Music Apreciation

I started theses workshops in 2012, when I came back from Germany. I had the need to transmit what I had learnt. I wanted to share with my friends and my dear ones, those who always encourage and support me, the treasure I had discovered and in which I was immersed. I wanted to enjoy with them, share my life, tell them about how I enjoy my time, why I could spend hours practicing a piece that I had already played in several concerts, what was this “being a musician” thing all about. I wanted to open for them the treasure chest of all the wonderful music that centuries of great artist had left us to them. But sometimes it was difficult, as it takes experience with music to be able to share it at a deep level.

I decided to start with weekly lessons of music appreciation. We listened to music together, discovered compositors, pieces, performers and some musical language. It was a very nice year, I will always be thankful to Fernando, Ana, Facu, Edu and Aline, who joined me in this adventure. The collective listening is and will always be very inspiring.

Debussy said that music is a total of scattered forces expressed in a sound process which includes: the instrument, instrumentalist, the creator and its work and a medium in which to propagate and a receiver.

This, among many other things means to me that music does not exist without the listener. We are all necessary for music to exist and music is different in each of us. This legacy becomes then a treasure and a duty.

Little by little and under request, I started creating workshops on selected works such as the works for cello solo by J.S.Bach (one of the most popular workshops, due to all the live playing I do at it or St. Matthew’s Passion, and some others about musical form or introduction to musical language. These workshops are always sold out whether they are weekend or intensive. This experience allowed me to realise we live in a society in which many people have the need and curiosity to discover, nurture from good music, to understand and to know, share and broaden their musical horizons. I toast to that, and to the illusion of building the cultured society we all want. What is music? What does music mean for each of us? How does it go with our lives? What’s the composer’s task? How does a piece change from one performer to another? What is a D minor? What do we listen to?

I’m willing to present, discuss and share these questions with you.