Daniele di Bonaventura – It's also important for me to have fun when I play

Already on July 4, an Italian bandoneonist Daniele di Bonaventura will perform it the Riga Cathedral garden at the Rīgas Ritmi Festival, whose passionate performance has moved listeners in many countries around the world. In the project Tango Suite he will play with Latvian chamber orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga.

 

In the Tango Suite program, Daniele's arrangements of the compositions of tango legends – Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Gardel – will be heard, as well as the music composed by di Bonaventura himself, which is considered one of the highest points in his musically saturated and versatile career. We contacted Daniel before coming to Riga.

 

What do you feel more like – a composer, an arranger, a pianist or a bandoneonist?

I feel like an artist, a composer then an interpreter.

 

Frames of one style seem way too narrow for you. Where did the desire to always look for something new in music come from?

I have never liked boundaries in any area. The artist must be curious and must try to experiment in many areas. If I'm bored it's the end, it's also important for me to have fun when I play.

 

The most popular style for you is probably tango, with which program you will also perform at the Rīgas Ritmi Festival. What exactly attracts you to tango music?

I also like folklore, not just tango. I am attracted to tango by the energy it releases, the rhythm, the strength, but at the same time the nostalgia and melancholy that emanates in every part of it.

 

In Riga, you will conduct our chamber orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga yourself. What are the challenges of working with professionals from other countries and is this a common practice?

I can't wait to play with your orchestra. The experience with foreign orchestras is always very exciting because you discover new ways of thinking about music, the sound of an orchestra like yours is certainly different from the sound of an Italian orchestra. You have a great tradition too. And then it's not every day that we get to take these projects outside of Italy. I am very happy to present it in Riga.

 

Which genre of art do you like the most, both as a composer and as a consumer of culture?

I am very passionate about contemporary dance. I like the arts that go beyond the rational. Dance is abstract like music.

 

Will you keep your broad perspective on music and its interaction with other art forms in the future, or could your love of tango take over?

Absolutely yes. I have many interests and many different projects ranging from jazz to world music, from classical music to contemporary music, from folklore to modern music. Tango represents a part of my activity as a composer and bandoneonist. I like change so I never get tired.

 

You are interested in global music. Maybe we can expect some interpretations of Latvian folk music from you?

Yes, I'm very interested in the music of other cultures and other countries, maybe I'll surprise you!

 

What is your routine as a touring musician? What is the most important thing to always be able to give a great concert?

When I'm on tour I'm very curious to see the city, its monuments, churches, museums, I'd like to go inside but unfortunately we're always in a hurry and there's little time to visit the cities that host you. To have a big concert it is important to find a good promoter on site who makes you feel good, for me it is very important to eat and drink well, after all I am an Italian!

 

What can festival visitors expect from the Tango Suite evening? Preferable to listen to Astor Piazzolla's albums or just come with an open mind?

Absolutely not! They shouldn't listen to Astor Piazzolla's records. This is an original project with arrangements written by me and very different from the writing of Piazzolla and Gardel. They have to keep their minds as open as possible without expecting this or that famous song. This is an original work of mine dedicated to tango. I will play a suite dedicated to Carlos Gardel, another to Astor Piazzolla and one of my original suites.

 

Interviewed by music journalist Kaspars Zaviļeiskis