Future Classic Women Awards – Renata Arlotti 240521

Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today on Future Classic Women Awards, we will be talking to classical guitarist Renata Arlotti. Good morning, Renata. Good morning. Hi, Stefania. Thank you for having me. Well, thank you for joining us. How are you today? Very good, getting ready for a London day. Hopefully it will not be raining. Well, that's the beauty of spring, isn't it? Exactly. Are you in London right now? Yes, yes, I'm back in London. This is where I live, so yeah. Now we've been, you know, asking all our guests because we're still doing our show remote, although London has opened up now, and but it's not possible to be indoor and if It's fine anyway. So how was your lockdown? Well, this lockdown actually wasn't so bad, I have to admit, because when we happened to get into the lockdown, I happened to be in Italy where I'm from and where my family is for Christmas holidays. So just a couple of days before I was supposed to come back to London, then I found out that that UK was getting into a lockdown, and so I got actually to spend a little bit more time with my family before coming back to London. So, well, where in Italy are you from? I am from Sardinia. Oh, not a bad place. Lovely, lovely. Sardinia was actually a white area with no COVID cases for, for a bit. That is correct. It was the only place in Italy that had a very good, very low infection rate. So we got actually to enjoy some nice weather and nice time outside for some time. And how was your first lockdown then? You were stuck in London? The first lockdown, I was in London until the very last moment, so until the school closed, because I also teach in schools, and then when school closed I decided to go back to Sardinia, so I spent the lockdown there. All right, okay, very good. So how is it to be back in London again? Yeah, this is actually, it's actually great, because of course everybody loves to stay with their family, and but in the end I was missing a lot my, my things, my projects, my life in London. So it's actually very good to be back here. I'm back at work. Now, a question: guitar is not— it's an incredible instrument, but it's not that often that we can see a guitar in a concert hall. So how did you decide to become a guitar virtuoso, a soloist? That is correct, actually. It's not yet not so common to see the guitar, uh, in a concert hall, not as much as the other instruments anyways. So, well, it happened, uh, like very often happens, so by chance I happened to grow up in a family of music lovers. So my dad, he was a journalist, but, um, he used to play in some groups with the guitar nonetheless. He's got plenty of guitars home and he's favorite genres are, um, rock music, pop music, jazz music. And, uh, uh, so yeah, I happened to grow up with lots of guitars, uh, in my house. And, uh, just because I was so used to seeing him playing, then at some point, uh, I just was curious to try myself. So I asked him to just teach me something on the guitar, and that's how it started at the very beginning. So he was teaching me some, some songs, some jazz standards and some Beatles songs because he's a great fan of Beatles. And then from there, well, from there I happened to meet a classical guitarist at some point when I was already able to play a little bit, and then I fell in love with the possibilities of classical guitar. I mean, it's incredible. Normally is the other way around, isn't it? Someone starts with the classical technique and then they experiment with, with the pop, rock, jazz. And instead you fell in the classical the other way around. Yes, well, uh, it's, it's a little bit— yes, it's a little bit the other way around, exactly. So I basically, I remember, uh, very clearly still the feeling when I met this mutual friend, uh, that we had with other friends, um, and he was, uh, he just happened to, uh, be classical guitarist. And so he picked up the guitar and then he started playing, uh, a Bach fugue. Oh my gosh, exactly. So I was like, really? I was, I was really— I— oh my God, this is not possible. How can you be, uh, able to do such a difficult thing? It looks like he's playing, uh, there is 3 people playing a guitar. So I remember this was the thing that struck me, and I was like, oh my gosh, I, I have to do this. I must be doing this in the future. Wow, that's incredible. I mean, I feel normally, so they're written for piano, and you have two hands to do that, and it's difficult with two hands. Imagine with the guitar when you only have your left hand doing the notes basically, and the right picking up the string. I mean, that is correct. Yes, we have, uh, we're lucky enough to be able to play some, uh, a few written for the lute, my Bach. So that's our lucky side. Now I have a very big question. You know, you said you teach in school, so you teach children? I have, well, I have different teaching sides, let's say. I do teach to children as well, but I've got also my private students, and they go, they are all ages, you know, so we can really cover all the aspects of the repertoire and the technique. And then, yes, I also teach to children. So my question is, when you start teaching children, do you start with the classical technique, or you start with something more light like you did when you were little? Well, yes, I, um, it depends a lot on the age, of course. And, uh, um, I don't really start with something that is, uh, labeled. Yeah, yeah, not with something that is labeled Specifically in a way. So for example, I try to add some fun, of course, to their guitar learning. And well, I do teach them how to play with their fingers, for example. So on that side, yes, it's a more classical because in classical guitar we only use our fingers, of course. So no pick, no such things. But I try, yes, I try to let them have fun. And very often they play a very simple melody with a backing track, or me playing a backing track, so they feel more satisfied of what they are doing. And then I try to put them together as soon as they manage to understand a little bit rhythm and how to stay together and play together. So yes, not something too hard from the point of view of the classical music. So what you're saying, and I think— correct me if I'm wrong— and it's a wonderful message, is the fact that when you start to learn an instrument, it doesn't matter that you start specifically on something important is just to pick up the instrument and you start experimenting with it. And if you have a good teacher, then he will be, you know, the right person to guide you towards something that knows you will love and will make you thrive in that, with that specific instrument. That is absolutely correct. You know, yes, I think especially at the beginning, just like it happened to me, they have to fall in love with the instrument and even more important with the music in general. So they must have fun fun. Uh, the children nowadays are really, really busy with, uh, things, especially here in the UK. They really do so many after-school clubs. So why should they go, you know, to music lessons and guitar lessons? They don't even have the time to get bored very often. So what I, what I try to do and what I want them to do, I really want them to fall in love with, with the instrument, and then from there it will be easier to build up things. I mean, if one day their way will be the classical music way, then very good. Or anyways, they will have a good experience with music, hopefully. So from there, we'll see. Every student is unique, and every student needs his own specific teaching technique. I mean, wonderful. Well, let's listen to the very first piece of today's— Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Rondo. Would you like to tell us a little bit, as this recording from your debut album, am I right? Yes, that's correct, exactly. So that piece, well, this composer is a composer that is really dear to me. He's an Italian composer, he was an Italian composer, and he wrote a huge amount of music for classical guitar, but not just for classical guitar, actually for all instruments. And my debut CD— yeah, there is also for piano some beautiful pieces. Yes. Yes, absolutely, exactly. And this is a part of my debut CD which was dedicated to his music and the music of Vicente Asensio, a Spanish composer. And this is a very nice piece that for too long has been neglected by classical guitarists because of its difficulty. It's a very hard piece from a technical point of view. And the edition that we have, the printed edition that we have today, really lacks of many things. It's got many notes that cannot be played because he was a pianist actually. Yeah, he didn't know how to play the guitar. Yeah, he's lacking of a revision and this is a big job, so that's why not many people want to have to do anything with it. So yes, that's the Rondo by Cancellò Tedesco. Let's listen to it. Thank you. How beautiful! And this was Castelnuovo-Tedesco Rondo played by Virtuoso's guitarist Renata Arlotti. Renata, how difficult it is to choose the repertoire for a debut album? I mean, a debut album basically is like you're visiting card, isn't it? And so how difficult it is? Did you do it all yourself? Did you ask for advice? Uh, yes, you're— well, you're right in saying that is a very difficult choice. It's your business card into the musical world, uh, for the first time, I mean. And, uh, well, uh, personally, I, I chose it myself. Myself. So through my concert career and through my studies, um, it would be years I found out that I developed a certain affinity with the 20th century music. And so I started working on, on this kind of music deeply during my master's period by even before, actually. Royal Academy, right? Your master, Royal Academy. That is correct, exactly. So what I also found out is that I was really interested in trying and show to the people and the audience the very valuable pieces that are not so often played. So this is a little bit the fil rouge of this album. In fact, it has, well, it starts with their rondo that, as I said, has got a bit of a difficult history in terms of edition and how not often it's played. And, but also the other pieces within the album by, always by Costantino Bottadesco and Vicente Asensio, are not so often heard by the public, by the audience. So actually, my choice was a little bit the opposite of what many people do. So usually, as the first album, you see— you record very known pieces that the audience can really relate to. My choice on this point of view, from this point of view, was a little bit different. So I went for trying and spread the beautiful pieces that we have in our repertoire and are not yet so heard by the audience. Well, the next piece we're going to listen to is Castelnovo Tedesco's Passacaglia. Now, Passacaglia is a form, a music form that was used at the beginning in the early music and the Baroque music. So it's quite interesting that Castelnovo Tedesco decided to actually compose a a 20th century piece in the style of the passacaglia. Do you play also, you know, historical passacaglias and see the difference or the relationship between these two styles? Yes, absolutely. We are lucky enough to have actually a huge repertoire that goes from early music with the transcriptions from the lute, viola, and so on. Up to the contemporary music. So yes, I did play some earlier passacaglias. And yes, actually there are many aspects of it that are preserved into Castellano Tedesco's passacaglia, with the added value of the 20th century music in a neoclassical style, sort of a very tonal kind of music. It's a very interesting match, I think. Yeah, neoclassical indeed. Well, let's listen then to the Passacaglia by Castelnau de Tedesco. And this was Renata Arlotti playing Castelnovo-Tedesco, Passacaglia. Very beautiful piece, and the Passacaglia was a dance. So I remember very well, my name is Passamonte, and when I was at the conservatoire, you had to nickname everyone. So of course my nickname was Passacaglia. That's a very smart one. But I actually never played a passacaglia myself. Now, you know, I tried— my dad plays the guitar, and I did try learning one summer. You know, he always brings the guitar with him because he doesn't— he cannot bring, you know, a piano or the other instruments that he plays. So the guitar is a very convenient and beautiful instrument to bring with you and perform anywhere, really. It's a very difficult instrument, I have to say. It's not easy at all. Yes. But I like it. It gives you an insight as well on the harmony. And something that, for example, the piano doesn't give you as much unless you're doing some jazz, for example. The classical, you have left hand, particularly in the Baroque music, where left hand is doing as much as the right with counterpoint and everything. And so what do you think? Did you ever try playing the piano? Yeah, well, I actually had a few lessons when I was a child and before I got myself into guitar. I do like piano a lot, but unfortunately after some lessons it didn't happen that little magic with me. I don't know, maybe it happened that I started too much maybe theoretical, if you see what I mean. So maybe just to, yeah, get back to that thing we were saying before about having fun and let, yes, the children have fun. It's maybe that wasn't the right approach for me. So this is what could have happened when I started with piano. But I do love the instrument. It's amazing. It's simply amazing. But you know, you fell in love with the instrument, with the classical guitar. Did you think that you would become a a guitar soloist, you know, performing in concert hall? Well, actually, funny enough, I've known since— I'm not gonna say since the very beginning, but since the very early period— that this is what I wanted to do in my life. So yes, when I started, I absolutely knew that that was the one thing that I wanted to do, so I never had doubts. Then I did not think really to what extent, you know, what, what this would have brought to me. But I knew that this is what I wanted to do. So yeah, actually I started, uh, uh, then in, uh, in Sardinia. This is where I started learning the guitar, of course. But, uh, very soon then I started traveling to Milan. I was still during high school when, uh, twice a month my parents would put me on a plane. And yeah, then I would go there to I studied privately with what then became my teacher, Lorenzo Micheli. First privately, and then I got my bachelor and master's with him. So yeah, I was really, really— I'm a very stubborn person, I have to say, generally speaking. Once I put something in my head, I have to do it no matter what. So yeah. Absolutely. Well, you know, It's not a question of being stubborn, it's a question of being— of perseverance, isn't it? It's really something that is at the basic of wanting to achieve success in what you love. There is no easy path, is it? No, no, for us it's just indispensable, it's not a condition that you can choose, you must must have perseverance, otherwise it's going to be very hard. Now I have to ask you a question, you know, this is the Women's Radio Station, we talk about diversity and equality, and you know, how many women guitar teachers did you have? None. If you had to say some famous guitar soloist women, would you have at least as long as the men? Yes, well, uh, it's not of course as long as the men's list, I have to say, and I'm sorry, very sorry about that. But, uh, starting from the past, for sure, uh, Ida Presti, she was, uh, she got as much success in her career, um, as the men. So during her period, they were talking about, uh, last century, 20th century, um, we had people, personalities like Andrès Segol Yakovlevya going around. And, uh, so very, uh, heavy personal, big personalities, you know. And, uh, she nonetheless managed to have a huge career, and both as a soloist, as a, as a duo partner with Alexandre Lagoya, uh, he's her husband and another classical guitarist, of course. And she really changed the world of classical guitar. So many composers wrote for her, um, starting with Castelnuovo-Tedesco too, for example. And she wrote herself also some very nice, uh, pieces. She was a huge superstar. So she's one for sure, uh, Maria Luisa Nido. And then moving on into more recent times, uh, we now have plenty of classical women, classical guitarists. And, uh, I have to say, among all especially the very young ones, you can find so many talented guitarists, women guitarists, and that's a good thing. That's a great message, I think, and hope for the future. Among the Italian ones, which then is, you know, the environment that I know the best, there are so many young women guitarists. Did you have that experience, people saying you can't do it because you're a woman? And normally this is something that Men's too. Yes, not this directly, you know, nobody ever tried to come to me and tell me, "No, you can't do that." But in a non-direct way, yes, I've seen very often how women— I'm not saying that they can't do that because of course it's not true, but I see that sometimes they are treated treated a little bit differently. And as maybe it happens sometimes that they are not taken fully, they are not fully considered as artists, but maybe, you know, also the side of the fact that they are— the side of being woman is taken into consideration, as if this is something that needs consideration, if you see what I mean. So That's not, uh, still not the best. Well, you know, when I was at the conservatoire, I, I was lucky enough to have a woman teacher, but she was more machist than men, so she was very clear in telling me that women could never have a career as a soloist, that they could do chamber music but never be soloist. Wow. So yeah, so I'm to graduate and then, you know, go on with my career and wanted to do what I wanted to do. Exactly. But then actually I received the same treatment from another woman who had a very good position, and she told me clearly, you know, you can— I prefer to help a man who one day will have to support his family, while you can just be a wife and marry a rich man, and, you know, it's never going to be on your shoulders. So, and it's funny how you get this type of treatment from women who made a career out of it more than from men, in a way. Yes, but this is, you know, I think that just the fact, uh, prove this not to be true. I mean, how many amazing, uh, pianists, women pianists, made a huge career? Just to talk about piano, what about Martha Argerich? What about, um, but it's true that she was one of the first to really make a name to, and she was a very strong woman. In a way, we have to be double strong. Exactly. Yes, that is true. That is really true. But, you know, so if you have, you know, we talked about performing in Sardinia, right? So what was the best place? What do you remember your first concert and your most exciting concert? Concert, the most venue where you performed? Well, I do remember, yes, my first concert. It happened to be in a little church in Sardinia. Lovely, because churches have wonderful acoustics. Yeah, they really are, and we have some very nice churches. And, uh, well, it was, uh, it was really, uh, of course, as anybody else, I was tensed and I was very excited about it. And, uh, it was both great and really scary to have, uh, you know, your family, your friends, uh, there. That they are there to support you, of course, but it would kind of feel the responsibility. Yes, you do, you do, you really do. So, uh, yes, that was my first concert, and, uh, I really remember it, uh, still today. While, uh, one of the— well, I, I had, uh, I'm lucky enough to be able to say that I've had a quite a few exciting concerts in the last years especially. I can mention, I would say that I can mention a couple of them. One is the last one actually I had. For many reasons, it is a very— it's one that is really dear to me. First of all, because due to the coronavirus pandemic, now it's difficult to perform. So that's the first thing. And as any other musician that plays concerts, we know how much we miss these. And yeah, it's like the air there is missing for us a little bit. So that's the feeling. And after the first lockdown, there was this little window of time where we could still do some concerts. So I managed to get a concert in Grenoble, France. And, um, it was about— it was a— for you, with this agency I'm working with, uh, on this beautiful project, which is once again Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's 24 Caprices, uh, inspired to the paintings of Francisco Goya. And yeah, so it is a beautiful project and, uh, something else that not many people get to hear so often. And, uh, This first concert we had, this first of the series we're gonna have, happened to be in Grenoble at the MC2 Auditorium, which is a 1,000-seat auditorium. It's an amazing venue, and it was full of people, and that brought me back a little bit to, you know, normalcy. And so that was really a great memory. And along with this one, the other ones I will mention is my Japan tour last last— no, actually was 2018, couple of years ago. And I really bring with me very dear memories of it, also because I love Japan. I'm absolutely in love with the people, the culture, and the food. Ah, fantastic, fantastic. Beautiful. Well, the next piece we're gonna play is actually not Castelnuovo-Tedesco, but it's Ascensio Colectici, right? And we're gonna play La Galbanca. It's the fourth piece of what? This is the fourth piece out of five of the Collectif Intime, which is a series of dances, and that's the fourth one. Ah, fantastic. Let's listen to La Galbanca. Wonderful! This was "La Gabanca" from "Coletticci Intimi" by Asensio, played by Renata Arlotti. Now, Renata, here we are on the last part of our interview. Normally I ask what's your next project, but I think you already mentioned it. This is about the 24 Preludes by Casanova to disco that I cannot wait to listen to. Must be fantastic. And then I had, you know, I think you can also talk about your new collaboration with the London Performing Academy of Music. That is, yes, that is Super exciting, and I'm really looking forward to it. I can happily say that I will be the guitar professor at LPMAM, London Performing Academy of Music, and it's amazing news for me, and I'm really excited. Well, you know, it's gonna be fantastic to bring your experience and your knowledge as well in the contemporary repertoire. And what I love the most is the fact that you are someone that understands also the other styles and respects them. And that's something that we have very dear in the London Performing Academy of Music. We want to break walls between styles. So of course you will enroll and study classical diplomas and classical degree patterns if you are passionate about that, but you will have the opportunity and no one will stop you if you want to experiment with crossover, or even more, to do other styles in jazz and modern. Yeah, yes, as we As you said before, there is— I don't think there is a specific genre. Yes, there is, but the music is one. So this is something that is really important to say, I think. And fine, ultimately, you know, the most important thing is to let the student be in a position where he or she feels free and has got the tools to experiment and get to know everything that is around them, and then they will see what they want to do with their life. Absolutely. So now the last question that we normally ask in this program is if you have any embarrassing moment that you can share with us going on stage or being on stage. Oh gosh, yes, I certainly have. So, well, I can mention more than one, to be honest. Well, first of all, um, I As a classical guitarist, I play with a— we usually play with something that is called a footstool, and it's a little stool that you put under your left foot to raise your left leg, and so to allow the guitar to be in a, in a more comfortable position to play. But aside from that, we also have some supports, what they're called, that you can attach to the instrument with some suction cups. And through the years I tried many of them. Now I've come to the ultimate one which never gave me problems. But before I met this support, I was playing with other types of support, and I clearly remember the times that I went on stage and then the suction cap would just fail on me, so would detach suddenly. And so while I was playing, the support just came off and I found myself with the guitar hanging in the air and me trying to hold it. And not to do— I didn't know what to do, you know, because what do I do? Do I stop? Do I go on? Or do I try to hold it? So that's for sure one. And some other times, well, it happens sometimes that our strings might snap for some reason, some unlucky reason. So it happened to me on stage while I was playing that the string snapped. Well, that's another embarrassing thing for sure. What did you do? So you stopped? Well, yes, there I really have to stop and apologize and go change the string and come back. Oh wow. Not to mention, lastly, that we do play with the long nails on our right hand, only on our right hand, so the hand that plucks the strings, and they are really important to us because without them, yeah, we cannot project the sound, we cannot have the same type of, um, uh, timbre and so on. So I remember once, uh, luckily I was about to finish the concert, it was the very last piece, and I was doing this, uh, very, uh, difficult sonata by Antonio José. And the last movement has got a series of, uh, uh, rasqueado chords, we call them like that. Is, uh, basically with your right hand you've got to strum the strings all together very loudly. And at the very end, my ring finger's nail just snapped. I could see— yes, it broke suddenly, and I could see it flying from the stage to the audience. And I still had— yeah, and I still had to finish the piece. So I finished the piece using different fingers to try and go to the end, and luckily that went well. Oh my gosh, that's crazy! I mean, how do you do with your fingernails? I mean, as a pianist, I have to have them short and they're always broken because you're hammering the keys for too long. So how do you do? Like, do you— can you use fake nails? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, you can. There are many ways you can reconstruct your nails if they break. I honestly use very often fake nails with a ping-pong ball. That I put underneath my nail and then I glue it together and then I shape it. Sometimes you have also, even if your nails don't break, they might be very, um, weak. Exactly, fragile. So sometimes you also use these methods to just make them harder and stronger. But yes, ultimately it is a problem if they are not in perfect conditions. Now I have a very funny question, and that's a question that I'm sure many people wonder. How do you go around with the half a hand long nail and one hand with none. Well, because the left hand has to have short nails, isn't it? Because you're pushing the strings. You're correct, exactly. You cannot have long nails on your left hand because that would be very hard for you when you want to press on a fret. Yes, well, I have had the— I don't remember how many times they asked me why. The one hand— yes. And also very often, you know, all my friends, no guitarist, they go and like to have their nails done with very nice polish and everything. I cannot use anything of this sort, of course, because they are a tool. So— Oh really? So you don't use nail polish? You cannot do that? No, because that would change the density of the nail and so the sound once you go and pluck. Yeah, yeah, I forgot to mention the shape as well. I cannot have, of course, a squared shape, but I must have a shape that allows me to get out the tone and the timbre that I need. So yeah, every instrument has their problem. I know that the flutist, or, you know, anyone using their mouth when they play, when they blow an instrument, they cannot wear lipstick, so they're jealous of —of us, of wet lipstick. Yes, not to mention the violin player with a callus on the neck, and us too with the calluses on the fingers, and like cellist. And yes, not being able to wear earrings because with the violin you can't have the earring scratching the— yeah, yeah, so you don't want that. So it's a funny job, isn't it? What do you think? It is, it is, yes. Well, we've got to get used to it, I guess. Another question that I'm sure you might have been asked, you know, like cellists, they have the problem what to wear because they have the instrument in the middle of their legs. So you have the same in a way. Yes, that's true. Yeah. Do you wear a dress when you perform or you wear pants? Well, we can wear a dress with a very long gown so that you can open up your legs without going through any risk. But, um, well, I have to say that it is still a little bit uncomfortable for me personally, uh, because the guitar tends to slip forward on a gown. So, well, I do wear both of them depending on the occasion, but otherwise I tend to wear some black trousers and a nice top to be more comfortable. But we can wear a dress. Do you think it's the position of how you play the guitar that stopped a bit? Like the cello, I think it used to be in history that it wasn't appropriate for women to play with something in that position. Yes, well, exactly. This changed a lot through the years when, as we come from a lineage of lute and the viuela and so on. At the beginning, the instrument wasn't that big and had a different shape, so you would have what is called a tail. It's these, usually made of some tissue, is this thing that you attach to the side of the instrument, the right side of the instrument, and then goes through the head of the instrument. And then you have these round your body, and then a little tail that you put under yourself, and so keeps the instrument in the high position. But then with time, things changed, and then yes, we developed the actually— the actual position. Well, yes, I've seen, for example, in the past times, like Ida Pressi and Maria Luisa Nido, they would have the guitar on their right leg. Sometimes. So rather than resting it on the left leg with the legs open. So yes, this for sure at the beginning— some experimenting. Yeah, exactly, it was a bit like that. Yes. All right, well, the last piece we're gonna play today is the Tango de la Casata Infiel. Is it by who? It's by Vicente Asensio. So once again, this CD was called the Sweet and homages, and so has got a lot of dances and pieces written as a homage to some other personalities. Wonderful, let's listen to it then. How beautiful! And this was Vincent Asensio, Tango de la Casa Ten Fiel. Performed by Renata Arlotti. Renata, a big thanks to you for the great chat and the beautiful music played today. Thank you so much. It was very much fun. If you have any question that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our Future Classic Women Awards, please email presenters@womensradiostation.com or tweet us @WomensRadioSTN. You've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 AM and 10 PM London time. And if you'd like to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to my presenter page, Stefania Passamonte, Future Classic Women Awards on womensregistration.com. Thank you for listening.