How do you photograph a symphony orchestra?
The answer is plain, if not entirely simple. Imagine (with all due respect!) a temperamental animal with over 100 heads. Naturally, however, our Czech Radio colleague Khalil Baalbaki threw himself into the mammoth task with enthusiasm and verve. We know he has those qualities, but every time he still surprises us. And pleases us.
After a shoot lasting over three hours, we simply had to ask him how working with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra had been. “Nice, very nice. Even though there were more souls in front of my lens than my own soul could embrace!”
He said that the discipline of the players and the presence of principal conductor Lenárd, whom he knew from previous cooperation, were a tangible support. “For me, he stood in for the souls I wasn’t able to embrace. When he looked at me I had a good feeling. He helped me with his energy.”
The photographs are not fully capable of conveying Khalil’s performance. We would like you to know that he bustled about here and there in the studio, up and down the stairs, looking for the best light, position, lens, atmosphere… However, we could not resist either and we also attempted to immortalise the afternoon of 18 September in the studio.
Another of our kind Czech Radio colleagues, Tomáš Vodňanský, willingly and readily came running with his camera and the attached photos are the result.
Before we sign off, you will no doubt be interested in a titbit from behind the scenes at such a session: When you really want to have ALL the members of an orchestra in a picture, including the mothers of newborn babies, then producer Vojtěch Šafařík needs to add to the tasks outlined in his job description the role of nanny…
MANY THANKS to Khalil Baalbaki; we’re looking forward to his photographs – and we hope you are too!
