This year, the world of music is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Argentine composer Astor Piacola, known as the king of tango. On Saturday, November 20, also a concert hall Cesis will fill the tango energy and passion introduced by the violinist Gidon Kremer in his latest concert program. Together with the maestro in Cēsis we will hear an orchestra Kremerata Baltica, vibrophonist Andrei Pushkarev and the orchestra ‘s resident artist, pianist Georgy Osokin. The special guest of the concert is one of the world’s most renowned bandoneonists, Per Arne Glorvigens from Norway.
During the concert – an express interview with Gidon Kremer.
Can the new program dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Piacola be considered yours and Kremerata Baltica double anniversary celebration 75 + 25 = 100 events? Where else will you play it or have you already played it?
We’ve played this program a few times – mostly to celebrate Piacola’s 100th anniversary. We have only recently returned from a concert tour in Canada with one of our new projects – Latvian Kremerata Latvian soloists from our orchestra Kremerata Baltica among musicians, led by our concertmaster, violinist Madara Petersone. After the performance in Cesis we have concerts in Prague and Paris. We will actually celebrate our own 25th anniversary in April in Riga. Let’s say so – both recent Kremerata Baltica festival in Dzintari was, and the concert in Cēsis will be just a prelude to it.
You discovered and systematically reminded the world of the phenomenon of Piacola’s music, revealing the soul of that music in the deepest way. How did you see Piacola yourself, and what does the special world of his tango music mean to you?
Watching a video of his concert at a Cologne radio studio run by a very close friend of mine, the director of the WDR television department. I was deeply impressed by the performance of Astora Piacola and his group of musicians, whose energy was staggering. Although Piacolla has never written large-scale compositions – symphonies, sonatas (except for operas) Buenos Aires Mary), it seems to me that his music is very close to Schubert and Chopin. At first I just listened to him and never imagined playing Piacola’s songs myself. After burning eight CDs (half of which were made in collaboration with Kremerata Baltica), of course I think otherwise. In my opinion, the most significant event in Astora’s life was his encounter with the legendary Nadia Boulevard at the Paris Conservatory. She was the one who advised Astor to maintain confidence in himself, his convictions and his roots in music. She suggested not trying to compose “contemporary music” but composing tango in her own language.
Please tell us more about the upcoming program – what’s new about Piacolla, which you and Kremerata Baltica have you played for so many years?
Let’s play both the songs in our repertoire and some new ones … I really hope that the songs we play often will sound unexpectedly fresh, because there are quite a few new, wonderful musicians in our ranks at the moment who don’t allow Kremeratai even after 25 years to sound “old”. I am also very happy to be on stage again with such great musicians as pianist Georgi Osokin and vibrophonist Andrei Pushkarev.
Have you also personally met or contacted Astor Piacolla in an instant? (It could be because he divorced in 1992). If so, how did it happen?
Unfortunately, this never happened, but I feel as if I know him very well. The energy of his games and music is truly unique!
How did your collaboration with bandoneonist and composer Per Glorwigen begin? How would you describe this unusual artist, and what does this creative society mean to you?
We met in Amsterdam when we premiered a new work by a Dutch composer. After that we saw a lot in Paris, where we both lived. Finally, our real collaboration with our two darlings Piacola started with Astora Quartet establishment. With this quartet, which also included my friend, pianist Vadim Sakharov and double bassist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Alois Posch, we traveled all over the world. The Astor Quartet also became the foundation for some other projects. I had the special pleasure of collaborating with many great musicians Mary of Buenos Aires recorded in the new version – Leonid Desyatnikov, which also featured the great poet Horacio Ferrer – a friend of Piacola and co-author of this operetta. But our whole composition became a family, as I think when I think about it Kremeratu.
How and where will you celebrate the Latvian holiday – November 18? How do you feel this time?
I hope to be in Riga, preparing for the Cesis concert and the next tour with Kremerata Baltica.
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