Back to the Amazon

As you know, prior to Christmas, Robin was in South America.
It's actually the second time this year that he has ventured up the Amazon, here's the post I wrote last time:
'Arrival in the Amazon, Caruso and Fitzcarraldo'

Before Crystal Symphony set sail there was a couple of days to enjoy Manaus, Brazil, especially as Robin had 9 days before his first concert...

Here you can see the famous Opera House and beautifully decorated tree:





A trip to the fish market highlighted the many different fish available when shopping in the Amazon, Robin was however quite pleased to be recovering from a cold and therefore had a reduced sense of smell...




It was in the tiny village of Boca de Valeria that one really sensed they had arrived in the Amazon:



This is a typical village house:



A local tradition for recycling involves old Kayaks. Put to good use growing flowers and herbs:




It was a particularly long trip, especially for 2 concerts, but both were received enthusiastically with standing ovations.
Appropriately Robin played lots of South American music, featuring composers such as Federico Bustamente, Dilermando Reis, Pernambuco and Heitor Villa-Lobos.



Robin kept busy though with lots of practice and plenty of table tennis although he declined to try piranha fishing.
Not being a fisherman, I think it was a wise choice, his fingers are rather important to him....

There were plenty of concerns about getting home for Christmas.
First British Airways threatening to strike. And as soon as this situation resolved, the weather changed.
Severe snow hit the UK.
Robin left Buenos Aires, Argentina, for Heathrow without any problems, and 15 hours later arrived to find his connecting flight cancelled.
Eventually a coach was supplied and a travel weary musician slowly made his way home.

At least it gave the rest of us time to make this little fellow for him:

From 'Tango en skai' to the 'Enigma Variations'.

I can now reveal to you one of the pieces that Robin started working on yesterday.
It's 'Tango en skai', composed by Roland Dyens in 1978, and published in 1985.
Coincidentally, a comment was left on our YouTube site, by someone calling themselves, 'EnSkai', from Singapore, only yesterday.
I know that Robin has made huge progress with the piece, as he is now playing it right the way through, and, in fact, is doing so from memory.
This I can prove, as I have the music in front of me, in order to read the composer's notes, and Robin, continues to play in the music room.

The piece is a Tango, and as Dyens states, "The tango is a sensual, even erotic dance of the underworld, whose rhythm, by definition, must be constant from the opening harmonic to the final chord".

One criticism Dyen's has of the many performances and recordings that he has heard, is that they are, "dominated by an extremely classical, 'bow tie and tails' approach, accompanied by streams of misplaced rubatos and, all too often, strategically positioned rallentandos".

He helpfully suggests that, "instead of the elegant, manicured approach, it would be more appropriate to lose one's soul in the rough criminal suburbs of Buenos Aires".
Dyens also, generously states, that if some extra, unwritten notes should stray uninvited into this tango, that he would welcome them with open arms.

With all this in mind, Robin picked up his guitar, and set to work.
This type of piece is an excellent example of the benefits of not coming solely from a classical background.
Having played electric guitar for many years, with some incredible bands, and as a well respected session musician, Robin has the advantage of being a very 'loose', and relaxed player.
It's certainly helping him here, especially as it isn't an easy piece to play.
I think it may even find its way onto the next CD if we ever resolve the microphone issue.

For the last in the series of 'Elgar week', Geoffrey Norris examines the mystery of the 'Enigma Variations', with this fascinating article, 'Puzzle or publicity stunt?'
It makes you want to don your deerstalker and try to unravel the mystery...