Facing the Music: Magnus Lindberg

What was the first record or CD you bought?

I bought two, actually. One was a vinyl recording of Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, which I had been studying with a score at home (my first score, together with Beethoven’s Eroica). The other was Tarkus by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. We attempted to have a rock band in school and were into Pink Floyd and progressive rock. I was about 13 or 14 and it felt very special to buy them with my savings. There was a large collection of recordings at my house but these were the first that I owned. My parents approved the Bartók, but not ELP!

How do you listen to music most often?

I mostly listen to CDs: in my studio when I’m working, in the kitchen when I’m cooking.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?

I studied in Rome in the 80s and at that time Italo-pop was a really big thing. I must admit I enjoy listening to Laura Pausini and, even worse, Eros Ramazotti. That music brings back very fond memories of my youth.

If you found yourself with six months free to learn a new instrument, what would you choose?

A Buchla 200 synthesiser! I was completely fascinated by synthesisers when I was younger and the Buchla 200 was the most advanced of all. Its possibilities are endless. Many serious composers like Stockhausen and Subotnik used synthesisers to great effect, but they were also really popular in rock music. I like that versatility and I’m glad to see that these fascinating machines are becoming popular.

Is applauding between movements acceptable?

I don’t think it is a crime! Clapping between movements was common practice in the 19th century; it was only more recently that it became an issue. Of course one can argue that applauding reduces the musicians’ concentration and perhaps if there is a strong dramaturgical tension between movements – such as in a symphony – you shouldn’t clap, but I’m not categorical about it.

What’s been your most memorable live music experience as an audience member?

The New Phonic Art ensemble with Vinko Globokar at the Helsinki Biennale in 1981. It was their last concert and, in a way, my first. They mixed experimental music with improvisation, which was exactly what we were trying to do with the Toimii Ensemble. I was so impressed that I decided to move to Paris to study with Globokar, who became a mentor. It was a turning point in my life and in my career as a composer.

You’ve just been given a time machine: what period, or moment in musical history, would you travel to and why?

I would travel to 1913. Everything was possible, from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring to Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. All the doors were open. It was a crystallised moment in music.

Do you enjoy musicals? And if so, do you have a favourite?

I enjoy musicals a lot and try to catch them whenever I have the chance. I like the classics, but my favourite has to be Spamalot. I’m a huge Monty Python fan and I think I’m secretly jealous of the possibilities and resources of musical theatre, of how well it reaches different audiences. We in the classical world should watch and learn.

Which conductor or performer of yester-year do you most wish you could have worked with?

I would have loved to work with Leonard Bernstein. He was a full-blooded composer and conductor with tremendous influence and an immense capacity to communicate music to large audiences. I regret not having had the opportunity to be around him.

What is the best new piece written in the past 50 years?

There are many strong contenders, but if I had to choose just one piece it would be Henri Dutilleux’s cello concerto, Tout un monde lointain. It’s a truly outstanding work by a truly outstanding composer. At the premiere the audience liked it so much that they had to play it again!

Which non-classical musician would you love to work with?

I would love to work with John Paul Jones. He was great with Led Zeppelin and went on to do very interesting, experimental music. I have a lot of respect for him.

What do you sing in the shower?

Puccini arias, but just in the shower! I love Puccini. No one else wrote melodies like him.

Magnus Lindberg is the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s composer in residence. LPO give the world premiere of his Violin Concerto No 2 with Frank Peter Zimmermann on Wednesday 9 December at the Royal Festival Hall