 |
| Photo: Maxim Reider |
On February 8th 2019, I met with violinist David Grimal (France) and
pianist Grigor Asmaryan (Armenia/Germany) at the Dan Eilat Hotel following their recital at the Eilat
Chamber Music Festival.
PH: We have just heard your program titled “Tzigane”, works by Enescu,
Ravel and César Franck. Would you say a few words about it?
David Grimal: We are presently touring with this program; we have played it
in Germany and France and we will play it in Taipei in a few weeks. I wanted to
combine works connecting with that of George Enescu, such as the César Franck.
The program also includes the Chausson "Poème" op.25, not played here
in Eilat. It was Enescu’s favourite piece. He loved to play it. (My favourite
Enescu piece is Sonata No.3.) Of course, if you combine it with Franck’s
Sonata in A major and Ravel’s “Tzigane” you have this Romantic- and gypsy side
of music...French, Hungarian and Romanian.
PH: Grigor Asmaryan, you are new to this festival. Do you still live in
Armenia?
Grigor Asmaryan: No, I left Armenia in 2000 and have been living in Germany
for the last ten years, working as a répétiteur at the Hochschule für
Musik Saar and performing chamber music.
Before that, I lived and studied in Paris for eight years. I am a
regular guest at the International Chamber Music Week (Thuringia), the
Starnberger Musiktage (Germany) and the Olympiaregion Musiktage, Seefeld
(Austria).
PH: And your studies, David Grimal?
David Grimal: Some of my studies were in Paris and then with a violinist
called Philippe Hirschhorn and have played in many master classes, with Isaac
Stern and “company”, but my mentor was Philippe Hirschhorn.
PH: How long have you been playing together?
David Grimal: We play together from time to time, but we work a lot
together: Grigor plays with all my students. I very much enjoy playing with
him. He is a wonderful musician. Sometimes you play with great names, great
pianists, but they don’t listen to you. They listen to themselves. They have no
flexibility so you can’t “sing” as you wish and you have no “space”. It’s a
kind of ego battle on stage. Grigor is so friendly that I don’t need to force
my violin to survive.
PH: How much do you discuss the music when you practise?
David Grimal. We just play. We don’t rehearse a lot. We don’t talk a lot. I
think we understand each other very well. In music, as with human
relationships, it’s what you don’t say that really matters. With music you
can’t lie. I think we share some common “space” and it makes sense.
Grigor Asmaryan: For me it’s a miracle to play with David.
PH: In contrast to the bulk of the program, the three encores you played -
Ferenc Vecsey: “Valse Triste”, Moritz Moszkowski.: “Guitarre” and Manuel Ponce:
“Estrellita” - offered some gentle sentimentality.
David Grimal: Yes. Quite intentionally. I think it meets a need in audience
members...some sweets.
No comments:
Post a Comment