KATRINE GISLINGE, MOMENTOPNAME OKTOBER 2016

 

Where are you at the moment?

 

At home. I live in Copenhagen.


What’s on your schedule right now? 

I have some concerts in Paris, - then a break and then I’m going to perform in Florida, USA


If you hadn’t chosen for music, what do you think you would do right now? 

I would have been a philosophier.

What or who was your biggest influence as an artist?

 

Vladimir Horowitz and Martha Argerich

What’s the hardest part about being a musician and what’s the best?
The pressure, - the nerves, - the traveling, - the best is, - the high quality of music that you practice and live with every day.


What’s your view on the classical music scene at present? Is there a crisis?

I haven’t noticed any crisis, - I hope there will always be room for top quality music.

Some feel there is no need to record classical music any more, that it’s all been done before. What do you tell them?

Everytime you play a piece of music it’s new, - and everybody plays in different ways, - so if you are talented and can bring something personal to the music, - why not record it.

What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage? 

A live performance is “a live”, - you should be able to feel what the pianist feels, - and he/she should be able to ‘feel’ the audience, - that is a great feeling.

What does the word “interpretation” mean to you?

To move the music from the score and out to the audience via the performer, - so I don’t like people who just want to do “what the composer intended”, - first of all, - nobody really knows and secondly, you must bring something of your self to make it interesting for the listener.

How do you balance the need to  put your personal emotions into the music you play and the intentions of the composer?

I don’t think you can come up with at percentage, - if you have talent you will know.

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

True, - in the way that I think you will get so much more out of it if you are used to concentrate and listen to classical music, - false, - in the way that all great composers have something for everybody to enjoy, - the most difficult is to make a person listen the first time, - I guess.

You are given the position of artistic director of a concert hall. What would be on your program for this season?

That’s a difficult question, - depending on the budget I would try to get quality and not quantity, - and maybe also some concerts for people who would like to know classical music, - Give Concerts for children etc.
But first of all, - top quality and maybe also some of the best local musicians.

How would you describe the relationship with your instrument?

HEHE, - I love my Steinway because it delivers, - it’s hard to play well on the piano so you have to have a top instrument, - I mean, - why make it more difficult. I had a Fazzioli before, - but it just didn’t do it for me, - I guess I’m too much in love with the the tone of a Steinway.

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

Simply: no.

 

About your recordings

 

Nørgård: Grooving; Turn; Unfolding; Schumann: Kreisleriana op. 16. Katrine Gislinge. Danacord DACOCD 741 (63’29”). 2013

 

Katrine Gislinge: Schumann: Arabeske in C op.18; Kinderszenen op. 15; Schubert: Impromptu’s in Es op. 90/2, D. 899/2 en in Ges op. 90/3, D.899/3; Mozart: Rondo in D KV 485; Beethoven: Bagatellen in D op. 33/6, in A op. 33/4; Für Elise in a WoO. 59; Mendelssohn: Lied ohne Worte in C op. 67/4; Chopin: Nocturnes in b op. 9/1 en in Es op. 9/1; Wals in Des op. 64/1; Mazurka in g op. 67/2; Fantaisie-impromptu in cis op. 66. Philips 534.333-2 (        ) 1996.

 

Kodaly: Pianosonate op. 4; Janáček: Pohadka; Bartók: Rapsodieën nr. 1 en 2. Henrik Brendstrup (vc) en Katherine Gislinge. Kontrapunkt  KON 32217 (      ). 1994 

 

A truly special and very unique recording of two like-minded composers. The fantastic Schumann Kreisleriana, one of the most impressive of his piano works is set up against three of Danish composer Per Nørgård’s most reflective piano works. The last work, Unfolding, is dedicated to Katrine Gislinge, who has firmly established herself as one of Scandinavia’s most significant pianists performing both solo and chamber music concerts throughout Europe.

 

There seems to be a mini-trend afoot to pair repertoire classics with contemporary music inspired by or modeled on specific masterworks. I have documented this in recordings of Bach and Tiensuu, and Schubert and Kurtág. You have to wonder if the contemporary artist is either very brave or overloaded with chutzpah; what sane composer would Read more mano a mano with Bach, Schubert, or in the case of this recording, Schumann? I get it; this not a competition. These are homages, modern interpretations of classic visions. But Schumann’s Kreisleriana is such a singularly personal artistic manifesto that I question the wisdom of attempting to reflect, in a direct sense, this iconic masterpiece. 

I would not have gone this far in the discussion were it not for the magnetic piano playing of Katrine Gislinge. Her Schumann playing is wonderful, displaying a head-long immersion into his weird, yet magical world. She has an uncanny sense for the momentum of the music, which she expresses not just with a superb rhythmic flexibility, but in a broad view of the dynamic peaks and valleys of the whole work. Just to make sure I was not being swept away by the moment, I listened to several other performances of Kreisleriana , including those of Claudio Arrau, Alberto Reyes, and Cynthia Raim. Gislinge is easily in this class, sharing this distinguished group’s natural feel for the bold poetry of the music. 

The CD includes a transcript of an interview between the pianist and the composer Per Nørgård, whose music Gislinge champions. It is often an interesting discussion, and her view of the Schumann as “constantly fluctuating between idyll and catastrophe” is beautifully expressed in her playing. I cannot, however, share her sense for the connection between the music of Schumann and Nørgård, and the composer’s comments offer little to support her contention. Yes, the two composers share a certain darkness of mood, but Schumann has a vastly more complete view of his art. I was baffled by Nørgård’s statement that “Schumann has some wonderful melodies, but when you look at them more closely they are not actually real melodies, because they never get that far.” This is both absurd and ironic, since Nørgård’s Scandinavian Minimalism is starved of melody, unless you are prone to whistle two and three note patterns that repeat themselves over and over again. 

Pairing these composers had the opposite effect on me to the one intended by Gislinge. Schumann’s genius overwhelms the music of Nørgård, making it seem puny by comparison. I imagine that I would find the music far more interesting on its own. That said, I would still recommend this release solely on the strength of Gislinge’s powerful Schumann playing. 

 

 

Per Nørgård is one of Scandinavia’s senior composers, having turned 80 last year (2012). As The Guardian’s music critic pointed out, he is a musician who relates to both Sibelius and to the South Parkmovie score. His music is adventurous, imaginative and powerful. Norgärd has successfully transcended the dominance of various schools of music over the decades and has created a realm that is entirely his own. Major influences include Jean Sibelius, the avant-garde ‘scene’ of the nineteen-sixties, folk-music and Eastern philosophy. He has written in most genres, including symphonies, operas, film music, chamber works and piano pieces. His works are journeys of sound that explore a pluralistic world of textures, harmonies and melodic adventures. His music is approachable even to listeners who claim not to ‘do modern music’. I find his style refreshing and challenging when heard amongst much of the anodyne post-minimalism that calls itself ‘contemporary’. 
  
Grooving was composed during 1967-8 and was written for Mrs. Elizabeth Klein who gave the work’s premiere. Unconventionally, the piece was dedicated to the composer himself (My inner self). To the ’sixties generation, ‘grooving’ means having a good time, ‘digging’ ‘getting on down’ or ‘chillin’’; it was originally an African-American euphemism for sex. None of these definitions applies to Nørgård’s work - this is an introverted, meditative piece that creates a timeless mood. 
  
Turn was written in 1973 and was once again given its first performance by Elizabeth Klein. Nørgård has reworked the success of Grooving although here the mood is much more proactive. I understand thatTurn was originally conceived for the clavichord. It was deemed to be one of several preliminary studies for his Third Symphony. The work makes early use of Nørgård’s own ‘infinity series’ which is a development of Schoenberg’s system. There is nothing difficult to understand in this piece. It is full of arpeggios and is sometimes downright romantic-sounding. Turn is a great introduction to this composer’s music. 
  
Nørgård’s final offering is his late Unfolding which was written for, and dedicated to, Katrine Gislinge. It is based on a melody that the composer finds ‘quite magical’. He suggests that the construction of this contemplative piece is a balance between its ‘mathematical dimension, but also a sensuousness’. The stylistic references are impossible to pin down: this is timeless and universal. It was composed in 2012. 
  
Katrine Gislinge is a Danish pianist who has established herself as a major performer in Scandinavia and further afield. She has given many solo recitals throughout Europe and has also specialised in playing chamber music. Gislinge has appeared at many music events including the London City Festival. She has featured in a handful of CDs including chamber works by Kodály and contemporary Danish composers. 
  
The recording is ideal. Much of this music is warm, and the engineers have reflected this disposition in the chosen ambience. Nevertheless, I have a few reservations about the liner-notes. The cover picture is in my opinion, hardly flattering. The combination of a small orange font on a brown background does not make for easy reading. The liner-notes are presented in Danish and English, but are printed in such a tiny font that I was unable or unwilling to study them. This is a pity, as they take the form of an interview between Per Nørgård and the pianist in which they discuss the concept of the album. I had to use a magnifying glass to scan this interview, just to check I was not missing any great revelations ... and my eyes are not too bad for a fifty-something. Lastly, I feel that Danacord could have squeezed a couple more numbers onto this CD; 62 minutes is just a wee bit mean. 
  
The programming of Kreisleriana and Nørgård’s three pieces was a happy choice. They share internal contrasting moods and are fundamentally reflective. This introspection does not mask considerable invention, conflicting emotions and a successful pianistic style. As far as the Schumann goes, it will remain, alongside Horowitz, as my preferred Kreisleriana for some time to come.