Blog
Balance is the Secret of a Really Good Choral Sound
A conversation with Stephen Layton on his appointment as chief conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir in the 2024/25 season
Stephen Layton is one of the most sought-after conductors of his generation and is regularly invited to collaborate with the world’s leading choirs, orchestras and composers. His interpretations can be heard throughout the world, from the Sydney Opera House to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, from Tallinn to Sao Paulo, and his recordings have attracted prestigious international awards. Stephen Layton is the founder and director of the choir Polyphony and musical director of the Holst Singers. In the 2024/25 season, he will also take over the position of chief conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir. To mark this occasion, Gregor Klančič, the artistic director of Slovenia’s only professional concert vocal ensemble, spoke with Stephen Layton.
Vienna: A City of Streets Paved with Culture
September 8 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Every December, I visit Vienna. Although many people think I go there for Christmas shopping, the reasons behind my visits actually lie somewhere else altogether. It’s hard to describe how I feel as I stroll through the streets of this beautiful city, but if you harbour even a slight fondness for the city, you will definitely know what I’m talking about. Vienna is saturated with history, culture and a love of beauty. It is different, peaceful, mysterious and magical. It’s true that the Christmas lights help you to fall in love with the city immediately, but it’s a love that lasts a lifetime. Perhaps even more than the famous Sachertorte, it is classical music that is the true symbol of Vienna. Throughout the year, the concert halls of the Austrian capital resound with the melodies of the greatest composers of all time.
The Mother of All Musical Genres
September 7 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Classical music is generally understood as the mother of all musical genres, embodying the idea of harmony and perfection more than any other genre. Some of the representatives of this genre are therefore simply unsurpassable in a way that only true geniuses can be. Classical music has its roots in the distant past and is rightfully considered a universal genre. Its long history is full of names, innovations, creations and works, and it has always been the subject of countless manuals and debates. The Middle Ages is an extremely important period in the history of classical music. A number of crucial musical characteristics arose during this time, which is otherwise often considered a dark historical period from other perspectives. It was in fact during the Middle Ages that one of the great innovations in the field of music arose: polyphony. Polyphony is multi-voice music in which all of the parts develop independently rhythmically and melodically, while at the same time being harmonically interdependent.
A Symphony Is Like a World That Contains Everything
September 4 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
The new subscription season is open, and if you’re at all familiar with the Slovenian Philharmonic, you will know that it can offer everything you may want, and sometimes even more. Among the various options to which you can treat yourself is the so-called SMS subscription, the Symphonic Masterpieces Series. In this series, you can count on a large symphony orchestra and a luxurious palette of sonic colours, playing powerful compositions creating a whirlwind of diverse emotional moods. After all, music is just that: an emotional experience. We will get our first taste of this experience on 28 and 29 September at the concert entitled For the Beginning under the baton of conductor Charles Dutoit.
If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On
September 2 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
There are hundreds of musical works that are associated in one way or another with Shakespeare’s dramaturgy and the great playwright himself, who dealt with topics that are still relevant today, including identity, ethnicity and race, as well as issues related to power, such as the monarchy and the state. Shakespeare’s influence on music was evident as soon as his first plays were staged in London, so from the seventeenth century until the present day, we find examples in all musical genres that are connected to his dramas and texts. It is interesting that in school we are taught that Shakespeare was the author of the sensual love story between Romeo and Juliet, but in reality William was much, much more.
All for One and One for All: That’s How an Orchestra Works
August 25 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
We know that music has a beneficial effect on the psychophysical development of each individual, and that it also has the power to develop and shape certain character traits. We can therefore unequivocally claim that learning music in a structured and continuous way from early childhood helps to strengthen the so-called soft skills. From an etymological perspective, the word “cooperation” means “to contribute together with others to the realisation of a project or work; to participate in a joint activity, especially of an intellectual type”, in short, to work together to achieve a better result than could be achieved alone. For musicians, I have no doubt that the first association with the word “collaboration” is an orchestra.
There is a Little Bit of Carmen in Every Contemporary Woman
August 20 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
The opera Carmen was created between 1873 and 1874 by the French composer and pianist Georges Bizet. Oh, yes, I know, a lot has changed since then, especially with regard to women’s emancipation, but a little bit of Carmen lives on today in each of us. She is a rebellious, self-confident and non-conformist Roma woman, who is always true to herself. It is due to this last quality that she has sometimes been compared to Don Giovanni, who never regretted his actions right until the end. Carmen lived her own life and did what she liked: she didn’t pay too much attention to society, which ultimately cost her her life. Her character is so fascinating partly because it foreshadows many other literary heroines who were to emerge later, in the following century.
Antonio Vivaldi, A Genuine Entertainer with a Violin
August 18 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
If Salzburg is synonymous with Mozart and Vienna with Strauss, then Venice is equated with Vivaldi. The Four Seasons, one of the most famous Baroque musical compositions in the world, can be heard in promotional videos and in concerts for tourists seeking the atmosphere of eighteenth-century Venice. Vivaldi’s music is, however, rarely performed in the city’s theatres, such as the renowned La Fenice, which is quite the opposite of the situation in Venice three centuries ago, when the “red-haired priest”, as Vivaldi was known, was a real star.
Classical Music Influences Sportspeople Too
August 16 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
They say that Slovenia is a very sporting nation, and I would tend to agree. It seems to me that we have extraordinarily talented athletes in almost every discipline, which is a real phenomenon for such a small country. If sport characterises our way of life (we can say that we are quite a healthy nation, with healthy habits), it is closely followed by the music that accompanies these events. In the past, I’ve written about how music combines with food and poetry, and even geometry and art, but believe it or not, classical music and sports are also very good companions.
Great Painters Have Drawn Inspiration from Classical Music
August 12 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
The connection between art and music goes back a long way. It is well known that great artists such as Leonardo, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and Eugène Delacroix were also excellent musicians whose creative work in the field of painting was inevitably accompanied by music. Leonardo Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa in a studio full of musicians who played for the occasion, while Delacroix is said to have painted the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris to the accompaniment of an organ playing in the background.
Frédéric Chopin: Nothing is more odious than music without hidden meaning
August 10 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
“Who does Chopin resemble? His own music.” With this seemingly simple and concise definition, composer and pianist Ignaz Moscheles, a nineteenth-century salon lion, concluded a perfect portrait of Frédéric Chopin, a composer with a complex character that was sometimes mysterious and elusive. In fact, he was above all a poet and only then a musician. I’ve always adored Chopin, and I still turn to him today when I treat myself to classical music. I love playing Chopin as well. I always feel that each Nocturne is a free interpretation of the emotions I’m filled with at that moment. I know that my beloved piano teacher Marija won’t agree with this, but I always felt Chopin in my own way, and I imagine that everyone who picks up his sheet music has the same feeling.
When Music Becomes Poetry
August 8 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
What does it mean for a song to be likeable? The fact is that throughout history, Western music has become increasingly complex: whereas chords were once relatively simple and composers followed very strict rules, things have become much more difficult in our time. So much so that it might even be useful to turn to mathematics and geometry for an explanation. However, geometric shapes and sound, two seemingly different phenomena, actually have a great deal in common.
Wilhelm Richard Wagner: A Man Full of Contradictions
August 5 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
The year 2023 marks the anniversary of the birth of one of the most important composers of the nineteenth century. Opera director, composer, poet and musician Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a revolutionary figure. The youngest of nine children, he was born in Leipzig on 22 May 1813. His father died when Wilhelm was less than a year old, but the young boy later found a father figure in Ludwig Geyer, an actor and painter who married his mother. At the age of five, Wilhelm played an angel in a play commissioned by the King, and after the play, a court servant brought the Geyer family a cake with the inscription: “From the King of Saxony for a little angel!”
In Life, as in Music, Tempo is Crucial
AUGUST 3 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
For earlier composers, the correct tempo always seemed very obvious, perhaps even self-evident, so they were content with simple general indications. Haydn and Mozart, for example, used the term “andante” to mean somewhere between “allegro” and “adagio”. They believed that was enough. Bach did not specify the tempo at all, which in strictly musical terms is perhaps the most correct solution. He probably said to himself: “Whoever does not understand my themes and figuration, and whoever fails to sense their character and expression, will not even be able to understand the Italian term ‘tempo’.”
Venice, City of Music
August 1 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Along with its canals and ancient palaces, the romantic and fascinating lagoon city has long been renowned throughout the world for its musical tradition. Venice is much more than just the birthplace of Vivaldi. It boasts the famous Teatro La Fenice, which is a veritable treasure trove of red velvet, gilded furniture and opulent chandeliers. From the nineteenth century onwards – even before Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti and the others – Teatro La Fenice was the scene of numerous operas, and it remains a point of reference for world opera today, as well as offering symphonic concerts, dance performances and chamber music. Since summer is a time for excursions, and Venice may well be on your wish list, keep in mind that you will not only be visiting a city of gondolas and sinfully expensive coffee, but you will be in a musical centre that has marked the world.
Johann Sebastian Bach and Some Interesting Facts about the German Composer
JULY 29 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) is undoubtedly the most revered figure in the entire history of Western classical music. He has often been called the “father of music” and is cited as a source of inspiration by composers such as Frédéric Chopin and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. As the English conductor and leading Bach interpreter Sir John Eliot Gardiner once said, “Bach is astonishing as a composer and in many ways out of proportion to all ordinary human achievements”. This statement eloquently tells us that as a composer Bach has never been and probably never will be surpassed by any human being.
Some of the Most Expensive Instruments in the World
JULY 27 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Today I have prepared a slightly different article for you, because the topic immediately caught my attention. I knew that instruments could be extremely valuable collectible items, but I had no idea that they could fetch such astronomical prices. Sometimes they conceal within themselves the entire history of a certain period, but sometimes they are so expensive because they are the product of the imagination of an exceptional master, or simply because they are perfect. It just goes to show that perfection does in fact exist, even in the world of classical music. Let’s begin.
The Harp is a Very Personal Homecoming
JULY 25 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
They say there are many doors in the heart and soul that lead us home with incredible precision to the raw purity of awareness, presence and connection. One such door is the harp, which is among the oldest musical instruments. It has been part of ancient folk customs for thousands of years and is admired for its soothing, angelic sound and mystical associations. It is also considered a powerful healing tool on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual. The vibration of the strings awakens rivers of sound within the vast universe that exists outside and within man.
When Music Meets Good Food
JULY 23 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
We not only have excellent musicians in our Philharmonic, but sophisticated gourmets as well. On delving into it a little, I discovered that some of our musicians are excellent cooks, while others simply enjoy eating. After all, food is one of the greatest pleasures in life, second only to music… or vice versa, depending on how you look at it. In their spare time, the hardworking hands that usually play the violin, the piano or the drums, skilfully chop, mix and create; the hands of a superb musician become the hands of a great chef, who creatively puts together food and then enjoys it to the full. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It does to me too!
Did you know that the most beautiful music has gone into space?
JULY 21 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
It is often said that with the help of music we can travel far away, even into space, to other planets and galaxies. Music simply carries us away. It is enough to close our eyes and let ourselves go. We find ourselves in a completely different environment. However, many people don’t know that forty years ago, music from planet Earth began a very long journey through interstellar space, not just in dreams or thoughts, but for real. On the launch of the space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in 1977, the scientific commission led by American astronomer and scientist Carl Sagan decided to prepare a disc on which images and sounds were engraved. The goal was to present the culture of our planet to a possible extra-terrestrial civilisation. It was like sending a kind of “calling card” among the stars that would at least roughly describe who we are.
What You Didn’t Know about the Piano
JULY 19 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
The first piano was made in the early eighteenth century by Bartolomeo Cristofori, a “harpsichord maker” in the service of the Medici family of Florence, and had the sophisticated name gravicembalo col piano e forte. Since then, the piano has undergone significant modifications, so that today it has 88 keys, each of which activates a small felt-covered hammer that strikes the string. The low notes are produced by a single string, while the high notes are produced by three strings. The piano, which was first produced as an instrument with a horizontal frame soundboard, was joined in the early nineteenth century by a model more suitable for the domestic environment, with a soundboard and frame placed vertically in relation to the keyboard. This version is called the upright piano.
The Ten Most Famous Classical Compositions
JULY 17 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Classical music has many admirers and connoisseurs who are able to recognise a composition by Mozart or Schubert on hearing just the first note. Some people, however, think that classical music is old, overly serious and even boring, which is, of course, far from the truth. We should never make a judgement without a thorough knowledge of the topic or material. In reality, just about everyone knows at least ten classical pieces, although not everyone is able to name the composers or titles of these works. Largely due to advertising and the film industry, the works of the greatest composers are much more popular than you may think. Below is a selection of ten of the most famous classical compositions.
Music in Nature
JULY 15 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Many composers of so-called classical music (in the broadest sense of the term) have composed compositions that are, in various ways and forms, connected to natural phenomena. Classical music is and always has been music played with instruments made of natural materials, especially wood. In their works, classical composers have described nature both as a way of discovering their inner world and as a means of evoking strong emotions in their listeners. By listening, they have reinforced and enriched their past experiences. Each work is a reflection of the psychological, cultural and social conditions in which the composer lived, as well as of his or her environment.
Giacomo Puccini: Hunter of Wild Birds, Opera Librettos and Beautiful Women
JULY 13 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
He loved cars, he was a dandy, but he was also a true Tuscan. He was initially so poor that he couldn’t afford a subscription to Milan’s Scala, but he later made a fortune with his operas.
In addition to music, Giacomo Puccini had another great passion: cars. He bought as many as fourteen of them, including a gorgeous Isotta Fraschini and several Fiats. Cars were very beautiful but they were also expensive, so Puccini was unable to, was not allowed to, or did not want to take them off road, even though the idea was very tempting, as he liked to go on hunting trips. He therefore asked Vincenzo Lancia to build a car especially for him with a reinforced chassis and suitable wheels. The result was something like the first SUV. It cost Puccini 35,000 lire, which would be about 150,000 euros today. On 25 February 1903, he and his wife Elvira, together with their son Antonio, were returning from Lucca to Torre del Lago, where they lived. They were traveling in a Clément-Bayard car, but had a serious accident on the way. The car ended up in a ditch and Puccini broke his leg, which delayed the completion of Madame Butterfly for several months.
Passionate and Fiery Music, between Eros and Thanatos
JULY 8 – LORELLA FLEGO
When listening to classical music, we need the right environment (our live concerts are therefore a genuine balm for the soul), a certain sensitivity, reflection and the ability to listen in order to grasp the beauty of its nuances. For this we must be prepared: not so much technically, as many people think, but more psychologically and emotionally. Absorbing the intensity of the dynamics of classical music, which are light years away from the bland “entertainment music” to which we usually listen, is not for everyone. It requires emotional strength to bear the impact of the life stories told to us by the notes and instruments of the orchestra. It’s like being suddenly caught in a storm: if we don’t have an umbrella and don’t seek shelter quickly, we risk getting wet, shaken and agitated. If we are properly prepared and equipped, however, even the storm becomes poetic, because in it we can grasp the power of nature and its many faces.
One Lifetime Is Not Enough for Music
JULY 6 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
I’ve always thought that living for music is an extraordinary gift. It’s not given to everyone, as each of us has our own path with different interests and goals, and it’s precisely this diversity that makes us so very vibrant and fascinating. However, if you have talent and are a virtuoso, an artist, you have one foot in another world and sometimes it’s difficult to connect with people who are a bit more down to earth. The last time I thought about my own piano playing, I stopped, as always, at Sergei Rachmaninoff. My teacher Maria was particularly fond of this Russian composer, so I had to play his music a great deal. I won’t write about how demanding and tiring it was to play this music, which is sometimes written only for a man’s hand; instead, I will say that, as always, I grabbed the bull by the horns, rolled up my sleeves and happily set to work. I played Rachmaninoff at a solo recital, which was almost the end of me. Since then, I’ve had an even deeper and more sincere respect for the musicians in our Philharmonic, who dig deep and draw music from the bottom of the soul, as if everything’s easy. It’s not.
Music is Mathematics Too
JULY 4 – LORELLA FLEGO
It is well known that music and mathematics are closely related. Anyone involved in music knows very well how much mathematical content is intertwined with sonic situations. As early as in antiquity, philosophers, musicians and scholars recognised and defined numerous connections between the two disciplines. If music were governed exclusively by mathematics, however, today it could be performed correctly, genuinely and with extreme rigor and precision by a “machine”. Thankfully this is not the case, which is why we have at our disposal excellent musicians who are artists and true experts in their field. They constantly conjure up melodies that are based on mathematical elements, yet full of soul. This is particularly evident at the Slovenian Philharmonic, as listeners are faced above all with emotions at every concert: both their own emotions and those of the performers.
Singing Has a Psychological Character Too
JULY 2 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Active, smiling, communicative. The most important thing to her in life is her family and the time she spends with them. She loves adrenaline, sports and music… maybe not always in that order. Mateja Langus believes that life is simply beautiful, and that is probably why she lives it to the full. It’s hard to imagine her not singing, as music is a constant presence for her. If she doesn’t know a piece well, she just makes up the words. And yes, that’s a virtue too.
More Live Music, More Empathy
JUNE 30 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
It has always seemed to me that the musicians and creators of the Slovenian Philharmonic have a very special mission, and that their music is emblematic of the word communication: it means accepting challenges and discussing how to face them. Together. Above all, it means opting for the common good, for harmony and concord, rather than insisting on your own personal point of view. Together, the musicians form one, a perfect whole, which the listener perceives immediately when he or she steps into the concert hall. I should add that the music of the Philharmonic helps us to accept criticism, to open our ears, to listen and to think about what the notes have told us. Over time, we learn to get straight to the essence: to listen and to enjoy.
Summer Is a Time for Music Too
28. junij 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
I admit that astrology has always fascinated me. I’m not immune to the Sun and the Moon either, and I strongly believe that every “why” has its own “because”, even if we can’t see or understand it at the present moment. Last week we witnessed the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The original meaning of this day has been rooted in history since ancient civilizations, but today it is often forgotten. The solstice also marks the beginning of summer, which, after an endlessly lazy and capricious spring, suddenly makes a strong impression with all its beauty and heat. But 21 June is also World Music Day, something that is not celebrated extensively in Slovenia, although I dare say that this too will change. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate music in all its beauty, wherever we want. This was precisely the philosophy the very first time the World Music Day was celebrated. One of the initiators of this celebration, the then French Minister of Culture, Maurice Fleuret, who was also a composer, journalist and music critic, got the tradition underway with a simple observation: “Music everywhere, concerts nowhere.”
MUSIC TOUCHES A PERSON’S INNER SELF
JUNE 26 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Too seldom do we think about how music is important for children and their development. If we have a baby at home, we look for lullabies and gentle melodies to help him or her fall asleep. The music will be completely different if we have a teenager, but it will certainly be part of our “personal film”. I discussed this with Larisa Vrhunc, an educator and composer who is a real treasure trove of knowledge, while also being a sensitive creator of wonderful melodies, including melodies for the youngest listeners. I’m grateful to have an opportunity to share her thoughts today.
Women at the Philharmonic
JUNE 24 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
I recently learned that, throughout the world, women in symphony orchestras used to be a genuine taboo. Or rather: there simply were no women in orchestras at all. This is an interesting fact considering that music runs through the veins of all of us in one way or another, regardless of our gender. It nonetheless took a long time for things to move forward in this area. Today, there are numerous talented women in the Slovenian Philharmonic, without whom music in Slovenia would be unimaginable. What is more, the trend clearly shows that there are more and more women, and the door is, of course, always open to them.
Three Summer Compositions
JUNE 22 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Since summer is a time of playfulness, lightness, good humour and equally good music, it is also a time when we take even greater pleasure in treating ourselves to an attractive melody. If you are a fan of the Philharmonic and its creations, then you undoubtedly like to listen to quality music at home as well. Of course, in the concert hall, with an audience and a conductor who conjures up a magical live atmosphere and plays with the notes, it is a completely different story, but we can still create a quiet corner at home to enjoy music. I’ve found three classical piano compositions that have the same leitmotifs that accompany us during the holiday season: summer, heat, sunshine, lightness and a beautiful season. These compositions are very close to my heart and I know that the musicians who play them also know how to create a very playful atmosphere. It’s always time to lift our mood, right?
Beethoven’s Music Is at the Core of Everything
JUNE 19 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
If we had to give up music, it wouldn’t be a small thing. A world without music, just like a world without flowers, the sea or spring, would be uninteresting. Music is not entertainment: it is food for the soul. We have to take care of music with the love and devotion warranted by a heritage that we can’t live without, because without music our lives would be rather sad. When I attended music school, I enjoyed playing Chopin above all else. I felt like he had written all of the Nocturnes especially for me, and I know I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. His music always touched my heartstrings and to this day I still listen to him the most. However, I had a friend who admired Beethoven, a composer whom I found much more difficult to understand, but probably every period of life has its own priorities and, who knows, maybe Beethoven will still reach me.
We Are All Connected, One Way or Another
June 17 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
We live in a fascinating time in which musicians boast impeccable technique. Of course, this is no guarantee that they are great performers: impeccable technique means playing all of the notes flawlessly and not missing a single one, but good music is much more than this. If we were satisfied by accuracy alone, it would suffice to use a computer. Our intimate needs are warmth, love and emotions. These are certainly hidden in music, but a computer is unable to satisfy these needs. In this sense, there is an obvious difference between listening to music on a CD, where everything is flawless, clean and perfect, and live music, where the human factor is (thankfully) still present. It is this exciting factor that convinces numerous people every day to take the time to attend a concert.
Happiness Is a Foretaste of Heaven
JUNE 11 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
I have always had a very keen intuition. I can sense a person from a distance, and even before they speak, I know that they are meant for me. Sometimes this can even happen through a computer screen or through email, when I simply have the feeling that there is someone on the other side whom I can somehow relate to. When I was researching Urška Bernik, a master concert singer, I naturally came across her blog and noticed the title of an interview: “The most beautiful makeup I can put on is happiness”. Urška knows, feels, writes, creates, photographs, sings… and all the time lives to the full. She doesn’t want to miss a single moment of life. I just knew I would like her.
Bring children to the Philharmonic!
JUNE 9 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
When I was a little girl, my mother always told me: “Playing the piano is an investment. You never know when it will pay off, and you never know when the piano will become your best friend”. She was right. The notes on white paper were often a great consolation for a disappointment. I lost myself in them and forgot about everything around me. This is still true today: when life gets too difficult, demanding or noisy, I simply sit down at the piano and play. Just for myself.
Music and Being a Musician Is Our Way Of Life
JUNE 3 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
What happens when a husband and wife are in the same job? Typically, it can be very dynamic, as the bridge between private life and work never ends. If that bridge is music, however, things get even more colourful and interesting. I should add that everything is spiced up with Žiga’s cooking, while Alja takes care of cycling around the world and discovering beautiful countries. That’s only to be expected, as the Faganel couple are truly unique.
Music Is a Universal Language That We All Understand
MAY 31 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
When I think of the people who are part of the magical story of the Slovenian Philharmonic, the same thought always comes to mind: passion. Passion is precisely what you feel when you cross the threshold of this wonderful building and, for a moment, have the feeling that you too are part of this story.
MATEJ GRAHEK: ADRENALINE IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
MAY 29 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
People fascinate me. Sometimes I walk down the street and analyse faces very carefully: I reflect on all of the different stories, characters and desires. There are so many different paths that one life is certainly not enough to realise everything. Matej Grahek is a principal flutist in the Slovenian Philharmonic, but he is also a sailor.
MILLION DOLLAR STRINGS
MAY 25 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
The violin became popular in Renaissance Italy, where it was present in all social classes, being played both in the street and at court. Soon, master fiddlers began to design and manufacture these wonderful instruments, for which three cities in particular became famous: Brescia, Cremona and Venice. The eighteenth century is considered the golden age of violin making, as the craftsmanship of instrument makers reached its peak and the design and acoustics of the violin were perfected.
We Are Not As “Instant” As We Like to Reproach Ourselves
May 21 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Before I met Matej Šarc, the director of the Slovenian Philharmonic, I imagined a man staring into a score and listening to me distractedly, but our first meeting was something else altogether.
Live Music is Another Story
May 18 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Vivaldi and Schubert are just some of the names of the great composers who have gone down in the history of music, and you can listen to them regularly at the Philharmonic.
When the Sound of the Drum Connects People
May 15 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
African drummer Babatunde Olatunji puts it like this:
Rhythm is the essence of our lives. The whole universe spins in rhythm. Every object and every human action happens in rhythm.
At the Philharmonic, Even the Walls Tell Exciting Stories
May 12 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
I once hosted a programme with a very interesting Italian gentleman who dealt with the energy of spaces. He believed that every house, apartment or building has a soul, which is sometimes so strong and vivid that it affects everyone who lives there.
Charles Dutoit: On Thursday and Friday at Cankarjev dom
March 27 2023 – LORELLA FLEGO
Perhaps, by way of introduction, allow me to mention how grateful I am for all of the exceptional people I meet on my journey through life. It is not just that they give rise to fascinating and unique conversations, but also that these kinds of conversations are deeply enriching.