The Baltic countries.

From Latvia, I left to play my 2 nd Davidsbündler in a recital in Tallinn, Estonia. Being back there was fantastic. A few years back I participated in a festival of Tubin’s music (Estonian composer) having learned 5 of his lovely Preludes. I then met prof. Rumessen (director of the festival but who also recorded all of Tubin’s piano music); but was pleasantly surprised to see that Vello Pahn – a conductor I had met in Paris -- came to the recital: we went for some lovely ice-cream plus loads of laughs!

This time, it was Rumessen who came again, the true Ambassador of Estonian Music he is. One young pianist asked me backstage if I thought nordic people would ever be capable of playing the complex rhythms of some of the Brazilian pieces. Why not? It might take a special effort on their part, hearing enough of our ‘musical language’ to absorb the idiom or better still, visiting Brazil to listen to all the different sorts of music we have. That’s the beauty of Brazilian music: some of those pieces are an amalgam of samba, carnival tunes, bossa-nova , tunes from the trem elétrico, baião, chachado etc ... Well, good luck! If you enjoy it, you should try !

When off on a concert trip which includes more than one location, I tend never to concentrate on the following destination until I’m through the first one. Following the concert + a reception or whatever, only when back in the hotel room, I’ll decide if I feel like packing then or whether I get up early and do it the next morning; I’ll fix the alarm/radio/clock according to the departure time seen on the itinerary, have my bubbly-hot bath. That night in Tallinn, at that late hour I received a call from London, alerting me to a problem: the old Estonian man who had been invited to conduct for the 1 st time the Lithuania Orchestra for the concert, in Vilnius a few days later, hadn’t learned the proposed Bachianas Brasileiras # 3, so the Orchestra wondered what I could offer as a replacement…

First I want to know the “whys” of any given situation -- curiosity in order to understand if I can agree to anything. To cut the long story short, the fool hadn’t bothered to get the score in time, leaving to the Orchestra to worry about it. Then I’m told by the librarian, he didn’t even bother to open the score when it was put into his hand! Following this farce, he never even had the humility to apologize to me (not for my sake -- forget I am the invited soloist just like him -- but because of respect to Music and/or the composer: or for the sake of the orchestra who had to pay for expensive rental fees, from Paris!

Sad also that it didn’t happen to an orchestra with a self-governing committee (a Viennese or London or an American Orchestra would have made sure, either he conducted or stepped down for someone else, the assistant would take over). Since all the Bachianas –judge by the title -- are totally based on Bach form-wise, that is nothing very complicated: any child conductor could have read/learned it in one day! I really wanted to play Villa-Lobos for theirs and the public’s sake!

Absolutely no musical curiosity, total lack of courtesy to all concerned and worst of all: the fact he was teaching a Master Course to some 15-16 young conductors that week in town, therefore supposed to set an example of professionalism… Besides, it meant that because the Concerto had been taken out of the orchestra’s schedule, those too were cancelled out of the agenda of the young budding-conductors who were supposed to have had the two rehearsals with soloist represent as part of their course. Moreover they were paying out of their pockets, to follow those courses and the proposed agenda, as lessons for life. How can someone get away with such a scandal?! Un-for-gi-vea-ble!

Now do you want to hear the worst twist of all? One of those young conductors-in-wait had lived in Brazil for 3 years and had done the work before: he could easily have taken over, unfortunately I only found out too late… Young conductors are forever praying for a break of this sort, imagine the scenario! I was angry and got even more furious once I heard of the missed possibility! A ridiculous situation! In the end I chose to play 45 minutes solo, instead. Apparently that Orchestra wrote to my then agency, reporting how badly … I behaved! Ri-di-cu-lous.

Never mind fairness or justice: take the world of … tennis. Those guys have a whole team supporting them while playing any match, egging them on, there for their smallest need: one look can be enough … Oh, I often wondered if I should have gone for a career in tennis, instead of in Music had I started much earlier. It certainly is less lonely as an existence, but who’s to tell if I’d ever have made it?

Back in time: Bergen, Norway.

I will tell you a true story: Radu Lupu had to cancel a performance of Schumann Concerto, in Bergen -- hometown of Grieg -- in 1972. Having arrived in Europe just a few days before, I was given the chance to take over that concert. A wonderful review followed that unexpected but successful concert. I could say that’s how I started my career in Europe. A chance, which the young conductor in Vilnius , never had.

Back to the future: Bergen, Norway.

Here too I was due to play Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras # 3 but, what a difference when at the helm was one of the most professional of conductors I ever worked with, Lopez-Cobós, from Spain. I remember a wonderful Bartok 3 we did in the Alhambra, when I was 5 months pregnant of my 2 nd daughter! I had to wait all of those years – that expected baby is now 27years old!

What a pleasure to watch a master at work: timing his steady work to the minute, never letting pressure prevail or distract him from his goal: getting everything sorted out in the time allocated. A hard programme for an Orchestra not used to that Latin repertoire; in the programme Turina, Villa-Lobos, Debussy and Ravel All were done in exquisite fashion to a most inspired level, thanks to a great job, by Jesús.

Time came for me to travel to Palma and work with an old friend, Philippe Bender. One more Bachianas n° 3, plus Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue but this time on … my birthday! It’s always tricky when this happens: at my age, one doesn’t really need people reminding one that time is passing; on the other hand, it feels wrong if no-one is aware of the fact! When my contribution to the general rehearsal was over, I sat in the audience to listen to the other soloist of the evening, when the orchestra struck: Happy Birthday to him … He-l-lo?! … What about poor little-me?

Following Villa-Lobos and just as I walked back onstage to sit at the piano for the Gerswhin, all was explained: the orchestra ,again struck “Happy Birthday”, this time for me, but in front of the 1000 + packed audience! A young lady came on stage to present me with a huge bouquet of the most gorgeous flowers! It’s never too late: from then on it was party all the way! “Merci bien, Philippe”.

Soon after this engagement, I left Europe for a 3 week tour of Brazil, which would encompass Brasilia, São Paulo, Rio and Bahia, my hometown. Somewhere in there, one very special occasion awaited me: the inauguration of the 1 st Concert-Grand Fazioli in Brazil, bought because I suggested!