Musicalnews.com
Published the 23rd May 2002 at 09:16:55
Variations on a Sergio Calligaris' theme
by Antonio Ranalli

A meeting with the celebrated Argentinian pianist-composer, adoptive Italian, author of memorable works such as "Renzo's Piano Notebook op.7" and the "Double Concerto for two pianos and orchestra op.41".

We've felt honoured by meeting Sergio Calligaris in his welcoming residence in Rome. Since far 1974 the composer has lived in Italy, after living for a long time in the United States of America. The artist, born in Rosario (Argentina) from Italian parents, began concertizing when he was 13 and performed in the most prestigious halls all over the world. He also recorded for important record labels such as Emi, Orion Records and Agorà and carried out didactic activity by teaching in prestigious American universities as well as Italian conservatories in Naples, Pescara and L'Aquila. His works, all published by Nuova Carisch, are performed at least three times a week around the world, actually making Calligaris one of the main living composers of contemporary classical music. His music is very sophisticated from the technical point of view, both in orchestration and in form, and it is open to any type of audience.

What's the secret of Sergio Calligaris' success? "Discipline," the artist says, "every day I wake up at 5 a.m. and devote myself to studying as I had to get ready for a concert. This is my secret: my wish to succeed and improve myself more and more. I owe the whole lot to my father and my mother, who educated me to face life in its reality. It's necessary to always keep in touch with all facts of life". Mr Calligaris, as a good Argentinian with Italian blood, doesn't fail to bring you into his solarity in a fascinating journey, having as a vehicle his piano keyboard. While he's playing "Une barque sur l'Océan", from "Miroirs" by Maurice Ravel, it really sounds like making out and hearing that ocean-see evoked by the French composer. But also in a more abstract composition such as the "Mazurka in a minor op.67 n.4" by Chopin, one could make out, through his admirable interpretation, the evocative power of music. "I think," Mr Calligaris explains "that music always evokes something. Music must have something not merely abstract. Moreover, also for the most abstract music, there's always something in subconscious in relation to a situation or a feeling". The artist has lived a career full of recognitions and important satisfaction. Suffice it to say that in June 1994, within the series titled "Concerts in Rai 3", his "Concerto for piano and orchestra op.29" recorded the highest Rai Auditel rating for a concert of classical music, earning such a success as to have to be replayed some months later. Nowadays, Mr Calligaris is one of the leading artists of Nuova Carisch.

Antonio Ranalli: In your recording catalogue, beside works of success such as the "Concerto for piano and orchestra op.29", "Renzo's Piano Notebook op.7" as well as other recordings with you as performer of other composers, I was particularly struck by your last CD "Shorts for spot and film" (published by Nuova Carisch): how was this - I'd say - rather unusual work in the sphere of compositions of a contemporary music author conceived?

Sergio Calligaris: The aim is to open to a wider world than the concert's one. I believe it's a big stupidity saying that young people don't like classical music. It isn't true. I always keep in mind the success gained by the famous "Piano Concerto n.3" by Rachmaninov, renamed "Rach 3" after being inserted in the movie "Shine". That music was in a context everyone was interested in. Therefore, if we present classical music in interesting contexts for a wide audience, then we might get surprising outcomes. "Short for spot and film" contains short fragments of my compositions, which could be suitable for spots and films. It's about a CD addressed to the world of specialized personnel. I'm sure that it might be a right type of music for mass-media.

AR: I noticed a very rigorous formal structure in your compositions, a music I'd define, in this sense, "classically composed", almost brahmsian: what do you think about it?

SC: You're absolutely right. It actually comes from my education in composition. I graduated in Argentina under Luis Machado, belonging to the dogmatic school that almost enforced its ideas. This was very important for me, because this way a sort of emancipation occurred. As a composer, I can say it's about a neo-classicism of Brahms, where any structure, any thematic element occurs in its architectural variation.

AR: What's amazing for me is that in your playing, and I'm now referring to Calligaris as a performer, one can find the same iron discipline, the same rigour: it's just as though it were only one philosophy to steer both pianist and composer. Am I wrong?

SC: You're right. The composer's side coincides to the performer's one. Rigour, discipline and expertise: these are the rules I believe one has to follow. The instrumental training must be always the same. I focused the same philosophy of life in both practices.

AR: Maestro, your recordings cross a period of over thirty years, characterized by the passing from analog to digital: what's the approach of such a prominent artist as you regarding the changes of recording technologies?

SC: When I began recording, I did it with important performances and labels. I remember that in the studios they used to record with several microphones placed close to the piano: in some recordings it was also easy to hear the hammer knocking the string inside the instrument. With the digital sound and the new recording technologies, we can obviously get a more perfect sound. Nowadays, an error during the performance is easy to amend in a few minutes: when I began, on the contrary, it was necessary to be careful not to make errors, because otherwise you had to start recording again from the beginning. Listening to today's digital recordings, it seems to me to hear a more alien sound, as it were coming from a far stage. This is because I still find exciting and vivid the sound of those days. It was certainly more shining and more explicit. Today's digital one is perhaps more filtered.

AR: Which recording of yours as a performer are you particularly fond of?

SC: There are many recordings I'm fond of. As a performer I'm very attached to the LP "The Most Beautiful Chopin" (label Orion/Emi). That recording was made in Rome and I really care about the "Impromptu in G Flat Major op.51". Other important records are "Famous Encores" (Emi-His Master's Voice) and "Fantasia Romantica" (Orion/Emi). I still remember some performances of mine such as the "Prelude in c sharp minor, op.3 n.2" by Rachmaninov (also included in the CD "Sergio Calligaris, composer and performer", published by Ares in the 25th anniversary of the artist's recording début).

AR: What's your relationship with the recording industry? How did your collaboration with Carisch begin?

SC: It was 1965, when I made my début in recording. I was in the Vatican Radio for a broadcasting performance. I remember that the artistic director then, Maestro Alberico Vitalini, came and told me: «You might be a magnificent performer of Chopin». I was actually doubtful. Then I followed his advice and recorded the LP "Famous Encores" for Emi. My wonderful relationship with Carisch (today Nuova Carisch) began with my return to composition. I had stopped composing when I was 16, because in Argentina there was a certain passion for the avant-garde and the electronics. Given that I didn't find any affinity between me and this language, I preferred to devote myself to the performing activity. My return to composition occurred in 1978, in a totally unexpected way. My closest friend Renzo Arzeni, a civil servant in Ministry of Justice with a great love for music, had always wished to play piano. Then I told him: «I'll give you a piano "mikrokosmos" only for you». "Renzo's Piano Notebook op.7" was born this way. I've composed it just to give my dear friend Renzo it as a present. Then, one day I made it listen to a great pianist, my bosom friend Marcella Crudeli, who so passionately fell in love with it, as she asked me whether she might play it live. This work was published by Carisch and earned a great success. It's by this work that I got back the wish of composing. I write as I like. I use all my technique in a way I consider as right as for me. My fortune has been that I've found accurate performers, who play my music as they had written it themselves. Nowadays I've been enjoying thousands of performances all over the world. And, above all, I've had a great fortune with Carisch. A great friendship has grown up with Marco Volonté (Managing Director of Nuova Carisch). Between ourselves there's that same relationship instituted in those days by publisher Fritz Simrock and Brahms. Finding a publisher who trusts in what you do is of the utmost importance. Marco Volonté belongs of this kind of people. I also care about thanking Germano Dantone, Elisabetta Rocco and Adriana Branchini of the Nuova Carisch staff, them also supporters of what I write.

AR: What works have you been currently devoting yourself to? Your future projects?

SC: My most recent published works have been the "Double concerto for two pianos and orchestra op.41" (dedicated to the brilliant duo formed by pianists Fabio and Sandro Gemmiti), the "Ave Verum op.42" (published in two versions), in memory to Dario Montemurro, a son of very dear friends of mine, and the "Suite op.43" for two pianos and four timpani ad libitum, in homage to my mother. Soon, there will be a new collaboration with Vladimir Ashkenazy. He's been actually planning to conduct the "Concerto for piano and orchestra op.29" with myself as a soloist (last 30th June 2001, at the Teatro Grande in Latina, for the occasion of the inaugural concert of the 37th Festival Pontino, Vladimir Ashkenazy performed, with his son Dimitri Ashkenazy at the clarinet, Sergio Calligaris' "Sonata op.38". This work was commissioned by the artistic director of the Festival Pontino, Maestro Raffaele Pozzi, author's note).

AR: How do you judge the current scenario of the contemporary classical music, in Italy and in the world? Do you think there are new talents?

SC: Concerning the performers, there's a really promising young lad. His name is Roberto Prosseda (a young man of promise from Latina, author's note), a pianist who earned the third reward at the "Micheli Prize" of La Scala in Milan last October (notice that the first reward wasn't awarded, author's note). Mr Prosseda has in his repertoire also "Renzo's Piano Notebook op.7". It's nevertheless worth noting that American and Asian pianists, as well as Russians, are a bit ahead of Europeans as for discipline and training. This is because they possess the goodwill and humility to improve every day. Just think about opera too. How come Korean singers, who know opera since little more than 50 years, managed to assert themselves around the world?
Concerning the young composers, on the other hand, I indicate Paolo Cavallone as a new talent (who's recently published his début recording "Contrast", author's note). It's nevertheless worth noting that nowadays not the whole audience is well-disposed towards the avant-garde music. This isn't fair. There's a lot of very interesting things, and Paolo Cavallone's music is among them. Moreover, we have to take into account that many performers look for pieces that might help them make a name. This is because they often prefer to pick from the already known repertoire instead of choosing new authors' compositions.

Antonio Ranalli