Lenka Nota
R.V.B. - Congratulations on your career up to this point. You started music lessons at the young age of 4. Were your parents and extended family involved in music also?
L.N. - Thank you for the compliment! It encourages me, because in fact, I am looking for a permanent job now and it is not easy at all, even though Vienna is a town of culture. And I doubt very often about my job as a composer. But maybe I am too critical.
My parents and the whole family had nothing to do with music. My mother and my elder sister played piano, but they were not gifted at all. It was a torture for me to listen to them. That is why I started to play myself what I have heard from them first without notes. Like this they found out about my talent and gave me to the music school. Unfortunately my teacher had no idea about teaching such small children, so she could not develop my talent well and she did not motivated me proper. I realized it quite late to start a professional career as a musician.
R.V.B. - What instruments did you concentrate on in grammar school? What do you remember most about music during these years?
L.N. - I was always dreaming to play violin, to play in the orchestra and to have my own ensemble for crossover music, improvisation, something like this. This did not happen, because my mother insisted on piano. And I was small and could not protest. At the age of twelve I wanted to give up and I thought to become a doctor as my father. But fortunately the Czech director Miloš Forman had schooted his Amadeus, for me the best film about music ever. I had seen it maybe twenty times and this film brought me back to music. Besides piano I started to play cimbalom (dulcimer) and carried on piano lessons. I played cimbalom in the folklore group and I liked it so much, that I was even thinking to go to the conservatory. But after the school-living exam, I decided to carry on with musicology at the university. I changed piano to organ, which was an excellent experience for me. I had a wonderful teacher Marie Karasová, very motivating and sensible musician. Each organ is different, has different possibilities and colours, each church has different acoustic and atmosphere … this was very inspiring for me and I love it. Still I am occasionaly playing in a small church in Vienna.
R.V.B. - Your first degree is in Theatrology. Is this primarily about the history of the theater? Did you have any performance roles that you enjoyed during this period?
L.N. - I have started with theatrology because during the communist regime the subjects as theatrology, musicology were opened only once in a few years. So when I have finished the grammarschool, the musicology was closed and theatrology opened. I have been very often to the theater, my sister was an actress and I had good luck to pass the entrance exam well. It was nice studies about the theatre history and theory, different theater schools, directors, we were analyzing the theater pieces, styles etc. Actually I liked it better than the musicology, mostly because of the professors, who really understood and liked their job, who had shown us the magical world of the theater behind the curtain not only in the theory, but in the praxis as well.
R.V.B. - Musicology is a wide varied field and obviously very fascinating. What did you enjoy the most about studying this field?
L.N. - For me the musicology studies were an option to stay by the music. I did not want to be a music teacher and could not be a performer. It was too late, when I found it out. The musicology was quite boring, just a theory without any system. Our professors were nice and very clever personalities, but unfortunately very bad and disorganized teachers. That is why I decided to try something else and the choice came to composition. The composition I have started at the music school with an extraordinary creative and fantastic personality Jarmila Mazourová and this was the point to try my chances at the Janáček music academy. When I think about it, many things in my life happened by chance. But I do not believe on by chance. Everything has its reason. There is no by chance.
R.V.B. - You did a thesis on reductionism in music after the 1960's. Do you feel this was a natural progression of music? The 60's had a wide varied amount of experimentation going on. Why did you choose to do your doctorate paper on Galina Ivanovna Ustvolskaya? Do you use any philosophies in your music?
L.N. - I have chosen this theme because of my interest in contemporary music. They were almost no information about it in Czech republic especially from West and again – by chance – I have spent a summer in Canada and could have brought some materials from there, which in the time of no internet were like a revelation in the Czech republic. My professors were so excited about my theses, that they suggested me to carry on in the postgraduate programme, even though this was not my intension at first.
About the natural progression in music – I do not know what to say. I think that music, or art in general goes somehow in natural progression itself and this progression might consciously or unconsciously reflects what is going on in the society and in our minds. The 1960´s were opened to culture in all the fields, not only in music. There was a spirit of freedom, incredible creativity and taste to try new things, to play - in music, film, theater... Some of the principals we use up to now.
Galina Ustvolskaya was another – by chance – case. I have heard her music played by Swiss pianist Marianne Schröder on one of the concerts at the Exposition of New Music. I was fascinated. Few years later after finishing musicology studies, I searched for the subject of my doctoral theses. I have chosen Ustvolskaya – contemporary music, women composer and unknown in the Czech republic. I spent two weeks in Russia and met with her friends and husband there. I have brought all her notes and many recordings. That time Ustvolskaya´s boom just started and in the coming years she had been played everywhere. I was very happy to do this work. It was interesting and instructive. She definitely worth to be considered as a composer not only as Schostakowitsch pupil.
R.V.B. - When you were studying composition at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, did you have any favorite composers or influences?
L.N. - If I remember well I was opened to anything. Those times was an discovery for me the music of Arvo Pärt, who together with my professor František Emmert influenced me during my studies the most. I admired Sofia Gubaidulina, J.S. Bach, French baroque music, LeošJanáček and the minimalists Reich, Glass, Meredith Monk, world music, film music of Nino Rota, Vladimir Cosma and Ennio Morricone…. Which was not considered as serious creation at music academy …
R.V.B. - When you go about composing music do you have a thought about what your after and then transcribe your thoughts to paper? Did you ever surprise yourself on the fact that the finished product may have come out different than your original thought?
L.N. - When I compose, I need a concrete an idea. It can be a picture, a book, nature, feeling…. I think about it and sometimes it comes out very quick, sometimes I have to wait, until the idea gets its shape in my head. Then I put in on the paper, and rewrite what is necessary. Composing is a process. Everything changes in our lives, very quick nowdays, quicker than when I was a child, and it is the same in art. It changes quick. We live in a very dynamic time. but usually what I have in my head comes out in the same form, but can be of course changed or improved by the musicians.
R.V.B. - What would you say are some of your earlier works that you composing skills started coming together?
L.N. - I remember that I composed some small things already as a child. Many years later – by chance – I started the composition lessons at the music school and thanks to insisting of one of the professors from the music academy, who followed our concerts and who insisted on that I study composition – I have started. I did not study at the conservatory, so sometimes I have complexes, that my compositional skills are not good enough. That the composing craft is missing. To tell the truth, I do not know, if they are any typical features in my music – maybe some lyric, poetry, tenderness… For me the music should stay music, should be real and frank. I am still on the process of development – as a human being and as a composer as well.
R.V.B. - What was the goal of the folklore group Brněnštígajdoši. How did you enjoy the International Folklore Festival in Dijon France? What are some of your memories from that event?
L.N. - To play in a folklore group was a fun a pleasure for me. I am coming from south Moravia, a region with very strong folklore tradition and very beautiful folklore music. These are actually my roots, even in my own music. I played cimbalom there, beautiful instrument with a big potentional. It is a pitty, that the composers do not write more for this instrument, because they are many good players, its sound is beautiful and the instrument has many possibilities and remains stucked in the folklore sphere. Maybe I should started….?
The folklore festival in Dijon was a real event for me. I have been to the West for a first time. Incredible feeling of freedom and colours. The festival was huge. They were more than 30 groups from all over the world. The performers met each other by different performances, we could have played together, it was very inspiring to hear the essential music of different cultures. I was happy and spread my wings there. Two month after we returned back, there was a velvet revolution and our country opened its borders – a real once and as well the once in our minds.
R.V.B. - Can you tell me a little bit about "The Studio House"? What kind of productions were put on there and how was the process of making the documentary on the studio?¨
L.N. - Studio Haus was an original project of one of the best Czech theater directors Eva Tálská. They were three workshops there – a drama, scene and costume decoration and music leaded by the professionals from the experimental and famous theater HusanaProvázku. The workshops were opened to young people from 15 to 25 years old. But it was no hobby. We all were working hard on the performances, the director asked absolute obedience and deployment. But it was good like this. We learned the discipline, which is the point N.1 in art we learned to look under the surface and to go to the pith of the things. Many of us, who attended the courses, became successful professionals. The projects we have done were different, but mostly connected to the original folk theater, antic tragedies, using its components for example.
R.V.B. - Did you enjoy performing on the house organ at the Jesuit church of The Assumption Virgin Mary in Brno? I presume most of the songs were spiritual in nature? How were the acoustics in the church?
L.N. - To play in the Jesuit church in Brno was another good luck and “by chance” in my life. I have accompanied the masses and prepared some of the feast masses in Christmas or Easter time together with a small orchestra and chorus collected from my schoolmates from the music academy. Jesuit church is a small, very beautiful baroque church in the city center with very good acoustic. The organ was not the best, but the atmosphere of the place was more important. Sometimes I went there late at night, after the concert or theater performance and played in the dark until midnight or even later … It was scary somehow, but beautiful…
R.V.B. - Do you feel that your composing skills are maturing with the more pieces that you write? Do you try to be diversified in the types of pieces that you write?
L.N. - As I said my composing skills are limited and unfortunately I cannot compose regularly. I like to write music for the theater, I would like to try to write film music. I am not that kind of composer, who develops his or hers style, who would like to write “serious” music and create a new style. I like to try different things and according this my composing skills could be deeper to make my work easier.
R.V.B. - What is your favorite part about being a musicologist?
L.N. - I promised myself at school that I will never write critics – and what am I doing now? But what I find useful is that if the musicologist is well educated and is an expert on his field, can help the artist, give him some ideas, to look objective at his work and artistic development in the reviews as well as to reflect the culture events and give an objective feedback. Actually I like what I am doing in the Universal Edition publishing house – which means to prepare good notes. Especially by the big works as operas, there is a lot of research behind, one has to know the style of the composer, his way of thinking, historical background and contexts … this kind of research, which refers to interesting new music, which search for the new facts as an archeologist, the research which is connected to the society and history is very interesting. As well I like the work on the dramaturgy. To search for interesting music, its combinations on the concert programme or to look for new operas, curiosities, to have a chance to play new music to the audience, this I find very creative and useful. I am against the usual concerts praxis of playing the same music all over again with the same artists. I am against the system of the “stars” and mafias in the concert praxis and festivals. We live in present time and we need to be connected with it through the art. This actually should be a task for musicologist. To help people to understand contemporary music, maybe not to understand, but to show them the way, how to be opened to it, how to integrate it in our lives.
R.V.B. - What are some of your memorable performances you've had up to this point?
L.N. - I have nice memories on my graduate concert. The orchestral composition was inspired by the Moravian folklore with two women singers, one male singer, solo violin and cimbalom. There was a story behind it. Even though the performance of the orchestra was not the best, it was very touching for me and the audience liked my music. They were like ten minutes ovations. This I will not forget. Another performance was a theater music for the theater HusanaProvázku – a performance without words – only music, silence and mimic action called “Circus or the Horse and Death with me”. With our compositional group HUDBABY we had very nice concerts in Germany… and one concert at the Janáček academy during my studies, where a part of my Stabat mater was performed and the dean of the faculty – a very respectable personality and excellent organist – Mrs. AlenaVeselá came to me and told me, that she liked my music. This was a real appreciation and honour for me.
R.V.B. - Do you enjoy working as a director at a festival as well as performing at them?
L.N. - I have only been a manager of some festivals and I like this job a lot. It is so nice, when the concert is successful and the people return back home positive and happy… To meet the big artists is a pleasure and honour, to share ideas with them, to see from a close distance their work, it is amazing. And to be performed at the festival by good and inspiring and open-minded musicians is a big pleasure as well. It is a process of one-to-one enrichment. And if the audience is satisfied – what more should one wish?
R.V.B. - Can you tell me how you came about creating the woman's composer group HUDBABY. What was the process of selecting the music for the 2 CD's?
L.N. - By chance process. A dramaturg of the Exposition of the New Music in Brno composer Peter Graham came one year with the idea of presenting the women music. Those times we were few women studying composition. He came with the idea of creating a group, later we called it HUDBABY – the name which connects two words – music and hag (old women or in another meaning a good looking women). This was our first concert, still during the studies. Later on we made some common projects and two CD´s. First contains different compositions, most of them still from the time of our studies. The second one had already a concrete programme based on the order from the contemporary music festival – Janáček inspirations. We have chosen a string quartet, electronics, percussion and voice as well as a title “ČekámTě!” – “I am waiting for you!” – one of the last compositions by Janáček dedicated to his love KamilaStösslová. This title allowed us various points of view and I hope made our CD inspiring.
R.V.B. - What are you most proud of in your career up to this point?
L.N. - I am proud of that I finished the school, find my place in life, that I can still work in a music field and that even though I was out of this world for many years I returned back reborn and full of energy for new projects and professional challenges. And I am happy and thankful for the positive feedbacks on my work. In my life, work and music I try to follow the words of Yoga teacher Swami Vishnudevananda: “Do whatever you can to bring God´s energy to this universe so that there will be some peace there somewhere.”
R.V.B. - What are some of the current projects your are working on?
L.N. - Some time ago I have composed a chamber opera about the most famous Czech women writer BoženaNěmcová. I am trying to put it on stage, because Němcová was extraordinary modern women, living in the same time as George Sand, but unfortunately not that famous and rich. But better writer and a revolutionary.It could be another point of view for the students, who have to read her books at school, but do not like them, because the language is old fashioned of course. But they do not see and do not learn at school what was behind it, they have no idea about the life of one of the first feminist, a brave,free - mind women braking the laws of her time (and as I know from my own experience, some of the laws concerned to the women rights from the 19. century are not broken up to now).
I am working on to find a proper and stabile job at the moment, because I live alone with my twelve years old daughter and need a regular income. But I do not give up composing and music. We would like to prepare a new project of HUDBABY group – this time together with the KONVERGENCE ensemble. I am so crazy to think of writing a new opera or theater piece, because this is actually what I like the best. Many other ideas for chamber pieces and orchestral piece as well, which I carry on in my head for a long time already, just to find time and concentration…. and sponsor…
R.V.B. - Thank you for considering answering these questions.
L.N. - It has been my pleasure and thank you for your interest.
Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz
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