14 February 2004 www.2mbs.com

Before I met Gianluigi GelmettiI was apprehensive. For starters,Id never met and conversed withanyone of his stature. Prior to thisinterview Id chatted with othercontemporary greats in the musicworld, but never face to face. Whenthe interview was originally mooted Idsuggested a telephone conversation butthat was discarded when it becameapparent that Gelmettis knowledge ofEnglish was pidgin at best and myknowledge of French and Italian evenworse. My concerns did not improvewhen the first appointment was can-celled because Gelmetti was sufferingfrom jet lag and then were increasedwhen it became obvious the maestrosfree time and mine refused to coincide.We only had this one week of opportu-nity before Gelmetti was off to Japan.

Eventually we settled for an hour atSSO headquarters where I was pliedwith a mug of coffee and given thefreedom of the boardroom to ask myquestions. But we had to make dowithout an interpreter. ActuallyGelmettis English turned out to bebetter than I had been led to believe.He spoke it haltingly but had difficulty

understanding some of my questionsand kept asking me to repeat them inFrench. My French must have beenworse than I thought because he keptcomplimenting me and answering questions I hadnt even asked! In anycase, his facial expressions - alwaysmobile and elastic and my gesticulations retrieved from coldstorage where they had lain dormantsince childhood - proved that communication can be achieved with-out the encumbrance of words.

Gelmetti was dressed in what seemsto be the current conductors garb black trousers and a shirt that was prob-ably black before washing had bleachedit to pearl grey. He dangled a pince-nezon his chest and his close-croppedbeard and thinning hair were more saltthan pepper. But he had a cherubicface and what he lacked in languageskills was more than made up for by apair of twinkling eyes, eyebrows thatdefied gravity and a sense of humourthat didnt. The first impression wasthat here was a man who loves life.And anyway just the sound of his name Gianluigi Gelmetti was poetry tomy philistine ears.

Born into an Italian family that hadknown much wealth, Gelmettis ances-tors were forced to reside in Argentinafor several generations after their richesevaporated. Gelmettis father returnedto his motherland, living in Rome andearning a living playing piano at silentmovie theatres. But with the advent ofsound, when silence ceased to be golden, he reluctantly went into com-merce and had a shop selling sportinggoods. He wasnt very happy, continues Gelmetti junior, but when I was born he transmitted to me all thepassion and the love of music.

His mother, on the other hand, wasa very good poetessa how you say [poet]who won many awards with her writings. My mother tells me thatbefore I could walk, whenever I heardmy father play on the piano I rush overto him, he place me on his knee and I go Bam! Bam! Bam! On the keys. Not surprisingly, Gelmetti has alwaysbeen passionate about music. I can remember when I first started writingABCbut I cannot rememberwhen I first started wanting to be amusician.

Gelmettis mother was the organising force in the family. Sheensured he did not miss la belle jeunesse,however. Sometimes she insists I study, he explains. I would muchhave preferred to play calcio [soccer]but my mother it was who arrangedeverything. I had to spend this muchtime on the piano, this much timeswimming, and I also do judo.

Gelmetti started playing the pianoat three and conducted his first orches-tra at 16. I start asking how it felt beinga child prodigy, but he interrupts. Non,non, non alors, jai au la chance de com-mencer trs tt [I had the opportunity tostart early] but I am no prodigy.Mozart was prodigy, but he is un mys-tre, then pointing to the heavens unUFO! He pronounces it as one word. I have a copy of the original Jupitersymphony, which he composed with-

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www.2mbs.com 15February 2004

out a single change. When you speakabout Mozarts genius it is like Mosparting the Red Sea.

Equally at home playing the guitar(which he studied with Segovia inSiena) or piano (which he commencedstudying seriously at eight at RomesAcademia di Santa Cecilia) I askwhich instrument he prefers. Helaughs. Is the same as you askingwhich I prefer - blondes or brunettes!

His mentors were the ItalianFranco Ferrara in Rome and theRumanian-born Sergiu Celibidache atthe Academia di Siena, the oldest andmost prestigious Academia delmondo. At 16, Gelmetti wasCelibidaches youngest pupil. He wenton to become his assistant and succeeded him as director ofStuttgarts radio orchestra. Since thenhe has been chief conductor of theRome Symphony (RAI), music director of the Monte CarloPhilharmonic and is currently perma-nent conductor and artistic director ofthe Rome Opera. As chief conductorand artistic director of the Sydney

Symphony, he is contracted for aninitial period of three years, conduct-ing the orchestra each year for threeperiods totalling 12 weeks. As a composer, which he practises fitfully,Gelmetti has written works commem-orating both his mentors.

When asked how he composes hereplies: In the meend! I soon realisehe means mind. That works for me,but I never write on the stone howothers should compose. Whethercomposing or conducting any goodmusician should have the capacity toimagine how the music will sound. I close my eyes and I hear the sound.With my orchestra I am never surprised with the results because I have already heard it in my mind. The conductor who doesnt alreadyknow what he wants is primitive. He explains he becomes nothing morethan a human metronome. Butalsodont forget the most importantquality of a conductor is to communi-cate. I tell my pupils you must try itwithout too much talk. If you have toexplain then it is the beginning of the

defect. You must charm the orchestra;convince them to play like a chamberensemble. They must listen to eachother.

I ask whether hes ever hadrehearsals that were perfect, only forthe performance to be a disappoint-ment. Is usually the reverse, heexplains. Is like architecture. Therehearsal is like the foundation.

You cannot have a cathedral unlessyou have good foundations.

He envisages the SydneySymphony producing a uniquesound. The contra-bassi will be at theback and the violins on either side ofthe conductor, is the way he explainsit. It will take some years but we havealready started.

When we talk about his mother itis obvious he is still in awe of her.She wants to come here next yearwith a couple of girlfriends. She is 89,he adds in a voice that does not maskthe incredulity of such foolhardydeeds. I ask her name. Clelia, hereplies. Now Clelia is an unusualname. It is a name predating evenJulius Caesars Roman Empire. Theodd thing, however, is that it is alsomy own sisters name. Gelmetti cantbelieve the coincidence.

Before he has time to recover I askabout how the Rome Opera choruswill find time to fly to Sydney for theVerdi Requiem they will share with theSydney Philharmonia Choirs thismonth. Surely they have obligationsin Rome? Is very easy, Gelmettireplies. I am good friends with themanaging director in Rome. He indicates the two-fingered demonstra-tion of a phone held to the ear. So I call him. He is very understanding.His name is Gianluigi there is apause and Im thinking how coincidental it is that this director hasthe same name as our interviewee ,.Gelmetti! Hoots of laughter!

Gelmetti has to leave. He is audi-tioning prospective violinists at theOpera House. I extend my hand andsuddenly find myself embraced southern-European style.

And to think I was initially worriedabout the meeting.

The new chief conductor and artisticdirector of the Sydney SymphonyOrchestra has recorded exclusivelyfor EMI for many years and its a shamethat only two recordings of his works are available in Sydney. That we have managed to obtain them is due to theefforts of Gary Henschke from EMIAustralia. And yet according to reviewsfrom overseas, Gelmetti has not beenslack in the recording industry. He hasrecently conducted a highly acclaimedalbum of Mascagnis Iris featuring JoseCura and Nicolai Ghiaurov, a well-received recording of Rossinis The Barber of Seville with ThomasHampson, Susanne Mentzer, JerryHadley and Samuel Ramey, and has alsorecorded Puccinis La rondine, RossinisStabat Mater and an album of Ravelsorchestral music. The albums featuredhere, a selection of Nino Rotas screenmusic and a compilation of Rossini overtures (which includes highlights fromthe Barber already mentioned) are excellent recordings in their own rightbut do nothing more than whet ourappetites for the inevitable festa di musica.After meeting Gelmetti and listening tohis plans for Sydneys artistic future I, forone, cant wait for la festa to begin.

Gelmetti Recordings

Photos: Lorrie Graham.