Mad About Music Archive

July 2008

Valery Gergiev

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Few conductors have exploded on the global scene as Valery Gergiev has in the past 10 years. He has rebuilt his Kirov Opera and was appointed as principal conductor of the London Symphony and principal guest conductor at the Met, where he introduced neglected Russian operas. And his performances of the mainstream symphonic repertory have been acclaimed by the critics for his idiomatic and highly personal interpretations. In this wide ranging interview, with host Gilbert Kaplan (first aired in 2003), Valery Gergiev talks with remarkable candor about the challenges of conducting:

-How difficult it is to measure up to the legendary maestros of the past.

-Why conductors must never let an orchestra know he hates the music he is performing.

-If conductors are honest they will admit that only a small portion of their performances are really "good, important or successful."