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James:
How do you feel about the importance of technique in your
growth as a musician?
Angel:
I feel you have to have a good technique from the beginning,
and then be able to maintain it and to grow. Technique is
not everything. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about technique,
but what I really prize is growing into musicianship. That
is where it is at. To just knock out pieces technically is
all very wonderful, but when you can touch people other than
through their admiration of how fast you can move, you rise
above the technique making real music. When you have a lot
of technique, it is sometimes more difficult to control; to
play slowly than to play fast. It is very true.
James:
There are some guitarists whom I may consider only mechanics
who are only going through the motions of a musical performance.
What is your reaction to this?
Angel:
I do not get too much involved in the guitar world because
it distracts me from the world of greater value, the music
world. There is very little in the guitar world that has to
do with music these days. The guitar is a vehicle like anything
else, but there must be a destination. It is like the admiration
of a train. Its destination is what enhances meaning. Technique
is as superficial as beautiful colors on canvas. What do the
colors really mean?
James:
On an average day how do you absorb yourself into this music
world?
Angel:
Today, for instance, I did not practice. In fact yesterday
I did not practice either for one reason. If I do not know
by now how to play, it is too late. I spent the whole day
driving up here listening to Horowitz on casette performing
Chopin. He had me almost in tears. The guitar is much too
small for what I have inside.
Eve: Who are
some of your favorite composers?
Angel: My favorite composers are Bruckner, Mahler,
Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin, Schubert. Unfortunately,
they don't write for the guitar, but the guitar has parallels
to these great musicians.
James:
What composers for the guitar would you consider great?
Angel:
There have been some great compositions written by Giuliani
and Sor. But, the major larger works have been disregarded.
The largest they have gotten is perhaps the Theme and Variations
by Sor which I played tonight as a warm up piece. The Rossinianes
by Giuliani are maguificently written, but recordings of these
have proven alot of disrespect for the composer. One colleague
of mine recorded one Rossiniane Op. 119 in this manner. Checking
my facsimile edition of this work, I was shocked that what
was in the recording and what was in the music were completely
different. The middle section of the most difficult part was
dropped out and the simple march from the Rossiniane Op. 122
was inserted into its place. After he got tired of playing
that, he went back to Rossiniane Op. 119 in the middle of
a motif as if he were playing in a night club. At the last
page, he omitted everything until the very last bars. This
is as obscene and as ridiculous as some conductor taking Beethoven's
Symphony No. 5 and inserting half of the chorus of the 9th
Symphony in place of the second movement.
James:
Have the Rossiniane been recorded in their complete form?
Angel:
Yes. After hearing this other recording, I was very motivated
in two weeks time to go to the Capital Tower and record the
2 Rossinianes, Op. 119 and Op. 122 back to back so people
could hear where each part goes as Giuliani intended. I don't
feel half the man to credit myself the power to alter the
work of Giuliani, a genius of that stature.
James:
What of the music of Bach? How do you feel it has been treated
by guitarists?
Angel:
In the same manner. The guitar has been put into a sphere
in which any kind of liberty was taken because it was accepted,
and it was accepted because it was the only thing available.
I want to show that there is something more available.
Eve: Do you feel your father was your greatest influence?
Angel:
Absolutely! My father started this whole thing. When my father
was 15, he could play circles around any one because he developed
a technique that was very legitimate. Why should there be
a recording of someone who hits 3/4 of the notes and calls
himself a virtuoso? Why should this be? The word virtuoso
is for someone who has virtue. Someone capable of doing something
extremely well.
Eve:
Other than your father, who has been an influence?
Angel:
No one in the guitar world. In music there have been all sorts
of influences.
James:
What do you feel about the new composers? Would you want to
play these new compositions?
Angel:
Well, I have a great association with Torroba. He is a dear,
dear friend of mine. But these compositions of, for instance,
a mirror breaking or a toilet flushing, no.
James
:I feel there is alot of music which has been untouched.
Angel:
Yes, exactly. I plan to record all of the complete works.
Why should all of the major works be dead? And all these little
nothings be the repertoire of the guitar? This is absurd.
My whole family is in this campaign. Pepe has already recorded
all of the Giuliani concertos. It is refreshing to see what
Giuliani wrote. And they are every bit as good as Beethoven's
works or anything. They are deep and fabulous.
James:
There are some good guitarists who are not technically strong
or fast enough to be normally considered a virtuoso.
Angel:
I have every bit of respect for guitarists who are not real
fast on the instrument. It is only when one pretends that
they are more than they are. If they stay within their limitations,
I have respect. Compare it to a chess championship.
I ask, "Are you a chess master?" -- "Oh, yes. I am a chess
master." -- "And you, are you a chess master?" -- "Okay, you
all sit here and I will play against all of you and see who
are the chess masters.
If you could compare this to the complete structure that has
been built for a guitar virtuoso, you will see that they would
all crumble to the floor.
"Oh, you check mate me in three moves." "Well, please erase
chess master from your vocabulary. On to the next one."
James:
The guitar is not considered as a serious instrument to most
musicians. Do you agree with this?
Angel: I think
the guitar now is going into its golden year. I am very pleased
that there are very fine guitarists these days who are more
aware. And without saying anything falsely, we, the Romeros,
have started the movement.
Nico:
What do you look for? What are usually the problems of the
student?
Angel:
Most students have the wrong conception. They are all fascinated
by speed. The first thing I hear when I arrive at a master
class is, "How can I get as fast as you?" I am religious enough
to know that there has to be something more than our own chests
sticking out. Obviously there has to be some kind of gift.
It is like going to Einstein and asking, "Excuse me. How can
I do something like split-ring an atom?" You have to have
a basic genius. How can somebody walk up to Schuinan or Mozart
and ask, "How can I compose like you?"
Nico:
If a student comes up to you and asks how they can play as
fast as you, what do you say?
Angel:
I can only tell them what I do, but I cannot tell them what
God did. I do not know what He did. I only know my part of
it. But my part may not be it. I am a constant slave of my
talent and the worst thing I can do is mistreat it. It is
like gold or silver. If I do not keep it polished, it will
tamish.
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issue n.5
fter
a brilliant performance of the guitar virtuoso,
Angel Romero at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, we
settled down for a pleasant dinner. Though frequently
associated with the Romero Quartet, presented
here are the experiences and opinions of the widely
acclaimed guitarist as a soloist, including insights
on technique and the future of the guitar. 