Future Classic Women Awards – Sara Bacchini, Lockdown and Music

Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passavonte on women's radio station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artist on the classical panorama. Today is a very special episode. We're all in lockdown here in London and we have an Italian guest pianist, Sara Bacchini, that is a dear friend of mine and actually I was supposed to be at her wedding yesterday, so. Good morning, Sara. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Ciao, Sara. Wow. So, I mean, this is the beginning of the lockdown in London and we're all scared and worried and we don't know what's gonna happen. And of course the sky is blue and the sun is shining. Yeah, it's a good beginning. How, I mean, how it has been in, in Italy so far. You've been in lockdown for how long already? I think we started the 23rd of February. And so this is our fourth week. Yeah, maybe a month. Yeah. Today is the 23rd of March. I mean, the show is going to be aired next week on Monday the 30th. But today's the 23rd is exactly a month of lockdown. Yeah. And it's going to be locked till 3rd April and maybe more so. Mamma mia. It's very. It's a huge thing. But in theory, 3rd of April is just, you know, a week and an office. So that sounds fantastic if that's the case for you. I mean, you should see Pink. Yeah. But the voices of about our government are saying that maybe not gonna happen, lockdown is going to be longer. And anyway, yesterday a new law in Italy said that all the commercial activities and the fabrics are going to be closed, factories are going to be closed, and so production is going to stop, production is going, stopping, and it's quite a thing. Absolutely. But you know, for us as musician, that's even worse. I mean, all opera has been canceled, concert tours, I mean, it's a huge blue to the music industry in general and also for teaching. You are both a concert pianist and a teacher. So how did you cope in the past month? It's a new way of life here to try and to live. So about teaching, we do online courses and love songs and video calls, video conference with our pupils. And as a musician, it's very hard because dates and concerts you had programmed are not going to be there. So they were postponed maybe to a new date. Postponed to when? Who knows? Anyway, some concerts I have, I'm going to have them on June and April. So let's have finger crossed and hope this situation is going to finish as soon as possible. But I don't know, it is very hard. Many musicians and teachers are saying that living without music is very difficult and this is a silence we are experiencing and it's very hard. And it will be very hard for the theaters as well because they are going to lose a lot of money and I don't know how they could cope with it. So it is very, very, very hard. It's a strong situation to face every day. But the positive thing is that we as musicians are staying at home and we can study and playing and playing and studying. It's a beaut, beautiful thing. And I don't know if it's so beautiful for our neighborhood anyway. Well, you know, it depends. I mean I'm at home with the 5 years old child that is not letting me do much so far and we only passed the first weekend. I mean this, this is the first day of non school so we'll see. They gave us a lot of homework and that's fun. I love this five a day. Basically you do gymnastic, watching a couple of dancers that they're doing incredible moves and that's so uplifting. So we're preparing some show, I don't know, let's say, I mean from your experience, from your month of lockdown, let's say it's not that depressing as everything everybody is fearing, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. You give us some optimism. Yeah, yeah. I'm a lucky person because I can still work at home, I have my work, I don't lose it and I can play and study. I have the chance to stay at home and you know, I have a very busy life. So not common to me to stay at home but I will appreciate this kind of life. So it's, I think many people, I hope not too many people, but most of them are going to be improved and to be better after this period because we are going to listen more to each other and we are, you know, trying not to consume everything we saw, everything we want to buy and it's a new life and we can, we can go to supermarket, you know, as our need are to eat and to drink. So we can go there, it's not forbidden but you know, we go walking there. So it's a new way to move, a new way to enjoy. Because they're walking and taking the car. Yeah, yeah. Or the public transport. Here in London you don't take the tube and you discover everything that is around your house, neighborhood. So the tube too is locked down. It's not locked down, but it's reduced. So to allow the key people, the person with key jobs to go to work still, but everybody else is advised to stay home. And also, we know that taking the tube or taking the bus, it's increase the chances of catching a virus, the virus coronavirus. So, yeah, where possible, we avoid it. Yeah. And I mean, it's a great moment as well to catch up with families and friends. You know, I'm having the time finally to call so many friends and family members that are far away or even people that they live in London, but they are on the other side of London. And with such a frenetic life, you know, you don't have any time to even send a message sometimes. So it's a good pose, like you're pushing the button and then reset and then we will start stronger than ever, I guess. Yeah, yeah. And besides, you know, many people, I know that it's strange to hear, but not many people use video calls or this kind of devices or technological devices. And my parents as well, and some of my friends too, are learning this new way of communicating between each other I.e. whatsApp, Skype and so on. It's nice they can improve their knowledge. Absolutely. Well, now we're gonna start listening to your debit album. It's a chamber music album, actually, where the piano is doing the prima donna part, if you like. So it's chamber music and sometimes people, concert pianist, soloists, they think they don't perform chamber music because the piano doesn't get enough space. Spotlight. But that's not the case with your album. This is super virtuoso piano accompanying a beautiful. By the viola. I mean, so the first piece, it's the Schumann. The fantasy streak up 73. The fantasy streak were composed actually for clarinet, am I right? Yeah, they were composed for clarinet and Schumann. He was hiding in the countryside while the revolution was starting outside in Germany. And funny enough, so he was in lockdown. And it's called. They were originally called Night Pieces and Night Pieces and then he changed the title in Fantasy Chick. But the last one, really, it sounds like the military band outside. You know, you can hear the marching of the boots of the military roaming around the city. And he was afraid of being called to go to war. So you performed this piece with Lorenzo Falconi. That is another fantastic performer, and I can't wait to listen to it now. Sam. Ram. Wonderful. And this was schumann fantasy streak up 73, number three for Viola and piano with Lorenzo Falconi at the Viola and Sarah bucking at the piano. Wonderful piece. Now, Sarah, why did you want to start with this fantasy streak, the number three, the presto? Because it's kind of. It's my favorite among the three. And because it begins without the first note and it's very hard to play together with someone else because we have to have the same timing on the piece. And I like it because a very virtuoso piece. And it makes me always think to Schumann and to his peculiarity, which is a composer among intimacy and intimistic view and fairy tale view. And this is why I love him so much. And I play a lot of pieces by him, even in solo situation and solo concert and in chamber music. And this one is, as you said before, the kind of military stuk. And I love this composition because it's very emotional for me and I love to play it. What is funny, what is crazy, I mean, is the fact that he wrote it for clarinet. He didn't write that many pieces for clarinet. And they say that probably it was the fact that he was locked down at home, hearing the military bands outside, that made his interest into the clarinet and the horn. He composed as well, the pieces for a horn and piano. And then actually when he published them, he published them with an optional part, the possibility to subsidize to the clarinet, with the violin, with the cello. Now, was it written as well for viola or. That's. Yes, for Aalto as well, for alto as well. So that gives you the idea that these are pieces as well that needs to be enjoyed by anyone. It doesn't have to be specifically for one instrument apart from the piano, because the piano cannot be substituted. No. Yeah, of course, this is a composition. But all the CD you are playing contains compositions for horn and clarinet originally written for these instruments and then played by. With the viola or with the cello. You know, actually this is the. Yeah, sorry, yeah. This is the house music. So the way the salon music. Yeah, yeah. Did to. Did music together. And so, yeah, a kind of. You can enter the Schumann family. That's true. You can imagine to be in their living room while they are all together. Listen. Yeah. To remember that the pianist was Clara. So absolutely quite a virtuoso. That's what they didn't have at the time. I mean, at the time you didn't have television or phone to phone up someone. Yeah. The pity in this situation we are living now is that we have the tv, but we can play together. It's not that bad, actually, because sometimes you can see beautiful Things on tv you can see there is so many wonderful tv. Of course there is the bad tv, but there is also the very good one. Yeah, it's a chance to see many things. Yeah. And yeah, I wanted to talk about the fact, you know, of having the viola as the soloist. You know, so far I didn't have a chance to interview a viola player yet. And it's not that common to have a viola to be the soloist. And normally it's the second voice or the third voice in a couture or in the orchestra is the first violin, second violin. Then you got the violin and the cello. So when you decided this program with Lorenzo, Lorenzo Falconi, how did this come up? First of all, because I think I'm going to repeat myself. But Schumann is one of our favorite composers. And the fact that you can play this repertoire with Aalto, with viola, it's interesting. And Schumann was a great innovator, you know, because he used many instruments as horn and viola and make them sing in a peculiar way. And even the pieces he wrote for cello and this kind of dark sonorities, the dark sound. It's a good marriage with the piano sound. So we love it. And we decided to do all Schumann works for viola and piano. And this is why our CD came up, you know. Absolutely. Now, I liked your word marriage. So what about your marriage? What's gonna happen with that? Were you very sad When I remember the message first that they said it would be just in stream and then actually all marriage and funeral cancelled. I mean, how can they do that? You can marry yourself, but you can even die during the coronavirus. No, I was, you know, it was a very managing situation because we had to decide quickly what to do, because on the night of 7 March, the new law by Giuseppe Conte, our prime minister, in the middle of the night, you know, because of. Yeah, I don't know how is that at the middle of the night, in the middle of the night, said that suddenly some parts of Italy were going to be closed and red zone, as we call it in Italy, where you cannot out, you can going out, you have to stay at home and you can move from one city to. And Bologna wasn't where I live, wasn't in this kind of red zone. But the Pesaro province, where Valentina's family came from. Yeah, was considered a red zone. So we had to decide in a few hours what to do, because trying to organize a marriage without your family, it makes a nonsense, you know, so. And even a lot of our Friends, you, you know, as you know very well, the situation with the flight and many. We have a lot of friends coming from, you know, coming from abroad. So many of them couldn't be there, couldn't be here with us. And when you begin to know that even your family can be here. Yeah, we decided, okay, just let's stop, let's translate everything. Let's hope, and let's keep our finger crossed until October 25th, and let's see if it's going to be better. You don't have the right feelings to enjoy such a day. So we decided to do it. And we're very happy, very happy now, quite happy. You were thinking yesterday that it would have been our marriage day, but no, it wasn't. Anyway. Yeah. And we have to face it. So we hope to make a great party in October. Now, I'm gonna ask you something else. You know, normally at this part of the interview, I asked people. I asked people if there is an audience between performing live in front of an audience or for example, performing for a recording. We've seen actually in Italy, a lot of flash mob of people performing at their balcony. Now, I don't think you can perform at the balcony with the piano, but you can perform the window open, for example. Does that change the way of performing? Do you feel a difference? Do you feel that this lockdown is making you as a musician to be different towards music, to have a different. Give a different meaning to music? Yeah, I think that maybe, as I told before, that this lockdown helped us to think and rethink and reimagine our work, our feelings, our ideas. And even during these flash mobs, I played and I opened my windows and yeah, I did. Helped to, I think, to make people more near to music and to listen because they don't have to do anything else. So what can they do all the day in their home? They can listen to music and you can be someone that could bring music in their home. And this is very important. I think that sometimes we don't. We are too busy thinking about our recordings. Our concerts have to study, and we don't think about the social importance and the social meaning of music. And this is a good chance to show it. Absolutely. Now, one question. The next piece we're gonna listen to is from the same album with Lorenzo Falconi, is the Schumann Machen Builder. What does it mean? Builder? It's not the batch of the builders. No, no, no. I'm talking American builder. Yeah, that's fairy tales. This is the fairy tale. Yeah. 113, number one. Let's listen. Yeah, with a beautiful introduction. So wonderful. Let's listen to it now. It. Wonderful. And this was. This was Schumann the Machen Builder Opus 113 Number 1. Lorenzo Falconi Ede Viola and Sara Bacchini. Sara, you said it's the fairy tale. Did you have a specific fairy tale in mind when you played this margin builder? Or maybe Schumann gave any direction on it? Yes, Schumann in the years when he composed the Merchenbilder and also the Merchner Zellungen and had a lot of time to compose many operas and many opus for piano and chamber music. And he was quite attracted for the literature system and you know, even Papillon for pianoforte and Carnaval Fantasia Stuke. And I always think about his tale. The imaging comes to my mind often when I play Schumann into mystic pieces. Is the one of his family near chimney maybe and they're at the light of the fire, they are playing together with children. They are telling each other stories. And quite a reminiscence of Kinder Sennen. So I always this imagine in my mind when I play and the tenderness of their family and the cross between them, you know, the adult life, the mature life and when the rememberings when he was a child. So I always think about both these things when I play Schumann. Now one question. Is that something that reminds you of your childhood? How did you decide to become a classical musician? Because normally to become a professional classical musician you start when you're a child. Isn't it to work really already in that direction? It's not something that you leave later. You know. My first image is when I was five years ago. Five years? Yeah, I was a child and my mother bought this piano study piano because she wanted to learn music, she wanted piano and she never had the chance to do it when she was a child. And so when she was, I think she was 30 something, she bought it. And I was fascinated by this instrument. So I went there every time she tried. Poor mom. She tried to play, to study, she wanted to learn. And she was a lover of classical music and opera. All right. As well. Yeah. And so when she was studying, I always came there and trying to put my little hands on the piano. And once one day I think she was tired and she said okay, come on, I'm going to give you piano lessons. She. She made me a classical musician in a way I loved it. And it's even in this period we are closing home. I think I'm lucky because I'm not you Know, boring myself. I'm not bored. I have this chance to play and a lot of things to do, you know, so as musicians, we can do a lot of things and we are not. We are never alone with our music in mind. To listen to music, to study music, to play music. And this is why I began to. I am an only child, you know, so, yeah, I've never felt alone playing piano. And I was quite good at it. So I never leave this situation as a. You know, I was like. I was forced to play, I was forced to study. Loved it. So I did it. Wonderful. Now, what would you say it was the most exciting moment in your career? Maybe I have two. They were not quite close together, but then the time I played a piano concerto by Mozarto with the orchestra. And it's very hard for a piano player to play with the orchestra because you don't have so many chances to do it. And I had the chance and I really enjoyed it so much because it's kind of chamber music elevated to a maximum. It's a very chamber music, absolutely all of it. I mean, because you have to listen to them to then get the clue on when you have to come in and whichever you give the tempo and you follow as well, what's happening. So it's a great collaboration. And normally the orchestra is made by 30, 40, 50 people. So it's quite a. And the sound that you create, being a soloist, being a pianist, normally you play alone. The sounds, you. You are in control of what you're doing. But when you're playing with an orchestra, the energy that comes out, isn't it from. Yeah, it's a special thing. Yeah, it's a unique, unique experience. And what you say was the most challenging moment in your career, this one was one of the challenging one because you don't have the chance to do it so many times. And so it has to be good. The first one and the other moment, I told you was when I recorded the cd because it was a nice experience to do. It's very different, as we told before, to record music and to play it live. So both of these experiences can improve your. Your approach to the instrument and to the audience as well, because it's different. So the next recording actually we're gonna listen to, it's a solo piano. Janacek, the Sonata in the Mist. What can you tell us about this sonata? I mean, I heard you so much talking about Schumann. I would have expected a solo piece by scholarship. So why did you record the Janacek? Yanachek is One I had a Janacek period in my life. So I loved his life. He had a normal life and he's from the Czech Republic. He was from the Czech Republic. And interesting aspect I love of him were his. Way to study his language, the Moldovian language and trying inspiration from the sound of this language and to report this sound into music and so recreate music melodies which refers to. To the way of talking of his people in the Czech Republic and in the mist is a sonata, is a two part sonata, an Andagio and a Presto. And it reminds me some aspects of the Bussy and Ravel in the kind of writing Janacek uses. And impressionistic. Impressionistic, yeah. And so, you know, I told her so much about Schumann but also kind of impressionistic period. Jaena Czech Debussy are very comfortable for me to play so late romantic and impressionistic composers. But not Marzat for example, because you said you had the chance to and you performed Mozart. Would you have preferred for example to perform Schumann and then the opportunity was actually to perform Mozart or you like Mozart as well? No, I like Mozart as well. And Mozart is very difficult because one of my teachers, my teachers, I can't remember who was maybe Bordoni. Maybe Bordoni, Paolo Bordoni told me that, you know, when you have to play Mozart in public, it's like you feel to be completely naked. That's true. And so while we are accomplishers, I feel more comfortable dressed. Yes, I love. I also in my repertoire there are a lot of Mozart composition, Beethoven composition. In this period I'm studying Beethoven and Debussy. So because my concert on June should be on music by these composers, the pieces I'm very curious, you know, because this is. They celebrate Beethoven and so on. I chosen some sonatas not too much played. I started with 32 variations in C minor. I know that. Yeah. And then did you see Pourle piano? Fantastic. After I will play pathetic sonata by Beethoven and Sorry. And then Clair de Lune by Debussy. So it's something interrelated and it seems to be strange Debussy and Beethoven together. But you know, I'm playing these pieces now I'm starting the them. No, they are quite compenetrating and you know, Leclerc de Lune by Debussy inspired by Clair de Lune by Beethoven. So you know, although it's a completely different piece. Yeah. But also Pour le piano is referring to some Toccata and music by, you know, the. How do you call it? 17th century. So it's Quite. It's very interesting. I think it could be a good program to listen to. Well, let's listen now to Janetzek in the Mist with Sara Bakini at the piano. Sa. Sam. How beautiful. And this was Janacek Sonata in the Mist with Sara Bakini at the piano. Sara, I didn't ask you. Now, this is the last session of our interview. Normally I go for the funny questions, but before I do that, I'd like to ask you, what would you tell to a younger pianist today, from your experience, to do different or, you know, to follow in what you've done before? I don't know. It's maybe from when I was a young pianist, many things changed. So I don't know. I think that the more it's okay. Like if we were old. Yeah, quite old. And, you know, even. Do you mean. What can I suggest. To study or to. No, in general. Like, if you. If you could go back in time to a younger self, what would you say? For example, what I realized when I was a Royal Academy as a student is that I was as a pianist, spending most of my time closed in my room, practicing and preparing for concert competition, et cetera. So I didn't have time to socialize enough to make contacts that are actually all coming back right now. You know, with the radio program. You never know in life, particularly if you have a life in music. So my advice would be go out and meet as many young musicians as possible, because they could be, you know, very important in the future for collaboration or things to do. Yeah. Or. I don't know. Do you have any better advice? You know, I'm maybe, you know, when you play piano, piano is a kind of autistic instrument. You are all in your world. And I know it's very dangerous because we are studying and playing alone, searching for perfection which never comes. And you can forget to. You have a life, you have a social life. You are a social animal like we are. I think the most important thing for everyone is to socialize and socializing in music is playing chamber music. It's very useful, and it helps to improve your musicality as well and your listening. And in the same time, you can talk to other musicians. As a pianist, we don't have so many chances to do it. And you can remember that when we studied in summer courses, we were quite categorized as soloist, piano player. You know, there are piano players, but we always. Me and you. I remember we stayed with all the violists and oboists and flautists, and so on because we have this kind of spirit. We wanted to learn from everyone. And this, my advice is this one. Trying to listen to many repertoire as possible and to many musical genres as possible. Because the inspiration and the knowledge comes from everywhere. So listen to jazz, listen to electronic music, listen to classical, to opera and talk to other musicians, live with them and above all play with them because it's very. Such an experience, you know, you have to learn from these experiences. Yeah. Now, now time for the odd question. Do you have any strange hobby to free your mind or relax? Strange hobby? No, I like running. And the strange thing is that I have always done a lot of sports because this autistic life in playing piano makes me need to do something to motivate my body. But the strange thing is that I like to run the trail running, which is a new passion of this new month. I run in the nature. So with up and down. Very, very strong and because. But you run, you know, in open air and not on the street, which is quite comfortable. Do you do competition as well? No. Well, you know, I participate in competition, but I don't compete. I did for my hobby and the other obviously not discovered. I always like to cook and in these days of reclusion, I play and cook and run. I can't run in the nature, so I just. I build my new gym inside the garage. Nice. Oh, very nice. I had tapirula, an old one. So if you can't run the tapir can't rule. That's fantastic. It might sounds like you're in a perfect, you know. Now, do you have any ritual or superstition before going on stage? Yeah, just before I. I can say, yeah, okay, I talk to myself. And sometimes just a few minutes before going on stage, I. I talk to myself. Why aren't you a secretary? Why didn't you choose a common job, an ordinary job? You have to. Every time. The first time I put my first step on the stage, okay. Suddenly everything goes away and I play but a few minutes before. I always think this. And I talk to myself. Come on. But not a superstition one. I always had my favorite things with me. So. Which is earrings maybe or ecolier, something I can wear and brings me good luck. Now, last question. Any funny, embarrassing moment that you can recall in your career, Moments together, going to the Academy, if you remember. Yeah, we had a lot. We had a lot where they lost. When I was alone once I was playing in Florence in the open air and it was quite summer, I think maybe May or June, and it was 5 o' clock in the afternoon. So I was playing, I don't remember maybe Chopin Polonaise. And at one time, suddenly I saw a mosquito on my left hand. No. Yeah. And trying to beat me. Of course, you know when you see it and you are playing. Oh my God. Oh my God, I have to kill the mosquito. And I wasn't able to stop because the Polonaise by Chopin was. Yeah. You have your hands always busy and I didn't know what to do because at the end I saw the mosquito flying away and a big bee pulsing on my, on my hand. It was above all because a lot of blood is pumping through the hands. Yeah, yeah. So that mosquito saw the good position to stop. When we went to the academy together, there were a lot of funny things. The one I remember a bit more funny is when we take the wrong train and we went to the depositor, to the storage. It was snowing. We went there. Okay. Oh, so nice. The train is here. It's early. Yes, it's quite early, but we can, we can step in. I remember you had the boots with. I don't know how many you had. It's like 5cm boots. Yeah, I remember I had this hat at the time, like a Tsarina, you know, this Russian. Yeah, yeah. Because it was going to snow maybe when we went snowing in the north of Italy. It was snowing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was the same day maybe, I don't know. But we had to walk through the. I mean an operator, you know, between trains. It was really an adventure, like. Yeah. With the fact that we are going to. We were going, going to lose the train. We should have. So this was one of the best funny moments in our friendship career. Well, the next piece we're gonna listen now is the schumann, the opus 132, number one. That is the only piece is a trio in your album. That is with Lorenzo Falcone de viola and Dario at the. Clarinet. Clarinet, clarinet. Let's listen to Schumann then. Satan. Sam, How beautiful. And this was Schumann Opus 132, number one with Lorenzo Falconi and Dario Goracci and Sara Bacchini at the piano. Sara, beautiful playing. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our future casting Women awards, please email presentersomensradiostation.com or tweet us @womensradiostn. A big thanks to our guest pianist Sara Bacchini for the great chat and the beautiful music played today. Sara, thank you so much. You've been listening to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio station Live every day at 10am and 10pm London time. If you want to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to the presenters page. Stefania Passamonte Featured Classic Men Award on Women's Stay Home, Stay Safe and thank you for listening. Sam.