She is one of the best prepared batons on the international scene, often enjoyed by the audiences of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where Gustavo Dudamel named her principal guest conductor, or the Paris Opera, where she has taken up residence since she 2006 Pierre Boulez made her head of his Ensemble Intercontemporain. In Helsinki, her home, the Philharmonic has just named her emeritus; London's Covent Garden commissioned him to premiere Innocence, by Kaija Saariaho; Now she will direct Pelléas et Mélisande at the Aix-en-Provence Festival and next season she will do Fidelio at the Met in New York.
A resume that should make Susanna Mälkki (Helsinki, 1969) a possible candidate for musical director of the Liceu now that the theater is going to have to fill the void left by Josep Pons. The Gran Teatre Orchestra meets again this Sunday with the Finnish conductor in Girona.
His career on the podium began after standing out as a cellist. And in the quarter century since Jorma Panula and Essa Pekka-Salonen supervised her at Carnegie Hall's Sibelius Academy, Mälkki has been the first woman in many places: the first to conduct an opera at Milan's La Scala, when in 2011 he premiered Quartett, by Luca Francesconi; the first to appear at Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, with the first montage of L'Amour de loin...
Forged in contemporary music and a specialist in the Nordic, Russian and Slavic repertoire, the creator of Puccini's celebrated Il trittico with which she debuted at the Liceu in 2022 expands her operatic horizons year after year – “I would love to conduct more Wagner” – , and the Bastille calls her to the podium for titles like Janáček's Makropulos Case, after whose premiere last fall, she agreed to talk with La Vanguardia.
What fascinates you about Janáček?
It represents the 20th century but in its own way, free of schools. It is rhythmically very modern, dynamic. In him you can hear the influences of the past, of his time and of what he influenced. It's cute but quite complex. In it music and text are indivisible. Janáček was renewing the musical language and the notation is sometimes incredibly illogical, so conductors have to make a lot of decisions because it was not yet written in mathematical proportions. Janáček doesn't always make sense to the eye, but it does make sense to the ear if done correctly. The danger is to think that it is just about rhythm, there is a lot of lyricism, it just comes in small doses.
You collaborated for twenty years with the Finnish composer Kaja Saariaho who recently passed away. What void does it leave?
Kaja has been very significant in my career, my life and my understanding of music. And I speak in the present tense because I can't believe she died. She helped me appreciate her legacy and perhaps bring it into the contemporary landscape. Despite their originality, his works have been widely performed, most notably his opera L'amour de loin, which has had around 20 productions since its premiere in 2000. His music has been as appreciated as it has been inspiring, renewing our understanding of the music in our time. Kaja has created a unique and fascinating musical world that challenges listeners to listen differently. She is known for collaborating closely with singers, adapting roles to specific performers and choosing texts that are meaningful to her. The importance of her music will grow over time.
You may have asked yourself this a lot but... what is the key to the musical boom in Finland?
It's a combination of factors, including excellent conductor training, a culture that encourages experimentation, and a deep cultural appreciation for music. We are proud of music and it plays an important role in our lives.
You are part of the Parisian cultural elite: Officier and Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, also Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur... As a broad-spectrum European, how different would you say orchestral musical culture is? when he directs in Los Angeles?
American orchestras are different from European ones. And it has a lot to do with people and traditions: Los Angeles is a center of multicultural and multi-everything innovation, while the Paris Opera, for example, represents a certain tradition and has cultivated this sound that is unique to them. And the same thing at the Liceu or if you go to Germany: European cities and institutions are very outlined, while the Americans are very fast and have that ability to change.
Which batons have you admired?
Now that I am directing my interest more towards opera, I am rediscovering some names, like Karl Böhm, who as an opera director is a god. Karajan as a symphonic conductor is a monument but not necessarily my idol, although his early opera recordings are extraordinary. And as a child, Carlos Kleiber seemed unique to me, beautiful to watch direct. I can admire both Leonard Bernstein and Pierre Boulez and I think we need both, I don't think they exclude each other. In Bernstein you hear the musicality, the quality of the language of each piece. Bernstein's Mahler is very interesting, he proposes something very intuitive and intellectual at the same time. And about Boulez, people think he's cold but he's not cold at all. It's just that he doesn't make the grand gestures. If we talk about other types of repertoire, I grew up listening a lot to Russian conductors like Mravinsky, Tchaikovsky... And among the Finnish conductors, Salonen, Paavo Berglund and even Segerstam were very important. I grew up with this kind of professionalism in management. And I played in orchestra, so I saw some really great conductors from the inside.
She is from a generation of women who needed to make a space for themselves on the podium, it has not been easy.
That has changed during my career. At first I felt like I wasn't welcome, but it's gotten easier. Of course, people are often hired because they seem like the right product and I, because of my contemporary background, never seem like the right product. On the other hand, I never used my gender as an asset, because that's not how I think about my role, work was more important. I don't know if it was the right decision. I think it was in terms of credibility and my qualities, although nowadays people need to have this type of speech.
Name me four female conductors who could be at the top today running to conduct major orchestras and opera houses... and they don't appear on the lists.
I wish I could have attended more concerts to give me judgment but there is Mirga [Gražinytė-Tyla], of course, and I think I can include myself. And I've heard fantastic things about the work of Oksana Liniv and Karina Kanellakis. The press should keep its eyes open, be aware of how it influences people's minds if it continues to exclude women or do what I find sometimes even insulting, which is making a list of names and then a second list of women. People can already see for themselves that I am a woman, my name is Susanna, an international name, you don't need to put neon lights on it, you know? What would you think if Anne-Sophie Mutter was announced as a great female violinist? Or would it be said that Martha Argerich is a great female pianist? She sounds terrible, doesn't she?
Do you think then that it is more of a silent revolution, that of women on the podium?
It's something that's been happening and it's suddenly moving very quickly. It's great to see. We must remember that it is only since the Second World War that we have had female musicians in orchestras. So it is logical not to have a woman leading a group that would not allow women entry. That has changed in recent decades. And America has been ahead of Europe in this sense, with feminism. Then you have Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries. But I still come across orchestras where I hear that there are male colleagues who do not treat their female colleagues well. It's still a problem, but once it becomes a natural coexistence, then the orchestra is healthy in that aspect and able to deal with it.
Did you have to fight for respect?
Yes, there have been times when treatment has been disrespectful. And that is also the responsibility of the organization. It is now fashionable to say that “we are an open and proud organization that does not discriminate,” but to those who behave arrogantly, the administrative response is weak: “well, you know, an individual is just an individual.” But hey, I've been on the podium for 20 years, it's a generation, and I think it's beautiful to see now how in academies like Tanglewood or Lutzer the young generation of musicians is wonderful. We have to make sure that when she enters the professional world she is not dragged down by the old mentality. Nothing could make me happier than seeing this opening.
Would you accept if the Liceu offered you to be the musical director?
Directing Il trittico was a wonderful experience in all aspects. Barcelona is one of the most fascinating cities and I am aware of the beautiful historical tradition of the Liceu, the connection with Wagner and its cultured audience that knows the works and, as I saw, the singers: they adored Ermonella Yaho. There are other theaters that look like a train station from which people enter and leave and I was moved by this atmosphere of the Liceu. A great European theater that has great local importance, in the best sense, it's the kind of house you want to be in, it's this kind of work that is interesting.
What about the orchestra?
Really good, it already sounded great when listening to the recordings. And very pleasant when it comes to working.
You've directed Die Walküre and the second act of Tristan und Isolde, but what are those Wagners you're looking forward to doing?
I already have projects, things are emerging. I am fascinated by that extra dimension that Wagner brings, it is mythical to get into that Mississippi of music as a director, that absolute Amazon. Strauss and Wagner are the most fascinating but right now I dream of doing The Ring, Tristan, The Meistersinger...
