When the Russian army began attacking Ukraine in late February, Estonian-American conductor Paavo Järvi was in Moscow conducting rehearsals for a long-planned collaboration with a Russian youth orchestra.
Born in 1962 in Tallinn, Estonia, then part of the Soviet Union, Järvi had to make a difficult decision. Friends urged him to cancel the ensemble to protest the invasion. But Järvi, saying he didn’t want to disappoint the players of the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra, decided to stay in Moscow on February 26 and lead the group in works by Richard Strauss, two days after the invasion began, before leaving on February 2 departed. 27.
Järvi’s appearance drew criticism in some corners of the music industry. The day after the concert, Järvi, the chief conductor of the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, released a statement denouncing the invasion and defending his decision.
“These young people should not and cannot be punished for the barbaric actions of their government,” Järvi said in the statement. “I can’t turn my back on my young colleagues: musicians are all brothers and sisters.”
In an interview with DailyExpertNews by email from Florida, Järvi reflected on his visit to Moscow, the critical view of Russian artists in wartime and the future of cultural exchange between Russia and the West. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
As an artist born in the former Soviet Union, how do you view Putin’s invasion of Ukraine?
It is even difficult to find words for what is happening in Ukraine right now. It is totally barbaric, abominable, inhumane and shocking, but ultimately not surprising: in 1944 the Soviets did the same with Estonia, practically bombing Tallinn with carpet bombing on the ground.
How does your Estonian origin influence your view of this war?
Deep distrust and distrust (to say the least) towards Soviets is practically encoded in our DNA. My family left Estonia when I was 17 years old to escape the communists. My parents and grandparents never trusted the Soviets, but life here in the West makes you forget certain realities. Over the years, we, the younger generation of immigrants, have become more westernized, complacent and slowly accepting the view that the Russians have somehow changed and evolved, that they are no longer dangerous and can be treated as partners.
Many of the elderly Estonians living abroad are still afraid of visiting, not to mention returning to Estonia, because of their deep fear and hatred of the Soviets. (I deliberately avoid using the word “Russians” because in reality we are talking about the hatred of Soviets, Communists, and Soviet leaders.)
You were in Moscow just as the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. You said you didn’t feel good at first about your decision to stay to conduct a concert. What went through your mind?
It has always been part of my mission to give back to the next generation of musicians, which is why I regularly conduct youth orchestras. That was the reason I was in Moscow, but if the war had already started, of course I would not have traveled there.
Everyone was very nervous and tense at the beginning of the week, and when it actually happened, there was a total shock.
Why not cancel and leave, as some of your friends insisted?
I felt a responsibility. I couldn’t turn my back on these young musicians in such a difficult and confusing time. I wanted them to experience something meaningful. Something that could sustain them through the time of isolation and blockade that would clearly be imposed on them for a very long time, maybe decades.
The concert was played in a spirit of resistance to the invasion and solidarity with the young musicians, and in deep solidarity and support of the Ukrainian people.
Will you return to Russia to execute while the invasion continues?
I will certainly not return to Russia as long as the war continues, and I find it very difficult to imagine returning even after the war is over, because long after it is over, human suffering, wounds, hatred and the misery of ordinary people everywhere continues for generations.
What kind of engagement do you think artists in the West should have with Russia in light of the ongoing war? Is it necessary to isolate Moscow culturally, or should there be a free exchange of art?
Artists outside of Russia should have no interaction at all with Russia as long as the war continues and innocent people are bombed and die.
How do you think this war will affect art in Russia and Ukraine?
The impact on Russian artists will be devastating. There will be a boycott for a very long time because a new Iron Curtain will be in effect. In the worst case scenario, there will probably be the old Soviet model that will be reintroduced. On every level – and culturally, of course, including music – life will be isolated from the West, just like in the former Soviet years.
How the war in Ukraine affects the cultural world
Anna Netrebko. The superstar Russian soprano will not appear at the Metropolitan Opera this season or next after failing to comply with the company’s demand to distance itself from Russia’s President Vladimir V. Putin in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
Are you concerned about the effects of the war on global cultural exchange? Are Russian art and artists viewed with suspicion?
I don’t think Russian artists will necessarily be viewed with suspicion or have less respect or admiration from the music-loving public, but Western arts organizations and presenters will be under a lot of pressure to follow a strong party line to boycott Russia or face the consequences.
In recent days, many art institutions have begun vetting artists’ political views, demanding that some denounce the invasion and Putin as a precondition for action. Do you support these efforts?
I fundamentally disagree with the policy of universally condemning performers of the invasion or of Putin himself for being invited to perform. That’s what the Soviets would do. That goes against Western principles of freedom of expression and many other fundamental values of which we are proud.
On the other hand, it makes sense to demand a clear point of view from the artists who have previously and publicly aligned themselves with Putin. Each case must be judged individually, and common sense and human decency must prevail and be the guiding light in making such decisions, however difficult in today’s hostile climate.
Russian stars with ties to Putin, such as the soprano Anna Netrebko and the conductor Valery Gergiev, have appointments canceled in the West† But cultural institutions don’t seem quite sure yet where to draw the line with other artists.
The standards of behavior are clearly different during war and peace; right now it is clearly a time of war. It is absurd to talk about the ‘rights’ of Russian artists when you see innocent civilians, children and maternity wards being bombed indiscriminately.
There are no easy answers because many Russian musicians live outside of Russia. I have a feeling that the majority of them are against Putin’s war. And many Russians living in the West have relatives in Russia and the consequences of anything negative about Putin or the war could have serious consequences for their families living in Russia.
We must never forget that in the case of Russia we are not dealing with a democracy. It is a dictatorship and dissent is dealt with with the utmost force and brutality.