‘Music is my profession, passion’
World-renowned cellist Mischa Maisky, 71, will return to Korea for a series of concerts in three cities this week with one of the oldest orchestras in Europe, the Swissbased Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur, founded in 1875, and currently led by conductor and violinist Zehetmair.
Maisky and the orchestra’s concert tour will start at the Gangneung Arts Center in the nation’s eastern Gangwon Province, Thursday, followed by a performance at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, Friday, and in the Daegu Concert House, Saturday.
The program consists of Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A Minor Op.129, Bruch’s “Kol Nidrei,” Op. 47, as well as Beethoven’s stupendous fifth symphony, or so-called “Fate.” During a recent e-mail interview with The Korea Times, Maisky talked about the repertoire for this tour, his special connection with Korea, his ongoing projects and more.
“Schumann’s Cello Concerto is I believe the most beautiful cello concerto, even though in my opinion, it is most difficult cello concerto,” Maisky wrote. “But it is a great challenge every time I play this wonderful piece. But I obviously love it very much, as I recorded it twice.”
Maisky first recorded the concerto back in 1985 with the late maestro Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; and the second recording was in 1997 with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
“First one was with the Vienna Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein, and I recorded again with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra without conductor. It was such a different experience. This time I’m going to play with a wonderful chamber orchestra: a small orchestra from Winterthur, Switzerland. And the conductor is Thomas Zehetmair, who is my oldest friend and also my favorite musician, a wonderful, very special young man. We used to play chamber music together since many years ago, and I played with him as a conductor already before several times. So I’m very much looking forward to play that piece,” he continued.
Regarding the charms of Bruch’s’ “Kol Nidrei,” one of the other pieces that Maisky will present to Korean audiences, he responded that he hopes people come to the concerts and directly listen to the work, which is very dear and special to him.
“The Bruch’s Kol Nidrei of course is a short piece but very special piece. For me, it’s not my profession to talk about music, because English is not my first language, and Russian is not your first language. It’s not my best language, so I hope that my best language is the language of music. And I can answer this question by explaining everything what I feel, laugh, and understand about this beautiful music through my playing,” he wrote.
The cello master in his 70s has been giving concerts in Korea frequently over the past few decades, and is now one of the most wellknown cellists here. Not only do Korean audiences love this gracious cellist, but he also boasts about his proud Korean pupil, cellist and conductor Han-Na Chang, the artistic leader and chief conductor at the Trondheim Symfoniorkester in Norway, whom he calls his musical daughter.
“I’ve been coming to Korea regularly since 1988, I believe. More than 30 years. Every time it was an absolutely wonderful experience. Because of the wonderful audience, people in general, beautiful country, wonderful food and hospitality,” Maisky said.
“And of course I do have a very special connection with Korea because, even though I don’t really teach normally, but still I have one student in my life. And it is absolutely Korean cellist Han-Na Chang, who became fantastic conductor in the meantime. So I was very happy to play as a soloist with her conducting, already several times and next year. You know I have 6 children, my own children, but she is almost like an extra daughter for me. My musical daughter.”
Besides his concerts, Maisky has plenty of other ongoing projects, including an upcoming major tour with pianist Martha Argerich, one of the living legends in classical music.
“The most recent one is my latest recording ‘20th Century Classics’ which came out just a month ago, dedicated to one of my children. So now all 6 children have their own CDs,” he said. “And I have many plans left this year. First, a major tour with Martha Argerich, who is of course one of my favorite partners and friends whom I have been playing with for 44 years since we play regularly. And I’m planning to play the complete Bach suites with the Berlin Philharmonie ….. and some other places, which is a very special project and challenging but very exciting.
“Of course I’ll play more and more with my own children, like duos or trios with my oldest daughter Lily and oldest son Sascha. And now my 15-year-old son is studying music very seriously and starts playing together as well. So it’s very exciting that we can have big charity concert where four of my children participate in, and my wife as well in a very special occasion,” he said. His children Lily and Sascha are established professional musicians in their own right and the cellist sometimes plays with his children.
Maisky added that while he has other interests, his main focus is both his family and the music, which is his passion.
Despite his globe-trotting busy schedule, he is trying to juggle and balance his life between that of a star musician and a family man.
“I have big list of hobbies, but unfortunately in reality there’s no time for them. That’s my biggest problem,” he said.
He said he travels too much, and when he comes back home he tries to spend as much time as possible with his family, children and help his wife and participating in their daily activities because they have plenty of additional activities after school like music, football, tennis, swimming, ballet and many other things.
“So it’s a very busy schedule. And of course I do enjoy when I have a chance to watch some movies or to read books, but unfortunately, mostly it happens while traveling on airplanes. But even then I listen to lot of music while traveling. Because music is not only my profession but also my passion,” the cellist stressed,” he said.
“I have many dreams. But the most important thing is just to stay healthy to see my beautiful children growing and to be able to make music for many more years to come, hopefully together with my children.”