Naples and the Anniversary of the Death of Giuliani

Today Robin is in Naples.
He has been a number of times before and always seems to have some sort of adventure, as you can read here on the post 'Navigating Naples and the Tale of the Mandolin.'

But today isn't as much an adventure but more a time of reflection.
181 years ago, this very day, Mauro Giuliani died in Naples at the age of 48.
The Italian guitarist and composer has played a huge part in Robin's life, and that of all classical guitarists world wide.
I have written about him before in the post, 'The Divine Giuliani - Beethoven'
It somehow seems fitting, that by coincidence, Robin is there today.

However, Naples has a strong musical history, Ferdinando Carulli was born there, Rossini spent some of his early career as musical director of the Teatro Del Fondo in Naples, where he was commissioned to compose one opera a year, and Paganini is known to have been at various points in his career.

It is somehow comforting to know these incredible musicians have walked these very streets:



Naples is also the location of one of the most active volcanoes, Mount Vesuvius. It last erupted in 1944, but is constantly monitored, so that anyone living in 'the red zone' can be moved to safety if any changes are detected.
Hopefully that won't be today as here is the enormous ship 'Eurodam' with the mighty Vesuvius in the background:



However it was this picture that really made me nervous:



As always on his travels Robin somehow manages to find a music shop.
This one specialises in mandolins plus the rather unusual Italian guitar.
I can relax though as I have been assured that it has remained firmly on the top shelf.

Snow Patrol and Joaquin Rodrigo

The life of a musician is anything but ordinary.
Robin has been home for a few days now, after three weeks away.
As you can imagine, there are always a great many things for him to deal with on his return.
The success of our MySpace page has already put us in contact with many interesting, and accomplished musicians, some of whom have been forwarding music for Robin to listen to.
I'm currently trying to find a slot of time to sit him down and play him the various mp3's which have arrived from hopeful composers.

But he has to make time for his family.
Three weeks away from home is a particularly long time for young children.
In Robin's absence I have been aided in distracting them by many end of term activities.
There seem to have been an endless stream of parties over every weekend.
So, on Sunday, I casually pointed out to Robin that he may like to take our youngest son to a 'snow party' later that day.
He willingly agreed, it would be an ideal opportunity to spend some time with the little chap.
As I left the music room I then added, "Oh, yes, you'll be taking the twins too, OK," and beat a hasty retreat.

I must say I was a little anxious about this expedition.
Robin doesn't really 'do' snow. It's cold and his hands don't like cold.
However, he'd agreed, and I needed a break.
All credit to him, he had a great time, his three charges all had a great time, and I enjoyed a couple of hours of child free calm.

But the exciting thing about living with a musician is that everything can change with just one 'phone call.
I returned from yet another party to hear Robin practising Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez'. This is a fabulous piece, and one I am very familiar with.
However I wasn't expecting Robin to be playing it.
I shall have to get used to it though, as he has been asked to play the concierto next year.
The last time he performed it was with the Liverpool Philharmonic and rehearsal at home was so intense that our son used to sing the theme to himself to get to sleep at night!
So, if there are any orcheatras out there that want to put on the 'Concierto de Aranjuez' sometime after March next year, now is the time to get in touch.

Variations on a Theme?

Can you identify this piece of music?

It's fortunate Robin plays from memory as this is what he discovered when looking through the final page of some music...



It appears that we have a budding composer in the family who felt that the original required a little something extra.
I suspect son number two is involved and I'm quite impressed that, at the age of 4, he appears to have grasped the concept of triplets!

Musicality and the Nature/Nurture Debate

It's the old nature/nurture debate.
Is musicality inherited or environmental?
Well, before we go any further, I haven't got all the answers...
However, in our not so random sample of 2 small children, there have already been some discoveries.
When son number one was a mere 8 years old, Robin was playing chords on the piano, and explaining major and minor to him.
In a moment of madness, Robin then said that if he could identify 10 chords correctly, in a row, then he would buy him a playstation game.
Robin felt sure his money was safe.

Not the case.
The tension mounted to unbelievable levels as son number one rattled through the answers, getting them all correct.
By the time we were on number 9, son number one could barely remain seated, and was almost passing out with excitement.
He got the 10th one right, and Robin's pocket, was considerably poorer.
But it wasn't all about the game.
Both son and parents were shocked at the speed that he had picked up the concept, and, to this day, continues to identify major and minor accurately.

But, is this just a skill that he learnt, albeit very quickly, or have some musical genes been passed down through Robin?
I suspect there's an element of both at play here.
The exposure our children have to all forms of music is probably much higher than most.
Even before birth they both got very excited at the sound of the piano. Whether the sound waves of the piano transverse the uterus more happily than those of the guitar, I wouldn't know.
But it's interesting.

Both boys have an excellent sense of rhythm and a substantial knowledge about music and composers.
The reason I have been thinking about this today, is that son number one came running out of school yesterday, brandishing a piece of paper and beaming from ear to ear.
The project in his music class had been to find out, and write up, all about a composer.
He chose Robin Hill, his dad....
I must say he did an excellent job, and visited this site three times, gathering information!
He was also very proud when all his school friends decided to 'Google' 'Robin Hill Guitar' and found that there are in fact many references to him.

Whether he, or son number two, will go on to be involved in music, remains to be seen.
It can be hard being the son of a musician, so much more is expected of you at the school concert, than the other children.
We, therefore, haven't forced the issue in any way.
We do however have some excellent footage of him conducting at a very young age, maybe 3 years old, and his timing is impeccable.
So, watch this space.....

The Frustrations of a Modern Day Composer

Robin put his new pieces on a disc yesterday and we sat back and listened.
For him this is a frustrating process, as what you hear from any computer generated programme, is not as it sounds in his head.
Sibelius is a fantastic tool, and the orchestral sounds are pretty realistic, but nothing can replace real musicians.
An orchestra brings a piece to life, and allows it to breathe at the appropriate moments, interpreting the composers intention under the guidance of a skilled conductor.
But as we have neither orchestra or conductor stashed away under the stairs, for now, we'll have to make do.
However, today, Robin did have a play around with the programme, and managed to add more expression, so we are another step nearer to what he is trying to achieve.
It did prompt a discussion on the advantage/disadvantage modern composers have compared to their predecessors.
Until recently the technology just wasn't available for them to hear their scores played back.
For me as the non-musician, I felt it must make life easier for the modern day composer.
Robin, as the musician, wasn't as sure. It certainly is nice to hear your work, but, he already knows in his own mind what it is going to sound like, and until that is achieved by real orchestral musicians, he will always be disappointed.
However, as Frank Zappa once said, even when your music is recorded by a real orchestra, there will still always be parts you're not happy with.
I guess that for musicians, as they evolve, so does their music. It's part of the artistic process.