Interview with David Giménez

JCarreras.com talks with the Catalan conductor, Maestro David Giménez, who has conducted many of José Carreras's most memorable concerts in recent years.

DG: My first musical training seemed to focus me to be a pianist, but it was my love for Opera that first attracted me to the orchestral world, when I was still a child. Then this interest grew up and brought me to the symphonic repertoire and created in me the will to be a conductor.

DG: It is difficult to isolate one or two names, because one receives influences from many other artists; if I had to do so, I would mention Herbert von Karajan and Carlos Kleiber.

DG: Many things; being able to study and bring to life so many masterworks of great genius, to feel the communication with the audiences, being part of a team (even if you are leading them), etc.

You obviously study an opera's score extensively before beginning rehearsals. But do you ever find that your view of the opera changes significantly once you have actually conducted it on the stage?

DG: You never really know a score until you have performed it many, many times.

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's Sly which you have recently conducted is a 20th Century opera. Are there any other works by modern composers you would like to conduct, or do you prefer the composers of the 18th and 19th centuries?

DG: There are many works from the 20th century that I dream to conduct; if you think about Stravinsky, Bartok, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Puccini, and others, you realize that a large amount of the greatest music of all times has been composed in the 20th century.

Speaking of Sly, how did you feel walking onto the podium at the Liceu for the first time?

DG: It was a very special moment for me. I had been attending performances at the Liceu since I was about 6 or 7 years old, and many of my warmest musical memories come from this opera house; so you can imagine what a deep emotion I was feeling that day.

We cannot ignore the fact you're a nephew of the great tenor, José Carreras. Does your personal relationship with Mr. Carreras have a special influence on the way you work together?

DG: It has in some respects. It helps because our relationship is there for a very long time, so I would say that we trust each other very much; but I never forget when we are working together that our partnership would not work under other conditions than being absolutely professional.

What do you feel is the most important way a conductor can support singers in an opera or operatic concert?

DG: The most important aspect of working with singers is understanding them: by this I mean knowing the nature of the instrument you are dealing with, and acting according to it. If the singer feels comfortable with you, you can get the best out of her or him, and then making a great service to the music and achieving a good performance.

You have recently started conducting operas in the United States. Do you find any differences between American and European orchestras? And between American and European audiences?

DG: There are obviously differences. I would say that in America the level of professionalism is unbeliveable. In Europe the differences exist between every single country, but in general you find a very strong musical tradition. It is always a bit absurd to generalize in these matters.

Up until now, your career has focused more on opera and operatic concerts. Are there any symphonic or choral works that you would particularly like to conduct?

DG: Fortunately, I'm getting more and more involved in the symphonic repertoire, which I adore. There are too many works that I would like to perform, to be able to mention only a few.

You have conducted both Montserrat Caballé and José Carreras on disk. Are you planning to conduct more studio recordings in the future?

DG: Yes, I have some projects to work in studio recordings with some outstanding singers (in this case not Caballé or Carreras). I still cannot confirm any details.

DG: I normally listen to classical music, but very often I like to enjoy jazz or Brazilian music (especially bossanova).

Do you have any non-musical hobbies? Are you as big a football fan as your uncle?

DG: I'm a big football fan too, and I am also a supporter of the Barcelona F.C. (so there are no conflicts there). I like very much to play some sports like tennis, skiing or diving, and I love reading (almost all kinds of good literature), and watching films (only good ones).

Do you have children of your own, and if so, do any of them show signs of following you into a musical career?

DG: I still don't have any children, but I would love to have one soon, since I'm married for five years now.

And finally, if you were to spend time on a desert island, and you were allowed to bring, let's say five recordings, which would they be?

DG: Another difficult question. I will try to answer, even if it is impossible to select only five:

Mahler 4th Symphony (conducted by Leonard Bernstein),
Brahms Piano Concertos (played by Claudio Arrau and conducted by Bernard Haitink),
Mozart Requiem (conducted by Herbert von Karajan),
Puccini's Manon Lescaut (sung by Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano, and conducted by Tullio Serafin), and
Verdi's Don Carlo (sung by Mirella Freni and José Carreras, and conducted by Herbert von Karajan)