27 junio 2008
Clara Rodriguez: music as an infinite act of love
The formidable Venezuelan piano player, who for many years has been dedicated to the investigation and the popularization of Venezuelan music, performed today at the legendary Wigmore Hall in London.
To embark on an existence as a piano player of classical music is a decision essentially marked by vocation, passion and consistency. That is how it has been for Venezuelan Clara Rodriguez, who on Friday 27 June gave a concert as a soloist in Wigmore Hall in London, one of the most prestigious concert halls of the world, where some of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century have left their mark.
Considered as a virtuoso by specialised critics, she is also proof that to achieve an international career in classical music, requires more than just talent. She came to London 17 years ago, when she was chosen through auditions held in Venezuela by directors of the Royal College of Music to continue her studies at their institution. She was offered a scholarship by the extinct Consejo Nacional de la Cultura, which she has taken full advantage of. She has been trained and has worked continuously in order to broaden her creative horizons as a piano player and experimented with them. Thanks to this she has managed to create a space in a world where competition can be fierce.
“It’s very hard to make classical music at this moment in time. Especially because the priority is commercial profit, therefore the tendency is to promote an empty image of the artist where the most importance is given to their physical beauty. There is a tendency towards standardization of a musical product and its subsequent saturation. But despite this, you have to keep developing your work, as a struggle against frivolity” she commented.
Similarly, she pointed out that for solo artists it is complicated to enter the circuit of international concerts. “That is in the hands of just a few”. Nonetheless, she emphasises that “the main motivation to follow is the love of art, literally, without that; a striking emptiness is left inside. Also, one attempts to reach the public, and share the work with the audience”.
Exploration of Musical Roots.
Amongst the merits that support her challenge of this “standardisation”, is her valuable research and disclosure of a Venezuelan and Latin American music repertoire, with which she has performed at the most well known stages of the world and has included in a broad discography production, which has been well received by international critics.
The compositions by Teresa Carreño, Moisés Moleiro, Federico Ruiz, the Venezuelan waltzes by Juan Carlos Nuñes, as well as key pieces of popular Venezuelan music have found in her performances a new dimension and through more privileged channels.
When referring to her interest in Venezuelan music she comments: “paradoxically, to be far away allows her to grow closer to her roots and all that musical richness that has its own style. We could also say that‘pianismo propio’ exists when interpreting this kind of music, we should remember that we have a ‘Venezuelan piano school’ that has a tradition of performers and composers amongst which can be found the likes of Teresa Carreño, Ramón Delgado Palacios and Evencio Castellanos. Also Vicente Emilio Sojo compiled a vast repertoire for the piano.”
She also assures that “Venezuelan music has a particularly refined style that is well liked and surprising. The waltzes, diverse jorops: tuyero, oriental and llanero, the Zulian state dances, the bambuco, and merengue, to name just a few, are very diverse genres and musically complex”.
Eclectic Repertoire
With a solid musical formation, the versatility of her performances is emphasised.
Her repertoire varies from music written by the oldest maestros of music, right up to more contemporary composers. It is from here that at her recitals prevails an eclectic feeling of dealing with music.
For this, her second concert at Wigmore Hall in two years, she prepared a repertoire composed by pieces from the Iberian Suite from the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz, considered one of the most important piano pieces of the 20th century and which demands from the performer a highly technical performance. It also included 5 pieces from Venezuelan popular heritage, with changes made by composers such as Federico Ruiz and Pablo Camacaro and two pieces by Chopin.
As she notes “the pieces by Albeniz connect to the music from the South of Spain, which is very emblematic and one which I feel very close to. The selected Venezuelan pieces form part of a disc that I have recorded recently. Where pieces such as Joropo by Moises Moleiro; El Pajarillo by Luisa Elena Paisano;Alma Llanera with changes made by Federico Ruiz, El Señor Jou by Pablo Camacaro; as well as her own changes made in Caballo Blanco by Simon Diaz can be found. Chopin is an artist I have studied greatly all of my life”.
Those who have heard her live, confirm that she has the ability to travel inside the music and to take to her audience with her on this long voyage. This time, she commented, that the concert is dedicated in memory of her (late) teacher at the Royal College of Music, Phyllis Sellick, who according to her “was the living connection with the past. She had met Sergi Rachmaninoff, and even some of the great British musicians composed special pieces especially for her. As a teacher she was very demanding, very sincere, she would force you to look within yourself to find what you want to express, to let it out”
Today, Clara is a teacher in the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music. When consulted on how to advise young Venezuelan musicians that would like to study in the United Kingdom or to follow an international career she indicates: “The first thing to do is to establish a connection with the schools, to send them a DVD and prepare yourselves to sit examinations, as entrance into institutes is decided through competition and only 10% of aspiring musicians are accepted. It is also important to know that you always start at the bottom. Humility towards music is essential in order to confront this you have to be well prepared”.
Clara was interviewed 26 June on the program In Tune on BBC Radio 3, regarding her performance at Wigmore Hall where she also played a few pieces planned for her concert. These previews can be heard on: http:/www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtnl?http://www.bbc.co.uk
/radio/aod/radio3_aod.shtml?radio3/intone_thu
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