A classic night out
What’s more atmospheric than 18th century classics performed by candlelight? As the Mozart Festival Orchestra heads to Cardiff this weekend, we speak to conductor and violinist David Juritz Q: The Four Seasons is always featuring in charts of most popular classical works – why do you think that is?
A: Because it deserves to be there. Vivaldi uses a pretty basic ‘formula’, the baroque concerto, one for each season.
So we’ve got four concertos, three movements each, none of which is longer than around four minutes. Most composers would be pretty limited by that but Vivaldi creates these incredibly vivid scenes; a farmer trying to grab an afternoon nap while his dog barks; that incredible storm in summer; and even binge drinking!
Vivaldi packs a fantastic amount into each and every movement and the contrast and colour he gets from a simple string band is astonishing.
Q: Why does performing The Four Seasons provide so much enjoyment?
A: You know, a lot of the time, when you play one of the great classical composers, you’re given the score and you have this kind of responsibility to stay absolutely true to the composer’s intentions.
It’s like they’re only lending you the music. Vivaldi, on the other hand, gives you a present. He says, ‘Ok. This is a hunt. You’ve got guys on horseback, snarling dogs, guns and a stag.
It’s all yours.’ – and you get to go off and have fun with that. You really can do your own thing.
Q: Does it feel different performing the programme of classical favourites in period costume as opposed to normal orchestra attire?
A: It feels warmer – that’s for sure! But the costumes look great and really do set a sense of style. And that’s not only from the audiences
point of view. The musicians really play up to the wigs and frock-coats so on stage it never feels just like a normal concert. Q: How many times have you performed the works as the soloist?
A: Shall I just say a few times? I’ve been touring the Four Seasons with the same group every autumn for quite a few years now. They’re an amazing group of players individually and, because everyone knows the music inside out, we don’t have to tie ourselves down to one particular interpretation. If someone feels like doing something different on the spur of the moment we just do it.
Q: As a professional musician how many hours a day do you put aside for practising?
A: On a good day I like to do at least three to four hours practising.
That doesn’t include rehearsing with other people and, of course with travelling and life in general, it can be hard to find the time.
I even take a fiddle on holiday with me now, partly to keep myself in shape, but also because I really love spending an hour or so working on things- there’s always something new to learn. Q: If you hadn’t been a professional violinist, what career do you think you would have taken up?
A: My dad was a physicist and my son recently completed his physics degree. There might be a clue there. I was also interested in architecture before I was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. Q: What advice would you give a young musician who has aspirations to become a professional member of an orchestra?
A: Think very carefully about it. I wouldn’t want to do anything else myself but these days music can be very hard work and musicians suffer from exactly the same insecurity felt by so many people in work.
There’s also a lot of competition with and it takes a long time to train to a professional level so you need to be very determined to get there.
Remember why you want to go into music (clue – it isn’t for the money).
One of the best pieces of advice I ever had was someone who told me, ‘Always know, when you close your front door, why you’re going to work.’ OK.
So some days it might be to pay the mortgage but, if you know you’re doing that, you also know that it is your decision and that makes it much easier to get through a particularly slow rehearsal.
There are a lot of positives though. Musicians are a great bunch of people to hang out with, there’s a lot of variety in the work and it can be a great way to see the world. Of course, the music is pretty good too.
If you’ve decided it’s definitely what you want to do my best advice is to practise slowly, never stop working on your scales and always have a metronome close by. ■ David Juritz was born in Cape Town, South Africa and began learning the violin at the age of five. He has become established as one of the most versatile violinists currently working in the UK, dividing his time between solo performances, directing, chamber music and working as guest-leader with major orchestras in the UK and abroad. David plays on a violin made by J.B. Guadagnini in Piacenza, Italy, in 1748.