Italian pianist Gabriele Carcano uses his music to find some order amid the chaos of the world. As much as he’s learning about the piano every other day, he’s also eager to know how audiences respond to his concerts — he says it’s a silent dialogue that betters his music from location to location. In his third visit to India as part of SOTA that aims to make a music aficionado more informed about the nuances of western classical music, Gabriele will present a surreal mix of compositions by Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms this weekend.
Commenting on the eternal appeal of the musical trio, he remarks, “I feel very close to German piano literature. One grows a lot with the musicians even though they are no more; they help you learn more about yourself. Beethoven gives you the intellectual force to go beyond one’s limits, Schumann was so sensitive about life and what’s happening around him.”
He adds that a rapport and a context to music for an audience always helps. Yet he doesn’t overemphasise it, “It’s not mandatory, music talks and expresses in its own way rather than us trying to put things to words. There’s a misconception about music and the classical piano among the audience, that it’s difficult to gauge and understand. I insist it’s a form that makes people sit back and enjoy.” It’s okay for an audience to not know what a musician is performing, he says; every listener grabs something different from a concert. “What they hear depends on their attitude and sensibility.”
Having learnt music from the age of seven and performed at various levels — as a soloist, as part of an orchestra and unique collaborations and festivals across the world — there’s one aspect that keeps coming back to him. “Doesn’t matter which part of the world or the public you’re playing to, music is an incredible way of realising we’re all the same. The idea of the piece and what you want to communicate doesn’t change. Surprisingly, factors of your daily life, like how the instrument behaves, how the weather is, can make a difference.”
Switching between the roles of a performer and a teacher has helped tweak his musical approach from time to time. “I’m a young teacher still! The stint forces me to verbalise things and think about music differently, we (students) help each other in solving certain problems.”
Gabriele’s fascination for the classical piano stems from its completeness. He doesn’t recollect any instrument that is as complete and let’s one nurture his/her solo repertoire as much. “It’s an incredible responsibility on one hand and also the luck factor in letting you explore music on your own terms. A piano offers endless possibilities, a lifetime isn’t enough to take in what all a piano can offer.” What he likes among Indian crowds is how sensitive they are and react to music directly.
“Each of us is attracted to a certain form of art. When it comes to music, it boils down to their personality. No harm in having a variety, we all need different forms, it’s an incredible gift to know who we are and get to know the life around us.”
Travelling is an inevitable facet of a musician’s life, it can be draining, physically and emotionally. The better part is he says, “You meet a lot of people and find new ideas and explore aspects that you didn’t know existed.” Gabriele tucks himself into a book or world cinema when he isn’t playing the piano, but he admits he isn’t totally detached from music. “There are moments of fatigue and instances when I want to hangout with friends, but I don’t remove myself from music fully. I remember watching Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy recently.”He knows western classical music is something that many Indians are not aware of. “ Yet it’s a refreshing feeling to come from Europe, play something you know very well and people who listen to it might find it new. “SOTA’s attempt to start new concerts is fantastic. My friends at the festival here had such a great time, it’s like a new thing growing from scratch, it’s beautiful.” (Gabriele Carcano's pre-concert talk and concert will be held at ISB Hyderabad on March 10)
