Follow the international tour of BFO right from the pen of Vladimir Fanshil Assistant Conductor!
We are getting more settled into the riches of Bruges, kilos of fine chocolate have been bought and pastry's tasted.
The forces of attraction are so strong that only one diet works here: the dessert diet.
Walking around these precious little streets I keep meeting members of the BFO, who always invite to join them. Today I strolled around with Zsolt Fejérvári (Principal double bass) and his lovely wife Erika Illési.
The orchestra members are so generous and open that I believe it brings an honesty and sincerity to their music, not to mention fine collective awareness.
The more I listen to Dvorak, the more I am drawn to his music. His melodies are simple and recognisable whilst the accompaniment is highly refined. Through the accompaniment he changes genre in the most subtle way - it is like seeing a familiar face (the melody) but in different city's (accompaniment).
Last night was the very popular New World Symphony. A piece so overplayed that it often sounds routine-like and quite frankly boring! Thankfully, Fischer's only enemy is 'boring' so the symphony was super-charged with thunderous energy, yet full of sensitive nuances. He managed to activate the small notes, which gave a crispy freshness and rhythmic vitality. It is as if we the audience always saw the water surface, but last night were immersed into the rich underwater paradise that lives within the piece. As a result, not even the traditionally subtle Belgian audience could resist physical reaction and bolted up in joy to express their revelation.
Tomorrow the BFO presents the 'real' underwater paradise and pain of Rusalka.
Vladimir Fanshil, Assistant Conductor
