encore pieces. Perhaps not improvisations, since the point of those is 'the moment'...

Hurray!

[jlaurson]

Hurray!

He played one of those improvisations, tonight. Improvisation on the notes B-flat, A, C, B (BACH). Sounded like an amalgam of the Carter and Mozart concertos he had played before.

[Bunny]

I'd love to ask Martin Fröst whether or not he uses circular breathing techniques.  If he does, how does he feel it enhances his performance, and with which composers is it most useful?

Quick answers:

He does, and he doesn't even think about using them... wherever a phrase demands it or would be enhanced by it, he applies it, although he also "enjoys breathing normally". He uses it extensively in a new performance-art piece (the Hillborg Concerto) and yesterday, for example, in the Kegelstatt Trio in the last movement.

Many thanks!