Andreas Haefliger
is interviewed by Colin Clarke
CC:
Andreas Haefliger, you have made your
name with the masterworks of the Classical
and Romantic repertoire, and you have
been compared to the likes of Radu Lupu
and Murray Perahia. In November you
will play the Ravel with the LSO: does
this indicate a shift in repertoire-focus?.
AH:
The focus of my repertoire will always
remain with the core Classical and Romantic
works. This is the music I grew up with
and to which I probably have the deepest
relationship. I have however always
branched out to repertoire not associated
with me. I feel that all areas of expression
and style need to be investigated to
complete one’s pianistic vision, and
that, in particular, extreme juxtaposition
can illuminate much heard works for
the pianist and listener alike. In last
year’s recital at the Wigmore Hall Mozart’s
B flat Major Sonata took on a very particular
hue being preceded by Adès’ Darkness
Visible. This was in fact such a successful
combination that I decided to record
the program in concert order.
CC:
In addition to the Adès, recently
you gave a world premiere of a work
by Michael Colgrass and I also note
that your recital in March 2004 at the
QEH is to include not only Bartók
but also George Benjamin (Sortileges).
Could you give an idea of how contemporary
music features in your thinking and
how you see your place in the musical
world of today?. Do you feel you have
a duty to contemporary composers?.
AH:
Whilst in no way specializing in contemporary
music it has been an interest of mine
for a while and is becoming always more
important to me.
I
feel in no way to have a duty towards
the composers. On the contrary I am
deeply grateful to have these wonderful
minds always adding to the wealth of
repertoire. Sortileges is the
first of George Benjamin’s work I have
played but is sure to be followed by
others. His sense of harmony, rhythmic
organization and colour make him one
of the very special composers writing
today.
CC:
Tackling a Beethoven Concerto cycle
is a challenge for any pianist, and
in the 2002-03 season you gave your
interpretations with the Milwaukee Symphony
Orchestra. Any plans for a Beethoven
Sonata cycle now?. If so, how would
you programme them? Chronologically,
or mixed programmes?.
AH:
In addition to these very special mixed
recital programs I am planning several
projects and most importantly a Beethoven
Sonata cycle starting next season. These
pieces have been such a central part
of my thinking for such a long time
and represent so much of what I expect
from a pianist that I am grateful to
feel that at this point I can start
to do them justice. I will present the
cycle in eight concerts over three years
in several venues. In deciding the order
I tried to complement or juxtapose moods
and at times to make use of similar
melodic cells to connect individual
Sonatas and give each program an identity.
CC:
Let’s talk a little about your musical
heritage. How do you feel your father,
the famous singer Ernst Haefliger, influenced
your musical development?. You must
have been brought up in a very musically
fertile environment …
AH:
The influence of my father’s musicianship
and integrity to music was of course
enormous. As a matter of fact as a student,
imitating and producing a vocal line
on the piano was a focal point of my
work. Since then I have grown as a musician
myself and of course try to integrate
many more aspects into my playing. But
many a time in a Mozart Sonata I still
catch myself hearing his voice inside
and going along with it.
CC:
You are active as an accompanist as
well as a soloist and your name has
been linked with such fine musicians
as Bo Skovhus and Matthias Goerne. Do
you find the two disciplines of soloist
and accompanist complementary?. Do you
become a ‘different’ player on the platform
when you are with a soloist?.
AH:
Given my background I have always felt
the need to incorporate the work with
singers into my musical life. Accompanying
a song recital can be one of the most
satisfying experiences on the concert
stage. The added dimension of text and
the special care some composers took
with this art-form in particular can
lend wings to the musical imagination
and in turn illuminate the next solo
recital.
CC:
Issued on the Avie label, your latest
disc is a recording of Mozart’s last
four piano sonatas (AV0025). The playing
struck me as being remarkably true to
the music, yet entirely of now. How
do you feel, however, about period performance
of Mozart on original instruments (or
copies thereof)?.
AH:
I am happy with your impression that
the playing is true to the music. To
investigate the character of a piece,
discover it, infuse it with your own
and come out sounding honest is our
great challenge. In a way playing Mozart
on a modern piano is a transcription.
While I try to preserve the clarity
and lightness of Mozart’s instruments
I have come away from trying to make
the Steinway sound like a fortepiano
but rather use its (almost) full resources.
Andreas
Haefliger: perspectives I Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano
Sonata in A minor, D537 (1817) [20’54].
Thomas ADÈS
(b. 1971) Darknesse Visible (1992)
[6’59]. Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano
Sonata No. 17 in B flat, D570 (1789)
[16’26]. Ludwig
van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano
Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 (1822)
[26’03]. 
Andreas Haefliger (piano). Rec. Reitstadel-Neumarkt/Oberpfalz,
Germany, 17-19 October 2003. DDD
AVIE AV0041 [70’52] [CC]
Within
the context of this disc this Op. 111
… works as a thought-provoking climax
to a fascinating 71 minutes’ worth of
listening. Markus Heilan’s recording
is true, vivid and spacious. Recommended.
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Review