SUONARE news, Year 5th - Nr.42
(Michelangeli snc - Milano)
July-August 1999 (page 34):
A meeting with Sergio Calligaris,
by Alice Bertolini

Be not eccentric
That's the Argentinian composer and pianist's advice to young people.
"Audience hasn't got to be disorientated with experimentation at all costs".
The success of his Double Concerto for violin, piano and string orchestra, alternating rhythmic propulsion and lyric passages.
The importance of the emotional aspect of art.

Who's frightened of contemporary music? The days of avant-garde, castled in its ivory tower, ended from quite a while, and yet wide audience have no doubt whether to choose between one Mozart's concert or a piece written after 1950. Luckily nowadays we note some signs of counter-trend. It happened in the Season of Milano Classica, the new orchestra which received the legacy of Angelicum. The Double Concerto written two years ago by Sergio Calligaris and published by Carisch, inflamed audience. Also thanks to the brilliant soloists: violinist Sergej Krilov and pianist Stefania Mormone, to whom the demanding and seductive composition is dedicated. The Krilov's wild violin tears the applause even when - like a coup de theatre - in the middle of a incandescent crescendo, a string breaks. A few minutes to repair the instrument, the music resumes alternating pages of irresistible rhythmic propulsion to yearning lyrical passages.

Pianist other than composer, Sergio Calligaris, 58 years old, was born in Argentina, lived for a long time in the United States but has had Italian citizenship for more than twenty years. He taught in Conservatories of Naples, L'Aquila and Pescara and now he lives in Rome. To whom asking him to explain the success of his music, he replies: "Being pianist helps me not to ever lose sight of audience. Contrary to some other colleagues, I always write thinking to the listener".

Was your Double Concerto written also thinking to definite performers?

Yes, it was. I had heard positive comments on Krilov-Mormone duo. When I finally could listen to them I was really amazed by their talent and I started straight off writing. After just three weeks my score was ready and orchestrated.

How did you plan this work?

I thought to a classical structure, in three movements. The first one is a stormy Toccata like a raging ocean, broken off by a lyrical and melancholy Trio. The Adagio has a mystical character, with a choral of orchestra. Here violin has to sing like an angel. The last movement, Allegro con fuoco, is "brutal", nearly wild. As you see, I don't look for originality at all costs. I don't believe that audience must be disoriented by force. Certainly, you can't speak of tonal language: I use many altered chords and polytonal passages. But my counterpointistic writing is rigorous: my models are Bach and Hindemith.

At the end of Fifties it seemed you had stopped writing, what happened?

I was busy as pianist. But, above all, the extreme avant-garde reigned in Argentina. The password was to experiment, without any respect for audience. This anxiety of revolution doesn't belong at all to me. I began composing again almost by chance, with an occasional piece, "Renzo's Piano Notebook", for pianist Arzeni.

You've been living for more than 20 years in Italy, but listening to your Double Concerto one feels that South America remained in your heart.

That's it. In my compositions I resume many elements of the argentinian popular tradition. But that's not all. My South American soul is revealed by the importance I award to the emotional aspect of art. Nothing more far from Stravinsky: "Music expresses itself only". Imagine that! Music expresses mood and feeling. That's its worth.

At piano, what's the repertoire you like to play?

Especially French impressionists, Debussy and Ravel. But I'm also curious. I've even studied some post-weberian pieces that I've however abandoned quite soon.

What have you been writing now?

I've two errands: one concerto for violin and orchestra for Buenos Aires, with Camillo Castagno, and a duet for two pianos for the Societą dei concerti (Concert Society) of Milan, with Fabio and Sandro Gemmiti.

Teaching has always had a great role in your activity, but you've recently decided to retire…

Yes, I'll stop working in Conservatory to devote myself full-time to piano and composition. But I don't exclude I'll continue leading masterclasses of concert performing, as I've already been doing in Rome, at the school "Together to do", where I've some promising pupils. For instance, I think you'll soon hear speaking about Giampero Belotti.

Why don't you teach composition?

I would never do it. Listen too much to other people's music could distract me. But I've a suggestion for students of composition: experience taught me that's important the study of scores of all times great authors and that's no need to be obsessed by ambition of originality. Just think to Sostakovic: he invented nothing, and yet you recognize his wonderful music at once.

You went round all over the world, what's your comment on Italian music situation?

I think they speak about it with excessive pessimism. In spite of difficulties, in Italy important initiatives flourish and talented young people are discovered. But there's something we could learn by the United States: when I was in Los Angeles, other than the prestigious Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta, there were more than 20 orchestras, from the district one to the students and pensioners ones. I remember that my pupils could practice just playing in these "homely" ensembles. The Italian State should promote the creation of orchestras also for small seasons. It would be an important step for the professional growth of young soloists, orchestra players and, why not, composers.

Alice Bertolini