On Demand
The Passion of Kaija Saariaho
By Terrance McKnight
August 13, 2008
Kaija Saariaho outside the WNYC Studios
One of the hot tickets in town this past week was La Passion de Simone at the Mostly Mozart Festival, written by composer-in-residence Kaija Saariaho. It’s a powerful story about the French mystic Simone Weil — who starved to death opposing the Nazis. Saariaho’s music is equally powerful, with stretches of orchestral color that practically evoke an atmosphere of religious fervor.
Ms. Saariaho sat down with me recently for a long-ranging interview about her role in the Mostly Mozart Festival, so I thought I’d share that interview with you here. You’ll hear a lot of “passion” coming from the composer in this interview, which covers a wide range of topics: from her early kinship with Mozart, to the challenge of being a woman composer in a field traditionally dominated by men.
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Comments
Comment from susan thames
Date: August 14, 2008, 8:14 am
the faure last night was so lovely. i listened on my way home from zen meditation in new rochelle. which is my segue into calm: many of the hours i spend on my cushion are directed by monkey mind. but some aren’t, or at least moments aren’t, and there are also moments when i’m not sitting, when i remember to reenter the present moment of this body, and to focus on the exhalation, to feel the way, as i release my breath, a lot of other holding on goes with it. for me,. there is not just calm, but ease, and even a quiet joy. i find calm not in looking for it, but in releasing my hold on whatever not-calm is.
oh, and the bass last night? vladimir is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable. vla-DEE-mir.
thanks for your most excellent companionship night after night.
Comment from Richard Mitnick
Date: August 15, 2008, 9:00 pm
I hope this is the right spot. The new site has me a bit baffled.
Is that Brad? Pulling an air shift?
Great to hear your voice.
>>RSM
Comment from Ann
Date: August 21, 2008, 2:48 pm
Hi,
i really enjoyedthe Kaija interview. Very sensitively conducted.
Thanks!
Comment from Pat Winter
Date: October 9, 2008, 10:57 pm
Terrance,
Thank you for the sublime moment of silence after “The Aire for Flute” tonight. I was a radio reporter for years (KFWB LA’s sister statin to WINS NYC)so I know how courageous it is for your to allow so called “dead” air… but for it to happen after the “Aire” was a moment that allowed that beautiful music to live and linger in the ear.
–Patricia
(out here in the Ozarks wroking on that Civil War novel, listneing to you or David Garland while I work.
Comment from Aldous
Date: October 20, 2008, 7:23 pm
umm, it’s pronounced FOE’ - DAY… i can’t even recall your weird ‘expert’ pronunciation… look it up!
thanks!
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