Argentine

ZOE KNIGHTON AMIR FARID

GINASTERA · BRAGATO · SOLARE · COBIAN · PIAZZOLLA · GUASTAVINO · GAITO his CD has been the result of a joint Under a lemon tree where the water didn’t is perhaps the most love of Argentine music, a love of the run internationally recognised to Ttango and a love of playing together. I gave my heart away to someone who didn’t have come from . Born to (you We have so enjoyed this repertoire and each deserve it guessed it) Italian parents, his development time we visit these pieces, we feel more Sadness is the day without the sun of the was both revolutionary and attached to them. There are some threads Sadness is the night without the moon controversial. We have Nadia Boulanger to running through our choice of repertoire But sader than this is wanting thank for encouraging Piazzolla to follow – the first being an ongoing connection without any hope his heart. After studying with Ginastera (on between Europe (specifically Italy) and Translation: Penelope White das Graças the suggestion of Arthur Rubinstein) he won Argentina. Vincenzo Piazzolla (Astor’s a grant with his Symphony to father) is quoted by his son as saying that The music has a sense of improvised study in Paris. Boulanger could hear all of all best tango come from South abandon combined with the use of diatonic his influences, Ravel, Stravinsky, Bartok but Italy. We also follow a geographical thread and pentatonic flavours, the latter being encouraged him to do what he did best and with the region in Argentina known as the a characteristic of the Incan pentatonic to find his own voice. He then went on to Pampas. Quite often, specific places give rise scale. Ginastera provides some vital musical transform the tango tradition. There is an to a wealth of inspiration and it seems this lineage in being taught by Copland and Argentine saying – “in Argentina everything region has done just that. having taught Astor Piazzolla as well as may change — except the tango”. He met being great friends with Carlos Guastavino. with enormous resistance with his use We begin the Argentine/Italian connection of instrumentation and inclusion of jazz here with Alberto Ginastera being born to Jose Bragato was a cellist himself and not elements. Sticking to his artistic vision, he an Italian mother. Much like Beethoven, his just any cellist – he was most famous for consequently brought tango and his work works can be divided into three periods – being the cellist with Piazzolla’s Tango into being a household name. objective nationalism, subjective nationalism Nuevo bands. Before this he was principal and neo expressionism. This work falls into cellist with Buenos Aires Symphony Juan Maria Solare is alive and well and living the first category with Ginastera being Orchestra and a member of the Buenos in , where he teaches particularly attracted to the region of the Aires Quartet and the Carlos Pessina Tango. His father’s parents were Italian and Pampas. Written in 1950, the composer Quartet. He grew up (unsurprisingly) in a holds joint citizenship between Italy and says, “without using any folkloric material, very musical family. Born in Italy (here’s that Argetina. With influences as broad as The it recalls the rhythms and melodic trends connection again!), the young migrant family Beatles, and Helmut Lachemann. of the Argentine pampas”. Inspired largely firmly made their mark on the cultural life of He writes: by his wife, Aurora Natola-Ginastera, this Argentina. With his role in Piazzolla’s Nuevo Tengo un tango (2004) This work – the work may be seen as a precursor to the Tango bands, Composer, arranger and title is a pun freely translated meaning I’ve cello sonata. She gave the world premiere conductor, there wasn’t much that Bragato gotta tango – is dedicated to Nicola B. Lahn performance of Pampeana No. 2 on May 8, couldn’t do. This piece represents his most and Walter Samsel on the occasion of their 1950 in Buenos Aires. His chanson “triste” well known offering. It is widely played marriage. It’s one of my most successful was orginally a song as part of a set of five in Europe as a piece for cello and string pieces and actually I had to write at least a in his opus 10 transcribed for cello by the orchestra. 96 at the time of writing, he still dozen arrangements for various ensembles French master, Pierre Fournier. The text is composes music every day. ranging from Solo to Nonet. painfully beautiful. Nómade (2002) is the second of the named him “the Schubert of the Pampas”. Completing the theme of Italy and four movements of Sonatango, a classical He died in 2000 after a very long career Argentina, our final composer studied in sonata form but with unequivocal tango and has influenced much of Argentina’s Naples. Constantino Gaito then returned elements, and in this sense a work at the nationalism in music. Guastavino isolated to Argentina and founded a conservatory hinge – or in the gap – between “academic” himself stylistically from the modernist and as well as teaching at the National and “popular” music. The title (also a avant-garde movements in the 1960s, his Conservatory. He certainly remains a “transparent word”) has autobiographical unapologetic embrace of nationalism made mainstay of the Argentine history of overtones: on the one hand it was him an inspiration for popular and folk “classical” music. His cello sonata is written just days after finishing a one-year musicians throughout Argentina. La rose y el thoroughly romantic in nature with the form programme as composer in residence sauce (The rose and the willow) has become of the first movement firmly held in sonata at the Künstlerhäuser Worpswede – and an iconic song in Argentina. form. It is intelligent, heartfelt and has a consequently facing an uncertain future; well constructed development of the main on the other hand, “tango nómade” is a Juan Carlos Cobian died young at the age themes. He uses a very clever technique quite established musicological concept of 58. He was another revolutionary in the of bringing the work together by using the referred to the of the exile, the ones world of tango, being the first composer opening theme throughout the work. composed by Argentines overseas. Nómade, to embellish the bass line while the melody and actually Sonatango in its entirety, is rests. Travelling, performing and composing ZOE KNIGHTON dedicated to my sister María Mercedes. My took their toll. In his book, “The unknown warm thanks to Australian cellist Penelope Juan Carlos Cobian” Enrique Cadicamo Zoe is a founding member of Flinders Witt, with whom I performed Nómade twice wrote that when he sent some verses of Quartet and has toured internationally in Buenos Aires, and that later passed on the a poem to Cobian, he believed them to through Sweden, Canada and the UK. score to Zoe and Amir. You guess the rest. represent his own life. He returned to his Flinders Quartet appears regularly at Talismán (2005) A plain tango written parents’ home after 23 years. The first verse Australian festivals as well as their own originally for the album Arte del Tango is as follows … celebrated subscription series. The group (Ricordi , 2006). The first theme, has commissioned many works and of a quasi baroque texture, illustrates the Calm neighborhood from my past, continues to be a champion of Australian tango concept of diverging articulations: the like a sad sunset, Chamber music. “Flinders Quartet…whose accompaniment legato, the melody being I return, old, to your street corner... players give such care and unanimity of mainly staccato. The title is an example I return older, musical thought to Australian Chamber of a “transparent word”, which you can life has changed me... Music” Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning understand in several languages. My naive On my head a little silver it has painted. Herald. wish is that such words can stand as symbols I was a traveler of pain In 2008, Zoe founded the Melbourne of the feasibility of coping with the Babelian and in my dreamer’s wandering Chamber Feast, as a biannual festival and misunderstandings of today’s world. I understood my life’s malady, in 2009 was the Artistic Director of the and every kiss, I erased with drink Montsalvat 20 concert series. She was Carlos Guastavino is one of the most prolific in a game of illusion an adjudicator for the 2009 Asia Pacific of our composers, having composed over I dealt my heart. Chamber Music Competition and regularly 500 works. He was heavily influenced acts as panel member and assessment by folk music and his gift for songs has advisor. She is currently Youth and ANAM on the Musica Viva review Orchestras. panel. As a chamber musician, A passionate pedagogue, Amir is pianist of the Zoe and the Flinders Benaud Trio, winning the Quartet are regular tutors Trio prize at the for the Australian Youth 2005 Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Mount Music Competition. As Buller Chamber Music an accompanist, he was Summer School. Zoe winner of the prize for best coaches chamber music pianist at the 2006 Mietta and cello studies at the Song Recital award, and Victorian College of the the 2007 Geoffrey Parsons Arts and the University Award. of Melbourne where in Amir is the recipient 2008, she was Acting Co- of various awards and ordinator of Strings. scholarships, including In demand as soloist, she the Australian Music has performed concertos Foundation, the Ian Potter numerous times with Cultural Trust, the Royal Melbourne Orchestras and Overseas League, the Swiss continues her Bach series experience and understanding”, and who Global Artistic Foundation, every year. She has been guest lecturer at “in a well-populated field...distinguishes the Tait Memorial Trust and the University the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and himself for all the right reasons”. of Melbourne’s Donovan Johnson Memorial guest principal cellist with the Tasmanian Throughout his career, Amir has Scholarship. Symphony Orchestra. Zoe plays with the been working and developing under the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and is a guidance of Professor Ronald Farren- • core member of the Melbourne Chamber Price at the Melbourne Conservatorium Orchestra. of Music, University of Melbourne. In Amir Farid and Zoe Knighton began their 2009 he graduated with distinction from collaboration in 2009 to great critical AMIR FARID the Royal College of Music with acclaim with a debut in the Melbourne Professor Andrew Ball, and also attended Recital Centre. Their first disc –Mendelssohn Winner of the 2006 Australian National the Australian National Academy of Music, Cello was released on the Move label in Piano Award, pianist Amir Farid has been studying with Rita Reichman, Geoffrey Tozer 2010. Representing Melbourne’s wealth described as “a highly creative musician – a and Timothy Young. He has performed of chamber music talent, Amir and Zoe pianist of great intelligence and integrity. He concerti with the Sydney Symphony, bring together a wealth of experience and brings strong musical substance to all that Melbourne Symphony, Melbourne Chamber friendship. he does, imbuing it with his own particular Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Argentine Cello

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) Juan Carlos Cobian (1896-1953) 1 Pampeana No. 2 9’02” ZOE KNIGHTON 7 La Casita de mis Viejos 5’03” Rapsodia para violoncello y piano cello 2 Triste 3’39” AMIR FARID Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) transcribed for cello and piano by 8 Le Grand Tango 12’50” Pierre Fournier piano Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000) Jose Bragato (b.1915) “ A persuasive 9 La rosa y el sauce 3’20” 3 Graciela y Buenos Aires 8’34” partnership … elegant and Constantino Gaito (1878-1945) Juan Maria Solare (b.1966) warm-blooded.” Sonata for cello and piano 4 Tengo un Tango 5’11” Clive O’Connell, q0 Allegro moderato 5’59” 5 Nomade 3’55” The Age qa Andante sostenuto 7’19” 6 Talisman 2’50” qs Allegro moderato 5’44”

Recorded (November 2010) and edited at Move Records studio by Vaughan McAlley … Mastering | Martin Wright … Photographs | Aidan Barrett Grateful thanks to Richard Gubbins for his generous support | Thanks to Penelope Witt for for her musicological research P 2011 MOVE RECORDS www.move.com.au