Paavo Berglund - Selected Remembrances and Legends

Selected Remembrances and Legends

As told by the UK newspaper The Independent, the pianist Ralf Gothóni once performed the Franck Violin Sonata with him and was surprised to find that he "played the first movement with a right-hand violin and the second movement with a left-hand violin. The difference of quality was not notable!". The Independent also writes that Ralf Gothóni recalled the effects of Berglund's rigour: he "had a very strong and demanding consciousness of musical laws. It was a great challenge to play with him – and not always easy for the 'freedom-loving' desires of the soloist". He looked severe, too, bent forward in concentration, his left arm holding the baton almost as if warning the orchestra. And in interviews he could be terse to the point of monosyllabism.

But this apparently stern figure had a warmer side, as the cellist Anssi Karttunen remembered: "although he seemed to be always, and I mean always, working, he was a very warm and caring friend of the family, always interested to discuss books, reflexology or philosophy with my wife or have a conversation with our daughter."

He gave the composer Aulis Sallinen (once manager of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra) an unlikely cause for worry at the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra: "Paavo Berglund had only one hobby: football. He used to follow on TV British football matches. He also established a football team inside the orchestra. They used to arrange matches even during our tours. The manager (thinking of broken knees and fingers) did not love the idea."

Jukka-Pekka Saraste remembers Paavo Berglund when at the start of his career: "When spring came, I went to a concert of London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paavo Berglund. They performed Sibelius' 5th Symphony, Violin Concerto with Ida Handel as soloist and the Daughter of Pohjola. Berglund had the reputation of being unapproachable. Nevertheless, I dared to introduce myself after the concert and found him direct and friendly. "A Finn? Give me a moment, I need to piss and wash my hands". He took me to Aberdeen Steak House which was nearby to have a steak with him. "Would you like coffee for dessert?", he asked and pulled out a pack of Finnish coffee and a coffeefilter from his briefcase. He ordered some hot water, and no matter how much the head waiter praised the restaurant's coffee selection, they were not good enough. "You Englishmen don't know how to roast coffee, you ruin it by burning it." Known as scary and stern person Berglund told me a surprising truth between topics: "When conducting, always remember to maintain a positive attitude".

Esa-Pekka Salonen told in an video interview for the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE when asked to remember Paavo, that the epithet closet to him is a constant searching, the endless curiosity, need for new information and self criticism. Of his self criticism can be said that he never stayed with one idea, in he's career a pattern of building new things on top of old ones can be clearly seen. Layer by layer. Searching for the ultimate truth, that eventually of course cannot be found. But the point being in the persistent and open-minded search of the truth.

Remembrances from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (http://www.bsolive.com): Berglund’s performances and recordings of Sibelius with the BSO are legendary and his death was announced as the Orchestra played Sibelius' Fifth Symphony with Kirill Karabits (who himself worked with Paavo in Budapest). The music parts being used by the BSO are the ones used by Paavo himself, and the Orchestra dedicated its concerts on 26 January in Cheltenham, and 27 January at Portsmouth Guildhall to his memory.

Roger Preston, Co-Principal Cello, who worked with Paavo on many occasions, said "Anyone who played with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the largest wooden church in the world Kerimäki Church, Finland, as part of the BSO’s 1981 tour will tell that it was a truly unforgettable experience. On this tour we played all the Sibelius' Symphonies, with Paavo on spectacular form. This particular concert featured Sibelius' Fourth Symphony plus the Violin Concerto played superbly by Ida Haendel.

"I joined the BSO in 1979, as much because I had seen and heard them play under Berglund and knew that he (and they!) were quite exceptional. Many of Paavo’s comments, criticisms and demands are as fresh in my mind as though it were only yesterday.

"He remains, for me one of the best, if not the best conductor that I have ever played for and am so grateful to have caught the latter days of Paavo’s extraordinarily fruitful relationship with the BSO. For any string players reading this, I particularly loved it when he used to say, “violins, you play like in a telephone booth”, ie use much more bow!".

Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat told in their 80th year birthday interview of Paavo Berglund that his one time assistant from Bournemouth, Simon Rattle, calls him "one of the last great", and uses Berglund's bowings in his Sibelius performances, like many other superstars. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra always gets very suspicious when a visiting maestro wants to change Paavo's markings. The visiting maestro is silenced by saying that the markings are Sibelius'.

The late Finnish music critic Seppo Heikinheimo writes in his book "Mätämunan muistelmat, 1997" on page 174: A story about Berglund is often told:

When a wealthy female conductor spent a few weeks in Finland, and was daily visiting both the Helsinki orchestras and their offices to see whether she could be thought of as a guest conductor. No one really dared to say that she was not really needed, but only in the Radio Orchestra they came up with the idea of sending her to talk to chief conductor Berglund. Berglund greets and welcomes her with a hopegiving murderly look, typical of him. They sit down, and she picks up her CV and concert review copies and gives them to him. Berglund pushes them away and say: "These won't be needed. Make me only one list". "Yes of course", she responds. "What kind of a list", she asks. "A list of all the important orchestras you have conducted twice!", he says.

His daughter Liisa Kylmänen told in an video interview for the Finnish Broadcasting Company when asked to remember her father, that he very strongly experienced the closeness to Estonians as a sister- or brotherpeople to Finns. That one as a Finn has to take great care of them. This was during the occupation and early independent years. And she tells he visited Tallinn a few times for free or taking only a small fee of his conducting. And for some of his Sibelius Kullervo performances he insisted of having an Estonian Choir, and that they must be paid a really good fee.

Paavo Berglund was godfather to the Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi.