Rui Massena leads the fate of the Classical Orchestra of Madeira for a decade. One challenge that still appeals him, but that is just one of the corners of his talent. As one of the programmers of Guimarães Cultural Capital of 2012, the conductor wants to show the Portuguese to the world. The best in terms of musical creation.
What's the balance that you make of this decade in the Madeira classical orchestra?
Rui Massena: The balance can be heard. It is an energy orchestra with a taste for music, still enthusiastic about the direction this orchestra in particular. There is still much to do, because we need to grow, but the balance is a strong growth.
You said in an interview that is intended to grow as a musical centrality, we have reached this level?
RM: No, no. It is necessary that people have decision-making power to understand that tourism is also culture and the classical orchestra can be a national and international reference for people who visit the island in the future to know that here is a season of luxury, of excellence. Centrality in the sense that music and using a metaphor, there is a great car and little money for gasoline, so we have to invest in the orchestra and then take dividends in terms of tourism.
You have performed with Jose Carreras and Da Weasel what are the differences between these two musical styles?
RM: The music of the great classical composers requires a very strict technical perfection. Play with a group of hip-hop requires a very keen enthusiasm. Not that the classic does not need, but you must understand other rhythmic phenomena. You have to understand how music is made and assume a musical identity and emotional. Overall needs a lot of technical perfection to exist. Therefore, the difference is set that way.
How you perceive the music scene in Portugal, now that the ministry of culture has become a secretary of state, was a demotion and how do you think that's going to affect?
RM: I was sad. We lost one thing who was granted and that was the ministry of culture. It was an institution that was representative after all. When speaking about governments they do not talk about culture. A country that lives in Europe has not good economic measure itself around that fact and we are clearly losing. If we measure in terms of culture in relation to other countries, we can rub shoulders with any of them. Too bad we do not have ministry, but I believe that this current prime minister is a person related to the arts, will realize that we need to be protected. It is an investment in training, ethics and morals of the people connected to this area and their contact with others is a human investment. We must not lose sight of this, now that we do not have a ministry.
You're one of the programmers Guimarães Capital of Culture for 2012, how you want to mark the difference from the other capitals in previous editions?
RM: Let's have a cultural capital were Portuguese send a gesture to Europe, what does that mean? We're going to bring Portugal to Europe and we will not do what he could do in London or Berlin, because we do not have the financial capacity and the money cannot buy everything. Let's create a Portuguese identity. On the one hand, amplify the work that was done in Guimarães and created a studio orchestra with 83 musicians, consisting of young musicians, conductors, soloists and composers. A kind of national showcase of musicianship and above all because the schedule will be 80% Portuguese.
But with oldest Portuguese composers, the renowned?
RM: No, all new creation, in fact this is one of the main lines of the capital. Let's bet on young composers who will produce original for openings, symphonies, ballet and opera. It is a capital of culture with national production, from the inside to out.
http://www.ruimassena.com/biografia.html
