but also the chamber orchestra and they’re teaching! They are
producing good results! Besides this, he watches the orchestra.
He can hear the smallest deviation in sound. He is my friend
and we work extremely amiably. Now, 2-3 months in the year
is all that he can spare which is too little. So, we needed a
partner. Very strangely, a college friend of mine said “I have
a nephew who is always talking about classical music and he
wants to conduct.” Turned out to be Zane Dalal. Zane and Marat
got on famously. Zane was the side of Marat which he wanted
which was education, talking to the youngsters with his fine
command of the language and his great understanding of music
– he’s a music historian actually. So, he would explain many of
the pieces that were going to play in the season, give lectures
on a symphony which was about to be played, conduct the
orchestra, and many other things. Now you say why number
three? Why Bushkov? Well these people are here altogether for
four months. What do we do for the rest of the eight? Bushkov
is an extremely good conductor, very good trainer, excellent on
the nuances of music, and a fine showman. He’s here to do the
monthly concerts. He does the concerts at NCPA, Pritvi, and
trains the orchestra until Zane and Marat arrive. He knows
what exactly Marat wants to achieve with the orchestra and
he trains them along those lines. We can’t leave them alone for
six months or they will deteriorate. So, the three of them have
a very useful role.”
The Orchestra has performed around India and internationally
in the Hall of Columns, Moscow, and the Royal Opera House,
Muscat. In the October 2015, the SOI opened the 2015-16 Abu
Dhabi Classics season, performing at the Emirates Palace
Auditorium, Abu Dhabi, and in January 2016, presented three
concerts in Switzerland—at the Tonhalle, Zurich; Victoria
Hall, Geneva; and the Tonhalle, St. Gallen—on invitation
from the Migros Kulturprozent Classics series. Apart from
the mainstays of the symphonic repertoire, the NCPA and SOI
have also presented large-scale productions, including fully-
staged operas—with productions of Tosca, Madama Butterfly,
and Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci. In 2017, the SOI premiered
an innovative new production of La Bohème, conducted by
Carlo Rizzi.
Although one may be under the misconception that it is getting
increasingly difficult to find audiences and aspirants who
want to be a part of an orchestra specially in a country like
India, the SOI’s success and it’s increasing number of Indians
who constitute the orchestra exemplifies how “changing times
and music” can only be a derivative of classical music and not
otherwise. Having started off with just four Indians, today the
SOI constitutes over 13 Indians. “The problem in India was,
everybody said there is no career in music which is true! Once
you became “fairly” accomplished musician in India, what do
you do? No orchestra, no career beyond that point! There’s no
doubt about the talent and sheer genius of many of our Indian
musicians, they’ve got perfect pitch and play so well but they
lack training. That’s what we have to provide! What we are
essentially doing is creating a career for musicians not only
in the orchestra, but also a second orchestra, teach them,
make this a fountain of wisdom, and later gradually start
teaching teachers. The only real challenge is making sure
that your good players come each season, besides the obvious
financial difficulties. It’s a pity that in India, there is no proper
developmental plan for culture. They are not putting in any
new hall! In Delhi, there is no hall! Orchestras are asked to
play in an Olympic wrestling ring! So, we should have some sort
of infrastructure for music,” Suntook explained.
Elaborating on the value of joining an orchestra he said,
“Firstly, you get to learn from the great people who conduct
you and the value of that is far more than what you get from a
normal teacher. Teaching of music is an art that is not easily
practiced. A teacher must emotionally connect with a student
– doesn’t often happen, but is happening with many of the
teachers here! Students love their teachers so much that they
come to concerts with their teachers instead of their parents.”
Ahead of their spring concert lined up in February and
March, Suntook talks about the orchestra presenting a rather
daring repertoire that includes German Romantic repertoire
predominantly to the exception of Baroque and Classical Choral
music, “This year, we are doing Lorin Maazel’s reduction of
the Wagner Ring for seventy-five minutes nonstop. Now that
is tough! Our players are going around practicing that since
the past three months! (chuckles) Not to stop at that, we are
also presenting Richard Strauss’s Alpine Symphony. This will
have eight French horns off the stage, wind machines, etc. I
remember there was a Polish conductor Antoni Wit who won
the award for the ‘Best Ricard Strauss Recordings’ few years
ago in the Gramophone. So, I got in touch with the conselia, and
a few Polish players we knew to only hear, “Which orchestra
in India can play this?” And after a recommendation from a
very senior musician abroad, we got him finally. Let’s see how
that goes.”
As Suntook elaborated about the endeavors that await the
orchestra, a child-like excitement filled his face. His efforts
have not only given the Parsi, Zoroastrian, and general
western music aficionados in Mumbai an exciting endeavor
to look forward to, but also testified India’s talent and
cultural direction. He continued saying, “Now we’ve got
together a group of people who bring in the best by way of
music, technology and recommendation for artists. We’ve
got on board, Ed Smith who nurtured the career of Sir Simon
Rattle, and is a major figure in the west and advisor. Zarin
Mehta, Zubin Mehta’s brother who managed the New York
Philharmonic Orchestra for twelve years is on board. They
are all very old school friends of mine who have come to help.
Then we have John Alisson, the editor of one of the world’s
finest magazines called ‘Opera’ who is the world authority on
opera and western classical music. Many such exciting steps
ahead.”
Before he signed off, Suntook swiftly pointed out what he’s
particularly looking for in musicians auditioning for the
SOI, “Attitude – we’re looking for musicians who have a
good attitude towards music making. Definitely hard work,
and more importantly they must have the ability to want to
learn! Many players come to us saying they’ve played in other
orchestras, various venues, but none of it matters if they don’t
want to learn. Nobody above 25-30years of age.”
Along with this he handed over a copy of Cultural Secretary
Maria Miller’s Keynote speech insisting that I read and quote
from it because of how moved he was. One, which particularly
appealed to me said, “As human beings, we want to feel uplifted,
enriched and, above all, moved by the culture that around us.
We want our hearts to sing! Our heritage is one of the most
universal and accessible forms of culture and the envy of many
of our international tourists. But we also understand the local
nature of heritage, how it helps build communities and give
individuals a sense of belonging. Culture matters and that is
why it holds a unique place in our hearts.”
The
Score Magazine
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