Interview, Beethoven Symphonies from Lan Shui and the Copenhagen Philharmonic

The Copenhagen Philharmonic embarked last year on a brand-new cycle of Beethoven symphonies on period instruments; when the second volume came out at the beginning of the month, I got in touch with the orchestra's CEO Uffe Savery to talk some more about the project - in particular, how to differentiate oneself from the competition in an extremely crowded field of symphonic Beethoven!

Here's what he had to say…

I’m sure it won’t have escaped your notice that there are a lot of Beethoven symphony cycles in existence. What makes yours different?

When for example many violinists apply for a position in an orchestra, as a member of the jury you notice that every single musician has their own expression, sound and colour. It’s the same with symphony orchestras – they all sound different. The image and the ethos of Copenhagen Phil is being a vivid, agile, top quality “slim” orchestra.

As a cultural institution, it’s expressed through being among “the first movers”, having its starting point in an inner wish from the musicians of cultivating imagination and creativity and being innovative. As head of Copenhagen Phil I “just” facilitate these processes, making sure that ideas come true. For instance, we were among the first orchestras to produce exciting flash mobs, and we are developing the Open Orchestra and Copenhagen Phil Business formats (where corporate companies’ core values are expressed musically).

This ethos is also expressed musically, and as a musician, I must say that I’m truly a fan of the interpretation of the Beethoven Symphonies from Lan Shui and Copenhagen Phil. Performing the original (often quite fast) tempi, with a slim string sound and period wind instruments makes the whole expression so life-affirming and moving – and it does sound vivid, agile and top quality slim!

As an EDM producer (Safri Duo) I’m also very much into the production, and I must say that the production led by Preben Iwan really sparkles: the sound “exits from the loudspeaker”, so you feel you are in the middle of the orchestra.

All these facts make this a unique recording compared to other recordings, which definitely also have their own qualities.

You’ve tried to cultivate the same musical closeness in the orchestra as you’d expect in a string quartet or other chamber ensemble. How do you feel this comes across in the performances you give and the recordings you make?

Copenhagen Phil is like a family. Everyone knows each other very well, and people are close to each other. There are also members of very good string quartets in the orchestra, such as The Danish String Quartet, and they bring the chamber music attitude to the orchestral playing. Lan Shui has worked a lot with the orchestra to accomplish this slim and tight performance, and I think this comes across very clearly, both in the playing and the production.

How much has the use of period wind instruments affected your approach to these symphonies? Does the different timbre of, say, a 19th-century trombone have major implications for balance within the orchestra?

It certainly does. The more slim and “nasal” sound of the wind instruments, and the more “drum like” sound of the timpani, requires a more ‘Vienna classical’ sound from the strings, and a musical approach which is the opposite of the more romantic interpretations.

What plans do you have beyond the end of this Beethoven series?

We are just starting our collaboration with our new chief conductor Toshiyuki Kamioka, and we haven’t yet decided for the next recording projects.

As a symphony orchestra, we are constantly working on combining high quality and the care of our cultural heritage with being relevant to a diverse audience in today’s society. New concert formats, expanding our digital and Virtual Reality scene, projects with (and not just for) young people – the next generation of today’s society, concert-goers and musicians – innovative projects and communication, as well as top-notch classical concerts all has our constant attention. We want to take care of our ethos: being vivid, agile and a top quality “slim” orchestra.