MOSCOW, December 10, Anastasia Silkina. 31-year-old Frenchman Clément Noncieux won silver at the Rachmaninoff Competition for pianists, composers and conductors in Moscow and has a successful career in three countries: France, Germany and Russia. He conducts at the New Opera and concerts of the opera diva Aida Garifullina. And on December 10 he will take the stage at the Tchaikovsky Hall with pianist Denis Matsuev. The maestro shared his impressions of Russia and creative plans in an interview.
Many friends, borscht and cold
— Clément, for the first time you entered the Rachmaninoff competition in the summer of 2022. During these year and a half, we returned with concerts several times. Did you manage to find friends here?
— Of course! Even more than in eight years of living in Germany. It's surprising, but true.
—You have just arrived in Moscow from Tyumen. What are your impressions?
— I can say not only about Tyumen. I was also in Krasnoyarsk, Kaliningrad and Novosibirsk. There I truly felt that I was very, very far from my homeland, from what I was used to. And that's great! I'm looking for that kind of novelty. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to appreciate the beauty of Siberian nature, but it’s already in the air.
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Life in Germany and France does not give such emotions.
— Work here does not interfere your career in Europe? Have you ever heard advice not to travel to Moscow?
— Yes, many times when I was going to the Rachmaninov competition. But I didn’t attach any importance to it, because it was my chance. A few years ago, I decided to do only what my heart told me to do, without overthinking it. And it was true. Now my most wonderful, most prestigious projects are in Russia. The experience I gain here helps me in Europe as well. If I have any problems there, it's okay.
I know many French people who worked in Russia and may continue to cooperate. There are connections, they just need to be revived.
Being in Russia now means not only performing music, but also building connections. This is diplomacy.
— Did these trips destroy any stereotypes?
— I don’t keep stereotypes in my head. The only one – I heard that it’s cold in Russia. And it turned out to be true. (Laughs) And I would also like to see bears in their natural habitat.
— Your homeland, France, is famous for its haute cuisine. What have you tried in Russia?
— I just ate borscht, and this is the third time in the last couple of days. I caught a cold in Tyumen and now I drink tea and eat borscht. (Laughs) Between concerts in Moscow, I stay with one grandfather in Balashikha. He cooks me porridge in the morning, borscht and other traditional soups for lunch. And I looked at his recipes – I plan to cook for my parents when I arrive for Christmas.
“Something French in the ears”
— How did you meet Denis Matsuev?
— We first met at the Rachmaninoff competition, but then we just shook hands. The real acquaintance took place at his festival in Tyumen.
— The concert program at the Tchaikovsky Hall on December 10 includes Ravel and Chopin. Who chose?
— Denis suggested Chopin, and I suggested Ravel. There will also be the British composer Elgar, he was recommended by the Russian National Youth Orchestra. It turns out interesting: French music close to me, interpretations of Chopin from Denis and an orchestra that will perform Elgar for the first time. I think it will make an impression.
— For you, is there a difference between performing French or Russian composers?
— Of course, it’s a big one. When I conduct Russian music, I still have something French in my ears.
— How is this expressed?
— In fantasy, lightness, brilliance. For us French, it's important to package the music in something shiny, to polish it. For example, with Ravel I try to explain his background to the orchestra. This is interesting for them too.
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— Why did you choose a career as a musician?
— I didn’t choose. To be honest, I haven't chosen much in my life at all. I just follow its natural flow. When I was five or six years old, my mother took me to piano lessons. I was never a child prodigy. It was akin to sports exercises, and I didn’t really understand the meaning. In fact, music is not a sport at all; it is not competitive.
At 15 I fell in love, and I had someone to play with – ears appeared. It added meaning for me to speak with others through music. And that’s why it’s more interesting for me to perform in Tyumen, Vladivostok or somewhere else than in France, where the language is the same, where I know the cities and culture too well.
Master the Russian language in a year
— Already have touring plans in Russia for 2024?
— This year I conducted a concert performance of Adolphe Adam’s opera “The Postman from Longjumeau” at the New Opera Theater in Moscow. Next, director Evgeny Pisarev will stage a stage version. Bizet's “Carmen” is also planned for the same theater. I'm happy because I've been dreaming about this for a long time. I am negotiating with the Trans-Siberian Festival in Novosibirsk, groups in Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen, Moscow.
— In our conversation, you switched to Russian several times, and the impression is that it has become closer to you than English. Therefore, I will ask the last question in Russian. How do you learn our language?
— (Answers in Russian) I speak French, German, English and Italian. When you already speak several languages, you know how to learn them.
I visit Russia quite often and try to speak, especially with my grandfather in Balashikha – he only understands Russian. After the competition, Rachmaninov began to teach in Berlin from books, but this is a bad method. The best one is to listen to Russian YouTube every day and repeat. I had a tutor, but not for long. In fact, I don’t understand everything and I can’t say everything I want.
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