Since January 2016, Alain Altinoglu has been chief conductor at the Muntschouwburg and in this book he tells about his work. Next Sunday, on February 4, he will also conduct a family concert in BOZAR with the symphonic suite Shehérazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Specially for young people (and their parents), not only is the story told, but also what function the instruments have in it. The narrator is Filip Jordens.
Conducting is a passion for me! - with an exclamation mark. That is what Alain Altinoglu claims in the introduction to the book MAESTRO muziek! De dirigent aan het werk. He has been conducting since he was 25 years old and is an engaged teacher of orchestral conducting at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Parijs. Who better than he can explain what "conductor" means?
In 2015 his career accelerated with performances in the operas of München, Parijs, Londen and in Bayreuth. Very early on in his training as an accompanying pianist he learns that every instrumentalist has specific problems. Those of a clarinetist are not the same as those of an oboist. It has allowed him to understand what a musician expects from a conductor. With a mother who was a piano teacher, he learned to read notes before letters. He has always returned to the piano, because a conductor has no direct contact with the sound, however much influence he has on it. Collaborating with Pierre Boulez, Georges Prêtre and Dennis Russell Davies gave him the desire to become a conductor himself. Via a substitution in Montpellier he comes to the attention of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlijn. The offers he receives there mark the beginning of his international career.
Being the boss with a baton or toothpick …
No better musician then to guide the young musically-interested crowd into the fascinating world of a conductor. What does he do and what is his relationship with the composition and with the musicians who perform it. In simple and clear language, and with lively examples, it is explained in the book MAESTRO, to which Altinoglu contributed and in each chapter tells his own story from practice. The book begins with a brief look back at music history to discover when the "conductor" made his entry and why. It also addresses different aspects of conducting (preparation, study of the score, interpretation), on the sometimes coinciding roles of composer and conductor, about "permanent" and "guest" conductors. Some names of great conductors from music history fall, and their influence on "their" orchestra, such as Furtwängler, Toscanini, Karajan, Barenboim. It is about being "boss," but also about mutual influence and talent. Of course, the conducting baton is mentioned, with a nice (but painful!) anecdote about Lully and the tiny baton of Gergiev. About the tradition of the "penguin" suit, the meaning of gestural language, the positioning of the musicians. Striking in the layout of the book is the literally black page: Where are the women?! With the encouraging assertion that they are on the rise …
MAESTRO muziek! is a comprehensible and fun little book full of interesting facts for young (classical) music lovers. The illustrations are striking, colorful and funny. And the compilers have also provided a handy word and name list. An absolute must-read. The book will be available after the family concert on February 4 at 11am in BOZAR and Altinoglu will be present to sign copies. The duration of the concert is approximately 1 hour, the ticket price 30 euros. Tickets available via this link. Young people up to 15 years of age get free seating in the red velvet.
- WHAT: MAESTRO muziek! De dirigent aan het werk.
- WHO: Ira Imig, Chantal Lamarque. Illustrations Bruno Gibert. In collaboration with Alain Altinoglu.
- PUBLICATION: Borgerhoff & Lamberigts in collaboration with De Munt