Enter Alan Gilbert - Page 3

The New York Philharmonic chose a relative unknown as their new chief conductor. Just before he took up the baton, Alan Gilbert talked to James Inverne about his plans

Alan Glibert - photo Chris Lee

Alan Glibert conducts the New York Philharmonic - photo Chris Lee

It’s not really intended as a criticism of the Maazel years – that would be very un‑Gilbertian – but rather the idea that the Philharmonic has not adapted to modern life the way some other institutions, and indeed other art forms, have. “We don’t have our shark in formaldehyde yet,” he jokes, referring to the controversial Damien Hirst artwork that helped to kick-start today’s thriving visual arts scene. “The challenge for orchestras,” he explains, “is to be flexible in adapting to new ways of presenting and even of conceiving what art is, while remaining true to the idea of what an orchestra is. Because I still think, and I’ve never been accused of being a traditionalist in this way, that what orchestras do has fundamentally not changed and should not change. That is to say, play music, in a hall, for a live audience.

“That said, it’s clearly not enough these days. There’s nothing wrong with the product, with the music and the performances, so it is superficial elements – without minimising their importance – that need to be considered. Should we consider certain venues? Should we stream live on the internet? Should we have our own record label? These things are important, if not ultimately game-changing.”

Aspects of the game have changed though. Music education has been whittled away, I observe, as has media coverage, so that orchestras can no longer take some level of knowledge or even interest for granted. He grimaces in agreement. “Right. So we’re going to try different things. The education department is ever expanding, bringing music to places where they often wouldn’t have the resources to take the kids to the hall, as well as programmes for young composers here and abroad.

“Besides that, the festival model is important to us. Each year segments of the regular season become mini-festivals – in my first year Valery Gergiev will be conducting a Stravinsky festival. That should be a powerful experience and these sorts of things can be destination events. Museums are a big source of inspiration. People are talking about falling numbers and decreasing arts patronage, yet museums are in their heyday right now. You go there and you see families dragging their kids.”

Now Gilbert is more animated, the light of excitement in his eyes. “You know, people look at art and understand that you can just react to it, even if it’s to say, ‘My five year-old can do that.’ Somehow they don’t feel the same freedom to react personally or spontaneously to music. They think that it’s esoteric or requires training to understand. I want to use the platform I’ve been given to talk about the fact that you can react just as innocently as you can to a painting. That’s an important perception.”

Thus New Yorkers can expect to see Gilbert giving short talks and introductions during concerts. He’s also a great believer in building relationships to increase understanding, so Magnus Lindberg is to be the orchestra’s composer-in-residence. Which means what, exactly? “It means he’s around,” replies Gilbert. “The ‘in residence’ part is key. We wanted someone who can write music that is worth hearing, and who is committed to training composers, to education, to advocacy. Lindberg knows the scene, his tentacles are out there, he’s been guest professor at Harvard, he’s an incredibly compelling speaker.”

He’s not American. “There was a faction who wanted an American composer,” Gilbert concedes, “but finally getting the right person was more important.” During his two-year term, Lindberg, explains the conductor, will work closely with composers in a new music series called Contact. “He will become our champion of new music.”
If Lindberg is a new kind of voice for the Philharmonic, another artist-in-residence, Thomas Hampson, is an old favourite. “He’s a great artist,” says an admiring Gilbert, “a real scholar and deeply passionate about the music he sings. He’s been involved in his American song project and is very aware of a body of music, American art songs, that I know almost nothing about. He’ll be feeding that into what we do as well as working with young singers and helping young conductors understand how to work with singers. That in its way is a fresh approach.”

As much as what has happened on the concert platform, the Philharmonic has made news in recent years with its international touring, not least the controversial visit to North Korea. Did Gilbert approve? “Absolutely!”
Is such cultural diplomacy a serious mission for the future? Would, for instance, the Phil visit Syria? Iran? He hesitates, knowing this is sensitive and difficult ground. “I absolutely approve of cultural diplomacy. But we’re not going around looking for political hotspots. I don’t think of the Philharmonic as a political organisation. On the other hand, culture is a very natural way to extend a hand. Music is not burdened with political baggage and I hope people see these offers of goodwill as non-political. The idea is to engage audiences and if there is a crack in the political door that is partly attributable to what the Phil has done, great. But there isno agenda.”