In your program entitled “America For Solo piano”, you play, just like in 2015at the Théâtre Max-Jacob, composers who are dear to you, like John Cage?
I haven’t forgotten that little theatre, it was a beautiful place. The festival revolves around American music, so I chose to perform composers that I like, like John Cage. This program is fun because I recorded, during confinement, with Vanessa Wagner, an American music disc, which the critics crowned. As a result, it’s very funny to take these pieces back to Quimper.
Are you going to sweep away, you say, part of the American musical landscape?
Indeed, I will begin the recital with a piece by John Cage, a composer close to my heart and who opens up many horizons. The “Suite for toy piano” has quite a story. One day the composer walked into a toy store and saw a small piano intended for children. He bought it and turned it into a concert instrument. In Quimper, I will take my toy piano especially to play this unclassifiable work.
You will also perform several pieces by Henry Cowell and George Antheil, nicknamed, in their time, The Bad Boys?
These early 20th century composers often caused a scandal in Europe. Antheil was fascinated by the music of Ravel and Stravinsky and by the sound environment that rocked his childhood in the very industrial city of Trenton. His music has sometimes been described as mechanical.
Do you like this idea of going to dig into the repertoire of music that is at the crossroads of several styles?
I like that indeed, the so-called learned music is born from the more popular one. Bartok, who was a great collector, wrote music combining these influences. This idea of “taking” to the roots interests me a lot.
Will you also play other composers?
I also put on my program Philip Glass and Teddy Ridley (Simone’s Lullaby). Then a piece by Georges Crumb entitled “Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik: Rumination on Round Midnight by Thelonius Monk”. The most knowledgeable will recognize, in this work, quotations from Debussy and famous jazz pieces. I promise for my part, some musical surprises during the interpretation of this famous piece.
Practice
The pianist Wilhem Latchoumia, will open the 2022 edition of the “Musical Weeks” of Quimper, on Thursday August 18, at 8:45 p.m. in the gardens of the Bishopric. This is the second participation of this artist, a bit rare at this festival.