Lorenzo Viotti is the new face of Bulgari Man fragrances
Lorenzo Viotti, director of the Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philarmonic Orchestra, talks about nature, music and his experience as a young maestro.
Lorenzo Viotti has been breathing music since he was 15 and has conducted an orchestra since he was 22. Today, at 32, he is one of the youngest and at the same time most popular conductors in the world. Discipline, commitment, grit and heart-pounding rhythms do not scare him, on the contrary, under pressure he makes it better and the exercise of responsibility (but above all of power, in his words) gives him the right adrenaline, even if "learning to take time is basic".
Scroll down to read the interview with conductor Lorenzo Viotti.
OFFICIEL HOMMES Ibiza: Taking time for?
Lorenzo Viotti: Reflect, exercise free thought and connect with nature.
LOI: "Mother Nature is not only a source of inspiration, but it is something that gives me a feeling of well-being in my natural element [...]" So you tell your latest collaboration with the Maison Bulgari , in which the idea of man in deep contact with nature is central. How do you think the relationship between man and nature should be today?
LV: Nature is magnificent, but above all saving. Over time I have learned to respect and protect her. It is something maternal and powerful, it rebels when we abuse it. We are really small in the face of its generous strength.
LOI: I am reminded of Friedrich's painting “Wanderer in front of the sea of fog” , a nature that leaves you speechless. Have you ever found yourself in front of something so beautiful that it takes your breath away?
LV: Many times. I happen more and more often to stop and contemplate, ask myself questions and not get many answers, but that's okay. Then I'm just amazed. Amazement remains the most important spark.
LOI: Where do you get your inspiration from?
LV: I don't want to sound trivial, but from everything around me. You know when we used to connect the dots as children and an unexpected figure came out? Imagine that I connect so many apparently insignificant dots to each other and the result, on the contrary, is something loaded with relevance. Like perfumes, I never thought they could inspire me so much!
LOI: Earth, Fire, Water and Air, the four elements around which the Bulgari Man, Tearrae Essence, In Black, Wood Essence, Glacial Essence perfumes revolve: if you had to choose one of the four natural elements to describe you, what would it be?
LV: None and all at the same time. One day I wake up on fire, perhaps because I'm working on a musical project that requires a lot of inner strength; other times I wake up in the air, I would like to disappear; others still silent, but as disruptive as water.
LOI: Today you are the new face of Bulgari men's fragrances, in the past you have been linked to the world of watchmaking. What is your relationship with appearing?
LV: I like clothes, but I hate the idea that they come before the rest. I am very annoyed by the spasmodic search for the trend to feel part of something, in that case the clothes control us, while at the most the opposite should happen. On the contrary, I am fascinated by aesthetic research and what people choose to wear, this tells a lot about who you are in front of.
LOI: You're a great observer ...
LV: Absolutely yes. I try to get as much detail as possible: the gestures, the flexion of the voice, the inclination of the body, whoever is in front of me is as if he were constantly under x-rays.
LOI: Do you think this precision is linked to your role as conductor?
LV: Being meticulous in my work is essential. When I get on stage or enter the orchestra pit the first thing I do is free my mind from all thoughts and take care of details: the arrangement of the instruments, coordinate the breath, control the body. A succession of precise and coordinated gestures, marked by the rhythm.
LOI: How do you win the trust of an orchestra?
LV: If I asked you now "Do you trust me" , you would answer resolutely no, maybe even a
little annoyed. You don't know me and it would take some time. Trust builds over time.
LOI: Have you ever come into conflict with your orchestra? And how do you manage the tension between the conductor and the musicians?
LV: Again the answer is time. Now that I think about it, time dominates my life. It has happened to me many times to get into conflict, often tensions are tests to be able to work better together. I try to always remember and remind them that we are part of a community, although it is important to maintain one's individuality, there is no room for individualism.
LOI: Would you call yourself a modest guy?
LV: Modesto no, but I feel at the service of my art. First she comes and then I come.