Ce ne parli?

Nasce da un’idea mia e di Martha Argherich, pianista di fama internazionale e mia grande amica, con lo scopo di proseguire l’attività didattica precedentemente svolta dalla International Piano Foundation “Theo Lieven”. Consente ai talenti di tutto il mondo di studia- re con i migliori insegnanti.

Tra i personaggi che hai incontrato ci sono anche Nina Simone e Keith Jarrett… anche loro musica dei grandi maestri?

Incontrai Nina per la prima volta nel 1990 in Svizzera, partecipava al festival jazz di Montreaux. Dopo il Festival rimase a Ginevra; un mio amico la invitò ad un mio concerto al Conservatorio, lei venne nel mio camerino, in lacrime, dicendomi: “tu sei il pianista che io avrei voluto essere”.

Nina avrebbe da sempre voluto studiare pianoforte ma per ragioni economiche aveva dovuto iniziare a cantare nei bar diventando famosa per la soul music. Mi chiese di darle delle lezioni.

Tua allieva? Nina Simone? Era brava anche come pianista?

Sì, era una allieva fantastica. Le ho insegnato Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, per un po’ di mesi, poi abbiamo dovuto interrompere le lezioni perché aveva troppi impegni in giro per il mondo.

Parliamo del secondo personaggio, mostro sacro del pianoforte, Keith Jarrett.

Lo conobbi nel Maryland. Non era ancora molto conosciuto, non aveva ancora suonato a Colonia nel concerto che lo rese famoso.

Svela ai lettori quel piccolo segreto del Concerto di Colonia …

Non ero presente in quella serata del 24 gennaio 1975, ma mi hanno raccontato questo: quando Keith arrivò sul palco dell’Opera di Colonia si trovò davanti un pianoforte molto più piccolo di quello che si sarebbe aspettato. La delusione fu enorme ma decise di suonare lo stesso. Fu l’ingegnere del suono della casa discografica a fare un vero e proprio miracolo e a far diventare quell’album il leggendario “Concerto di Colonia”!

Che cos’è per te la musica e quali valori vuoi trasmettere alle nuove generazioni.

La musica è la mia religione, una filosofia di vita. Se vuoi studiare la musica, devi conoscere anche l’arte, la filosofia, la pittura, la danza e il teatro. La mia missione è trasmettere ai giovani pianisti di oggi l’insegnamento ricevuto dai miei grandi maestri.

E allora, buona musica, Maestro!

Tell us about it?

It was born from an idea of mine and Martha Argherich, an internationally renowned pianist and great personal friend, with the aim of continuing the teaching activity previously carried out by the International Piano Foundation “Theo Lieven”. It allows talented people from all over the world to study with the best teachers.

How did your passion for the piano begin?

I am African American, born in Roanoke, Virginia, where during the 1940s racism was, unfortunately, still a very prevalent reality. This is where my passion for the piano was born, by chance, when my parents took me to a pianist’s concert in Charlottesville. I was so enthralled by that musician’s skill that I immediately decided music would be my path.

I didn’t know who it was exactly, but many years later, I found an old jazz record and when I gave the photo on the cover a closer look, I recognised him: it was Donald Shirley, known as Don Shirley, the pianist protagonist of the film “Green Book”.

Who did you take your first steps into the world of music with?

I received my first lessons from my grandmother. Afterwards I had a white teacher, the lessons were going well, though after a few months she confided to me that the Ku Klux Clan had also burned some objects on her porch. She was terrified. I later had another white teacher, who was not politically exposed.

Racism continued to be a rife reality in the United States and my family was forced to move to Ohio.  Instead I took Rudolf Serkin’s advice to go to Rome and study with Maestro Carlo Zecchi, who was still unknown in America.

So, your musical father was Carlo Zecchi, but another important figure entered your life.

Maestro Zecchi introduced me to many musicians and artists, including Renata Borgatti, daughter of a very well-known singer of the time.

At the Borgatti household, I met people like Ezra Pound and Igor Stravinsky.

I considered Renata Borgatti my Italian mother. She was an incredible teacher, perhaps the most important one in my life.

Amongst the personages you met there were also Nina Simone and Keith Jarrett…

I met Nina for the first time in Switzerland in 1990, she was attending the Montreux jazz festival. After the Festival she stayed in Geneva; a friend of mine invited her to one of my concerts at the Conservatory, she came into my dressing room, in tears, saying: “you are the pianist I wanted to be”.

Nina had always wanted to study piano, but due to economic reasons she had to start singing in bars and became famous for soul music. She asked me to give her lessons.

Your student? Nina Simone? Was she also good as a pianist?

Yes, she was a fantastic student. I taught her Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, for a few months, then we had to stop her lessons because she had too many commitments around the world.

Let’s talk about the second personage, an absolute piano giant, Keith Jarrett.

I met him in Maryland. He was not well known yet, had not yet played in Cologne, in the concert that made him famous.

Tell the readers that little secret regarding the concert in Cologne…

I was not there on that evening of January 24^th, 1975, but this is what I was told: when Keith arrived on stage at the Cologne Opera, he found himself in front of a much smaller piano than he expected. His disappointment was enormous, but he decided to play anyway. It was the record company’s sound engineer who performed an absolute miracle and turned that album into the legendary “Köln Concert“!

What is music for you and what values do you want to convey to the newer generations.

Music is my religion, a philosophy of life. If you want to study music, you must also know art, philosophy, painting, dance and theatre. My mission is to convey to today’s young pianists everything I learnt from my great teachers.

Well then, to great music, Maestro!