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Available for over a year

Tom Service meets the German conductor Christian Thielemann, Principal Conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle since 2012, Artistic Director of the Salzburg Easter Festival, and one of the foremost conductors of his generation. Widely regarded as one of the greatest living exponents of the Austro-German symphonic and operatic repertoire - his Ring cycle at Bayreuth in 2006 was hugely acclaimed, and his performances of Strauss and Schumann have also been praised for their richness and intensity - Thielemann has held posts at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Munich Philharmonic among others, and has had a very close relationship with the Bayreuth festival since his debut there in 2000. In this lively and thought-provoking interview Thielemann tells Tom Service why he prefers to be thought of as a kapellmeister rather than a conductor, why tradition is an inspiration as well as challenge, and why flexibilty is the key to everything. He also explains why he believes music can't possibly be political, and what drives him to conduct. Producer Emma Bloxham.