Jansons to Conduct 10 Tchaikovsky Works at Minifest

While he has previously appeared in the United States, Soviet conductor Mariss Jansons has never led an American orchestra. Friday, in the Wiltern Theatre, presiding over the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the first of four Tchaikovsky programs, he makes his local debut.

Principal conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic and second chief conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic, the 45-year-old, Latvian-born musician has become associated in particular with the works of Tchaikovsky; in the Philharmonic’s mini-festival (through next Friday) he will conduct 10 of that composer’s pieces.

“The Soviet way of playing Tchaikovsky is different than what is played in the West,” Jansons said recently by phone from Montreal, where he was conducting the Montreal Symphony.

“It is more dramatic, more classical, not too sentimental. The music is written with big, emotional feelings. If you exaggerate those feelings, it becomes too agitated and sentimental. You must not put sugar in honey--the music speaks for itself.

“It’s a matter of balance, how far you can go,” he added. “You must not play too dry, or one tempo. I can’t say that everyone from the West does that but many do.”

There is far more depth to the composer than such familiar works as the “1812” Overture suggest, Jansons maintains.

“Because Tchaikovsky is so popular, and you can hear him every week, people think he’s light, which is not true.

“Listen to his serious works--the Sixth Symphony, ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ My favorite, the Sixth, is dramatic, tragic. It has something to say, not only in sounds but images, a philosophy about the individual and his place in life.”

Jansons comes by his love of music naturally. His late father, Arvid, conducted the Leningrad Philharmonic for more than 30 years; his mother was an opera singer. His hometown, the Latvian city of Riga, itself has a strong musical heritage, as the birthplace of violinist Gidon Kremer, among others.

When Jansons was a teen-ager the family moved to Leningrad, where he still lives. He studied violin, viola, piano and choral conducting at the Secondary Music School of Leningrad Conservatory, upon graduation entered the Vienna Music Academy (where his teacher was the late Hans Swarowsky) and later studied in Salzburg under Herbert Von Karajan.

After winning second prize in the 1971 International Herbert Von Karajan Foundation Competition, Jansons became assistant conductor to Jevgeny Mravinsky at the Leningrad Philharmonic. Eight years later he assumed his post with the Oslo Philharmonic, and has since won critical kudos for bringing the ensemble to its present polished state. Their series of Tchaikovsky symphonies recorded for Chandos has been particularly well received.

“I’ve built up the orchestra through the years,” he noted. “I’ve taken the best sides of American orchestras, Soviet orchestras, British and French orchestras and developed it on a very high level.”

Jansons has conducted in 25 countries, including tours with the Oslo and Leningrad ensembles and the Moscow State Orchestra and numerous guest conducting appearances, particularly in Britain with the London Symphony, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra.

His current bookings will keep him busy in Russia, Europe, the United States and Japan through the autumn of 1989. “I’ll take a few days off only, this summer,” he remarked.

The conductor is looking forward to working with the L.A. Philharmonic.

“Everybody knows America has the greatest orchestras in the world,” he said. “Los Angeles is one of the best. There are good teachers here, good conductors and the musicians themselves are very good.”

Jansons reiterates that music is indeed the international language. “Everyone understands music, because there are no words, only feelings. All people have souls and hearts, so all people can feel.”