Paavo Berglund facts for kids
Paavo Berglund (born April 14, 1929 – died January 25, 2012) was a famous Finnish conductor and violinist. He was known for his strong leadership and his deep understanding of music. He especially loved the music of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.
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Early Life and Career
Paavo Berglund was born in Helsinki, Finland. He started playing the violin when he was a child. His grandfather even made one of his violins. By age 15, he knew he wanted to work in music. He started playing in restaurants when he was 18.
During World War II, Paavo worked in iron factories. Many children were moved out of Helsinki for safety. His professional music career began in 1946. He played violin in the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1949 to 1958. He studied music formally in Helsinki, Vienna, and Salzburg.
Paavo was very impressed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He saw them play with the famous conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. This inspired him to study in Vienna. He even got to watch famous conductors like Furtwängler and Hans Knappertsbusch during their recording sessions.
Becoming a Conductor
Paavo Berglund started his conducting career in 1949. He created his own small orchestra. In 1953, he helped start the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra.
In 1955, he became an Associate Conductor for the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He then became their main conductor from 1962 to 1971. Later, he led the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for four years, starting in 1975. He also conducted a student choir at the University of Helsinki.
Paavo was known for being very strict in rehearsals. He wanted everything to be perfect. He would often change parts of the music. He believed this would make the music sound even better. He spent a lot of time studying and preparing. He would even mark detailed instructions on each musician's sheet music.
He once said, "I think we have already had our fill of mushy recordings." This shows how much he cared about clear and precise music.
International Success
In the UK, Paavo led concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1965. He became their main conductor in 1972. He helped them become a much better orchestra. He also worked with the Scottish National Orchestra.
He conducted many major orchestras around the world. These included the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. He also worked with orchestras in Russia, Germany, and Israel.
Paavo made his first appearance in New York in 1978. He later became a regular guest conductor for the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra.
He made over 100 recordings during his career. He once said that his recording of Smetana's Má Vlast with the Dresden Staatskapelle was his best.
Paavo also conducted operas a few times. His most important opera projects were Beethoven's Fidelio and Nielsen's Maskerade.
He had a close friendship with the Finnish composer Joonas Kokkonen. Paavo helped Kokkonen a lot and often performed his music. He also helped start the Finnish Chamber Orchestra in 1990. This orchestra brings together top musicians from different Finnish orchestras.
His Connection to Sibelius
Paavo Berglund was especially famous for conducting the music of Jean Sibelius. He recorded all of Sibelius's symphonies three times.
In the 1950s, Sibelius himself heard Paavo conduct some of his music. Sibelius told Paavo how much he enjoyed the performances. Paavo even visited Sibelius at his home.
Paavo also did a lot of research on Sibelius's music. He found many mistakes in the printed music for Sibelius's Seventh Symphony. His work led to a new, more accurate version of the symphony being published.
He believed that Sibelius's music should not be played too strictly. He said, "Accuracy against atmosphere: it's not that simple." He wanted musicians to focus on the feeling of the music.
Paavo sometimes changed parts of Sibelius's scores. He felt that composers didn't always get everything perfect. He wanted to be "true to the work" by making it sound its best.
He recorded Sibelius's symphonies with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He used fewer string players than usual. This made the music sound very clear and was highly praised.
Last Performance and Legacy
Paavo Berglund conducted his last concert in Paris on June 1, 2007. He performed music by Brahms and Sibelius. He said the Sibelius performance was "almost perfect."
Paavo Berglund passed away on January 25, 2012, at the age of 82. He was buried in Helsinki. Many people, including other famous conductors like Kurt Masur, remembered him as one of the greatest conductors.
Special Instruments
Paavo Berglund owned some very special violins. In 2005, a foundation bought a violin from him. It was made in 1732 by Carlo Bergonzi, a famous violin maker. This violin was once owned by the legendary violinist Isaac Stern. Experts say it's a masterpiece. This violin is now lent to talented musicians for three years at a time.
After Paavo's death, his family sold his Stradivarius violin to the Finnish Cultural Foundation. It was built around 1700 and is in amazing condition. Paavo really wanted this violin to stay in Finland. The violin is now called the Stradivarius ex. Berglund.
Awards and Honours
Paavo Berglund received many awards for his musical achievements:
- Grammy nomination in 1971 for his recording of Sibelius's Kullervo.
- Two Diapason d'Or awards for his recordings of Nielsen and Sibelius symphonies.
- "Choc de l'Année 1998" from Le Monde de la musique.
- Finnish State Music Award in 1972.
- Pro Finlandia Medal in 1982.
- Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1977.
- Honorary Conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002.
- A rehearsal hall at the Helsinki Music Centre is named "PAAVO" after him.
