Dutch conductor: I never swear; I can’t stay faithful
OrchestrasThe Dutch conductor Ed Spaniaard, 72, runs through his personal ten commandments in a weekend interview:
I don’t keep a Sabbath, I don’t keep Sunday rest, I don’t manage to really relax. Yes, I do a bit of yoga, flamenco dancing and pilates. Oh, and – you get a scoop – I got a black bag with green, yellow and blue elastic bands, attributes with which I will follow an online fitness program. But I will tell you honestly: corona has not done me any good. I could have used the time I had left over as a conductor to improve my piano playing, but I’ve become a little bit depressed, a little bit depressed. I have a certain aptitude for that anyway – crazy word, by the way, to use in that context – although my environment is never much bothered by it.
I don’t remember anyone ever saying to me, what a grumpy, grumpy person you are. Neither am I. But I live alone, I live alone and I’ve walked around here often enough in the past few months, searching, doubting…
Much more here.
>>”I live alone”
Not good for the mental health
Much more here. Yeah, because everyone reads Dutch …
I think it’s a very nice interview in which he says a lot of interesting things about the meaning of music, mental health in times of corona, the effect of WWII on Jewish people/musicians, the almost religious moment when you are touched by a piece of art and more.
The two clickable things in the title are rather a paraphrase of the following things:
1) He says he doesn’t particulary enjoy swearing, because he prefers playing over confrontation, and
2) He says he ‘doesn’t have the talent’ to stick with one sexual partner for his whole life, but he also talks about his former life partner who has now been his best friend for over fourty years (which I would consider a great example of being loyal/faithful).
If you all are interested, I could try to find some time this week to translate the whole article into my ‘steenkolenengels’ (Dunglish). For now, Google Translate is your friend…
Ed Spanjaard is one of the very best musicians the Netherlands has produced and it is amazing that he does not have a more international profile.
Just a supposition: it may be the outcome of a human being who is blessed with many talents and consequently numerous interests. Those artists are unique and always thinking outside the box, but deeply appreciated and revered because of their modesty and honesty.ll