La Croix: Is there a beautiful sound for you, or even an ideal sound?
Stephanie-Marie Degand: He seeks himself according to his tastes and these are formed very early, I would even say from the womb. For me, the sound is very marked by my Hungarian origins, the traditional music of Eastern Europe, which certainly influenced my choice of the violin and the attraction for dense, earthy, colorful timbres. I also look for this in the singing voice, from Kathleen Ferrier to Natalie Dessay but also from Ella Fitzgerald or the Romanian singer Romica Puceanu. The violinist holds his instrument very close to his throat and the vibrations felt are close to those of speech…
→ READ. Old musical instruments under the microscope
How to achieve the sound we are looking for?
S.-M. Degand : As I teach my students at the Conservatory (the National Conservatory of Music and Dance of Paris, editor’s note), it is necessary above all to master the technical parameters. On the violin, it is essential to exert the right pressure in the right place on the string with the wick of the bow well perpendicular. This acquired, you can shape your own sound, observing with acuity what the score says, in which historical and geographical context it was written. Of course, the instrument on which we play is essential. We are lucky at the Conservatory to have a fine collection of old and modern instruments. I regularly lend some to my students so that they get out of their comfort zone and develop their own taste.
What does the fact of playing sometimes on an old instrument, sometimes on a modern instrument bring?
S.-M. Degand : The so-called historically informed approach, born of the “baroque” movement of the second half of the 20th century, has made it possible to get closer to the sound of the time of Bach or Mozart. It should be remembered that the French Revolution marked a break with the rise, in the 19th century, of ever larger concert halls. The end of the universe of the court and the salons caused the decline of instruments with less powerful projection such as the harpsichord or the viol. For us violinists, the 20th century saw the transition from gut strings to metal strings, less vulnerable, less sensitive to variations in temperature and humidity. We have won and lost at the same time…
→ INVESTIGATION. Unknown but ubiquitous, “compressed sounds” hurt our ears
In the 20th century, both the search for the “old” sound, associated with the rediscovery of the Baroque repertoire, and contemporary creation working on the sounds of the world have developed – I am of course thinking of concrete music or a composer like Edgard Varèse, whose music was a shock to me.
As a conductor, how do you work on the collective sound?
S.-M. Degand : I rely both on the construction of a common discourse and on the vocality specific to each instrument. I have a visceral need, as a listener too, for timbres that seize, murmur or spring! This is also the power of the orchestra. And even though recording has given us access to an incredible sound library, direct sound remains essential. I am convinced that the profession of musician is as eternal as that of baker!