|
The producers
Llorenç Caballero
TRITÓ
The TRITÓ catalogue
“In its classical music Spain has been undergoing a major transformation over the last thirty years, not just in the range of quality of its composers, but in the building of auditorios across the autonomous regions (often with extremely fine acoustics) and the development of orchestras and conservatories in those regions too.” So says Llorenç Caballero, the Director of Tritó. And he could go on to add the rise of imaginative and enterprising record labels pitting their wits against entrenched views about who is capable of making good recordings and how to sell them in today’s age.
“It all began in 1988 with the Orquestra de Cadaqués, an orchestra formed from musicians coming from all over Europe, who met at the Festival de Música in the Girona town and for whom a project – Tritó – was formulated to continue their enthusiasm and creativity”, continues Ester Roca, the General Coordinator of the company. Three years later the publishing house of Tritó came into being (and there are now approaching 8000 scores in its catalogue) whilst in 1996 the first recording appeared: Arriaga’s Symphony in D minor conducted by the iconic figure of the Lincoln-born Neville Marriner, a title now recently restored to the label’s catalogue. All three operations aim at the same objectives and the same interest: exacting musical and editorial standards, creating new works and recuperating Spanish musical patrimony (whether it has been forgotten or mistreated).
Caballero oversees a continual process of correcting by the Tritó team in its editorial work prior to publication, typical of publishing houses but especially important for a record label whose repertoire base occupies largely unchartered musical territory. No doubt, the intricate Gothic traceries outside Barcelona’s Cathedral visible from the company’s offices – which house label, publisher and orchestral administration – add a constant reminder about those exacting standards. “Everything here is seen through the prism of quality: musical quality in the scores, in the performances and the presentation”, says Caballero, adding that “the work of the publishing house is very much involved in the selection of the best works by the best composers that we may go on to record, carried out with the assistance of specialists from across Spain. For example, we recently made the fist recording Albéniz’s Poèmes d’amour (with Isabelle Bres, rapsoda, and conducted by Vasily Petrenko) in an edition prepared by José de Eusebio, a noted specialist in this area. And we coupled it with the same composer’s Evocación, Triana and Lavapiés, newly orchestrated by Jesús Rueda.
This Albéniz recording is a good example of Tritó’s policy in the area of recuperating the patrimony: “Spanish repertoire that either hasn’t been recorded before or which we consider has yet to receive a suitably good recording”, according to Caballero. Likewise the label’s 1997 release of Granados’ Goyescas (with Gianandrea Noseda conducting the Orquestra de Cadaqués), which involved Albert Guinovart returning to the original manuscripts to make a series of corrections to the opera’s orchestration.
“The work of Tritó in editing and recording contemporary Spanish repertoire allows for foreign conductors to become more acquainted with such work and for our orchestras to export that music when they play abroad” comments Caballero and Tritó is indeed supporting the apuesta por la música actual through its efforts on behalf of a range of new compositorial voices such as David del Puerto, Jesús Torres, Jesús Rueda, Hector Parra Santiago Lanchares or Benet Casablancas.
As much as Tritó is endeavouring to promote the best in Spanish music, present and past, room is also found on the label for universal repertoire as performed by representatives of the developing Spanish orchestral community. “There needs to be a broader level of administrative and institutional support for Spanish orchestras”, says Roca. “Foreign orchestras when they visit Spain typically perform universal repertoire but the expectation with Spanish orchestras travelling abroad is that they will play Spanish music programmes, when their inclinations can also embrace the universal. Curiously, Gianandrea Noseda tells us that one of the factors that most persuaded the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester, England to take him on as their Chief Conductor was his recording on Tritó with the Orquestra de Cadaqués of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony.” Caballero is of the same view. “We have to make use of the international channels with our recordings – to measure up against the best of the European orchestras with the best European music.”
Clearly this is also a means – as is Tritó’s active website – of promoting the company’s activities abroad. “The fact many of the conductors on our recordings are international figures of renown means that people in other countries can get to know our recordings, above all music lovers who are looking for CDs by Neville Marriner or Gianadrea Noseda”, Caballero adds.
Another important musical direction for Tritó is the development of a line of recordings aimed at children. Caballero takes up the story. “We have, of course, to be producing recordings of quality but aim at offering recordings which allow children to begin their interest in classical music through tales. Originally we made these recordings only with Catalan narration (using prestigious actors from TV3 in Catalonia) but we are now expanding this line to include narration also in Spanish (with actors connected with Spanish film, such as Javier Cámara).” Roca says, “It seems that stories such as Poulenc’s Historia de Babar or Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf are readily available in all European households but here the reaction is still ‘Wow, what music so contemporary! We are not only making straightforward audio recordings of these works (which also include more contemporary offerings such as Xavier Benguerel’s 7 Faules de Jean de La Fontaine and Salvador Brotons’ Liliana to words by Apel.les Mestres), but we are also developing animations which includes a visual component, something which is always important for engaging the interest of children.”
©
2007 Diverdi, s.l.
Artículo de Mark Wiggins traducido por Carlos Céster
Todos los derechos reservados
Prohibida su reproducción total o parcial
|
|