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With more and more musicians creating than ever, what does this mean for you as an artist in terms of originality? What are some of the areas where you currently see the greatest potential for originality and who are some of the artists and communities that you find inspiring in this regard?

I am quite liberal in my views, and I believe profoundly that – to varying degrees, perhaps – we are all original. I think that if one plays honestly, there is originality for you! In recent years, the “industry” has gone a bit astray: we are bombarded with new prodigies all the time, there is a constant search for a gimmick, and sensationalism has taken over nearly every aspect of professional music making. The irony, of course, is that none of that has anything to do with music, but, hey, if that is the way they want it, let them have it so! Having said that, I thinkg that audiences are a little tired of all these shenanigans, and they instinctively recognise a sincere musician when they see it! For that reason, I believe that the future is bright: things will change for the better, I am sure of it!

For quite a long time, improvisation was an integral part of what we now refer to as 'classical music'. Over the course of the 20th century, there have been various attempts of reviving that tradition. How much room for improvisation is there within your own approach and how do you approach it?

I think that this is nothing more than what it was all these years ago: a fashion. In Beethoven's time, perhaps it was an adequate practice. But since Liszt and Paganini, the concept of a “concert” has changed considerably. I do not see a concert as a form of “entertainment”, but rather a shared experience of beauty that encompasses a wide range of emotions. I am at odds with the very concept of improvising – but this is nothing more than a personal opinion: if others want to do it, they are very welcome! With that said, as I do not “plan” my interpretations, sometimes I give the impression of excessive freedom while playing, for example, a Bach-Busoni transcription. A few years back, a British critic was very offended by it and called me a “terrorist of music”. Luckily, so far no-one has arrested me...

Recordings have always been a hotly debated subject in classical music. What are some of the quality criteria for a good recording from your perspective, what role can technology play and in which way will a recording even allow you to approach a piece from an entirely different perspective?

I often wonder if the recording industry is a sort of self-glorifying entity. I believe that recordings are important documents, if nothing else because they can capture a given interpretation for posterity. Of course, in our era they have become an essential tool of self-promotion, a parasitic industry has flourished alongside the honest toil of “having something to say” with a music programme, and the lines are blurred. Technology plays such a huge role that – using and perhaps abusing it – you can cheat, and give a completely false impression of somebody's playing! That, in my opinion, is very wrong. However, the thought that your recorded performance of a given work will, in the CD era, be practically indistructible can be a daunting one. You need a pinch of megalomania to be a professional performer, but there ought to be some limits to it! In the recording studio I try – just try, mind you – to be as spontaneous as on the concert platform, and sometimes it works. At other times, it is much harder. I am no machine, and “errare humanum est”. I just don't want to spend the rest of my life atoning said errors...

What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage?

A concert is not a lecture, and as a listener I want to be surprised. Over studied performances I cannot take. This feeling of spontaneity I seek in my colleagues and try, constantly, to give it to my audiences. Gian Francesco Malipiero said that without emotion there is nothing: he was right! Emotions, by definition, ought to be genuine. When I feel genuine emotions coming from the stage, I don't regret the price of the ticket!

As Charles Rosen put, “the death of classical music is perhaps its oldest continuing tradition”. From your perspective, what are some of the root issues for what is generally referred to as the “crisis of classical music” and what, to you, are sensible ideas for improving it?

Hehehe... Years ago somebody I knew wrote a book entitled “How to win the lottery”, which began with these words “If I knew, I wouldn't be here telling you...”. I am in the same position, I'm afraid. Although I was always full of admiration for Glenn Gould, I think he was fundamentally wrong when he prophetized the death of the recital: I think we will always want to listen to live music, and so what we perceive as “crisis” is perhaps just a profound metamorphosis. There is definitely too much lore associated with classical music, and it is no surprise that such a hefty slice of the population feels threatened by the mere thought of attending a concert.

Through my work, in my very small ways, I try to remedy this. I work upon building my audience, trying to create long-lasting affiliations. It is no mystery that if you know the person on stage you instinctively feel a deeper participation in the going ons... I think that this is very important in music, and thus I try to expand on this concept. Of course, it is impossible to have “friends” all over the world, or to cultivate audiences on a truly global scale, but I think it is also unnecessary! Tuscany alone has 220 historic theatres... that would be quite a tour already, don't you think?

What's your view on the role and function of music as well as the (e.g. political/social/creative) tasks of artists today - and how do you try to meet these goals in your work?

This one is easy! Great music makes the world a better place, and it is a huge privilege to be able to play a part in this process. After all, I just play the piano...

Reaching audiences usually involves reaching out to the press and possibly working with a PR company. What's your perspective on the promo system? In which way do music journalism and PR companies change the way music is perceived by the public?

I have no problems with it, of course! You can be the greatest musician on this planet, but if nobody knows about it, well, there is not much future in that! It is actually quite simple: the purpose of playing should be to share the music with those who will listen, and informing a potential audience of what is going on is quintessential. What preoccupies me greatly is the business trend: there are fewer and fewer opportunities, but the number of aspiring musicians is in constant growt. This is an industry that is bound to implode, sooner or later. Of course, because of these imbalances sometimes it could be difficult to gain recognition, space, opportunities, but this is nothing new: to varying degrees, it was always like that, and it will always be like that. To make it, you need also a good dose of luck! Despite all idealistic mantras, there is an invisible line that separates those on the stage from those in the audience: it is in the nature of things! From our perspective, we do all we can to bridge that gap, but after a given point it becomes illogical. Music criticism is a bit of a conundrum per se. I don't think that a string of great reviews is going to make your career, nor that a collection of bad ones is going to ruin you. Occasionally, you come across somebody special, and wonderful things can develop. Here in Italy, pianist/broadcaster Luca Ciammarughi is a treasure: not only he plays beautifully, often exploring the darkest folds of the repertoire, but he talks and writes about music with unmatched enthusiasm and profound understanding. In his case, I am not sure we can even talk about journalism; it is more of a communion of intents he creates with his audience, and it is quite wonderful to share in it!

Do you have a musical vision that you haven't been able to realise for technical or financial reasons – or an idea of what music itself could be beyond its current form?

Yes, of course! I would like to bring back good music to the small, historic opera houses of Italy. It is one of music's best kept secrets, and this is a shame! Politics have infiltrated every aspect of Italian society, and it is very difficult to do anything without a political affiliation (which, in turn, is something I quite abhor). But I am not giving up! Watch this space!

Find everything you ever wanted to know about Sandro Ivo Bartoli on his website.


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