Musician : Sébastien Authemayou (bandonion)

 

JULY 11, 2024

National Bandoneon Day in Argentina celebrated every year since 2005 in tribute to Anibal "Pichuco" Troilo born on July 11, 1914 in Buenos Aires.

 

In the troubled times we have been going through for several years now, and after long months of reflection, questioning, introspection, and doubts, I still cannot bring myself to accept, without acting, with my arms crossed, the decay of our society and particularly that of our cultural sector which every day offers us its share of "marketing products" in which it is too often difficult to extract a real artistic meaning, a philosophical depth or to understand the poetic content.

 

This discographic project "SOLO" is part of an approach of openness, of proposing the diffusion of a singular image of the bandoneon, authentic, curious and personal, without borders as we like to do so much with our duo Intermezzo, far from the clichés, preconceived ideas and images widely conveyed recently on a national or international scale, watering us at will with an ever more unstructured and burlesque musical vision under the pretext of modernity and novelty.

 

In a cultural world that has become manifestly superficial, it therefore seems essential to me to continue my artistic research around the bandoneon - such a carnal and captivating instrument - and above all to share with you in all intimacy the fruit of my various works of composition, arrangement or transcription, and this, against the grain of the current morals too often driven by blind commercialism, pushing cultural actors ever more towards a "bling bling flashy" careerism in order to access a supposed television recognition, grail and gateway to a spiral of "glory" that is mostly unhealthy and ephemeral. It seems to me that this is neither the essential nor the heart of a philosophically serious, honest and respectful artistic approach. Because unless you are a star of streaming platforms with millions of views offering a "tangorap" or a "poptango", you can well imagine that a solo bandoneon record has no chance of being selected to participate in the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games... or even of seeing a bandoneonist brandish the flame or light the emblematic cauldron in Marseille, Paris or elsewhere.

 

But "life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain [...] so it is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult". Seneca

 

It was therefore necessary to dare this stripping bare, this technical, musical and artistic challenge because few bandoneonists take on such projects, alone. It is indeed much more comfortable to be able to count on your favorite pianist or on a substantial instrumental ensemble, a guarantee of a solid rhythmic and harmonic foundation allowing you to express yourself in complete freedom. The introspections mentioned above are undoubtedly at the origin of this record, which will have allowed me to reach a new milestone in my relationship with my instrument and in the permanent search for artistic freedom, inherent in its functioning and its history, but so difficult to channel when we play alone.

 

The musical program recorded here is then constructed as a tribute to the bandoneon and some of its most emblematic ambassadors, virtuosos of this "fueye" who left Germany to conquer Argentina at the end of the second half of the 19th century and became the single-handed cultural spokesperson for an entire country and its essential musical genre: tango! Moreover, legend has it that the bandoneon arrived in Argentina around 1870 in the suitcase of an Irish sailor who exchanged it at the port of Buenos Aires for a bottle of whiskey... The choice of the traditional Irish theme "Danny boy" to conclude this program was then an obvious one, a nod to this legend, which has of course never been verified but which adds a hint of magic and mischief to the already epic story of this little "emotion box". So yes, the bandoneon and tango are obviously inseparable, forever linked in a total fusion. It is indisputable. But let’s not forget that this small portable organ with multiple polyphonic virtues made its debut as a substitute liturgical instrument in churches or processions in mid-19th century Germany. Its possibilities are therefore rich and very varied, which is why Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Zipoli, Bill Evans, Harold Arlen and Duke Ellington are part of this musical journey alongside Albert Hamann, Astor Piazzolla and the fabulous composer Saúl Cosentino who did me the honour of allowing me to arrange two of his works for the bandoneon alone, something that had never been done before. The spirit of Buenos Aires is of course evident in the background with “el tigre” Arolas, “el gordo” Troilo to which “el gato” Piazzolla dedicated his Suite Troileana and whose Bandoneon theme constitutes the first movement. This "espritu" of Buenos Aires is also improvisation, free creation and artistic expression that embellishes some of the titles of this album in homage to the maestros Leopoldo Federico, Juan José Mosalini, Rubén Juárez or Albert Hamann with whom I had the chance to study the bandoneon more than 25 years ago. The list could have been much longer as there is no shortage of virtuosos - Pedro Laurenz, Pedro Maffia, Osvaldo Fresedo, Julio Oscar Pane, Roberto Di Filippo... - but I preferred to favor eclecticism by broadening the field of possibilities to unexpected composers, from varied periods and aesthetics. Finally, passionate about Argentina and its culture, it was also important for me to pay tribute to this country with a personal composition dedicated to its famous "tren de las nubes", the cloud train inaugurated in 1924 from Salta station, almost connecting the border with Chile. Its arrival at 4,220 meters above sea level near the spectacular Polvorilla viaduct and about ten kilometers from San Antonio de los Cobres makes it one of the highest railway circuits in the world on a route where the landscapes and other panoramas are all more breathtakingly beautiful than the others, enough to take us away from it all, even from a distance! Convinced that it is more than necessary to continue the dissemination of sincere artistic and cultural proposals, it is in any case in this sense that I have put all my heart into this project and wish you an excellent discovery of this repertoire with as much love and joy as I had in recording it.

"I think like the Ancient Greeks. Music, art, have an essential metaphysical dimension. They help to form character, contribute to forming better men." Monique Deschaussées, concert pianist and international pedagogue.

 

Musically.

 

Sébastien Authemayou

 

 

THANK YOU! For the realization of this solitary adventure, I extend my most sincere thanks to my family, especially to my wife and my daughter, for their unwavering support and their listening.

Thanks also to Ben for his friendship and for allowing me to carry out this project on a technical level while introducing me to squash!

To Daniel Campos for our always rich and exciting exchanges y por la amistad y conexión con Monique.

To Stéphane Albertini SGS Multimédia for his more than precious support.

To Débora Zannis for the tuning, the harmonization and the adjustments of my bandoneon, which even after several months of playing has always remained stable and docile!

Thanks to Claude for his feedback and his encouragement.

Many thanks to Saúl Cosentino, Roberto Aussel and Chantal Stigliani for their trust, their friendship, their encouragement and their advice.

To Frédéric Finand, who without really knowing it, taught me so much, because observing a master is obviously very enriching and always very inspiring!

To my grandmother Marcelle, known as "Guiguite", whose star has been shining on us since April 6th.

And to my mustachioed pilot fish - a model whose dazzling royalty lights up the cover of this album - who once again brilliantly ensured the artistic direction of this album in exchange for a few walks, caresses, lively discussions, kibble and other delicacies!

 

Even if done "SOLO", this project carries each of you within it.