I asked him about classical music in Asia, and whether it interested the young.
“The young are likely to be more interested if one of their peers is appearing, for instance as a guest soloist. There are an incredible number of young pianists, violinists and cellists emerging at the moment worldwide, often from Asian backgrounds. Japan used to be an important source, and now China is coming to the fore.
“It’s true what’s often said, that the future of classical music lies in East Asia. Interest here is far higher than in the US. The level of instrumental training here in Taiwan is exceptionally high.”
What plans did he have for opera, I asked.
“It hasn’t been officially announced yet,” Herbig said, “but let’s say that one of the most popular operas ever written will be performed by the NSO next year. Yes, there was an idea for a production of Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande, but this has now been shelved. The music is wonderful, but there’s almost no action, and that isn’t much to the taste of modern audiences.”
Maestro Herbig has his home in the Detroit and Lake Michigan area. I asked him how he liked it. Wasn’t it rather industrial?
“Oh no. Detroit is the center for much of the American automobile industry — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have their headquarters there. But that doesn’t mean that their vehicles are all built there. They’re built all over the world these days, including in China.
“We live practically in the woods. The climate is a central continental type. It’s not unlike Taiwan’s in the summer — hot and humid. In the winter it’s very cold — a bit like Siberia.”
Was the proximity of the automobile industry in Michigan good for sponsorship of local orchestras?
“When the economy is strong, yes. But at the moment, well, it’s rather different.”
When I asked Maestro Herbig what he did for recreation he looked rather surprised. Perhaps music was such an all-embracing passion it sufficed for both work and recreation, as it does with so many musicians. There was silence. Did he canoe on the lake perhaps, or play chess, I asked.
“Ah yes, I play chess,” Herbig replied laconically. And again, I left it at that.
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