Marek Janowski
At 85, This Maestro Finally Has His Philharmonic Debut
The renowned conductor Marek Janowski long ago gave up hope that he might conduct the New York Philharmonic. Then the orchestra came knocking.
By Javier C. Hernández
Before a rehearsal with the New York Philharmonic on Monday morning, the conductor Marek Janowski paused to say a few words.
“Finally, I have the chance to meet you and to work with you,” he said. “I’ve waited more than 85 years for this moment.”
Janowski has led many of the world’s top ensembles, but never the Philharmonic. But on Wednesday, three weeks before he turns 86, he will become one of the oldest artists to debut with the orchestra, leading a program of works by Schumann, Mendelssohn and Weber.
“As a very old guy, I get the chance to work with this wonderful orchestra,” he said in an interview. “I enjoy the atmosphere very much.”
Janowski attributed his belated debut to scheduling quirks and a lack of close ties to the Philharmonic. He lives in Berlin, and his career has been largely focused on Europe. He is an acclaimed opera conductor who has appeared at the renowned Bayreuth Festival in Germany. And he has held top positions at the Dresden Philharmonic and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, among other ensembles.
He was finally set to make his New York Philharmonic in 2020; after the coronavirus pandemic, the engagement was rescheduled for this season. (The Philharmonic said in a statement that his debut was “long overdue,” and that he was “an artist our orchestra and audience should experience.”)
At the rehearsal on Monday, Janowski was in good spirits, and as he made his way offstage, the violinist Hae-Young Ham thanked him for coming to New York.
“Better late than never, right?” she said. He smiled and nodded.
Janowski — with his scores in his hands and his conducting batons in his teeth — breezed past the elevators, opting instead to climb two flights of stairs to his dressing room. Before sitting for an interview, he asked: “The reason for this article is because I’m so old? Or what is the reason?”
He then discussed his approach to conducting; growing up in Germany during World War II; and, yes, his longevity on the podium. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.
You’ve led some of the world’s top orchestras. But somehow, the New York Philharmonic eluded you.
In the 1980s and 1990s, I was very often at the Metropolitan Opera. From time to time, I would think, “You should go over to the New York Philharmonic and conduct them, too.” It never worked out that way. When I was in my late 70s, I thought, “So be it: Only the Met, not the New York Philharmonic.” But when the invitation came, I was quite surprised. I liked that late invitation.
Some of your peers long ago made the choice to retire. Why do you keep performing?
The moment an invitation comes from an orchestra, I still cannot resist saying yes. The temptation is always there to try to do it better than you have done before. Sometimes it’s not easy, and after a week or so, you say to yourself, “You did it, but you didn’t do it better than before.” But sometimes the opposite is true, and that is very satisfactory.
What is the secret of your vitality?
I don’t know. I might even sometimes feel a bit tired before a rehearsal. But when it starts, I forget the physics. I forget about my physical feeling of getting older. I am still not faking it. I still feel I can do it. Conducting should not be a physical effort. Your arms, your gestures should follow your mind and your ear.
Is there a benefit of experience in conducting?
Absolutely. I’m conducting Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 in New York. I’ve done it so many times — in Cologne, Berlin and Dortmund — I can’t count it anymore. Each period of preparing with a different orchestra gives you new insights into the piece. You have perhaps done a phrase 20 times in a certain way. And then you listen to it now, and you think you should do it in a different way. That is always very fascinating.
Do you feel in some ways you’re at the peak of your powers?
I don’t ask how I feel. The most important is what Richard Strauss said: “The conductor should not sweat. He should make the audience get warm.”