Interview with Gavin Sutherland

Your relationship with English National Ballet goes back quite far…

Yes – I first came to conduct for the company in 1999, for a production of Alice in Wonderland at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. I remember that performance particularly vividly as one of the props fell into the pit! The Queen of Hearts was playing croquet with a solid wood ball that looked like a hedgehog. The White Rabbit was meant to run downstage to catch it so she would win, but this time she gave it such a whack that he couldn’t get to it. It rolled right down into the pit, damaging the oboe player’s box of reeds! So that was my first performance – and thankfully the Company let me back after that! At the time, it was a great opportunity for me. I found everybody very friendly, and the orchestra just delightful, so I hoped to continue the relationship, and thankfully, I did.

I then returned to conduct some performances of Swan Lake for Derek Deane – I’ve always loved his discussions about stagecraft and musicality – and, from 2005, Nutcracker. At the time, Matthew Scrivener had just become leader of the orchestra, and we clicked immediately: I walked into the pit that afternoon and he shook my hand and said “welcome”. I’ll never forget that. He still does it now.

What did you set out to achieve when you first took up the role of Music Director?

My first brief was to integrate the orchestra with the company more fully. I wanted to create a harmony between the two, so that we were not just musicians who came to play for the dancers. I also wanted to raise the profile of our orchestra and all the talent within it – for example, Lars Payne is a world authority on ballet music. He sources original manuscript scores from the great composers from all over the world for us, but nobody knew it.

I was especially pleased when the orchestra started to receive positive mentions more and more frequently in press and audience reactions.

When I joined, I also realised that the orchestra last did a recording in 1976. I thought we should resurrect the idea of recording if we could, and we had an opportunity with Akram Khan’s Giselle.

We’ve also just recorded our version of Glazunov’s Raymonda, of which I’m hugely proud. The orchestra played like heaven on earth, and it’s such divine music. Keep an eye out for the release of the recording soon!

Playlist – listen to English National Ballet Philharmonic playing Vincenzo Lamagna’s score for Akram Khan’s Giselle:

What’s the place of the ENB Philharmonic within the company?

Firstly, music is so important. Dance cannot exist without it – well, for a few minutes maybe…

Then, we have an amazing company of dancers, who need an amazing orchestra. I like the fact that at ENB, the integration of music into the artistic life of the company exists in a very positive and forward-thinking way. For example, look at what we were able to achieve with Vincenzo Lamagna on his score for Giselle, blending live orchestra with sound design and effects.

You mentioned  Giselle – can you share some of your favourite works from the last 10 years with us?

It’s quite a delight to think that we’ve worked on such a diverse range of music. There’s always been something new and different.

My highlights would include Vincenzo Lamagna’s score for Giselle – although, I have to declare an interest here since I orchestrated it! It’s got so much rich additional percussion and effects, and tries to find a new sound from a conventional orchestra. It really pushed me to try and find ways to keep the colour that Vincenzo had in the original composition.

Broken Wings by Peter Salem (for Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s ballet on Frida Kahlo) also stands out as it was quite unusual – there’s even a bicycle wheel in the percussion section!

Anthology of Fantastic Zoology, by Mason Bates (used for Aszure Barton’s ballet Fantastic Beings), is without a doubt one of the most fun pieces I and a lot of the orchestra have played. I looked at the score and I thought “I’m going to enjoy every minute of this”.

We’ve also performed chamber pieces – like two movements of Mozart’s piano concertos for Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort, and some Philip Glass for Stina Quagebeur’s Nora. Again, something entirely different, and something the orchestra loved playing.

Within the more classical repertoire, I enjoyed working on Le Corsaire, finding a way to bring coherence to a score created by 10 different composers was a fantastic challenge. Creating Raymonda with Tamara was extremely rewarding too.

Video – learn more about the work that went into working on Glazunov’s score for Raymonda:

What’s it been like working with Tamara over the last decade?

Amazing. It’s been so refreshing! She sees the detail of artistry in a way quite unlike many other directors. She also has the ability to dig beneath steps and notes and find meaning: she respects music in such a strong way, that it’s always a delight, and there’s always a positive result.

What’s so special about ENB Philharmonic?

It’s a family. I’m very proud that our musicians are so loyal. Many of our players have been with the orchestra for 30 years or more, and they bring a lot of knowledge that they share freely. They are world-class musical talents who have invested time and care in this organisation, managed by the indefatigable Paul Allen. I stand at the front and have the privilege of leading them. What’s not to like?

What’s next for you?

My final day as Music Director will be the last performance of Raymonda in Southampton. I feel very happy and a little bit emotional that the last piece I do as Music Director is also the last piece I invested something of myself artistically towards.

In the future, I am looking forward to having more flexibility and exploring other opportunities. However, I won’t be going far!

I can’t just walk away and I wouldn’t do that. As Principal Guest Conductor with ENB, I’ll be conducting Nutcracker at the London Coliseum, as well as returning for Creature and in June for Cinderella in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall.

I’ll also be working on two ENB pieces further afield, as it were: Akram Khan’s Creature with Royal Ballet of Flanders, and Tamara’s Raymonda with the Finnish National Ballet!

You’ve worked with many companies – is there something that makes ENB different?

There is a determination about this company, always with the best of intentions and always with the aim of creating work of the highest quality.

It means that everybody is practical, and extremely artistic at the same time. The company and orchestra give their all, and that gives me an energy which I can feed off – something one doesn’t get everywhere.

We work hard and we always deliver – the joy of that exquisite moment when your knees are killing you because you have been on the rostrum for three hours, amid the satisfaction of another great performance, and then the audience applauds your work – it’s wonderful, that’s why we do it.

Thank you Gavin from everyone at English National Ballet for your ten years as Music Director.

Video – enjoy this performance of ENB Philharmonic, under the baton of Gavin Sutherland: