NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, Joseph Swensen

Debussy: String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10, L. 85 (Arr. J. Swensen for String Orchestra)
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for strings in C major, Op. 48

Debussy and Tchaikovsky share a central essence yet face in opposite directions. Tchaikovsky is devoted to Mozart and European Classical traditons whilst Debussy with his love of the music of Bali, points us all towards a more inclusive human brotherhood. The essental musical language they speak however is very similar, the language of melody. My role as I see it, is not only to recreate, enhance and give new life to the composers intentions, it is also to somehow get inside of the mind and consciousness the composer himself. Not unlike how a great actor must somehow become the character he portrays, I feel like a completely different person conductng Debussy than I do conducting Tchaikovsky. Playing Debussys groundbreaking Quartet in the version for string orchestra is probably something which Debussy himself would have considered impossible. (Most contemporary orchestral players would probably agree with this asserton.. But for me, this somewhat radical idea is appropriate for a work by this revolutonary composer and I am convinced that he would have loved it! The Serenade for Strings is the epitome of musical inspiraton. Tchaikovskys love for the old forms and his worship of Mozart are abundantly obvious here. Embodying Tchaikovskys ideal of integratng transcendent Classicism with the sensual and emotonal aspects of his temperament is my goal when conducting all works by Tchaikovsky.