Jonathan James on his year as a Zander Fellow
Reflections on this year's Fellowship by Jonathan James, May 2003
Posted: 2003-05-30 11:32:53
Thinking about this past year with Ben, the word 'fellowship' assumes a new meaning. To the outside reader, you might think the word merely denotes a formal mentoring program, an understudy opportunity with a great master. Both of these would be correct, but the experience of this particular fellowship runs much deeper, to the core of what it means to be a 'fellow'.
To be a fellow, in the first instance, is to be a friend. Ben's warmth and generous spirit makes this very easy, and I have always been impressed by his patience and persistence in ensuring true companionship always lies as a foundation to the experience. This seems to be true of all his key working relationships, and is a lesson in itself. It also explains, in part, the success and high morale of the Boston Philharmonic. Musicians and staff are valued as much for their friendship as they are for their professional contribution.
From this flows an understanding - startling at first - that you are, from day one, to be involved in a journey not as a passenger but as a co-pilot. Your input will be valued and sought after, and your opinions integrated into final decisions. Most mentors would not, I'm sure, involve their mentees in such a partnership - but it is precisely this humility in Ben's approach that allows the learning to flow more freely and the instruction to be far more penetrating and fulfilling.
One of the many highlights of the year, for example, was to be invited into Ben's re-exploration of Mahler's third symphony, both for performance and for eventual recording. As a fellow and collaborator, I was allowed to witness a man utterly absorbed by the demands of the score and its interpretation. I count it a huge privilege to have seen the extent of scholastic preparation involved, and the constant wrestling at the piano with both large concepts of tempo and pacing and the minutiae of colour and phrasing. Not one stone was left unturned: not a bowing, not a biographical insight, not the smallest dynamic. And once they were turned, they were turned again, several times! I remember, for example, a particularly thorough investigation into the direction 'hinaufziehen' which lead, amongst other things, to a specially altered cor anglais and untold challenges for the oboe. The musical results were spine-tingling.
This incredible dedication to the composer's intentions and therefore to the true meaning of the entire score, in all its constituent parts, has left an indelible impression on me. My score preparation seems pygmy-like by comparison and will doubtless forever be challenged by this high benchmark.
What was more impressive and educational, however, was how this total vision and mastery of the score freed Ben to performances that always felt spontaneous, original, captivating and alive. It is precisely these qualities in his music-making that had always set him apart in my mind to other interpreters, and I will cherish the memory of what lies behind them.
These qualities do not, of course, just derive from hard work. Without Ben's sense of fun and inimitable energetic drive, none of them would surface. Ben is famed for his positive approach and contagious passion for everything he does. It is not until you are swept up into this passion through his diverse roles of teacher, speaker and musician that you can really appreciate the depth to which it runs. Enabled both by 'Possibility' and by his natural charisma, Ben can make even the mundane seem fun and meaningful. This year has never been dull, and it is difficult to imagine anything being dull in the world of Zander. It has challenged and grown those less possibility-oriented aspects of my personality, it has hugely deepened my appreciation of music and its essence, and it has given me a true picture of what 'fellowship' should mean - experiences genuinely shared, lessons indelibly learnt, and a friendship based on true understanding.
