1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 ["Pomp and Circumstance"] 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,000 ["Pomp and Circumstance"] 3 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,960 Happy December and welcome back to another episode of the Piano Pod. 4 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,600 Here, tradition meets innovation. We bridge the timeless beauty of the piano with the 5 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:07,440 dynamic pulse of today's world. I am your host, Yukimii-san. It's that time of the year when we're 6 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:13,120 all buzzing with excitement, surrounded by friends and family soaking in the holiday vibes. I hope 7 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:18,400 you're feeling the festive spirit no matter where you are tuning into this episode. By the way, 8 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:24,720 this is the Piano Pod's last episode of the year 2023. What a fantastic year I've had as a host of 9 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:30,640 the show, connecting with you and with incredible guests through this magical medium of podcast. 10 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:36,720 And I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for tuning into the 11 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:43,200 Piano Pod throughout 2023. Your support has been the greatest encouragement that has fueled my 12 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:48,480 passion for sharing the world of piano with you. Whether you are a dedicated listener or a casual 13 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:54,000 viewer of the Piano Pod, your presence has made this journey truly remarkable. It's been an 14 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,560 incredible and meaningful year for me and I couldn't have done it without you. So thank you. 15 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:05,520 As we are ending the year 2023, I want to assure you that that Piano Pod is only getting started. 16 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:11,920 So stay tuned for the year 2024, where we have an exciting lineup of guests ready to share their 17 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:17,840 thoughts, ideas, and expertise. And I am thrilled to bring you more inspiring conversations, 18 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:22,960 captivating performances, and behind the scenes into the world of classical music. 19 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:30,960 Okay, so to end the year 2023 on a positive note, I want to bring you a love story. It's the story 20 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:37,600 of two incredible souls who not only found love for one another, but also shared a deep passion 21 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,720 for music. You know those couples that just radiate power and success and we call them power 22 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:49,440 couples. And we've got our own power couple in our industry. They are Grammy and Latin Grammy 23 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:56,000 award winners and nominees, Carlos Franzetti and Alison Brewster Franzetti. Carlos and Alison are 24 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:01,680 partners in life and music, making beautiful melodies together. And I mean it literally. 25 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:08,160 So let me first introduce Mr. Carlos Franzetti, composer arranger of five Latin Grammy awards and 26 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:14,960 a Grammy award, a musical virtuoso of unparalleled versatility. His talent spans classical 27 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:21,360 symphonies, big band jazz, Latin American rhythms, and captivating film scores. His compositions have 28 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:28,160 graced stages globally from the Boston Pops to Prague, uniting hearts worldwide. In jazz, 29 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:34,000 he collaborated with celebrities like Arturo Sandoval, crafting unforgettable recordings. 30 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:40,160 Mr. Franzetti's artistic imprint shines through in beloved films such as the Mambo Kings, 31 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:46,480 enriching the narrative tapestry of cinema. His ongoing creative journey delights enthusiasts 32 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:53,040 with recent hits like Legacy and Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Born in Buenos Aires, Mr. Franzetti's 33 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:58,640 musical journey began at six. Studying at prestigious schools like Julliard, he pursued 34 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:04,320 his dreams, becoming a global citizen through music. His compositions bridge cultures, 35 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:08,480 uniting audiences through his extraordinary music and recordings. 36 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:14,400 Now let me introduce pianist Alison Brewster Franzetti, a renowned artist celebrated for her 37 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:20,640 exceptional musicality. She's received accolades from prestigious organizations like the Latin 38 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:26,960 Grammy and Grammy Awards. Ms. Franzetti's career spans solo performances at iconic venues like 39 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:32,960 Carnegie Hall, collaborations with renowned artists, and orchestral engagements with groups 40 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:38,720 like the Brooklyn Harmonic. As a prolific recording artist, her latest solo project, 41 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:44,720 Pianista, earned a silver award from the Global Music Awards. Ms. Franzetti's influence goes 42 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:50,800 beyond performance. She is an acclaimed author, composer, and editor, contributing to notable 43 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:56,720 publications and collaborating with esteemed musicians. Her educational background includes 44 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:01,760 degrees from the Manhattan School and Julliard. In academia, she holds potential 45 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:07,920 positions at Kean University, Rutgers University, and various music festivals. Ms. Franzetti's 46 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:14,000 diverse talents and contributions to classical music and the arts have earned her recognitions 47 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:19,920 from foundations and societies, cementing her status as a distinguished pianist and a globally 48 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:26,880 respected artist. Before we dive into this special episode featuring Alison and Carlos, 49 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:33,440 a warm welcome to all newcomers joining the Pianopod today. I am a classical pianist and 50 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:39,600 educator based in New York City, the creator and executive producer of this show. Whether you are 51 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:45,920 fully immersed in a piano career, deeply engaged in a classical music scene, or simply drawn to 52 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:52,400 the beauty of the piano melodies, this podcast grants you an exclusive pass into the captivating 53 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:59,920 world of the piano. To all our loyal TPP fans and listeners, just a quick reminder to rate 54 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:05,040 and review the show on your favorite podcasting platform because your ratings and review will 55 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:11,360 play a crucial role in helping others discover this podcast. So grab your hot cocoa and brace 56 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:18,320 yourself for the inspiration that awaits from Carlos and Alison's incredible journey. Welcome 57 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:24,080 to the final episode of 2023. Please enjoy the show. 58 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:34,400 You are listening to the Pianopod where we talk to the brightest minds in the industry about how 59 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:42,480 they are bringing the piano into the 21st century. Welcome to the Pianopod, Alison and Carlos. Thank 60 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:49,040 you so much for being here. Well, we're delighted to be here. Thank you so much for inviting us. 61 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:55,120 Thank you. So you were both introduced to me by Donna Wang Friedman, who is a producer, 62 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,280 concert pianist, and she was actually on the Pianopod as a guest in season two. 63 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:07,360 And then I think Donna is your really close friend. She's been my friend for many, many years, 64 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:14,160 and I'm a huge admirer of her work and all the accolades she's getting for Never Fade Away. 65 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:23,120 Very exciting to see what she created and all the recognition she's really truly deserving to get 66 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:30,000 for such an extraordinary project. Absolutely. So a quick shout out to Donna. Thank you. And if 67 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:36,240 you are listening, I love the morning of interview session, usually after I make my coffee and I start 68 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:42,960 my day because I get to listen to the music of the guest of that day that I'm about to interview. 69 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:48,800 And then this morning I've been listening to your both of your music. So in my YouTube playlist, 70 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:55,600 I had started out with a Pazza Collier, but the two piano version. Right. I also I realized that 71 00:07:55,600 --> 00:08:03,040 there's a actual version in the CD album, one of the CD albums you have. But this was particularly 72 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:10,560 the two piano version both of you are playing and which led me to Circle de Alarvada. Yes. 73 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:19,520 That's a fun video with a small orchestra chamber, a few strings and a couple of woodwinds, 74 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:24,800 flute and clarinet, and of course, Alison playing piano and Krolls playing piano. And we also have 75 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:30,720 this Argentine. Well, actually it's a German instrument, the bandoneon, but adopted for 76 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:38,080 Argentine tango and like the guitar was recorded, what, 10, 12 years ago? It was 2012. It was right 77 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:45,040 before Hurricane Sandy, actually. And we flew back from Buenos Aires right after Hurricane Sandy. 78 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:50,400 We were able to see the devastation of the area from the air. And then of course, had a lot of 79 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:56,000 trouble getting home from Kennedy Airport at the time, but managed it because so many roads were 80 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:04,640 closed here. And the gas stations weren't giving gas either. But the video itself, that was a really, 81 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:10,640 really fun project. All the music was composed by Carlos. With the recording, we had forgotten a 82 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:18,160 baton. And so we used a straw to conduct when we were switching off. But you can't tell that it's 83 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:24,880 a straw in the video. That's actually what it was. Really? Wow. But I also noticed, Alison, 84 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:31,040 you were conducting too. So you took turns, like, you know, while Carlos was playing the piano, 85 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:37,440 Alison conducted and vice versa. And I really enjoyed the video. And at one point, it was like 86 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:44,080 a 45 minutes of sort of like a documentary where you performed, but also there was like a talk 87 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:50,560 in between. So I also watched the video clip of your performance of Lamento, which is the orchestral 88 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:57,760 work by you, Carlos. And of course, the piano part was performed by Alison. Actually, a couple 89 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:03,920 of days before we went to a recording session in Prague, and I came out with this tune, this 90 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:10,240 very simple tune. And Alison said, what is that? That's something that came out and, you know, 91 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:16,960 I'm going to write it down. And I started writing it, but we were leaving in two days. So I wrote 92 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:23,120 kind of half of it, you know, with orchestration. And then we left. We went to Prague and recorded. 93 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:29,360 And the contractor, the fixer, they call us over there, of the orchestra, a very good friend of 94 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:35,360 us, James Fitzpatrick, said, by the way, you know, tomorrow, instead of having half a session, you 95 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:42,000 have the whole morning. So record whatever you want. And I said, you know, I have this piece, 96 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:49,440 but I left it in the computer. And I think that I had emailed it to Alison's computer. 97 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:56,560 You had, I was able to access the file. Carlos and the fixer also had finale. 98 00:10:56,560 --> 00:11:01,120 Right. So then I went and finished the orchestration and we recorded the next day. I mean, she 99 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:07,200 sirened. It's a very simple piece, but it was nice to do it on the spur of the moment and said, wow, 100 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:13,760 this is not going to die or live in a drawer. And we were happy to record it. So Carlos finished it 101 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:20,480 in finale. I extracted all the parts, the fixer printed all the parts and put them together. And 102 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:26,800 the next day we just went and did it. Oh my goodness. Wow. Yeah. But I noticed that there 103 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:33,200 were one or two CD albums that you performed with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Yeah. 104 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:38,240 The city of Prague Philharmonic. Actually, we did a lot of work. You know, I was called to do some 105 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:45,200 arrangements for a very good jazz saxophonist about 20 years ago. And they said the recording 106 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:49,280 will be in Prague. I said, well, you know, wonderful. We had been there before with Alison 107 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:56,160 doing some of the projects. So I, then I discovered this wonderful orchestra and I became very good 108 00:11:56,160 --> 00:12:03,040 friends with this person, James Fitzpatrick, who was the producer and contractor. And then I 109 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:09,040 had other projects and I mentioned this orchestra. So I was going to Prague like twice a year 110 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:15,200 recording there. And I became very fond of the beautiful city. So that Alison, I mean, we did 111 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:22,400 many albums of ourselves and then of other people as well, singers and musicians, saxophonists. 112 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:28,800 Oh, wow. We have to talk more about your compositional genres and styles, Carlos, 113 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:37,760 because your style ranges from pure classical music to jazz, obviously to Argentine tango. 114 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:44,720 But before that, I really want to talk about you as a couple. So you each demonstrate individual 115 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:50,400 achievements and then together with your collaboration, you leave such a huge impact 116 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:55,680 in our industry and society. And then through your strong partnership, you have inspired so 117 00:12:55,680 --> 00:13:02,400 many musicians and music lovers around the world. So, you know, people call you a call a duo like you 118 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:10,480 power couple, right? And then like we have been referred to that way, which we find really 119 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:18,240 fascinating because we really just do what we do. We don't put a label on us like other people would 120 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:24,320 do at all. And the good thing is that I must say, I mean, she's she's the pianist. She's the concert 121 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:31,440 pianist. I am not. I am a composer. But we both do things. I mean, she had composed a great number 122 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:39,440 of music and tunes and for shows and things and in orchestrate. And as I said, conduct the city of 123 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:45,920 Prakta Lamanic when I was playing. And on the side, I, you know, I did my classical training on piano 124 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:54,080 and study and whatever I did the basic repertoire. But my love was in composition. So we 125 00:13:54,080 --> 00:14:01,280 share things, but we don't get to the point of competing. You know, like yesterday, I was there 126 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:07,360 like, I said, why don't you play the Brahms intermezzo that I love so much? Which one is the 127 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:13,200 Opus 118 number two, the A major. Beautiful piece. And she played it. She said, well, I'm going to 128 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:18,640 download the music on the right back and started playing. And it was just like a perfect performance, 129 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:25,680 which I can do. So but I don't improvise like he does. So there you go. That's what I mean about 130 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:32,080 that. We kind of we it's not that we compensate each other. We compliment. We compliment the 131 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:38,480 work you're looking for. You know, in as I said, we never got into a competition. You know, look, 132 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:43,360 I mean, you know, the way you play Chopin. And that's really true. I mean, it's it's we've been 133 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:50,000 extraordinarily fortunate that way. We're very, very respectful of each other's work very separately, 134 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:54,880 as well as everything that we've done together. And we started out knowing each other professionally 135 00:14:54,880 --> 00:15:00,560 first. So, you know, people have asked us over the years, well, aren't you prejudiced because you 136 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:07,520 married? And I said, well, frankly, no, because the first months that I knew Carlos was strictly 137 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:14,240 professional relationship. And so I think Allison had a tree. I'm sorry. It's OK. Go ahead. A 138 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:21,520 chamber tree of saxophone, piano and cello and two of the people, I mean, like my music or one of 139 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:27,520 them, you know, the cellist and approached me and asked me to write for them for this trio called 140 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:33,760 Urban Birds. I said, fine, I would love to. And so they came to my house and they commissioned me 141 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:40,560 this music. I always said on the second visit, Allison gave me a check. It's actually true 142 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:44,320 because, you know, they pay for the I mean, we pay for the arrangement. 143 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:51,040 This is what you gave here. Here I'm paying you for it. And then they played it. And then I brought 144 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,200 some music for them and they played some other music. And then we started seeing each other. 145 00:15:55,200 --> 00:16:01,120 I mean, but this happened like six months after that. So and since then, Allison had performed a 146 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:06,880 lot of my music, I've written a lot of music for Allison. I had a piano concerto that time, 147 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:11,440 but then I got a commission from the Philharmonic of Buenos Aires to write a piece. And I said, 148 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:17,040 well, you know, I'd like to write the piece, a new piano concerto. What about if Allison plays it? 149 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:22,720 Said fine. So we did it at the Teatro Colon in Argentina. And then I got some other music that 150 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:29,680 I, you know, I wrote for you. I mean, from for the Abunalma and you've written all sorts of music. 151 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:36,320 A lot of music. And this suite, you know, the suite for the Minotaur for three pianos. But 152 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:43,120 Allison was initially was going to be played by three pianos and then COVID. And the problem of 153 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:49,760 getting people together and one of the pianos lived in Europe. The other one was someplace else. And 154 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:56,160 we could never get not even a rehearsal. And three pianos, you need a place with three pianos. So we 155 00:16:56,160 --> 00:17:03,280 went over and over this. And finally we decided to record it ourselves overdubbing. And Allison did 156 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:10,160 it at the Scott Walker Studio in San Francisco. So that recording we had done December of 2021. 157 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:15,840 And that's what came out in March. And that's the record called Pianista. And that's on Navona 158 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:22,720 Records, which is part of Parma recordings. Yeah. So I basically, so I overdubbed. And when I was 159 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:27,360 learning the other parts, cause I was originally playing piano too, which was really the motor 160 00:17:27,360 --> 00:17:33,200 behind the whole thing in many ways. I had to learn the other parts. So I was practicing to a 161 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:39,040 click, which is how I recorded to a click track, which made it of course much easier. So would 162 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:44,560 record one part and then I could hear the part I already recorded with click when I recorded the 163 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:52,240 next part. And so the little editing that had to be done was done right then and there as I recorded 164 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:58,800 each part. So that when, when we finished all the recording, the suite was already edited. All we 165 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:04,960 had to do when we got back here was to have it mixed and mastered. And the other pieces that I 166 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:12,720 recorded required very little editing. So it was a pretty quick process to be able to turn it around 167 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:19,200 from the raw recording to actually the finished product. Wow. That's amazing. That's the album 168 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:27,200 Pianista, which was released this March, March, 20, 23. And you already received an award, a 169 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:33,200 silver award for outstanding achievement from the global music awards. Correct. Correct. 170 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,840 Congratulations. And so I was wondering about the three piano part. It's like, how in the world did 171 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:45,440 it happen? But it was the dubbing, putting the recording to it was over for the people who done, 172 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:51,280 I mean, you record one track and then on a multi-track recording room in the past, now on 173 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,720 computers or whatever, you record the second track as if you were listening to the first track played 174 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:04,000 by another person, another pianist, and then you add the third and final track. So it is multi-tracking. 175 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:11,440 We will be doing this live, but with three pianists when in February 11th at Clavier House in New York. 176 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:18,240 And so what I did for the other pianists is I took MIDI files at the tempo, which I actually 177 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:24,560 recorded everything and I made music minus one. Right. So that they can hear the parts that they're 178 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:30,080 not playing and practice their part with it. So they know how things work ahead of time, which 179 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:36,720 is going to save us an awful lot of rehearsal. I did that myself. Well, so that I would even record 180 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:43,040 myself playing to click, play a part and then practice with that too. So I got used to what 181 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:49,200 the process was actually going to be when we recorded it. So I was really prepared at the time. 182 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:56,160 Wow. So at the Clavier House you'll be performing, but after a performance, you will perform. 183 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,880 Young women who have both studied with me are going to play piano two and three, 184 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:09,360 respectively. And the other music actually, Carlos is going to play with me on the three 185 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:18,480 pieces that are online, the Pase Calla, the Tango Fatal and Argentum. And then there's a 186 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:24,160 suite by Amanda Harburg, who's an excellent composer, two piano suite that I'm doing. 187 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:29,440 And then there's one piano four hands by Alan Sean, whose music I recently performed up in 188 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:34,720 Beddington and a piece of his that I'm going to do with one of the other pianists. One piano, 189 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:41,200 two piano, three piano is basically the idea of the concert. Oh, wonderful. That is exciting. 190 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:47,200 I have to be there. Yes, I'll be definitely. I'll be. I'll let you know. No, great. Thank you. Wow. 191 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:53,120 But three piano is a very unique idea. You know, usually it's two. And so I was wondering how 192 00:20:53,120 --> 00:21:00,000 this would work. But it sounds like it was a commission from somebody from San Francisco. 193 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:06,800 The name is Ted Viviani. And he had commissioned me before a two piano concerto. Not for me. 194 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:12,720 For two other pianos. And it was recorded in Prague, as a matter of fact. And he was 195 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:18,160 commissioning other composers to do music for two pianos. And then all of a sudden he came with this 196 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:23,840 idea of three piano. I said, with orchestra? No, no, just the three piano. That's fine. And 197 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:29,600 it's challenging. It's very challenging to write that. Obviously, there's a lot of counterpoint 198 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:34,560 involved. And there are not too many pieces for three pianos. And I mean, there are pieces written 199 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:42,160 for four pianos like Linus, but that's, you know, Stravinsky. Carla, so you also produced and 200 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:48,880 released your album this year. It's called Legacy, correct? Legacy is a companion of different 30 201 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:55,680 years of music that I wanted to put together. Thinking about what I consider to be most important, 202 00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:02,560 but the music that I prefer of all the hundreds of pieces that I have composed. And this includes 203 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:08,800 a full symphony, my first symphony, and also pieces from a piano concerto number two that I 204 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:17,200 wrote for Alison. A piece for violin and orchestra, which I wrote right after September 11. It's an 205 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:27,120 homage to the victims. And also an intermezzo from my opera Corpus Evita, which is an opera that 206 00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:33,280 I recorded also in San Francisco. And it was performed there. And now it's opening again 207 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:40,720 next year in February in Palo Alto, California. And Carla's got a Grammy nomination for the 208 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:47,840 composition of that opera. Oh, wow. I lost to William Balkam, which he deserved to win. I mean, 209 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:56,000 he wrote beautiful music, so I'm not sorry. Both of you are such incredible musicians. Like, 210 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:04,240 you know, both are nominated for Grammy, Latin Grammy, both. And Carla, so you won five awards, 211 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:11,920 correct? Six Grammys, yes. Two in composition, two in tango, and one with an album that I did, 212 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:21,520 duets with a fabulous jazz bass player, Eddie Gomez. And the Grammy was producing, that was Rubens. 213 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:27,200 Ruben Blades, yeah, Ruben Blades. So yeah, yeah, I got, I was very fortunate to. 214 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:32,320 Wow. And then Alison, you are also nominated. 215 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:39,040 Yeah, I've been nominated twice for Grammys and three for Latins. And my name is on one of his 216 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:44,320 wins. Carlos won for composition. It was a piece that I recorded, but I'm not the winner, 217 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,440 because the piece won, not the recording itself. 218 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:48,880 In my book you are. 219 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,800 Oh, that's, that's so sweet. 220 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:57,040 So sweet. Just about 30 years married. 221 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:08,800 That's so cute. Wow. But this is a huge thing. You know, any musician would dream 222 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:15,360 just to be even nominated. It's a huge deal. I know I wanted to talk more about you as a couple, 223 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:21,040 but we'll get back to it. But how did you start your musical journey? I mean, to get to the 224 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:25,840 Grammy nominee, Grammy award winner. Where is the start for you? 225 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:32,480 I mean, I've been doing music. You know, I never, I'm my age. I'm 75. I was born in 1948 in Buenos 226 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:38,720 Aires, Argentina. And music was always something that I wanted to be musician. I mean, from the 227 00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:44,480 time that I started playing piano at six and later on, I got more and more involved in music 228 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:50,560 to the dismay of my parents. They wanted me to be a doctor or whatever. And, but music prevailed. 229 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:56,880 And I was a professional musician when I was 18, playing, writing my first arrangements. 230 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:02,800 And, and then I was earlier than that. Well, you can say, well, when you're 10 or 11, but I mean, 231 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:06,640 well, he had his own television show. He's not telling me yet. 232 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,200 It wasn't mine. I sang in there. I used to sing. 233 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:10,720 Really? 234 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:14,800 Yes. And that's one of the reasons I became an arranger, because I was in a show, 235 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:19,520 the big orchestra and everything. And I needed arrangements every week and I had to pay for my 236 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:25,520 own pocket. So I was spending a lot of my money in arrangements and I couldn't repeat the same songs 237 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:33,440 on the second show or the third, whatever. So I said, well, how difficult can this be? So 238 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,840 I started and said, well, I'm going to write an arrangement. And I wrote the very simple 239 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:45,120 arrangement for strings and, and I would win. And, and, uh, you went fine. And all the singers from 240 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:49,680 the show said, who wrote that chart for you? I said, I did. And I said, well, can you write for me? 241 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:56,160 I said, sure. And then I started writing for other people. And I found that's what I wanted to do. 242 00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:00,320 I didn't want to be a singer. I didn't want to be a pianist. I wanted to be a composer, 243 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:07,840 arranger. And by the time I was 21, I left Argentina, I went to Mexico, where I also studied in, 244 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:14,720 in Mexico. I studied with a very good composer, Umberto Hernandez, Medrano. And I lived there for 245 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:20,080 three years. And that was really my school because I was writing all kinds of arrangements from 246 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:29,040 classical to mariachi to Latin music. And my dream was to be in New York, to be in, in, uh, 247 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:36,720 you know, United States to live in New York and to play in New York. And by 1974, I had been here 248 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:43,840 as a tourist. By 1974, I moved here. Very happy with it. Now, so, you know, Carlos, as a composer, 249 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:50,800 you compose for orchestra, you classical style jazz and Argentine tango. Where was the beginning? 250 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:56,000 Did you start as a classical musician, classical training? Well, the classical training helped 251 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:02,640 tremendously because I had the know-how of writing for orchestra, you know, the instrumentation, 252 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:08,560 the range of instruments and things like that. But when I first came to New York, I mean, I wasn't 253 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:13,680 going to get an offer to, uh, to write symphonies or anything like that. So I have to play with 254 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:19,600 whatever was available. I could play piano, I could write. So I started playing for Latin bands, 255 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:26,400 for salsa bands. That was the New York, the big productions of Latin music by Fania Records 256 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:32,080 with people like Tito Puente and Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades and Willie Colon. And I started 257 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:37,280 learning that those styles of, uh, you know, what they call the Montunos and things like that. 258 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:42,400 So I started writing and playing, and then eventually I started playing and writing for 259 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:50,160 other people. Then, um, I started writing music for commercials for TV and radio, what they call 260 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:56,800 jingles, which is very lucrative and kind of a secret world because you have some of the best 261 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:01,760 musicians in the world playing there for you. Nobody knows who's playing on a clay roll or 262 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:06,720 whatever. I shouldn't mention any of the products that I was writing for, but you have people, 263 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,480 they come from Master from the New York Philharmonic and you have some of the best, 264 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:18,240 I mean, at the time, my Brecker, Randy Brecker, Luz Soloff, and the, I mean, all the best musicians 265 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:24,080 in the world were playing in, uh, you know, in those orchestras to do the jingles. And I think 266 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:31,680 I did that for about 25, 26 years. Unless you are in the business, unless you're part of this 267 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:36,880 commercial advertising world, you don't know who's doing what. Because, you know, I mean, 268 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:41,040 they played on TV and say, well, you know, this is a nice, nice jingle or this is horrible, 269 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:47,200 whatever. You never know who wrote it, who's playing there and who's singing. So, um, as I 270 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:54,000 said, this was a very lucrative career, but also kind of a secret. And it gave me time to write 271 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:59,040 other types of music that I wanted to write. It also gave me access to other musicians who were 272 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:03,600 fine musicians. I said, would you like to play this? Would you like to record it? Yeah, absolutely. 273 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:09,760 So, and that's why I said that my commercial in record career started later than that. And, 274 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:14,320 and that's why the Grammys and all that. For some things, that's true, but then, 275 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:21,120 no, because I was, you know, basically involved in writing music or commercials. And well, yeah, 276 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:28,560 but what he's not telling you is there's a record of his that has become the super cult classic. 277 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:36,320 That this is a really cool story and it's your story. So you know, graffiti is your story. You 278 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:43,680 get to tell it briefly. It's a recording that I did in 1977. It was called graffiti. I did it in 279 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:49,760 one day and the record was never released properly. Nothing happened with this recording. I totally 280 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:56,560 forgot about that. I gave one copy to my mother and friends, but understand what's on it is that 281 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:04,000 it's wool stuff. Plus he's playing on it and he's singing on it. And he's got these amazing 282 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:11,200 musicians on it. And at the time it was really a groundbreaking kind of musical event to do what 283 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:17,760 20 years after that, I got a call from London that they wanted to put one of the tracks of graffiti 284 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:22,960 on a compilation. And I said, fine, you know, I mean, how do you know this tune? I went, well, 285 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:28,880 you know, we heard it in a disco. I gave them the rights. They put it out. And 10 years after that, 286 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:35,360 I got a call from Germany. They wanted to put out the whole album. Last year, another call from 287 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:40,560 England. They put out the album in England. But the thing is that at one point with Google and 288 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:45,840 everything, I started looking for graffiti and I found my album going in an auction for $500. 289 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:53,440 Oh, wow. And I said, but I don't even have an album. I don't think I want to spend $500 on an 290 00:30:53,440 --> 00:31:02,160 old album. It became kind of a hit on the discotheques. Yeah. In London, this particular track called 291 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:09,920 Cocofunk. Cocofunk. And as a result of that last year, no, this year, we went to, last year I was 292 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:17,840 in London. I saw the people and I did an interview for the BBC with Giles Peterson. Last year, I 293 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:22,960 thought I was going to be there for 10 minutes. I was there for two hours. And this year they invited 294 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:30,720 me. We went back to England. This time we sailed on the Queen Mary too. And I was invited to this 295 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:37,680 record release party where they had my albums as well. And to sign some copies. I said, fine, 296 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:42,640 maybe sign one copy, whatever. No, I was there. There was a lot of people bringing me not only 297 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:48,720 that album, but also other albums that I have done. First pressings though, understand. The 298 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:54,000 original pressing of all these records, some of which we don't have either. Right. And all these 299 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:59,760 people were like, Hosanna, hosanna. We're so excited to meet you. You are a legend to us. 300 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:06,160 It was really fun to watch that. It really was. DJs from all over the UK 301 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:12,960 converged on this bookstore on the East end of London. I mean, it was such a gas. 302 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:20,400 So that kind of answers your question. It was an accumulation of things during the years. And then, 303 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:27,120 as I said, when I quit the business of doing music for shampoos and airlines, I started writing more 304 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:32,960 music and releasing more music. And I was lucky to be on a label like Sonic Side Records and 305 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:38,720 also Chesky Records where Alison also recorded. Some of those products were out and I was amazed 306 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:46,000 when I first got my first nomination. We were in Argentina with Alison doing concerts in Chaco. 307 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:52,320 Yeah, we were in the right, which is the North of Argentina. You know, it was a festival and 308 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:58,240 we were going to play, but we did play. Anyway, and I had submitted this recording. I'd submitted. 309 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:06,480 It closed like he's like, forget it. And it's like, I have a feeling I'm submitting it. 310 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:11,760 It was Tango Fatal. And we were in a hotel. I got a phone call from a friend and said, 311 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:18,160 oh, you got a Grammy nomination. You got a what? What is in the papers? So I bought the newspaper 312 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:24,640 and there I was. Yeah. Thanks to her. Yeah. And we forgot about it. I mean, you know, we went, 313 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:30,320 we did our concert, we came back, we decided to go to the ceremony and the ceremony was going to 314 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:37,280 be on September 11, 2001. We got there the day before we flew the day before. And I originally 315 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:44,320 had planned to fly the day off and Carlos was like, no, you're coming with me the day before. So I did. 316 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:48,000 Well, the worst that could happen. I mean, you know, just imagine, but I mean, you could have been 317 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:54,960 strapped. Anyway, everything was was canceled, of course, you know, and this is on a Tuesday. 318 00:33:54,960 --> 00:34:02,080 And on Friday, we rented a car and drove back from Los Angeles to New Jersey. We couldn't get 319 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:08,320 any other way. We tried to get on trains to Chicago, buses to Chicago, anywhere. We couldn't get 320 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:13,520 anything. And so I started calling rental car companies. We got one of the last cars out, 321 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:20,000 in fact, that we could get. And yeah, we drove home. Oh, my goodness. What a story. 322 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:26,800 And then three months after that, they call me on the phone, the president of the Recording Academy 323 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:32,080 and said, we would like you to come to Los Angeles. There's going to be this presentation 324 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:37,120 of the Grammys that we couldn't do. And it's going to be in December. And then I said, well, 325 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,920 I don't know if I want to fly. I don't know if I want to go to 3000 miles to Los Angeles. 326 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:46,880 And this person said, I understand. But you have to understand why I call you. And then 327 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:53,120 a couple of days after that, I, you know, it was in the newspapers that I have won my my first 328 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:59,520 Latin Grammy. That was a Latin Grammy for tango. And then the other ones came. I was a name there 329 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:04,800 that people would look at when they see, you know, the list. And some people, I think some 330 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:10,640 people just voted for out of sympathy for me or whatever. Some people like what I don't know. 331 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:16,880 I don't know. I don't think so. I think when you have somebody, you know, and have won a Grammy or 332 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:23,120 an award or whatever, you know, and you're not too sure about certain categories, 333 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:27,280 you know, being in classical music, you don't expect 10,000 people to vote for you. 334 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:34,080 Or like a fraction of that. So it happens also in jazz and other categories that are not so 335 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:41,040 it's not pop or or Latin or anything like that rock. It's more selective. And, you know, but I, 336 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:48,160 you know, I got very lucky. No, you deserve to. Yeah. But you know, you you have the five awards 337 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:55,200 to or six, six awards to prove that that's not out of sympathy that you got the notes. 338 00:35:55,200 --> 00:36:03,280 So I would. But I think I'd like to think that the vast majority voted because of the, 339 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:09,920 you know, the music. Of course. Yes. Incredible. Now, then, Allison, so how about you? 340 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:16,160 When how did you discover the love for music and get to where you are right now, especially, 341 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:21,680 you know, you have such an interesting experiences, you know, Grammy Award, classical music tribute 342 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:27,600 to Earl Wilde and Lang Lang at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. And yeah, many other things. 343 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:36,960 But where was the beginning? I don't remember. I and I kid you not. I am told that when I was two, 344 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:41,840 my parents got their first piano was a spin it. Now, my grandmother taught piano locally for like 345 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:48,560 55 years. And I evidently started really figuring out how to play the piano. I didn't do the baby 346 00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:53,920 bang, bang, bang. I actually figured out how to play. What I can tell you is that I can remember 347 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:58,960 by the time I was four, I could play whatever I wanted. If I heard it, I could figure out how 348 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:04,000 to play it. I could play it. Whatever key I can make it major, I can make it minor. If I heard 349 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:10,160 stuff, I could sing it. I have perfect pitch so I could sing it so I could sing all sorts of scores 350 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:16,160 of Broadway shows, because that's a lot of what was played in my house and Harry Belafonte records 351 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:23,440 and stuff like that. So when I was sick, my mother and my grandmother took me for a consultation to 352 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:30,640 Juilliard because my grandmother said I was beyond anything that she could teach. And I got assigned 353 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:36,080 a Juilliard pre-college teacher at the time. Started actually at Juilliard when I was either 354 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:42,800 eight or nine. And then when Juilliard moved, I ended up at Manhattan School of Music. So I 355 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:49,040 then did pre-college there, got my bachelor's at Manhattan, my master's at Juilliard. And then 356 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:55,600 way later, I got my doctorate at Rutgers. So that was, and I had not planned on that, 357 00:37:55,600 --> 00:38:02,160 but I was already teaching at King University and a whole bunch of people from completely different 358 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:06,080 parts of my life. I had nothing to do with each other since when are you going to get a doctorate? 359 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:12,480 And when you hear enough of that, you start thinking, hmm. So I looked into various programs 360 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:19,440 and Rutgers was really happy to have me. And I was an older candidate for a doctorate, which is not 361 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:25,760 unusual at Rutgers at all. So I finished my doctorate when our daughter finished high school. It was 362 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:30,960 like at the same time. So I kind of sailed through, I was very fortunate. Two years and seven months 363 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:35,920 from the time I started in the classroom, my doctorate, I finished all my exams and I was done. 364 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:41,280 Yeah, I really blazed my way through that one. And while I was also not only teaching at King, 365 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:46,560 but I was teaching at Rutgers. I was an active performer and our daughter was also in the midst 366 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:54,160 of college application. Oh, wow. And my dad passed in the midst of all that. No, no, he died right 367 00:38:54,160 --> 00:39:02,640 after I finished. So it was, it was quite a time. And my doctorate was based on a Polish composer 368 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:09,360 named Mieściciel Weinberg. A lot of his music at the time that I did was not published yet. It now 369 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:16,800 all is. And so I was the first person to record a lot of that music too. So there's a four record set 370 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:23,840 that Noxos put out and then they combined it into one complete set that they released in 2015. 371 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:30,400 And I had very little time to learn all of it. So initially I'd done two records worth then I was 372 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:36,480 offered first crack in all these archives. And so I got in touch with Noxos and said, are you willing 373 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:42,480 to suspend my deadlines? Because I have now lucked out. I have access to all this music. If you're 374 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:48,320 willing to play ball with me, you will have it too. And that's pretty much what happened. So 375 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:54,800 four records worth of music, basically recording about a five day period, but not all at the same 376 00:39:54,800 --> 00:40:01,440 time. So some of it was recording 2009, some of it was recording 2010. And then the rest happened 377 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:10,400 from there. And which albums did you receive the nomination? Okay. So the first one was No, 378 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:16,480 that was later. The very first record I received the nomination for was the Latin Grammys for Tango. 379 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:23,120 Year after Carlos won, I didn't, but that was a record called Tango Bar. And Tango Bar, I wasn't 380 00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:29,680 even originally supposed to play on it. I was supposed to do something else. And then I said, 381 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:34,960 well, you were adjudicating for the Eskia. Right. Allison should play this. And I produced kind of 382 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:40,480 produced after it was recorded because I would go to the sessions when they would finish in 383 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:47,760 basically the driver back to New Jersey. But I was actually the one who then put things in order 384 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:52,720 and any edits that got done and stuff. I actually was the one to do that. So anyway, that was the 385 00:40:52,720 --> 00:40:58,720 first one. That was the first one was when we were nominated together for the Grammy. And that was 386 00:40:58,720 --> 00:41:06,080 Poet Adadabal. That was for best classical. It was crossover. And Carlos was nominated 387 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:12,160 for an arrangement of a piece that actually I mostly wrote. Right. Which was, I hadn't composed 388 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:17,840 for a while. And Carlos kind of was like, would you write something for this? And to humor him, 389 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:25,760 I wrote most of this particular tango that then he got nominated for the arrangement, which is 390 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:34,240 simply gorgeous. Then I was nominated for a solo record that was on Naxos. That was 391 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:42,320 that was 20th Century Piano Sonatas. So I was nominated for that. I lost to Garrett Goulson. 392 00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:47,760 I thought I was going to lose to Mark Andre Hamlin. And I remember thinking at the time 393 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:55,120 that I'm so honored to whom I'm going to lose to because I knew I wouldn't win given 394 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:59,920 that. Well, you never know. You never know. But I was pretty sure I wasn't going to win. But I was 395 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:05,440 very excited to nominate. Tell us about the repertoire that you played on. So the repertoire on that was the Berk 396 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:12,400 Sonata. Then these pieces by Schoenberg, which at the time were not being performed. And they were 397 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:19,280 very early pieces from 1894. Then the Hindemith Second Piano Sonata. But then I did the complete 398 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:29,440 Carl Amadeus Sonata 25 April, 24 or whatever, 27 April 1945. The whole Sonata had not been recorded 399 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:36,000 at that point. Parts of it had been. So it's actually it although there are four movements, 400 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:42,160 the last movement has two different versions. One of the most difficult pieces I have ever, 401 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:49,040 ever attempted to do. And Carlos actually told me about this composer because Carlos was familiar 402 00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:56,640 with his symphonies, which are not done in this country, but they're fabulous pieces. So Harman 403 00:42:56,640 --> 00:43:04,240 was German and he did not allow his music to be performed during the war. And this particular 404 00:43:04,240 --> 00:43:12,240 piece was based on seeing prisoners march to Dachau at the very end of the war. And that's why it's 405 00:43:12,240 --> 00:43:21,680 called 27 April 1945. That's what it's about. So it was it was extraordinary getting to actually 406 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:29,200 do this record, which we did at Skywalker. And before the ceremony, you play for Lang Lang and 407 00:43:30,320 --> 00:43:37,680 in a while. I mean, it was a tribute to both of them and to the music of the Rekhmaninov, 408 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:42,960 the transcriptions of Rekhmaninov that Earl Wilde had done. So I was asked to do O Cease Thy 409 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:48,960 Singing, the Earl Wilde transcription. And I have to say that Lang Lang was very, very impressed 410 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:57,200 and complimentary of you and your playing. She won't pay that, but I was there. He was very nice. 411 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:01,840 He really was nice. So was Earl Wilde, who I've known for my Juilliard days, although I had not 412 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:08,400 studied with him. And so Earl at this point was blind and wasn't performing in public anymore. 413 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:14,320 But he did. He played a fantasy impromptu that was just beautiful. It was really beautiful and very 414 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:21,920 touching to hear him play at that point. So then after that, I was nominated for a Latin Grammy for 415 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:28,240 Alma Piano Music of Argentina. And then we were nominated together for a record called Buenos 416 00:44:28,240 --> 00:44:34,400 Aires and more. And so those are the nominations. I think I've thought of all of them. So those are 417 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:41,040 mine. His I lost track of. There's so many. Carlson's nominated a grand total between the two, I think, 418 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:48,960 16 times, something like that. Oh my goodness. Hey there, TPP family. The Piano Pod is now into 419 00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:56,320 our fourth season and it's all thanks to you. Since 2020, you've been with my journey with the TPP, 420 00:44:56,320 --> 00:45:02,240 exploring this burning question. How do we make classical music resonate with today's audience in 421 00:45:02,240 --> 00:45:08,720 fresh and captivating ways? Four years in and the journey has been nothing short of magical. The 422 00:45:08,720 --> 00:45:15,520 Piano Pod isn't just a podcast. It's a movement, a space where pianists, composers and educators 423 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:22,720 brainstorm, debate and reimagine classical music's place in our fast paced world. We're together on a 424 00:45:22,720 --> 00:45:29,200 mission to ensure classical music doesn't just survive, but thrives in our modern age. But here's 425 00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:35,760 the thing to keep bringing you these insightful biweekly episodes. I need your help. Every bit of 426 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:42,320 support goes into the podcast essentials from hosting to high quality recording tech and the 427 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:48,320 countless hours behind the scenes. So do you want to be part of this journey? Click the PayPal link 428 00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:54,160 in the show notes or head to the pianopod.com to donate. And as a token of appreciation, 429 00:45:54,720 --> 00:46:02,480 I will personally mail you the Piano Pod's snazzy logo sticker. So hit the subscribe button, 430 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:08,480 spread the word and let's continue our mission and journey as classical musicians. Now let's 431 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:14,960 continue with the show. Yeah, you both have individually has this incredible career, 432 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:21,760 but then now let's talk about you together. You know, you're basically finishing sentences 433 00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:34,560 to each other. We look like an old couple. So sweet. That's so sweet. Now, you maybe mentioned 434 00:46:34,560 --> 00:46:39,280 already, but what was the like a sort of a defining moment you realized you wanted to build a, 435 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:45,520 not only the life, but also career together? Or is it did it happen like, sort of because you started 436 00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:49,680 your relationship as a professional relationship. So maybe that was a natural thing. 437 00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:56,640 We continue that. We don't have to be Laurel and Hardy. We don't work together all the time, 438 00:46:56,640 --> 00:47:03,520 but it's wonderful to work together. So sometimes I have like, I have a project now to this suite, 439 00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:09,680 the three piano suite. I want to orchestrate that for one piano and orchestra. So it will be 440 00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:17,120 available for Alison and other pianists to play it without having to go and give to other pianists. 441 00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:25,040 You know, and it's something that I just finished composing a piece and something that I will do 442 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:31,760 during the winter to orchestrate this and to create a suite for piano and orchestra. And obviously 443 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:35,120 Alison will be the first one. She'll have the first refusal. 444 00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:43,200 Yeah. So yeah, working together for us is really very organic. And it was fun. 445 00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:48,640 We really do. And we have fun traveling together and working together. So yeah. 446 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:53,840 And you know, the only, the only difficulty I have with Carl's music is sometimes he'll write 447 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:58,720 these 10s in the left hand and I really can't reach him and he has an 11th and it's just not. 448 00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:01,520 Oh my goodness. Yeah, he really does. 449 00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:05,440 But no, but I said, no, I understand. You know, you can roll them. 450 00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:11,920 Right. Yeah. So in tango that doesn't work really well. So sometimes occasionally I'll do a re-voicing 451 00:48:11,920 --> 00:48:16,800 or ask Carlos, can I do this or can I do this? He's, and he's done some really challenging 452 00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:22,000 stuff. His piano concerti are very challenging to play, but super rewarding. 453 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:28,880 And it's beautiful. I enjoyed listening to. Yeah, really. So Carlos, when you compose music for the 454 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:33,760 piano, does Alison's influence shape your creative process? Can you? 455 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:41,520 Yeah, I learned a great deal from, you know, I mean, I could write the piece that will be played, 456 00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:47,360 you know, but, but she would give me some certain points about, you know, do this, this way I think 457 00:48:47,360 --> 00:48:54,640 is, you know, we voice this or whatever, not only because of her hand, but because it practical sense 458 00:48:54,640 --> 00:49:01,600 of writing something that is much more playable for other pianists. But I asked her, I mean, you 459 00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:07,280 know, I just finished a symphony. I wanted to write a fourth symphony and I just finished it, 460 00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:14,160 you know, like a couple of days ago. And I call Alison and say, what do you think of this? Oh, 461 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:19,440 yeah, I like it. I think you're close. I think you're, you know, I kind of, because at this point, 462 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:26,720 I am so immersed in the music. I work sometimes six, eight hours a day. And at one point I lose 463 00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:33,280 the concept of, you know, being objective and not so subjected to, well, I like it. But I mean, 464 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:37,840 is this resignation that I accept this thing? I have to play for somebody else who better than 465 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:44,560 Alison. So I do this and I can see her reactions to all the music. Like yesterday I told her, 466 00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:48,960 you know, the last movement of this symphony, you know what it's based on? Give me three composers. 467 00:49:48,960 --> 00:49:59,520 She said, Shostakovich, Mother, I said, no, Rossini. And I went, what? And then he showed me what? 468 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:09,520 And he said, and I went, okay, I see that. But you liked it, right? I did. I did. And, 469 00:50:09,520 --> 00:50:15,280 and in fact, you know, Carlos had worked on several different versions of a particular section, 470 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:22,000 right? He's been working on it, working on it, working on it. And he played a version for me 471 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:27,120 last night and said, that's the one, you know, I knew immediately I went, that's the one. And, 472 00:50:27,120 --> 00:50:34,000 and I could tell also that he felt the same way. I agonize over the ending. One of the 473 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:40,640 difficult things to do is to stop the piece, to bring it to a conclusion. And, you know, 474 00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:46,160 I found it so difficult after four movements and I did it kind of chronological order. 475 00:50:46,720 --> 00:50:52,720 So I kept the last movement, this kind of Rossini for the end. And I found that it was so difficult, 476 00:50:52,720 --> 00:50:59,200 I could end the piece, but the ending wasn't to, wasn't going to be what the piece required, 477 00:50:59,840 --> 00:51:05,040 not that particular movement, but the other three movements, you know, I have to think from the 478 00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:10,880 beginning of it to the end, it's 45 minutes long, it's a long symphony. That's what I can, you know, 479 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:16,960 I can, I can develop this and develop and keep going and going and going. And then at the end, 480 00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:24,000 eventually this has to, you know, it cannot just stop, you know, so I was trying to end 481 00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:29,360 not toying with the idea, well, it has to be a brilliant ending, like a Star Wars kind of thing. 482 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:39,200 So, and, you know, it made me stop for a week, right? I mean, basically, and kind of retreat and 483 00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:44,880 start thinking the music away from the medium, away from the piano. I don't use the piano to 484 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:49,920 compose, but I use a keyboard because I enter the notes to the computer with a keyboard. But 485 00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:56,320 it's good sometimes to take distance, you know, and so this is not going anywhere. 486 00:51:56,320 --> 00:52:01,440 And then the music comes back to you and it keeps you awake at night. And then it's the 487 00:52:01,440 --> 00:52:08,640 time to dive in and write in things. And when I do compose, which is only for very select kinds 488 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:13,840 of things that I do, I'll turn to Carlos for advice, especially if I have to do an arrangement 489 00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:20,320 of something. So a few months ago, I co-wrote a song that came out very differently than the 490 00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:26,160 lyricist thought it was going to. And it turned out really, really well. So he asked me, could I 491 00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:33,520 could I do an arrangement, add winds and harp and strings to it? So I did. I turned to Carlos a 492 00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:39,280 couple of times and said, what do you think would work here in a particular spot? And he said, 493 00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:45,680 well, try this, try this, try this, which I did. And then she played it for me. Then I played the 494 00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:51,600 full arrangement. And he, when I was done with it, he said, sounds like me. And I said, it sounds 495 00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:58,880 like, it looks like I wrote it. Which he didn't. But I made the voicing and everything. And it's 496 00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:03,040 just a couple of suggestions he'd made. But he said, it sounds like I wrote it. And I said, 497 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:09,840 well, I take that as an extreme compliment, because I don't think of myself that way. And 498 00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:16,000 I used to, you know, in teaching, I would have to rewrite pieces for students all the time. 499 00:53:16,000 --> 00:53:20,000 Well, there is good and bad. It sounds like I wrote it. I don't want to say that. If I write it, 500 00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:27,600 it's, you know, it's bad. No, no, I took it as an extreme compliment. Yeah. And there are some 501 00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:33,360 other, a couple of times where Carlos entrusted me to write a couple of arrangements for things 502 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:39,920 for projects. In fact, where people had no idea that I'd done it, but it was because I know how 503 00:53:39,920 --> 00:53:44,960 he writes, you know, and so, but he would make suggestions about how to voice certain things that 504 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:49,920 I hadn't thought of that I just went, oh, that texture is this way cooler than what I thought to 505 00:53:49,920 --> 00:53:55,040 do. And then all of a sudden she decides to call me and said, let's play. Let's do this thing. And 506 00:53:55,040 --> 00:54:02,960 then I have to go back to. So now he's going to have to practice. To practice. Wow. So you both 507 00:54:02,960 --> 00:54:08,800 are the good influence and good impact for one another. That's that. Oh, I know. Absolutely. 508 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:14,080 Yeah. That's for sure. We really do bring out the best in each other constantly. 509 00:54:14,640 --> 00:54:18,080 And it's really great to have that kind of support. 510 00:54:20,560 --> 00:54:25,440 And that's a wrap for the first part of this engaging episode on the piano pod with Grammy 511 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:30,480 and Latin Grammy award winning artists, Carlos Franzetti and Alison Brewster Franzetti. 512 00:54:31,200 --> 00:54:36,400 If you've been enjoying our episodes, please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. 513 00:54:36,400 --> 00:54:41,440 You can also watch this episode on the piano pods YouTube channel. Please find us on social 514 00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:47,440 media to get the latest piano news via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. All the links 515 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:53,680 are in the description. Tuning next Tuesday, December 19th at 8 p.m. for the rest of the 516 00:54:53,680 --> 00:55:06,960 interview with Carlos Franzetti and Alison Brewster Franzetti.