James Gaffigan and the Komische Oper: A Love Story
By Frederik Hanssen
Tagesspiegel
February 2, 2024
“The Orchestra is a Diamond“
Petrenko’s productions were electrifying: everyone wanted to see them just to listen to them. The Music director approaches his job with a similar ambition. James Gaffigan wants to draw attention to the work done in the pit, more specifically to the orchestra of the Komische Oper, especially through concertizing. “The orchestra is a diamond, and I want to see it shine,” he said in an interview in his modest office at the Schillertheater, the temporary quarters of the Komische Oper during the renovation of its main building in Mie.
This orchestra is the most flexible ensemble he knows. The 45-year old American gushes, “They work hard, because they constantly need to adapt to new styles, from the Baroque to Tin-Pan Alley, from music dramas to grand opera. That garners my highest respect.” Yet the most wonderful aspect may be that “They would never scoff at any work, genre, or composer, even if the musical substance may be on the lighter side. This is a perspective only from the most formidable artists.” And in this way James Gaffigan would like to see the orchestra step into the limelight, so that the public can experience the outstanding caliber of musicians at the Komische Oper. His role model in this endeavor is no less than Barrie Kosky. Kosky has fostered such a career that it doesn’t matter which work he directs, the public will simply buy tickets, even if they’re unfamiliar with the title or composer—just because they trust Kosky.
He sees no Problems, only Challenges
The new Music Director certainly knows that such a thorough trust must be built over time, something that not even Kosky could manage in a matter of days. However, Gaffigan has no illusions. When he speaks about his work in Berlin, or about the artistic day-to-day in his temporary office, he’s entirely pragmatic. Nor is he one to complain. Clearly, the hall is acoustically dry, especially for opera performances, as it was designed as a theater for plays. But what is one to do? He and the orchestra can only oblige! “We can make sure that our sound is much better than anyone could have expected: perfectly clear and transparent,” he claimed, full of conviction. He already proved it worked with Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin.” While the opera, perhaps, didn’t sound as exorbitant as we’re used to, it also never sounded soppy. “It’s actually a weightless sort of music, full of motion,” he stressed, “in the end, it’s all about young people and young love!” As an American he translates the European concept of “Problems” as “Challenges.” And he even stresses the advantages of his temporary quarters—the intimacy of the Schillertheater, for example, “I feel very near to the public here.” And that’s something he’s always wanted. He grew up on Staten Island, off the south of Manhattan. His parents couldn’t afford the clarinet lessons that he wanted, but the public school he attended made them possible. They opened James Gaffigan to the world of classical music, and from there came the wish to be a conductor.
His next challenge is a reprisal of Herbert Fritsch’s strident staging of Wagner’s “Flying Dutchman.” The next premiere comes in April with Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro.” But James Gaffigan is not to conduct only the core repertoire. “I’d like to perform musicals, some operettas, as well as a contemporary piece.” And then there’s a dream of offering a piece by Richard Strauss at the Komische Oper, or something by Puccini or even a grand opera by Verdi. As for other ideas that swirl around in the conductor’s head, they prove ripe for a years-long era of this music director.
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