Interview with Lorenzo Micheli e Matteo Mela second part

I was genuinely impressed by the monography devoted to the music of Astor Piazzolla: why the choice of this artist, as your previous record releases were more oriented about the nineteenth-century romantic repertoire and how did start the collaboration with an artist like Per Arne Glorvigen ?

[MM] I have in the repertoire the Cinco piezas for solo guitar by the Argentine composer from a very long time, and the same can be said for the Tango Suite, which I have played for so many years with Giampaolo Bandini (first) and Lorenzo, and the Histoire du Tango, which I have long played with Ivan Rabaglia. The affinity and interest that I have always felt toward the music of Piazzolla have prompted me to create, five or six years ago, this project. When it was decided to include the Concerto for bandoneon and guitar I started searching for a bandoneonist. A mutual friend introduced me to Per Arne Glorvigen, a persone with incredible talent and charisma, which in Norway is considered a national celebrity. Per Arne has enthusiastically agreed to be part of the group of musicians, and so, after a series of concerts played together in the winter of 2004, we recorded the Tribute to Liege. Relations with him were very close, so that later than a few months ago we performed in Holland one of his works for bandoneon and guitar.

I noticed that the notes on the booklets with your CDs have been written directly by Lorenzo Micheli. I've always found them well written and full of interesting information, a signal of attention not only to the music but also to the writings of music, do you think to start even an editorial work in addition to the record one?

[LM] I've always felt the need to complement my strictly musical work with a historical and theoretical reflection to help me to bring order to my ideas and insights about music, I think it is a remnant of my classical university studies, as well to be the fruit of my insane passion for the written word. From many years I have worked with magazines such as "The Fronimo" and "Guitar Forum”, for which I wrote essays and articles about history and practice of literature, and at some point came to natural the decision to write the notes of the books.

As well as playing a significant activity as a performer, you are both teachers: Matteo Mela at the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique in Geneva and Lorenzo Micheli at the Musical Institute of Aosta. How do you manage to combine these two activities? Sometimes one gets the impression of a dichotomy between the two "careers": that a performer is unable to be at the same time also a teacher ...

[MM and LM] It is difficult to think about musical activity "all round" that can be independent by the teaching’s experience. After all teaching is one of the few chances we have for reflection (and self-criticism, in a constructive way) on our way to make music and all the questions, about techniques and interpretation, linked to it. And then we like to teach: the enthusiasm of the pupils may be contagious as a few other things.

to be continued

Interview with Lorenzo Micheli e Matteo Mela first part

How did start your collaboration with the Guitar Collection’s project of Stradivarius?

[LM] I started working with Stradivarius ten years ago, with the recording of the works by Dionisio Aguado. At the time Frederic Zigante, who was my teacher for many years and still is for me an indispensable point of reference, was starting the Guitar Collection with his Villa-Lobos’s recording. I had just won the first prize at the Guitar Foundation of America Competition, I had signed a contract with Naxos (with which I released a disc on Castelnuovo-Tedesco) and I had a master ready: Frederic decided that this would become the second volume the collection. A few years later, when Matthew and I took our first steps as a duo and carried a program of chamber music with the strings of the Trio di Parma, we proposed to Stradivarius to record the Quartets by De Fossa. And so, year after year, we strengthened this synergy, which continues to provide excellent results and still has four albums (besides the already mentioned de Aguado and De Fossar there are the record with the complete works of Piazzolla and the CD on Italian authors of the seventeenth century).

In your recordings you seem to prefer monographic cds, focusing on specific authors. Why this choice? Is this is a request from the record labels or is it a your exact professional choice?

[LM] I do not think there's a reason only and precisely, but rather a combination of reasons. A monographic record (along with all the preparation work that is behind it) is above all a "dip" in the deepest depths of the work and life of one author: it means to retrace step by step a creative journey, understand what came later through the knowledge of what was before (and vice versa), coming into contact with a significant proportion of ideas, idiosyncrasies, passions of a person. There is also a consideration linked to the needs of the record label’s catalog: the monographic record is more identifiable, more easily classifiable and then - ultimately - more easily marketable. Finally it should be remembered that the record has an intrinsic value as an artistic and historical document, as a means of dissemination and knowledge about music, as a working instrument.

In your latest CD for the Stradivarius, "La Suave Melodia, you try out the trio of plucked instruments formula in the company of Massimo Lonardi, a solution rather unusual. Why this choice?

[MM] We are working on the baroque repertoire using vintage instruments from a lot of time (baroque guitar and theorbo) with Massimo Lonardi, who before being a teacher in the truest sense of this word is a precious and dear friend. Massimo guided us step by step to discover the ancient repertoire for plucked instruments, and had the idea to create a trio in which our two instruments (the theorbo Lorenzo and my baroque guitar) find a perfect counterpoint with his arciliuto. This combination, which is very versatile because all the three instruments are perfect for the continuous but are also used as a solo instrument, allows to play both the '600 and '700 original repertoire for plucked instruments and – it is the case of Andrea Falconieri’s record - music for all sorts of instruments.

to be continued

Soloduo - Matteo Mela & Lorenzo Micheli: Biography

Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli first met in 2000. Since then, they have shared a number of ideas, musical projects, and travels all over the world. In 2002 they formed a duo that has already performed throughout Europe, Asia, the US, Canada and Latin America, and has been acclaimed everywhere – from New York’s Carnegie Hall to Vienna’s Konzerthaus – as one of the best ensembles ever heard. About one of their performances, The Washington Post wrote: “Extraordinarily sensitive, with effortless command and an almost unbearable delicacy of touch, the duo’s playing was nothing less than rapturous – profound and unforgettable musicianship of the highest order.”
In addition to classic, romantic and modern repertoire, Matteo and Lorenzo – joined by lutenist Massimo Lonardi – enjoy exploring the early literature for baroque guitar and theorbo. Together, Matteo and Lorenzo have recorded François de Fossa’s Three Quartets, op. 19 (Stradivarius 2004), a CD of 17th century Italian music for baroque guitar, archlute and theorbo (La Suave Melodia, Stradivarius 2008), Solaria, an anthology of 20th century masterpieces for two guitars (Pomegranate 2007), the Duos Concertants by Antoine De Lhoyer (Naxos 2007), a collection of chamber works by Mauro Giuliani (Amadeus 2008), a collection of 19th century pieces for two guitars (Noesis, Pomegranate 2009), the Sonatas of Ferdinand Rebay (Stradivarius 2010) as well as a dozen solo recordings on the labels Naxos, Brilliant Records, Kookaburra, Mel Bay, and Stradivarius.

For further information, please visit:

http://www.soloduo.it/

http://www.matteomela.it/

http://www.lorenzomicheli.com/

http://www.lonardimelamicheli.com/.

“SoloDuo's Carnegie Hall concert was one of the more memorable concerts of the Weill season. It is hard to say what left more of an impression: their remarkable blend, their sublime artistry or their impeccable technique. Do not miss a chance to hear them.”
The New York Concert Review

La Suave Melodia by Massimo Lonardi, Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli, Stradivarius 2008

Sometimes, around a day, we feel the need,( as was singing Franco Battiato some years ago) to try to live our lifes running with a different speed. A less excited rithm, a more relaxed time, so we shall enjoy our things better and live a full life. I know, it’s not easy, i’ s very difficult, as we struggled a thousand commitments, but sometimes it happens that something, an encounter with someone special, an interesting reading or listening help us to find the right way.
Maybe one of these moments should be the listening to "La Suave Melodia", edited by the italian label Stradivarius, who has become a landmark thanks to his courageous choices: detailed monographs also by little known but of undoubted value authors, premiere recordings or new versions of old scores that have been forgotten or underestimated for such a long time.
The CD in cardboard edition with attached a 26 pages booklet in Italian and English, is about the seventeenth century Italian music, played with great dedication by Massimo Lonardi on arciliuto,Matteo Mela on baroque guitar and Lorenzo Micheli, theorbe and Baroque guitar. The composero are Andrea Falconieri, Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger, Giulio Banfi, Girolamo Frescobaldi and Alessandro Piccinini, for 29 tracks for nearly 66 minutes of sweet, sweet music
What really transpires from this music, masterfully performed by the three interpreters, is its absolute contemporaneity, I know it’s music from the '600, but it seems to arrive through a quantum leap in time and yet from the first listen it sounds familiar, intimate and tells about life, our life inspiring deep emotions: joy, sadness, irony, sadness, and above all life itself, which shines and flows in the notes of the three interpreters.
It's a stream, a stream of music that surrounds us and helps us to remember that there is another discreet, hidden perhaps beauty, but so close to us that can help u sto smile at life and leave us sated and satisfied at the end of 66 minutes. The life of every day calls us back, luckily there is the re-play button ... click.
High qualità recording.

Empedocle70

Soloduo play Piazzolla

Lorenzo Micheli and Matteo Mela: Dionisio Aguado, Stradivarius

Daughter of the god of war and the goddess of love, Harmony has inspired three of the most penetrating fragments of Heraclitus. The third fragment in particular, dear architects and musicians of all time, mentions: "harmony of the invisible visible is better." I do not think the object and interest of the blog is a philosophical analysis of a simple reminiscence from the high school, but I remebered this ancient text listening to the Guitar Collection Volume 2 of the Stradivarius, Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849 ) music monography , performed with great tact and bilance by Lorenzo Micheli.
Aguado is a figure of great significance both as being the author of the Metodi, which 'decoding on instrumental techniques ' for guitar are still considered highly relevant, both to understand the 'revival' of a fervent guitar scene that took place in the first half of Eighteen century. While the first aspect is quite known and popular, about the second one wsa missing a detailed work which this cd should cope. Aguado, unlike many of his peers, as a composer devoted himself exclusively to the guitar. "Trois Rondo", "Le Menuet affandangado", "Estudios" and "give account about an original writing, fresh, in many ways close to the Spanish folk tradition. Particularly interesting the Fandango varié, printed in Paris between 1835 and 1838, where Aguado performs a kind of transcription of an improvisation on the fandango’s rythm, a dance popular in the late seventeenth century, testifying once again a blend between popular and classical music.

If it is legitimate to read in the fragment of Heraclitus an analogue of the Pythagorean doctrine of the harmony of the spheres, then visible harmony would be in the phenomenal world, the invisible could be grasped only in the intelligible relations which determine the visible. The music played by Lorenzo Micheli with philological rigor with a romantic Husson guitar, Buthod et Thibouville, Paris 1850 ca. returns part of the the sense of this fragment: by itself visible, its shape conceals the intimate relationships that correlate to the chords between their guitars, bringing harmony in our daily lives.

Empedocle70

Matteo Mela plays Introduction and Caprice by Giulio Regondi

Lorenzo Micheli: De Fossa Trois Quatuors op.19, Stradivarius

Singular character, Francois de Fossa (Perpignan 1775 - Paris 1849), son of a noted historian and lawyer, a professional soldier for the Spanish first then in French army under the command of Joseph Bonaparte, guitarist, composer and friend of Dionisio Aguado for whom he transcribed the "Escuela de Guitarra" in French version. De Fossa is characterized by a parallel if not alternative career in music and in military, and for the appreciation received from the public who caled him the "Haydn on guitar." The Guitar Collection Volume 8 of the Stradivarius exits from the chamber of time, the three Quartet op. 19, published in 1825 and dedicated to Count Montboissier, which I am not aware there are other recorde interpretations, certainly not as comprehensive as so far the attention of guitar players seem to have more resting on Trios Op 18 and the Grand Duo op 2. Particular feature of this music is the unusual quartet: two guitars, cello and violin, a combination that is new even for the wide chamber music literature of the period. Called to deal with these four works are solid professionists like Lorenzo Micheli and Matteo Mela on guitars, Enrico Bronzi, known for being from many years the cellist of the Trio di Parma, formation of considerable depth and skill, and Ivan Rabaglia, also a founding member of Trio Parma and internationally known concertist. With four performers of this caliber is almost superfluous to say that "we like to win easy." The music flows calm, mild and without any stretch, we're talking about four virtuosos who are able to make everything looking easy and smooth while we know that it requires considerable talent and dedication. It's a leap forward what these 62 minutes of great music make for us, the quartet opens for us a window into the ‘800 musical history and for that we can not but be grateful. Registration excellent and balanced, clean and dynamic, very nice booklet with notes by Lorenzo Micheli, a real mini-essay on De Fossa and his music.

Empedocle70

Lorenzo Micheli play Cavatina - Alexandre Tansman

Matteo Mela: Astor Piazzolla Complete Guitar Works, Stradivarius

Tango. A sad thought that is danced. A word. A sensation. An emotion. Music. Atmosphere. A composer. Piazzolla. It’s difficult to find another term that with one word is able to communicate immediately with these concepts, this combination of pathos, history, music, sweat, dance and music, being able simultaneously to cut off from his place of origin and making it a world's cultural heritage. Jazz? Too many genres below. Rock? Which? Pop? Yes, but when there was Andy Warhol. Blues? That's right, the blues is good. But the Tango have a plus, because the blues is the blues, but the Tango has Piazzolla as its poet and heavy champion. Because it takes a genius, a real genius to make a musical genre born in brothels, fuse it with jazz, classical music and klezmer and give it a spirit, a soul strong enough to make it universal and immortal. It takes nerve, muscle, talent and great passion to play at its best this music for dancing or for a guitar. Matteo Mela, Per Arne Glorvigen, Lorenzo Micheli, Ivan Ramaglia and I Solisti di Parma have talent, passion, intuition and they have to sell. This record is a solid, compact monolith, without a single smear, without a single failure, without a single loss of emotional and musical tension. It leaves you breathless, stunned, for its devotion and passion. 74 minutes of pure talent. Here there is no room for smoking, here is just the roast: the Tango Suite for two guitars, the Histoire du Tango for violin and guitar, the Cinco Piezas and Double Concerto "Hommage a Liege". All played at their best, with a control on the instruments and a so superlative technique that doesn’t interferes in any way with the emotions, feelings and colors that musicians forward with the simplicity and the skill of someone who has studied and played a lot. Buy this record. Listen to this record. Give this record. Open the doors to tango. Don’t regret it. Matteo Mela and Astor Piazzola Complete Guitar Music, thirteenth Volume of the Stradivarius Guitar Collection will not disappoint you.

Empedocle70