Interview – The Scotsman

(…) Denève is every bit as affable, honest, larger-than-life and passionate as he was the first time we met back in his early RSNO days. Audiences, now used to his opening repartee at concerts, will instantly relate to that. Denève has made genuine friends of the folk he entertains. Is it no accident that RSNO audiences have steadily increased in recent years?

“That’s just one of the facts nobody can deny. Otherwise it’s difficult for me to talk objectively about whether my original aspirations for the orchestra have been met. But I can tell you for certain that we do bring music to more audiences, we have more full houses, more young people, which is hugely rewarding for me.” (…) Who would deny that the RSNO is now playing with heaps more character, unanimity and self-belief, particularly when it comes to French repertoire and the sensitive sound world associated with anything from Berlioz to Dutilleux?

“When I arrived I changed the layout of the strings and focused on the sound, which is a very big preoccupation of mine. It’s all part of the live concert experience, which is so much more special than listening to a CD. The human interaction is so important: what happens when we are all sharing emotions; the magic that results from hearing this incredible quality and complexity of sound.

Read the whole article on The Scotsman here