He is one of the conductors who have marked the history of the Easter Festival, leading his Orchester des Siècles (whose 20th anniversary is being celebrated this year) and the London Symphony Orchestra.
For the 10th anniversary of the event, he takes up the crazy challenge of conducting, in concert,
The Flying Dutchman
of the Master of Bayreuth, with the forces of the Cologne Opera, of which he is the musical director, and whom he brings for the first time in Aix.
LE FIGARO.
- What memories do you have of your previous visits to the Easter Festival?
François-Xavier ROTH.
-
That of great moments of sharing.
With the two orchestras that I was able to conduct there, Les Siècles and the LSO.
With the audience.
But also with the other artists of the festival.
Dominique Bluzet and Renaud Capuçon succeeded in creating a unique atmosphere.
A kind of bath of youth, where you come to recharge your batteries, to feed on the energy of others, the youngest as well as the oldest.
It's a unique moment.
Specific to this place and this time of year.
Out of the frenzy of the seasons, but also different from summer.
And on a personal level, I must say that I am always moved to return to the Grand Théâtre de Provence, which had done us the honor of welcoming us, with Les Siècles, almost at our beginnings.
Read also François-Xavier Roth: “The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a real source of inspiration for us”
This year you will come with the orchestra of the Cologne Opera, the Gürzenich Orchester, which you have been conducting since 2015. What does this represent?
A great pride.
The Easter Festival of Aix has a strong international resonance, and I am delighted to be able to bring the forces of the Cologne Opera to it.
His orchestra, but also his choir.
Moreover, to defend a repertoire that is part of its fundamentals: Wagner.
I have already played with them
Tannhaüser
and
Tristan und Isolde
.
And I can tell you that this music runs through the veins of every musician.
The Flying Dutchman
in concert version, it's still quite a challenge!
Wagner is always a challenge.
There, we will have given it just before in the staging of Benjamin Lazar, so we will be confident.
Especially since if there is a work by Wagner that can work in concert, it is this one!
First, because its size and duration make it easier to access.
Then because it is a work that speaks to everyone's imagination.
And then, the concert version is always an opportunity to work more on the intrinsic expressiveness of the music and the text.
And that's something that interests me a lot with Wagner: how, by removing decibels, we can make more room for the richness of his poetry.
