Future Classic Women Awards – Giusy Caruso, Music In The Lockdown From Brussels

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 artist on the classical panorama. Today is our ninth episode in the lockdown and it's incredible how this lockdown is going super fast. Thanks to the music that we're listening and to the wonderful guests we're having on future Classic Women Awards. So today we have another special guest that is pianist Juicy Caruso. Good morning, Juzy. Good morning, Stefania. Juicy, that's the second time you are coming to the women's radio station. The first time was to present your debit album dedicated to the music of Jacques Charpentier. And today you're here to talk about your fourth album, the wonderful Piano Waltz by Davide Anzaghi. How fast are these album coming out? Super successful. I read some amazing reviews about them. How is it to give voice to these modern composers and to bring them to the big audience? Yeah, I'm very proud to collaborate with these big names actually. First with Jacques Charpentier, the French composer was also pupil of Oliver Messian, now with David Anzaghi. Actually I really like this possibility to work with contemporary composers. Charpentier died in 2017 and so for me was also a bit sad that. But David and Zagi, we are still collaborating actually. So I'm very proud to give voice to the music of my time, actually. Yeah, yeah, very happy. That's very special. Now, voice to the music of this time. And we are in a worldwide lockdown. It's kind of easing up a little bit here in the uk, but still, you know, schools are closed, you can't go to work unless it's really necessary. How is it the lockdown in Brussels? Yeah, the lockdown was a bit less restricted. We have less restrictions in the sense that we were allowed to have a walk because, you know, in Italy everything was completely closed. So for me, that I'm living alone in a studio flat was really nice for me to go outside also to meet one person. So you see, the restrictions were not so. So many, not so many. So we have this kind of possibilities. But during this time I decided to work a lot, to work a lot on new projects. I'm writing a book on artistic research. As you know, I'm also engaged in research. I'm a PhD. I got a PhD in musicology and artistic research in performance. And I'm now affiliated at the ipem, the Institute of Psychoacoustic and Music Electronic of the University and Conservatory of Ghent. Wow. So I'm. Yeah, yeah. So I was really focused on this project in writing and also working on new compositions and the realization and the performance of new composition. I'm still collaborating with contemporary composers. So this was my lockdown. I mean, working, working, working. A very productive lockdown. Somehow the fact that you're forced to stay home, particularly when you're an artist, when you are playing, composing, writing, it's a very special moment because it gives you the chance to stop and not to have to deal with the everyday rush of going somewhere, for example. Yeah, that's true. Because in this period I was also traveling a lot for concerts, projects, and also for conferences. So for me, staying home and just focusing on working was a very good combination on what I'm doing now. Wonderful. So what are you working now on? Can you tell us something apart from the PhD or even about that? Yeah, yes, yes, yes. Is that a feedback coming out soon or. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm working new pieces, a project called Aiku, dedicated to the small poems, Japanese poems. And I'm in collaboration with the CIMC is the Society of Contemporary Music in Italy. And the composer from this society wrote some pieces dedicated to this Aiku, this Japanese poem. So now I'm working on these compositions. That will be another recording then. So a new cd, the production of a new cd. But especially these days I'm working on a concert program because the 29th of June I will give a live stream concert at the Institute, Italian Institute in Brussels. So without public, but it will be broadcasted by Facebook. So it's a good opportunity for me also to restart playing, I mean, this live concert. But it's in live streaming, of course, because now for the restrictions, we don't have the possibility to play in the presence of the public, for the social distancing. But so I'm working this project and I will propose a sonata by Beethoven because this year is the anniversary. So an homage to Beethoven and also to Franz Liszt, Paganini, Liszt and Alfonso Rendano. So two Italian composer, Paganini and Alfonso Rendano. Because I have to promote also Italian music and the transcription of La Campanella by Franz Liszt, Franklin for piano. So, you know, I have a very nice program for this. Very beautiful. What are you playing of Beethoven? Sorry? What are you playing of Beethoven? A Sonata in C major, Opus two, number three. Yeah, I decided to give in this period of confinement and we are in a period of deconfinement, so I would like to give the positive atmosphere of C major. So I decided for the C Major Sonata by Beethoven. That's so true. C major is one of the most beautiful keys, is the one where everything is kind of perfect, isn't it? It's the base to all the harmonies to be developed. And this lockdown can be definitely considered the base for a new future, isn't it? A new future full of respect for nature and attention to the arts, to the small privilege that we have and that we took for granted. So it's where, of course, there is now the threat of the virus upon us or our dear family and friends. It's a very special moment. And it would be even more special as soon as we are all allowed to go back to a new life where we can meet and play together. Now we are starting with the first piece from. That is actually the last track on your latest album. That is Rondo della Notte of the Night by Davide and Zaki with Juicy Caruso at the piano. Sa. Sa. And this was Davide and Zaghi, the first de Rondo della Notte from the fourth album. Piano work by this Ronda della Notte was very special. Would you like to tell us something about this piece? Yes. This is a piece written in 2016, so the last period of production by Davide Anzaghi and he introduced this Pythagorean code. So he has a particular way of writing. So the use of intervals, the odds and even intervals that are combined, but to give also pleasure. So David Anzaghi actually refused the attitude of the avant garde, refused Dodecafoni. Dodecafoni refused the surrealism. He has a very special and his own style that is much more related to the listening aspect and music should evoke. So in this piece, for example, evokes magic atmospheres of the night, you see. And there is not only the piano. I'm playing not only the piano, you heard also Crotalus and triangles. Because in this piece, Davide Andzakhi introduced also some small percussions to be played by the pianist herself. So I had to play at the same time the piano, but also the percussions and, you know, also the research on the timbre of the piano. That sounds like a Carry on. So the musical box. Yeah, the musical box. Right. The musical box should use especially of the I register of the piano. That should evoke this kind of like childlike. Yeah, that's true. Memories and the use of trills. Yeah, Tremolo in the left hand. So it is a particular way of using the musical materials. That is of the last period, of the last production of David Anzaghi. Now, this piece is really perfect to start our interview, you know, about this very special moment where we're all living. And it's really something that can bring us new dreams, that can evoke faraway memories, and something that can really make this solitude less lonely, isn't it? Yeah. That the period of confinement, I think, was also a period where all people make some questions of their life, of the ecology, for example, because, you know, the virus totally changed our life. And actually this piece also evokes a sort of interrogations of questions, because, you know, there are big spaces of silence in between of the phrases. And this is also a way that the composer want to propose his music. That is, that is. I mean, the importance of silence that can create this some suspension in music. And so it's like questions without answers. This is also the meaning of the compositional way, I mean, language of Davide Anzaghi. Now, about questions. A lot of questions have been asked about the future of classical music and live music in general. The concert hall having to adapt to social distancing and having performances that are almost impossible with orchestras. For example, I just saw an interview by Simon Ratol talking about the fact that the orchestra is one soul, soul and has to sound together. The musicians have to feel the harmonies and the vibration from the sound of their next musician, the whole Orchestra, basically all 40 people. And having to play between screens of Plexiglas or at a distance of 2 meters one another, doesn't allow you to create one unique sound from the, for example, bassoon section or the cello section. And all the specific beauty that comes from an orchestra as a soloist, because mainly your album are solo piano. What will be the biggest impact of performing, for example, via streaming at the Italian Cultural Institute on 25 June? Yeah, it will be. For me, I'm very happy to do it, because I can restart playing, but without the energy from the public. So will be a bit strange because I'm used to playing in front of an camera, because I did some recordings and also live recordings, so I'm used to. But you know, when you don't have the audience, you miss a bit the exchange of energies. So. But I will dream that the public will be here, but in front of a screen. So I think that I can recreate in a way this. I mean, this atmosphere of when you have the public, the audience in. Absolutely, yeah, yeah. We all know that when classical musicians, they have to work with the sound that is created by the room where they're performing and the sound Changing, change depending on how much the room is filled by the audience. So an empty room sound in a different way than a room full of people or without the audience, for example. So the sound that you create is a different sound. It will be probably a more evocative sound, a more maybe surrealistic sound. Because, I mean, you said that in Brussels the lockdown was less strict, as in Italy, for example, or here in the uk. And I had the chance to the lac to go around the city of London during the lockdown on the bike and see Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Bond street, completely empty with no cars. And it was a very, very special picture that will stick with me for all my life, I'm sure. And I was thinking in that very moment how no one since London was born has ever, ever seen the city empty like that. Did you have this experience with Brussels? Yeah, yeah, it was the same because we. We were allowed to go out, but of course we went just for one hour, just to have a small walk, very quick walk, just to do a bit of exercise, I mean, a bit of gym. But yeah, it was also surrealistic. You know that Belgium is surrealistic. But it was really surrealistic, especially during the evening, but also during the day because the. All the shops were closed, no cars. It was the same that you described in London. And. Yeah, but I mean, less risk, but still a surrealistic atmosphere. So. But probably the ecology reborns, you know. So, yeah, less smog. The animals came out, so people had to stay inside and the animals went out. Absolutely. Well, the next piece we're gonna listen to, it's called the Tinum from David Anzaki latest album by Joozy. Can you tell us what is the title? What does it mean? Yes, Tinum actually has French meaning en attendant les nouns. So the meaning is this kind of suspension is also related to what we experienced during the confinement. Because you don't know what are going to happen is something like this. So there's some. The suspension. So we don't know what is going to happen. And so Tinum is to wait. There is this kind of feeling, wait for something like waiting for Godot, that you don't know what happened. Fantastic. Then let's listen to David and Zagi. Tinum. Sa. Fantastic. And this was Tinum by David Anzaghi with Josie Caruso at the piano. Wow. So this was a very demanding piece, also very virtuousistic. I mean, this contemporary music is really pushing the boundaries both with the sounds and with the technique, isn't it? Yeah, that's true. It was written 2012. So it's also in the last production of Davide and Zaghi. And it. Yeah, it requires a lot of technique. It has virtuoso peace. And you see that there are some accents in the melodic phrases that create a sort of internal rhythm. So the pulse is in. The internal accent of the phrases is much more a sort of monologue at the end and not a dialogue between phrases and silence. So you have this kind of interrogatives all the way, all the time, without answer. So this is the characteristic of this pieces, of the last pieces of Davide and Zaghi. Absolutely. Now we're on the third part of our interview, and I'd like to ask you something a bit more personal. So do you have any special memories that you will take with you from this lockdown, both in terms of your career and as well, personally, in terms of having the isolation, for example, in Brussels, instead of with your family or with your friends, as you mentioned that you are in a studio flat, so. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, from this period I got a very good experience at the end to stay on my own. So the things that. I'm strong enough that now I can. I mean, with this period of isolation, I know that I can count on myself. And also I rediscovered the passion of my work. So actually I worked a lot, even if I didn't have a really deadline each time. So, you know, you have this endless time during the day, so you can organize your time, but the time was organized, always with some goals. I mean, in my. In my period of confinement. That's a wonderful thought. I mean, it's very important to learn how to be happy with yourself, to be alone with yourself and have the time to listen to your body, your mind, your dreams. Very special. Yeah, yeah. You know that I practice also yoga and meditation, so for me was very, very interesting to can prolong a bit at the period of the day that I dedicate. I normally dedicate to meditation or yoga. So I also could enjoy much more the silence or to be with myself, to reflect. And I organized also some days that I call Dettock, without Internet, without telephone, without connection with the external. So I was completely alone and just listening myself and doing what I ever have to do, and also without electricity. And so it was a new impact in my life. Like to return to the root. Yes, in a certain way. And did you notice any improvement, let's say, in your. Well, you did say that you found yourself stronger, but also the detox is something that I think everybody should. Yeah. Have the chance to do, isn't it? It's something so important for your body. It's something because the body is as important as your mind. And there is a wonderful saying from the Latins, from the Romans, that says mansana incorporated. So you can have a healthy mind. If you don't have a healthy body, of course, in the limit of what is your body and what are your condition. But also we had fantastic guests who had to deal with cancer and they managed to come out of cancer after 10 years of therapy. That is something really incredible and really, you know, demanding. But at the same time they were saying if you're not positive, if your mind is not strong and believe that you can come out of it, the therapy won't work. Yeah. So it's incredible the connection between the mind, the soul and the body. Definitely. I also believe in that when performed, when we would perform, I mean, because we have to control the body and they might should be in a positive. And a good concentration as well. A positive reaction, but also good concentration. At the end the of of this detox day, I really feel a lot of calm. So, you know, so it's. I think that we need to have some of these days. Absolutely. But then, you know, you talk about the talks and now electricity. But you're actually part of a very interesting experiment. It's not an experiment anymore because you've been bringing that around universities and conferences where you wear a bodysuit that is all connected to all the muscles in your body and you perform while there is a visual of your movement and energy on a big screen. So that's quite futuristic. Yes, yes. This avatar piano project, or my avatary mean that now it's evolving actually. Yes, it's an audio visual project, so multimedia project where I use the motion capture system, the system of infrared cameras. And actually the sensors were not on my muscles but on some joints of my body. And so they can track just the movements that I'm doing while playing. And so in a screen it is recreated the avatar of me so my body performing and the public can enjoy also the movement, the choreography of the musician. So it's a way to augment the perception of the performance by projecting the choreography of the musician. Fantastic. Well, now let's listen to your third song of today. That is Sonora from David and Zagi. So Sonora was Sonora means of the sound, isn't it? Yes, it has a double meaning because Sonora in Italian, in Italian it means also. I'm here now, but it recalls also. Yeah, you see that it's Written in a different way, but it recalls also the acoustic. The sound. The sound. So it has to mean to me. Yeah. Let's listen then to Sonora by David Anzaghi with Giusic Caruso at the piano. Sa. Sa. Sam, sa. Sa. Wow. And this was Davide and Zaki. So, Nora, now we're on the last part of our interview and we would like to do something a little bit lighter. So, you know, this is the part where we ask the funny questions. So you read the answer to one saying that you do yoga and you've been doing, you know, detox. Do you have any other tip that you can recommend to our listeners on recovering during this special isolation period? Yeah, I mean, yeah, the tips are just to organize the day. The day and to have regular hours, I think. Yeah. Because otherwise you lose time. Sometimes I felt this kind of feeling that the timeless that you have all the day and well, okay, wow. I can do a lot. And it seems that you can do less because you have timeless. So. Yeah, so the thing is that it's also a very good opportunity to schedule your mind. And it is habits that we should keep from the isolation and also use during the normal days now, I mean, after this confinement. But another thing is also to take time. So to take the time to do everything also for the relations because we are rushing, rushing, rushing to do many things, so many less things, well organized and to take time off for everything. Because also I'm a person, normally I'm rushing a lot. I'm trying to do a lot of things during the day and traveling and practicing, reading and also writing because, you know, I'm also a researcher. So everything, many, many things to do. But now I realize that I have to take my time to organize, well, everything. And this is a tip that I can give to the people. I don't know. What do you think about it? Absolutely. That's a very good tip. Well, my, My lockdown is with a five year. No, she's now six, actually. Six daughter. Yeah, it's very dependent. The time actually flies away so fast. And that's why I'm saying, you know, this is our ninth episode. And that means we're doing an episode every two weeks. So it's almost three months. We've been since the end of March. And it's incredible because it looks like yesterday when we were able to take the tube or the bus and go, go to the centers and we've been, we know, traveling outside our neighborhood, if not by bike. So it's, it's. It's special. But the time for me went faster than before, actually. Yeah, yeah, that's true, that's true. But it, I mean, I mean we have different experience because people with family or person like me without family because I was completely alone. So I had to deal with other difficulties and to deal with me actually only with me. But yeah, yeah. What I was telling to my single friends that they were alone during the lockdown is like whenever you feel lonely, I'm happy to send you over. My daughter. Yeah, my brother said that with my nephews actually. I mean, my daughter loved it. She was so happy to be she. So she's supposed to start school because she's in year one to start school next week. But she was like, you know, but I'm happy home. I can just stay home with you and papa working. So that's fine. But she's not working. That's the problem. So. And do you. Do you have any funny moment even if you know when you're alone? I don't know if funny moment can happen. But yeah, of course. My birthday, for example, alone birthday during the confinement. But actually my friends organized during the day some calls via WhatsApp only four persons. Not Zoom. Because with Zoom we are many, many. So we decided to. So I actually I prepared a cake and for each. And I use one candle for each WhatsApp call. So you know, many desires. I expressed many desires with this. It was a funny moment. I mean, my birthday alone. But at the end, technology really can support us in this in a way can support us when you are alone. But on the other side, I also decided to have these detox because it was too much, too much to say with technology, with Skype, WhatsApp or Internet. So decided also to. To stay completely with me. Absolutely, Absolutely. Now you already told us your next project is gonna be this new album with. Yeah, with the. About that poem. Now I'm very curious about that poem. Could you just tell us what's the poem about? Yes, the poem mostly written by Basho, this Japanese poet. And it is again, these poems are dedicated to nature. So there are like few lines that can express, I don't know, the beautiful, the flower of the birds. So are different fields described through these few poems, A few lines, so small poems. And so in this case, the composer used these poems to evoke what was written in the poem or just try the inspiration and then write the music. So the composers or each composer has a different. I mean, a different way of translating the words in music. So that's Fantastic. Well now let's listen to the last song from your album that is actually the first track of your album from David and Intermezzo number one. And this was Intermezzo number one by David Anzaki by Josie Caruso latest album. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our Future Classic woman aw please email presentersomensradiostation.com or tweet usmensradiostn a big thanks to our guest pianist Jusi Caruso for the great chat and the really inspiring music play today. Thank you Juz. It's been a pleasure. Thank you. Thank you. My pleasure. I want just to say that this is the anthology dedicated to David Anzaghi piano works from the 17th to the lattice production and the label is Da Vinci Power. Fantastic. If you want to listen to again or catch up on our previous program you can head to the presenter page stefaniapasamontefutureclassicwomenawards on womensradiostation.com thank you for listening.