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11 March 2013 Asahi Shimbun (evening edition), page 3, Tokyo bureau
Segerstam's two roles: Conducting and composing
The inner child of Segerstam
Is it because conductors do not produce sounds through their musical instruments? It is not unusual for conductors to pour their efforts in creating their own works. Mahler, Richard Strauss, Japan's Kosaku Yamada and Kazuo Yamada have done so. The spotlight continues to shine brightly on Esa-Pekka SALONEN, who recently visited Japan, for his individuality as a composer. And then there is Finnish conductor Leif SEGERSTAM who, while focusing on conducting activities, has also written over 250 symphonies.
Having served as music director for renowned German and Finnish orchestras, Segerstam has established a solid reputation for his Mahler performances in particular. He visited Japan in January, where he gave joint performances with orchestras throughout Japan and debuted his own symphonies.
Segerstam's activities as a composer are linked with his work as a conductor. 'Why did this composer write this sound here or put this kind of rest here? Those who write music can understand these things and can follow the composer's thoughts.' says Segerstam.
Segerstam has given titles to all his symphonies.
'For me, writing symphonies is like keeping a diary. I make sound sketches of impressions during my travels or mental images of scenery as I experience them.'
Symphony No. 244 expresses the horrors of the tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Symphony No. 252, which he performed with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, is called 'Surfing on Higg's bosons to Kepler - 22b...'. His excitement at the discovery of an extra-solar planet led him to compose a piece right then and there. On the other hand, he also just has fun playing with numbers with some of the titles, as with Symphony No. 81 which is called 'After Eighty...', and Symphony No. 88 which is called '8×8=64'.
He also is seriously a self-styled 'younger brother of Santa Claus'.
'We really need the [Swedish-Finnish cartoon characters] Moomins. Musicians should not forget their inner child no matter how old they are. Because through music, we can fly, we can travel through time - anything is possible.'
(Junko YOSHIDA)
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