"I am on
a new project. Because of time management issues in recent years due
to having a child, I've become more project based. When I sit down
to practice I have a very good idea of what it is I'll
be working at. I'm good at managing my time so, for example, I'll
plan precisely what I need to do in each piece down to the bar line!
Within a certain practice time. If I'm learning something new it's
useful to record myself, and I always try to to a mock performance as
well. If I'm playing Baroque repertoire, I may play to a
harpsichordist and exchange opinions. I met up with John Henry before
my Soler recording and enjoyed it tremendously. I'll play to
friends, I'll play to my husband. He's a very good pianist, I will
always play to him before I record or play live – he's very cheap!
He's usually my best critic, he doesn't have to beat around the
bush's because he knows me well and knows what I am trying and what
I can achieve. Usually I play from memory but in some projects I
choose to use the score. Recently I've been working with a
percussionist I haven't worked with for very long so I had some of
the music on stage. I'm about to launch a project that I've been
developing for a long time; juxtaposing Bach's inventions with
inventions by contemporary composers. It's very different to what t
I've been doing recently, focussing on new commissions of new music
inspired by popular genres for my Boosey & Hawkes books and also
for the corresponding CD's. I needed to do something different for
myself. Because I had limited practice time I wanted to have
something where the artistic expressive side of myself was nurtured
in a different way: I needed soul- food. I hadn't played Bach for a
long time. Where I come from people revere Bach to such an extent
that often they daren't play it. They are in awe, you know – he is
like God. So I had the idea of doing these inventions and then
showing people what contemporary composers think of Inventions, think
of the word “invention”. I'm including music that is not even an
invention, there's a prelude and also a fugue. So it's a very
abstract use of the term “invention” To invent is to think
'anew'.It's very interesting because the new inventions inform the
old, and the old inventions inform the new. Some people think they
don't like Bach, but when they hear the new pieces, they find they
actually understand Bach better. The new pieces allow them to think
about the old pieces in a different way. This connects with my other
recent work – where I've been showing how new , popular and early
music relate and can come together and meet. It all boils down to
relationships. As usual." (Elena Riu)
Elena Riu was born in Caracas and lives in London. She is Piano Professor at TrinityLaban. Her new project "Invention" will be performed at Sutton House on November 18th at 3pm. www.shms.org.uk
Elena Riu was born in Caracas and lives in London. She is Piano Professor at TrinityLaban. Her new project "Invention" will be performed at Sutton House on November 18th at 3pm. www.shms.org.uk
Connect with Elena
manager@elenariu.com
Elena Riu piano books :
http://www.boosey.com/shop/prod/Riu-Elena-Elena-Riu-s-R-B-Collection-Book-CD/2052075
http://www.schott-music.com/shop/1/1000505/show,235996.html
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