Violinist Bogdan Zvorișteanu will be the soloist of the National Radio Orchestra on Friday, March 7th, under the baton of conductor Roberto Paternostro. The musicians will perform, in the first part of the evening, Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77 by Johannes Brahms.

Bogdan Zvorișteanu is here with me live in the Radio România Muzical studio. Good evening!
Good evening!

Let's start by talking a bit about the rehearsals. How did they go?

There was only one rehearsal. We started a little earlier, taking advantage of the fact that I was already here, and we basically tried to run through the piece from start to finish to see what happens. It was my first encounter with maestro Roberto Paternostro. It took place in the second studio, so we didn't have the main concert hall, meaning the acoustics were quite different from where the performance will take place. But it was a pleasant experience, and I think the result will be a good one.

How did you find the orchestra's preparation for Brahms' concerto?

Of course, the orchestra is very well prepared; they know the concerto inside out. There is nothing negative to say, only good things.

Let's talk a bit about this piece. It is considered an "evergreen," so to speak, of the violin repertoire. It is a classical work, despite being romantic, and it is also quite monumental. It is an extremely long concerto that presents many challenges not only for the soloist but also for the orchestra, the conductor, and perhaps even the audience. How do you see this work?

Indeed, it is a true test for any orchestra and especially for any violinist. It lasts a long time, and it is challenging to sustain-emotionally, mentally, and physically-we're talking about over 40 minutes of almost continuous playing.

It is an orchestral piece in which the soloist plays a crucial role, but the orchestra is composed in a very symphonic way. One of the greatest difficulties for the soloist is to rise above the orchestra, as the orchestration is quite dense, with every instrument being significant. Every musician wants to contribute to this great masterpiece of romantic music. The inspiration from Beethoven's Violin Concerto is evident, and we see how Brahms continued this structural model, later followed by Tchaikovsky. These are now classic concertos that all stem from the foundation Beethoven laid.

So, you are drawing a parallel between Brahms' concerto and Beethoven's?

Yes. Both are written in a classical sonata form, with a first theme, a second theme, and a development section, followed by a recapitulation. However, with the evolution of emotional expression in music, Brahms introduces a much more romantic aspect compared to Beethoven, who was already revolutionary for his time.

Mr. Zvorișteanu, I would like to ask you what advice you would give to young musicians.

I believe the most important thing is to always think about what we are doing, why we make music, why we choose certain pieces, and what we actually want to offer the audience. And I think that in today's world, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, everything based solely on technical performance and virtuosity-which, by the way, can have other dimensions beyond just technicality-can already be replicated by AI. That is something we should be aware of. So, as artists, we must always add an emotional component, a message that is as powerful, profound, and relevant as possible for the audience. I believe people come to concerts for that, rather than just putting on a record and listening to it.

That leads me to ask-where does human originality, the performer's individuality, come into play when interpreting a piece like Brahms' concerto? What can a human bring that a robot cannot?

A robot always relies on superficial, physical parameters. In music, we have four measurable parameters: pitch (intonation), duration (tempo, rhythm), intensity (dynamics), harmonic spectrum (tone and timbre). However, all these elements are merely the surface of music. Beyond them, we must seek-and indeed, this search will never end-other dimensions: not only mental but emotional as well. And beyond that, there are even spiritual dimensions, which become increasingly difficult to put into words.

I strongly resonate with this idea-that the search never ends-and I thank you for sharing it. Mr. Zvorișteanu, thank you also for your time.