Cues and resonances 
The music world is often contaminated by deception. Other fields are not immune, it goes without saying, but it is in the music world that is often difficult to distinguish a valid artistic proposal from a bluff, especially in areas where the 'ipse dixit
is preferred to a solid preparation and a minimum good taste. The important thing is that the business functions, of course.
So we are faced with people who talk about music without knowing what he's talking about, and unfortunately at very high levels. Example: One of the saddest consequences of the death of Enzo Siciliano was to award the section dedicated to new recordings of "music classica" su Venerdì di Repubblica a un noto critico d'arte, pur eccellente nel suo campo, che per anni ha sfornato pezzi insipidi e fumosi prima di acquisire una certa tecnica che ora gli consente di scrivere recensioni dignitose. Ma pazienza. La musica è una cosa, tutto il resto è letteratura, diceva Verlaine.
La cosa comincia a farsi seria quando si scende nel campo della pratica musicale. Porto un altro esempio per chiarire subito il discorso: Giovanni Allevi, musicista pop trasformato da chi gestisce la sua immagine in una icona musicale irripetibile. Il sillogismo funziona: Allevi suona gradevoli canzonette sul pianoforte e siccome le suona sul pianoforte e ha due diplomi di conservatorio allora è un musicista ""classico"" e le sue canzonette sono musica ""classica"". Le canzonette sono orecchiabili e tutti le ascoltano volentieri, allora Allevi ha reso finalmente la musica ""classica"" alla portata di tutti. Perchè? Perchè la gente vuol ascoltare con il cuore e Allevi sa emozionare e non è freddo e distaccato come tutti quei vecchi tromboni che suonano roba strana con il frack e le scarpe di vernice etc etc (infatti sta bene attento a non togliersi mai le All Stars ).
E funziona. Eccome, se funziona. Condiamo il tutto presentando il prodotto da vendere secondo ai clichés del musicista puro e svagato, e il gioco è fatto. Per la Repubblica Italiana il referente del mondo musicale nell'immaginario collective is relieved and then it is called to play in the Senate, to direct Puccini, the national anthem, etc..
The problem is that such stereotypes began to spread everywhere, even where one would expect rigor and quality. Browsing a piecemeal, I came across last album Hélène Grimaud, the wonderful French pianist known for his passion for wolves ("The Wolves are a way for music "...) and an artistic genius and all recklessness, immortalized in his autobiographical books.
Grimaud now has an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and it is significant of how glorious the label has changed its trade policies in just the last few years concentrating often publications more about the artists on the music.
Grimaud's latest album, in fact, is titled Resonances and solemnly defined as a "journey to the interior, and the outer limits." With a title like that thing will sound, Schumann? No, the program includes, in the order of performance, Sonata K 310 by Mozart, Alban Berg's Sonata, the Liszt Sonata in B minor, the Bartok Romanian Folk Dances. In the presentation of the CD
Grimaud is quick to point out that the choice of songs was made in accordance with a juxtaposition that would be able to uncover cryptic and unusual ties between them. That is, if you play Mozart beside Berg, listening to Mozart in a different way and even Berg. It 'true. This is a nice find, let's face it. It does not matter if it merges into a single pot a lot of stuff other than making us lose the gems that make each unique author. But who cares? We are looking for emotions. Not what you satisfies the heart and mind together. No, we are looking for the drama and adrenaline. The emphatic phrasing and grossier Grimaud reminds us at every stop.
Since then, there is also some pedantic around which these arguments might seem a bit 'flimsy, Grimaud also states that the program is a kind of ideal trip in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Too bad the sonata K 310 was written in Paris, the Sonata in Weimar in B minor (Liszt was more for a few cosmopolitan) and Bartok in 1916 with the Habsburg Empire had become almost as much in common, the same year, a South Tyrol with a Roman. Fulcrum, according to the design of Grimaud, Berg is the only company in Vienna, but now turn to other worlds.
pity for these unfortunate "sticks." It does not take a degree or a diploma from the conservatory to enjoy the music. But to deceive the listener, handle his emotions, his vision of music and musicians is not only ethically questionable but it takes away the pleasure of discovering subtleties and differences, to listen with great interest what is 'other' from us in all its authentic resonance.
*
