On today's episode of Momentos Musicales we hear from Allison and Carlos Franzetti, two pianists, one who plays pretty much what's on the page, the other, Carlos, who's tuned in to jazz as a pianist and a much wider array as a composer. They are both well regarded in their overlapping circles.
“I've been living in in the United States for 52 years now,” says Carlos.
“I came here because of the music… not only jazz music, but American classical or academic composers such as Barber and Copland, and I admired that music along with the European tradition of the 20th century. Stravinsky, Ravel and so on and so on, and so I came to the States after three years in Mexico, and I moved to New York in in 1974. So, and the reason, as I said, it was music, and I stayed here for up to now.”
Allison, you’ve observed much more Latin American music and musicians at various music conventions all over the U.S.
Allison Franzetti: Like the National Flute Association [which] had over 3000 people at it this time in Portland. There was a big emphasis on a lot of programs having to do with Latin American music. So you had it, particularly Venezuela, but you also had young composers who are Latino or Latina who are very well represented, and I think it's great. I think it's important. Carlos also, I mean, when he had Orquesta Nova, that was part of what he did. He really brought to life Latin American music, a lot of which wasn't being listened to as much yet.”
Carlos Franzetti: Right, Brazil with Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Argentine, and some other composers, and that was the idea of Orquesta Nova, which mixes both ‘orquesta’ as Spanish for orchestra and ‘Nova Brazilian,’ for new. So that was the idea to have a U.S.-based orchestra with wonderful musicians playing not only some American music as we did, but also Latin American music, and to spread that out. And we did two albums. I still listen to them, 30 years or more after. Yeah, very proud of that.
Allison Franzetti: That was Chesky Records. Yeah. So you know, talking about an independent label. And my first recording actually was South American Landscapes…
Carlos Franzetti: And that was Premiere Recordings…
Allison Franzetti: Which that label doesn't exist anymore. But that was influenced by Carlos, and it was all Argentine and Brazilian composers. Ginastera,Guarnieri…
Carlos Franzetti: That's the other one. Villa-Lobos, I don't remember. But you have Franzetti. I had Guastavino. And we met Guastavino. He was in his late 80s, and we met him in Argentina. Wonderful man.
Allison Franzetti: And then we have another project that we're going to release soon too.
Carlos Franzetti: Well, this is this is a tango collection, and it's called in Spanish ‘a orillas del Hudson,’ which means in the banks of the Hudson River, and had to do with the Rio de la Plata and Rio Celo, all those. The river is mystic, you know. It's poetic. It goes. It flows. It's musical. So I thought about all the tangos that our names are called: Nieblas del Rio Celo, Rio de la Plata, and so on. So, so I said, tangos can be also created our regions del Hudson in the banks of the Hudson.
Hear more from Allison and Carlos Franzetti tomorrow on Momentos Musicales.
