You've been an actor, you've studied history, philosophy, statistics and now you are a musician, composer, teacher here at the Ecole Normale Superieure. What explains a course as unique and varied?
I think the statistics, it was an "accident": I wanted to study mathematics and economics at a high level, and he found that the course I followed in the National School for Statistics and Economic Administration included training in statistics. You ask what explains this way ... I do not think I knew immediately I specialize in music. For a while, I managed to juggle many musical studies and general studies long. I was interested in lots of things and it's rather late that I decided to immerse myself in music. And yet ... I'm always a big reader, I am interested in political debate, literature, theater, cinema, dance. (In another life, I still make movies.) And is linked to the taste I had for all these things.
You are a composer and improviser. Improvisation and composition are they far apart from each other?
The two activities are quite different and yet have much in common. For example, in both cases, the imagination is the queen of the faculties. Of course, when you dial, you can go back to what we have down on paper, once, twice, ... ten times the concentration may optionally be interrupted. When we improvise, however, the concentration must always maintain a certain level, like the security of piano playing - which assumes a different form of concentration. And then improvise leads to greater mobility style, which is accompanying a silent film, readings of texts, or that we improvise on themes submitted by the public. It takes a broad stylistic range, enough plastic.
You're talking about plastic stylistic range. Would you say that your music is descriptive?
I do not think. My titles are more or less descriptive. Procession of the Shadows is poetic, but moderately descriptive. Masks could pass for description, but is also a reference to Debussy and Szymanowski, which I love. As for my CD Improvisations , the case is somewhat unusual in that it is a disc made of the conditions of the concert: the audience suggested to me the themes on which to improvise. As the statement of the theme that will trigger improvisation, it is not surprising that there is an illustrative share.
No, I do not write music descriptive but evocative , which is not quite the same thing. My music creates, it seems, visual representations, mental images ... and in a sense, all the better.
How did you come to improvise during evenings reading or silent films?
For silent films, it came from my interest in cinema, period. I wanted to combine my love of film and my melomania: accompany silent films allows me to discover a rare repertory. One of the first readings that have been asked to improvise was the occasion of the visit to Paris by Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize for Literature. A little intimidating, but particularly exciting ... As for Persons delivering audio-players, I met Jean-Paul Carminati and Bernhard Engel in Monaco, there are nearly ten years, through Beatrice Dunoyer, in charge of programming Prince Pierre of Monaco price - a price that is both literary, musical and visual arts. This first collaboration in which their readings were accompanied by improvised in my comments piano was followed by many others. And colleagues, they became friends.
Power rub with them to literary texts, both contemporary literature or the classics, something exciting. By definition, a reading is a singular moment: the delivery person will not read the same way one day and its aftermath. Improvisation but also has something unique about the night of the concert, my support may be very different from the general.
Do you have plans to soon or later?
I am just finishing a ballet, music that will be choreographed by Julien Lestel for creating the Grand Theatre of Aix late May. There is talk that I write musical stories for children and a room for the choir of the Orchestre de Paris. After that I wrote recently from Kafka's Castle (directed by Laurent Festas), I have other ideas for operas, yet dashed. I have several projects and monographic discs of my music (works for string orchestra, choral works, works piano), but I'm still waiting for funding ...
Friday, November 5, 2010
Karol Beffa improvise Listen to the evening reading PANTHEON, Thursday, November 18 2010, at 20:30 refectory of the Cordeliers - 15 rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, Paris 6e (Metro Odéon)
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