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Michel Plasson
In an interview ahead of his CNSO debut on Sunday, a programme that includes works by Beethoven and Franck, the Frenchman says he hopes he can use his new post to deepen the Chinese people's appreciation of Western classical music.
"The world of Western music is still a bit outside their realm of experience," said Plasson, who led the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse for 35 years until 2003.
"They don't really have a lot of experience with Western symphonic music. They've played some, but not very much, of the standard repertoire."
Plasson says he is rejuvenated, not discouraged, by this relative lack of experience among his new flock of musicians.
"I'm going to have to learn how to get them to express what is inside them, get them to be attracted to the music, to revel in the beauty and mystery of it all," said the grey-haired, bespectacled conductor.
"Everything here seems different to me -- their thought process, their technique, their musicality. There is a long way to go in all respects, but there are certain basic qualities upon which I can build," he said.
"The musicians are very open, although some of them are a bit shy, and I'll need to work on that. They are surprised, hungry to learn about Western music."
This is not Plasson's first experience in China -- he has been invited several times, the last in April 2008 when he led the CNSO at two concerts.
His current contract is for 10 concerts over the course of 2010, with the possibility of an extension.
When asked about the orchestra's repertoire for the season, Plasson -- known primarily for his interpretations of the work of France's great composers -- says the choice was not easy.
"Bach, Beethoven -- that is a language that everyone can understand, I'm not sure why, perhaps because of the sheer genius of the composers," he said.
"But it's exciting to communicate with the musicians, and the audience, in a language that is not as well known -- a code that needs to be broken. French music should be played more -- it's difficult, and demands a high skill level."
On Sunday, Plasson is offering a combination of the known -- Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 -- and the unknown -- Cesar Franck's Symphony in D Minor, which he calls a "romantic, very accessible" piece of music.
For future concerts, the Frenchman intends to strike a balance between educating the audience and offering them tried-and-true favourites, taking into account the skill level of his orchestra.
The CNSO performs at Beijing's ultra-modern National Centre of the Performing Arts west of Tiananmen Square, which Plasson says has "superb acoustics".
The French conductor says he hopes to use the in-demand venue more often for rehearsals, explaining it is the only way for the orchestra to achieve a higher level of performance in the coming year.
Another challenge is improving the instruments used by his players, which he said were not of the highest quality.
Despite recent health problems which delayed his Beijing debut, Plasson says he is now full of energy and passion for his new job, which he says came at the right time.
"I was an 'unattached' conductor and I was happy -- I was invited to various places and I chose where to go," he said.
"But China is fascinating and I hope I will get to witness a bit of its journey along the path it is now taking."
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"The world of Western music is still a bit outside their realm of experience," said Plasson, who led the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse for 35 years until 2003.
"They don't really have a lot of experience with Western symphonic music. They've played some, but not very much, of the standard repertoire."
Plasson says he is rejuvenated, not discouraged, by this relative lack of experience among his new flock of musicians.
"I'm going to have to learn how to get them to express what is inside them, get them to be attracted to the music, to revel in the beauty and mystery of it all," said the grey-haired, bespectacled conductor.
"Everything here seems different to me -- their thought process, their technique, their musicality. There is a long way to go in all respects, but there are certain basic qualities upon which I can build," he said.
"The musicians are very open, although some of them are a bit shy, and I'll need to work on that. They are surprised, hungry to learn about Western music."
This is not Plasson's first experience in China -- he has been invited several times, the last in April 2008 when he led the CNSO at two concerts.
His current contract is for 10 concerts over the course of 2010, with the possibility of an extension.
When asked about the orchestra's repertoire for the season, Plasson -- known primarily for his interpretations of the work of France's great composers -- says the choice was not easy.
"Bach, Beethoven -- that is a language that everyone can understand, I'm not sure why, perhaps because of the sheer genius of the composers," he said.
"But it's exciting to communicate with the musicians, and the audience, in a language that is not as well known -- a code that needs to be broken. French music should be played more -- it's difficult, and demands a high skill level."
On Sunday, Plasson is offering a combination of the known -- Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 -- and the unknown -- Cesar Franck's Symphony in D Minor, which he calls a "romantic, very accessible" piece of music.
For future concerts, the Frenchman intends to strike a balance between educating the audience and offering them tried-and-true favourites, taking into account the skill level of his orchestra.
The CNSO performs at Beijing's ultra-modern National Centre of the Performing Arts west of Tiananmen Square, which Plasson says has "superb acoustics".
The French conductor says he hopes to use the in-demand venue more often for rehearsals, explaining it is the only way for the orchestra to achieve a higher level of performance in the coming year.
Another challenge is improving the instruments used by his players, which he said were not of the highest quality.
Despite recent health problems which delayed his Beijing debut, Plasson says he is now full of energy and passion for his new job, which he says came at the right time.
"I was an 'unattached' conductor and I was happy -- I was invited to various places and I chose where to go," he said.
"But China is fascinating and I hope I will get to witness a bit of its journey along the path it is now taking."
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