Catching up with Paavo

So, last week I sat down with CSO music director Paavo Jarvi in his office at Music Hall, just to see how things are going, mid-year. He was getting ready to conduct Bruckner's Ninth, and had only slept six hours in two nights because his children have colds. (Can any of you relate to that?)

Here are some of his thoughts:

On playing a benefit concert for Lakota schools: I loved it for two reasons, No. 1 because it helps the music programs. And when I was in Florida on my break, I actually saw them. I saw the parade on television, which was great. But I think the bigger picture of supporting music in schools is important.

The second reason, is because it was packed with people. You know that feeling of playing when a hall is packed with people? And that seldom happens in Music Hall. You just felt close to people who were very enthusiastic. They were there for the right reasons, and a lot of them were there for the very first time.

On taking the orchestra out of Music Hall more often: If it was up to me, we would be out in the community much more. ... One needs to develop a connection. We have some interesting possibilities a couple of hours outside of Cincinnati, for instance. I live right next to Kentucky and I have never performed in my life in Kentucky. To me that seems so obvious, going to a neighboring state which is practically connected, and culturally so connected to us. It should be quite natural.

No sleep with kids: I'm not complaining at all. It's just that we have a 1½-year-old and a 4-year-old. Both girls, and they are both very strong personalities. And everything that the older one is doing, the younger one is imitating. The older one is getting all those brilliant things from the Montessori school, her kindergarten and comes up with all sorts of funny things. ... It's a very interesting age, because you can see a real person coming out of that innocence.

How do you play dad and play maestro -- and mentally prepare to conduct Bruckner? It's a good question, because one of the most difficult things for me to change is the mindset that I have been used to for years and years before I had children. I used to take on a lot of new work, not only in terms of concerts but in new repertoire. Because I love learning and I love discovering, and I feel that that's one of the great joys in my life.

It's not difficult for me, but it's very time-consuming. I need a lot of time. With a Bruckner symphony, you can't really learn a Bruckner symphony. You get to know it somewhat and then the journey starts.

And if you have children at home, you think, well now I will go home and simply say, OK, now I will spend at least one hour with them. ... You have to be very clever in juggling; they need to have the same color cups, they need to have the same spoons. It's very charming. But then when they go to sleep, I stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning, just studying.

To me, it's not a question of playing a father – I love nothing more than being a father.

But on the other hand, I sometimes am overly confident in my ability to learn completely. Music with the depth of a Bruckner symphony, you have to learn slowly, you have to take your time, you have to do your homework in order to get into the piece.

Watch for Paavo's thoughts on rehearsal technique and programming, coming next on this blog!