Richard Tognetti, the artistic director and lead violin of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, seems remarkably chill for someone who’s “working frantically”, as he puts it.
asserted
he → seem → it
Currently wrapping up the ACO’s 50th anniversary with a national tour of Beethoven’s Pastoral (aka Symphony No. 6), his mind’s already deep in the orchestra’s program for 2027, which will be led by Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion.
asserted
which → wrap → Passion
“It’s simply one of the greatest works ever conceived by humankind,” says Tognetti from his beachside home in Manly.
asserted
Tognetti → ’ → Manly
“J.S. Bach is widely believed by anyone who cares to know about such things these days as the greatest composer, and his two surviving passions – the St Matthew and St John – are regarded as these extraordinary musical events.
asserted
passions → believe → events
It’s going to be a pretty good year.”
asserted
It → go → ?
I’ve always got 15 plates in the air and way too many projects, so I’m always lying awake at night, worrying about things I need to get done.
asserted
I → get → things
As technology gets faster, our impatience gets worse, which is ridiculous.
asserted
which → get → ?
So recently, I set myself up with a turntable hi-fi system.
asserted
I → set → system
It’s vinyl-only, and you’re only allowed to use it if you listen to a whole side of a record.
asserted
you → ’ → record
I grew up in Wollongong, and I’ve been surfing since I was a kid.
asserted
I → grow → Wollongong
So, as a surfer, my greatest fear is that the shark problem is going to become so unmanageable that we’ll become a Reunion Island “paradise” with no swimming or surfing.
asserted
we → go → swimming
Unfortunately, it’s become a highly politicised issue.
asserted
it → become → ?
It’s people who don’t even know what the ocean is saying, “Well, you deserve to die because you’re in their backyard.”
asserted
you → ’ → backyard
There’s a lot of misinformation and emotional anxiety, and what we’re left with is a lot of fear and distress in the surfing and ocean swimming community.
asserted
left → ’ → community
The line that has stayed with you?
“Art makes grand our own stupid lives.”
asserted
lives → stay → you
I think I got it from Clive James’ amazing book, Cultural Amnesia.
asserted
I → think → book
It’s self-explanatory but it means that art – which is everywhere – elevates you in a way that makes you feel the world is more interesting than it actually is.
asserted
it → ’ → way
The more we can be involved in cultural pursuits, the better off we are.
asserted
we → involve → pursuits
At the least, it keeps us out of trouble.
asserted
it → keep → trouble
If a kid plays a clarinet and they’re obsessed with playing it well, it focuses the brain, you get emotional expression, it brings joy to people.
asserted
it → play → people
Art does that.
asserted
Art → do → that
It’s interesting that there’s a lot of talk about saving Western culture these days, but most of the people who make us paranoid about it are those who don’t even consider its merits.
asserted
who → ’ → merits
I wish politicians would read more.
asserted
politicians → wish → more
I was involved in a rather narky incident with a very well-known politician who told me they don’t have time to read, and I just thought, “Therein lies the problem.”
asserted
problem → involve → time
I think it was Helen Mirren who was once asked this and she said, “I didn’t tell enough people to f--- off.”
asserted
I → think → people
Well, we all know what she means.
asserted
she → know → what
But I suppose my biggest regret at my age is that I’ve tried so hard to convince politicians about the value of music education and to this day, I regret that more of them haven’t listened.
asserted
more → suppose → them
It’s shithouse, totally depressing, and if anything they’re making it worse.
asserted
it → ’ → anything
It’s a no-brainer, learning how to read and write and appreciate music.
asserted
It → ’ → music
Have you ever met someone who said, “I learned to play the guitar when I was young and I really regret it”?
asserted
I → meet → it
So I regret I couldn’t convince these people.
asserted
I → regret → people
I take full responsibility for the stupidity of politicians.
asserted
I → take → politicians
When you start playing piano as a kid, if you just work at it a bit, with one note you can make as good a sound as any pianist who’s ever lived.
asserted
who → start → pianist
It takes years just to get a reasonable sound.
asserted
It → take → sound
I think it was in 1974 in Wollongong.
asserted
it → think → Wollongong
I remember standing on a stage and playing my own little pathetic piece and just thinking, “Wow, I can actually kind of play.”
asserted
I → remember → piece
I started playing violin when I was five.
asserted
I → start → violin
The worst thing I hear is parents saying about their kids, “Oh my God, it sounds like shit.”
asserted
it → hear → shit
Yeah, we know it sounds like shit… until it doesn’t!
asserted
it → know → shit
What is the song you wish was yours?
asserted
you → wish → ?
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
