"Creativity plays, of course, a crucial role for a conductor. [...] By reading the musical score, conductors begin the eternal conversation with composers, going very often beyond time and space." - Kazushi Ono
Creativity and inspiration are mysterious forces. What sparks inspiration, and when does it disappear? And how do you find creative ways to work with a score that's over a hundred years old? The answer is personal, varying from one composer, musician, or conductor to another. In the case of Gustav Mahler's Third Symphony, he composed the piece under specific circumstances. He withdrew to Steinbach am Attersee, an idyllic spot in the Alps near Salzburg, where he could compose in complete peace and quiet. He went on long walks in the mountains, drawing inspiration from nature and noting the musical ideas that came to him in little sketchbooks.
Mahler's symphony is a powerful source of inspiration, and the same goes for our music director, Kazushi Ono. On September 28, he will take the stage at Flagey to conduct the majestic Third Symphony. Curious about his thoughts on creativity and inspiration, we discovered that, like Mahler, Ono also finds deep inspiration in nature and his environment. Explore his insights on inspiration and creativity in the interview below.
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live in concert
experience Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 live with the Brussels Philharmonic and Kazushi Ono during the concert Mahler 3
[info & tickets]
[read also: programme notes]
[read also: Voice of Illumination]
[discover also: Mahler Deconstructed]
[discover also: Close Encounters]
What do creativity and inspiration mean to you?
Creativity plays, of course, a crucial role for a conductor. Contrary to a composer, however, a conductor’s creativity should not spread freely beyond the score with the purpose of self-display. Conductors always need to keep in mind, that we are as loyal as possible to the score, loyal to the composer’s intention, loyal to what composers intend to transmit to the audience. We are, so to say, spiritual mediums and creativity should be shown in this way. By reading the musical score, conductors begin the eternal conversation with composers, going very often beyond time and space and of course in person in the case of our contemporary composers.
When you find yourself in a creative rut, what do you do?
Close to my home in Brussels there are beautiful parks and lakes. Not far from my home there is Forêt de Soignes. I always enjoy taking a walk in this beautiful nature nearby, listening to the birdsong or the rippling of the leaves, feeling the breeze, sometimes even enjoying being caught by a sudden “drache” in Belgium.
Are there particular conditions that are essential for your work process?
I play the piano when I read the scores. To imagine the spirit of the time, in which composers lived, I read the novels or see the paintings of their time. For example, in order to understand “Zeitgeist” of Mahler’s time, I see the paintings of his contemporary Gustav Klimt, Maximilian Lenz, enjoy the architecture of Otto Wagner or Josef Hoffmann (I always admire Palais Stoclet from Avenue Tervuren on my way home from Flagey!).
In addition to understanding Mahler, I read the novels of Dostoevsky or Goethe, whom Mahler is said to have been a devoted reader of. Apart from the dialogues through the musical score, these activities help me to have a broader viewpoint towards the piece and background of the composition.
Do you have quirky habits or rituals in the preparation of a concert or a score?
Before the concert (or rehearsal) I repeat the music again and again in my head, wherever I am, whether on the metro or at the crossing. Therefore, to unwind myself, I take a hot bath (Japanese habit) with relaxing bath oils.
Are there particular pieces of music that consistently inspire you?
Conductors would say, that they love the music they have in front of themselves at that moment.
Therefore as for myself, I would say, Mahler 3.
What is to you one the most memorable concerts you’ve ever conducted and why?
Mahler's Fifth Symphony at the Inauguration of Brussels Philharmonic is of course a memorable concert, since it was an encounter with the orchestra and the audience. At the same time it was for me “homecoming” to Brussels after La Monnaie.
In my career there are some of the unforgettable concerts: Mahler Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra in 1992. It was during the war and the city was under blackout. However musicians and the audience shared the moment of prayer together in the hall. Similar experience I had with the same symphony was in 2011 in Tokyo after the Great East Japan Earthquake with Tokyo Philharmonic. The hall was filled with the prayer for the afflicted through the music. These were the moments that made me think, music is essential for us confronting difficulties, giving the energy to go forward for the future.