Frédéric Chaslin: an affair with romance

On 2 January, maestro Frédéric Chaslin will participate in an evening of Russian romances as part of the Mikhailovsky Theatre’s Hermitage Evenings. The renowned French conductor and composer will appear in a different role, accompanying the soloists of the theatre’s opera company on the grand piano.

«I myself am a great admirer of Russian romances, in particular the works of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff,» said the maestro. "To perform them in Russia with Russian singers will be an incredibly emotional experience for me. It’s similar to bliny, which are still tasty in Paris, but much more delicious when eaten in St. Petersburg.

«In my opinion, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff’s romances are the most beautiful works in the history of the genre. And they are also popular, which is really important for the New Year programme. In any country, romances occupy a special niche in the arts, and do not generally enjoy wide audiences. That is why I have tried to choose the most popular examples of the genre. Of course, we could have begun the year with Shostakovich, which would also be good, but the holiday season calls for reflections on love and beauty.

«Knowledge of Russian is of great importance when working with Russian romances, so as to locate the exact nuances, find the right tempo, and avoid any distortion of the emotions. Anybody who plays this music without understanding, without living and breathing every word, is simply a fool. I have a reasonable knowledge of Russian, as I have Russian roots, but my interest in romances goes far beyond my family origins. I was drawn into the world of romances at the Conservatoire Rachmaninoff in Paris, a small private school founded by the composer himself. All the teachers there were Russian.»

Since 1997, Frédéric Chaslin has been a regular guest conductor at the Wiener Staatsoper, where he has conducted over 110 performances from the theatre’s main repertoire. He has also performed in New York, Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, and Venice. The maestro has worked with all the major Parisian symphony orchestras, the Viennese and London symphony orchestras and the London Philharmonic Orchestra; for the past five years he has been the Music Director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Chaslin is also well known as a composer, having written several orchestral pieces, operas, and film scores. His most famous work for the cinema is the composition Diva Dance, sung by the alien opera diva Plavalaguna in Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element. A multi-talented musician, the maestro regularly appears on stage as a pianist.