We all attended the fourth evening of Sanremo, the beautiful duet of IL VOLO with Alessandro Quarta for the performance of “MUSICA CHE RESTA”.
It was a wonderful evening and we all had the opportunity to know this great artist.
Alessandro Quarta was born in 1976 in Lecce and has a great success internationally, so much so that CNN has defined him a “musical genius” – a true star, the result of a great passion for music. Besides being a famous violinist, Alessandro Quarta is in fact a multi-instrumentalist and composer.
In his curriculum he has collaborations with major world artists such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Jamiroquai, James Brown, Tina Turner and Tom Jones.
In 2017 he was awarded at Montecitorio as “Best Italian Excellence in the World for Music.”
Alessandro has released a wonderful interview with RECENSIAMO MUSICA, which I now translate for you.
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The meeting with the violinist from Puglia in the aftermath of his performance at the Sanremo Festival 2019.
“There is no classical music and light music, there is beautiful music and bad music”, begins with a quote by the American composer Leonard Bernstein our chat with Alessandro Quarta, internationally renowned violinist whom we had the opportunity to appreciate on the stage of the Ariston Theater.
Hello Alessandro, welcome to Recensiamo Musica. I would like to start with your recent participation in Sanremo as a guest of Il Volo in the evening of the duets. How did you experience this experience?
“I would say very well, I did not expect the call of Michele (Torpedine) and the boys. As you can imagine, for me it was an important emotion, I deeply admire these three artists so young, theirs is a great musical talent and I think they still have a lot to give to the public, because they possess both the technique and the head, features that they do not always go hand in hand.”
What motivated you to collaborate with them?
“With the boys we share the same great passion, they for the beautiful song, I for the violin and the ability to combine beauty, passion, softness and violence together, aware of what you want and can give. I’ve never made a distinction between classical music and pop music. I appreciate everything that comes straight to the heart and makes you shiver, whether it’s Mozart or Il Volo.”
Musically speaking, however, there are some things you do not like?
“Surely, it annoys me everything that screams to be heard, but this is not necessarily enough to get noticed, indeed there is the risk that the opposite will happen, that the trouble will push you to change channels or stations. I accepted to collaborate with them because I consider them as innovators, certainly they were not the first ones, but they follow the great example set by Luciano Pavarotti and continued by Andrea Bocelli .”
“Musica che resta” has made someone turn up their noses, they have defined it as a too traditional song, because in your opinion the term “classic” is seen today as a negative assertion?
“It’s simple, everything that is labeled is already prejudicial in itself. I’ll give you an example, if you see me walking down the street I do not think you would ever ask me what time it is, because from my appearance I can look like a Mexican escapist, it’s much more reassuring, someone in a jacket and tie that, maybe, steals your wallet. Unfortunately what is said is true, it is the clothes that makes the man, the same thing happens in music. What I recommend to everyone is to listen before judging, especially to young people who are more likely to be influenced than they can imagine.”
Two years ago you were awarded as “Best Italian Excellence in the World for Music”, you the best person spoken to for this next question: how are art and culture in Italy?
“Bad, very bad, I’m not at all happy with how we are managing our immense artistic resources. Italy is living, of cultural heritage, it would take more responsibility on the part of the institutions, which should innovate and enhance our present, not just the glorious past. If we go back in time, between the end of the 1800’s and the beginning of the 1900’s, we would discover how the great musicians Erik Satie, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy have not been immediately successful, despite having reformed the art. Without them, today, we would not have what we have.”
You have traveled the world, you know many realities, because it is also a matter of mentality. We are loved around the world for Italian bel canto, why do we struggle to recognize it ourselves?
“Good question, I think we are a bit ‘too tied to the opinions of others’ and we trust little of instinct that suggests the kind of emotions we want to try. It is often just a matter of fads, you follow the herd rather than bring out your personality by praising your tastes. Then, for heaven’s sake, not everything can please, but why criticize something before even knowing it? A dish should not be judged by its appearance, it must be tasted and not photographed .”
You are a multi-instrumentalist musician, what binds you so much to the violin compared to all the other instruments?
“Do not ask me, I do not know what to answer, for me the violin is not an instrument, it’s part of my body. I also play the piano, the guitar, the bass and the drums, but there is no answer to your question, it’s like I was born with the bow in my hand, I started at the age of three, it’s part of me and he accompanies me around the world even simply resting in his beautiful custody (smiles).”
Speaking of your upcoming projects, February 22 will be released for the Italian market “Alessandro Quarta plays Astor Piazzolla”. What can you tell us about it?
“I think it is very important to bring the tango back to the atmospheres in which it was born, from sensuality to sexuality, everything that cannot be said in words or seen with images can be told through music. As we said before, the violin is not only a sweet and romantic but above all passionate instrument. For centuries it has been considered boring, in reality there is nothing more rock and erotic than its sound .”
What is the most important lesson you feel you have learned from all these years of musical activity?
“First of all, sacrifice is important, because wanting is power. Perhaps, the teaching that I have is to always remain oneself, even when in the dark moments nobody believes or struggles to understand you, it is in those moments that your real soul comes out, from that precise moment onwards people they will begin to know you for what you do and not for what you are.”
Really beautiful words of Alessandro Quarta, there is a lot of respect and a lot of affection towards our boys, even though they have just recently met.
Too bad that the video of the performance has been removed from RAI and therefore is no longer visible.
I AM WITH IL VOLO
And now I want to make you feel an instrumental version of “MUSICA CHE RESTA”, performed with the electric guitar by Marco Sgaramella, I liked it so much!
But last, I want to offer you this video. It was made by Emilio Munda, who is one of the authors of “MUSICA CHE RESTA”. He was in Sanremo, in the gallery, in the audience, and he filmed this video during the performance of the first night of the boys.
The stage is far away, but it is wonderful to see the public reaction.
And here is Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, with Emilio Munda, in Sanremo.
This is the respect we want for Ignazio, Piero and GIanluca.
The respect that comes from worthy people, from people who believe in them and in their talent.
Guys, the road is always the right one, forward with your head high.
I AM WITH IL VOLO
Daniela
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.