A Little More About Daniele Gatti

Further to my post below about Gatti's debut concert as Musical Director of the Orchestre national de France:  I just picked up the September issue of Le Monde de la musique.  This is the first time I've seen this magazine.  I'm quite impressed by it so far, and I'm not even half way through.

There's a brief interview with Daniele Gatti, where he talks a bit about how his learning to love music through his parents, and how he chose to become a conductor.  Apparently he likes to build model ships as well.  He's got a five-year deal with the ONF, and has an interesting programming idea.  Gatti would like to do a Beethoven cycle over five concerts, but with a brand new work, commissioned by the orchestra, sandwiched in between two symphonies on each program.  Sounds pretty cool to me, although I'd hate to be the composer surrounded by all that Beethoven.  Gatti also complements his predecessor, Kurt Masur, for helping to restore the orchestra's luster.  Sounds a little like what they said about Masur's contribution in New York.

In any case, he also made an interesting comment about why he sought the new gig. Gatti has been the principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London since 1996, and has been doing the lion's share of conducting for at least the last six years.  According to the interview, taking the job with the ONF was not a difficult choice:

"After thirteen years in London, I felt the need to work with an orchestra where the musicians aren't constantly changing, to build a season over the long term, to think about thematic programs.  In London, this isn't possible:  one had to sell each program and the competitions with the other groups is tough."

The above is my translation from the original.  In that last line about competition, Gatti says he had to compete with the other "formations", and uses the French word "rude" to describe it.  I chose to translate it here as "tough", but it can also mean "harsh" in this context.  Interesting, indeed.

In an interview in The Guardian a few years ago, Bernard Haitink had this to say about the London scene:

"That's really a difficult situation," he reflects, "because London has a pool of musicians that is unique. Boulez says you can do what you want in London, because for every piece there are always musicians who can play it. The tragedy is the way orchestras have to operate. Concert life just survives by the skin of its teeth. The whole life in London, I don't have to tell you, is so difficult. Nearly inhuman. Not much pay. Terrible pressure. Managers of orchestras need all the time to raise the money and can't concentrate on musical standards. The players are incredible. It's the survival of the fittest.

"It is tragic that London doesn't have a really good hall, and that it doesn't just have two well-established orchestras that don't have to fight for their lives. But I think it will never change, that's the sad thing. The political agenda is not interested. Nevertheless one can do extraordinary things."

That probably sums it up pretty well.  There are five big orchestras in London, and massive amounts of other ensembles.  Many of them share players from a larger pool of freelancers.  Something like 44% of all musicians' union members in the UK work in the London area.  The RPO has fixed membership, on paper anyway.  But there's always change going on under the surface.   And it's not just in London, either:  all of Britain runs that way.  For those not familiar with this kind of scenario, this "About Orchestras" page from the Association of British Orchestras website will be a bit of an eye opener.

Daniele Gatti is probably happy to leave all that.  Best of luck to him at the ONF.