{"id":30704,"date":"2023-12-27T08:04:46","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T08:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/?p=30704"},"modified":"2024-01-03T11:21:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-03T11:21:38","slug":"ko-je-obcinstvo-v-transu-takrat-dozivijo-obcutek-katarzicnosti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/2023\/12\/27\/ko-je-obcinstvo-v-transu-takrat-dozivijo-obcutek-katarzicnosti\/","title":{"rendered":"When the audience is in a trance: &#8220;That is when they experience a sense of catharsis&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div id=\"ut-row-6aeccc988df13\" data-vc-full-width=\"true\" data-vc-full-width-init=\"false\" class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_column-gap-0 ut-row-6aeccc988df2e\" ><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\" ><div id=\"ut_inner_column_6aeccc988eec3\" class=\"vc_column-inner\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\r\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n\r\n    \r\n    #ut-empty-space-6aeccc988f193 {\r\n        height: 60px    }\r\n\r\n    \r\n        @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n        #ut-empty-space-6aeccc988f193 {\r\n        height: 60px;\r\n        display: block;\r\n    }\r\n    }\r\n    \r\n    \r\n    @media (max-width: 767px) {\r\n        #ut-empty-space-6aeccc988f193 {\r\n        height: 60px;\r\n        display: block;\r\n    }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    \r\n<\/style>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\" id=\"ut-empty-space-6aeccc988f193\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row-full-width vc_clearfix\"><\/div><div id=\"ut-row-6aeccc9890224\" data-vc-full-width=\"true\" data-vc-full-width-init=\"false\" class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_column-gap-0 ut-row-6aeccc9890237\" ><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-6\" ><div id=\"ut_inner_column_6aeccc9890e03\" class=\"vc_column-inner\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\r\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\r\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<p>Media: Zurnal24.si (other)<br \/>\nCredits: Sta\u0161a Pust<br \/>\nDate: Wed, 27 Dec 2023<br \/>\nLink: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zurnal24.si\/slovenija\/intervjuji\/dirigentka-tudi-o-tem-zakaj-pri-delu-ne-more-uporabljati-vsake-palicice-416417\">Conductor: &#8220;Right now Slovenia is intensively creating an encouraging environment&#8221; (zurnal24.si)<\/a><\/p>\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-6\" ><div id=\"ut_inner_column_6aeccc98916f6\" class=\"vc_column-inner\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\r\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\r\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<p>As part of the Podarimo sre\u010do project, we spoke with a Slovenian conductor who says that, despite its demands, her work makes her happy.<\/p>\n<p>As is now tradition, the 7th Winter Festival organised by the Ljubljana Festival will also feature the Slovenian Youth Orchestra under the baton of conductor \u017diva Ploj Per\u0161uh. Our interviewee is one of the few women conductors in Slovenia, though she does not like to put this in the foreground. For her, the main criterion is a job well done \u2013 work that is highly specific and demands a great deal of responsibility.<\/p>\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row-full-width vc_clearfix\"><\/div><div id=\"ut-row-6aeccc9892337\" data-vc-full-width=\"true\" data-vc-full-width-init=\"false\" class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_column-gap-0 ut-row-6aeccc9892342\" ><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\" ><div id=\"ut_inner_column_6aeccc989292b\" class=\"vc_column-inner\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\r\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\r\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"dc-text-paragraph\">\n<p>No, conducting is not just waving your arms about. &#8220;Being a conductor above all combines a mission, an artistic vision and artistic values. In the broadest definition, we conductors connect musicians with the audience and vice versa,&#8221; explains the conductor when we meet at Kri\u017eanke, where she often performs. Although, because of her profession, music accompanies her almost everywhere and makes her happy in all its fullness, it is silence that leaves room for enjoyment and a field for creativity: &#8220;I enjoy myself most when I have time to let my thoughts go. Only when I am in complete solitude and silence do new ideas and visions begin to trickle in, which I then bring out into the open.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>You have chosen a profession that is not exactly common here. Why is that?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think the profession found me rather than the other way round. I am not one of those people who knew at the age of three what they would be when they grew up. Because of my work and involvement in music when I was younger, I returned to music as an adult \u2013 first as a musicology student and later studying conducting abroad.<\/p>\n<p><strong> How do you deal with the fact that you are one of the few women conductors in Slovenia? Have you had to prove yourself even more on your career path because of it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>From a lay perspective the profession may indeed not be so common among women, but in the wider world it is becoming entirely normal for women to stand on the conductor's podium and take on the role of leader in a musical sense. In my work I try above all simply to be a conductor, and I prefer to avoid the label 'woman conductor'. If we want to present the profession as one of equals, we need to start talking only about conducting \u2013 about practising this kind of artistic profession and the values that go with it. I prefer to talk about whether the work has been done well. I admit, though, that as on any other professional path, certain hurdles do arise. They have never, however, put me off doing my job with joy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the biggest misconceptions the public has about your profession?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Conducting is an extremely complex profession, as it combines things people would not think of. It is not merely waving your arms and making music with your hands. Those &#8216;Wikipedia-style&#8217; descriptions really sell it short. Being a conductor above all combines a mission, an artistic vision and artistic values. In the broadest definition, we conductors connect musicians with the audience and vice versa.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So what does it mean to be a good conductor?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The easiest comparison for our work is organising a large complex operation: before we even set foot on stage, we have to learn the work and master it. We have to know what 250 people will be doing at every moment of the concert. We need to understand musical manoeuvres \u2013 what a musician can allow themselves along the way and how much freedom we can give them. At the same time we have to balance the timing, musical and stage components. It is not just about realising the ideas of a musical concept, but about knowing the people you work with very well, even if we have only just met them. We have to read the dynamics quickly and lead the rehearsals accordingly. We have to put the whole together in such a way that everyone involved feels they can give their very best. The conductor is the one who, in the moment of performance, draws the finest result from everyone involved. And we have to set this up so that the audience, too, is included in everything that happens.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So there is a great deal of work behind the scenes that the audience does not even know about &#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That's right. Although at first glance it may seem that the conductor is merely waving their arms, that manoeuvre carries years of study behind it. I can compare my profession with many other responsible professions, such as a pilot, who is responsible for the safety of 250 people on board while also having to plan the route as they go and adapt to the weather and other circumstances. Nor can just anyone be a cardiologist, however much knowledge they may have.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You conductors are also chiefly to blame if a concert lacks inspiration and cohesion. Am I wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Absolutely not. The responsibility consists of manoeuvring through the organisational process, the rehearsal process and the performance of a given work. The responsibility rests on our shoulders, as we conductors are the ones who make the final decisions. While leading the orchestra, we also have to think about the lighting, the set &#8230; It is a process you first imagine and then bring to life without words.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On the other hand, the feeling when the performers' energies merge into a unique artistic explosion is priceless. Do you ever find it hard to contain your excitement \u2013 does the music simply swallow you up?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Certainly. It is a very emotional process, which is also why this profession is so difficult. It is not only my own emotions that are involved, but also the emotions of everyone taking part. These can change from day to day, which can be quite exhausting. But it all pays off when we succeed and in the end receive that sense of triumph, or fulfilment. In the best moments, when everything falls into place and we align energetically with the audience, I feel extremely happy. Then your whole body tells you that we have succeeded, because the audience is in a trance too. That is precisely why working in the arts is so alluring and why people go to concerts. That is when they experience a sense of catharsis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The energy of an orchestra is surely a powerful life force and source of inspiration. Do you always need it, or do you sometimes prefer to switch to silence?\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All the time (laughs). Whenever I can, I listen to nothing at home and enjoy the silence. I enjoy myself most when I have time to let my thoughts go. Only when I am in complete solitude and silence do new ideas and visions begin to trickle in, which I then bring out into the open. If I listen to music, that is harder to do. It is true, though, that nowadays we are constantly at a concert, as we are surrounded by all sorts of noises and sounds almost everywhere we go.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your most faithful companion through all this is the baton. What kind of bond have the two of you developed?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The baton acts as an extension of my arm, which is very handy when working at a distance. Because it is white, it can be seen in many settings. Naturally, I prefer to conduct with my own batons, which mean a great deal to me, as they were given to me as gifts by people dear to me. I would find it hard to bond with a stick borrowed from just anyone. They differ greatly from one another, whether in weight, length, handles &#8230; In my entire career I have bought only one, which was exceptionally beautiful. It was wooden, and I broke it at the very first rehearsal when I tapped it on the stand and it instantly &#8216;flew off&#8217; in two pieces (laughs). A great deal of conducting is also done with the hands alone, for example when I have a smaller orchestra in front of me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You place great importance on working with young musicians. Does working with them require a different approach? Do you have to conduct with the baton more often?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I want to work with everyone in the same professional manner. That means I lead rehearsals in the same way and talk to them just as professionally as I do to older musicians. Over the years of working with them, it has been confirmed that they progress faster this way. If I see that they need further explanation or a conversation, I approach them after the rehearsal. The fact is that young people do not have much experience with conductors and first have to learn our gestures at all. It is a system you learn through practice, rather like learning the rules of the road.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you see differences among younger generations \u2013 is it perhaps harder today to inspire them with music than in the past?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I do not notice any difference between generations, which I attribute to the fact that young musicians are exceptionally particular people. They are very dedicated to this work and see it as their chosen path in life. This applies above all to those who cross the magic threshold from lower to secondary music school. The next stage after that is the Academy of Music.<br \/>\nThey are very serious and at the same time open to conversation. They want to learn more, so I have no trouble holding their attention. Their dedication to music is comparable to that of their peers in orchestras from other countries. We encourage them to be ambitious and to follow orchestras abroad. They need to be aware of how the arts market works elsewhere too. It is true, though, that amid this flood of information it is wise to steer them towards reliable sources.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you see the arts market in Slovenia?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here the arts market is very much oriented towards Central Europe. Because Slovenia is extremely small, it has to actively seek out a market comparable to itself. Despite our small size, however, we Slovenians are not used to going to look for information in countries where more is happening. Of course, this also depends on an individual's social environment and finances. I therefore urge young people to remember that musicians have always travelled, seeking out their influences and outlooks. An individual diligently gathers all this knowledge and packs it, as a whole, into their own bag.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is Slovenia an encouraging environment for young musicians, and does it offer them enough opportunities?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I believe that right now Slovenia is intensively creating an encouraging environment. I would give you the same answer in five years' time, as in the wider context things are changing in such a way that only our own initiative can save us. Slovenia in itself is no land of milk and honey for a career in music, but the same is true of other countries. Nor is it a given that all trained musicians will succeed at a professional level. My work rests on the conviction that every talented and hard-working musician deserves a high-quality career and, above all, the chance to fulfil their life's mission. Above all, it is essential to connect actively with all stakeholders in the music sector and in this way find opportunities to work successfully.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is quality music still regarded as a cherished value in Slovenia?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I believe so. There are a great many children in music education here, and it is of very high quality. We must all make an exceptional effort to ensure that all these children also have opportunities. These arise when the work is justified. There is a great deal of production, activity and concerts in Slovenia. Every musician must be aware that they are a creator of this environment and must work with the aim of having enough listeners and performing high-quality works. Across Europe, the music scene is not losing audiences. Here, too, a great many families are connected with music in one way or another. At the same time, we must not assume that everything can be taken for granted. It is no different in other sectors, and music is no exception.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And what are your expectations for this year's 7th Winter Festival, where, as is now tradition at the Ljubljana Festival, you and the Slovenian Youth Orchestra will present programmes that weave classical music into multi-genre concerts?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Considerable. It is a unique opportunity for our orchestra and one of the highlights of the season. The chosen programme is a great challenge for the young musicians, who are working hard right up to the end and are looking forward to the event with great enthusiasm. To put it in sporting terms: this is their chance of a medal. At that moment every single parameter has to fall into place. I am convinced we will deliver a fantastic concert. That feeling has not left me since the moment we put the programme together and added the exceptionally talented soloist Rok Zaletel \u010cerno\u0161.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row-full-width vc_clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Medij: Zurnal24.si (ostalo) Avtorji: Sta\u0161a Pust Datum: Sre., 27. dec. 2023 Povezava: Dirigentka: \"Slovenija prav v tem trenutku intenzivno ustvarja spodbudno okolje\" (zurnal24.si) V okviru projekta Podarimo sre\u010do smo se pogovarjali s slovensko dirigentko, ki pravi, da jo njeno delo kljub zahtevnosti osre\u010duje. \u017de tradicionalno se bo na 7. Zimskem festivalu v organizaciji Festivala Ljubljana [...]","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":30705,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[143],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novice-si"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30704"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30707,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30704\/revisions\/30707"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-bsa.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}