World-class figure

The Argentine pianist came to Santa Fe as part of a solo piano tour of the United States, Europe and Argentina that also took him to play at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York, with works by Mozart, Beethoven and Mendelssohn, as well as those by the American George Gershwin and the Argentine Dino Saluzzi. After reviewing that concert, El Litoral recalls his journey, from a promising young man to a benchmark of national academic music.

At 39, the artist combines the youthful spirit of his years as a “child prodigy” with the maturity of an artist who continues to study and seek new challenges. Photo: Courtesy of Eduardo Dolengiewich

On August 3, pianist Horacio Lavandera performed at the Teatro Municipal de Santa Fe, just over a year after his performance with Virginia Tola on June 30, 2023, under the title “Germany and Spain: great composers.”

This new concert was part of a solo piano tour of the United States, Europe and Argentina that also took him to play at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York and in Rochester, Minnesota (with two performances) where he opened with the children’s 12 Variations on “Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman” K.265 (300e), by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He told the audience about Mozart’s pain during his stay in France, in the winter when his mother fell ill and died. “In those very special circumstances (where he had no job, no money, no prospects) he listened to these popular French music and decided to make this piece (…) which ‘is like a smile through tears’.”

The first part was completed with his elegant and measured version (the work can open the door to the overflow of the interpreters) of the Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata”, in F minor, op. 57, by Ludwig Van Beethoven (Allegro assai, Andante con moto, Allegro ma non troppo – Presto). He highlighted it as “one of the most important sonatas in the entire history of the piano”, and spoke of the link that the composer established with “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, which has influenced tradition when addressing the identity of its characters.

Colors of one’s earth

The second, more eclectic part, opened with three pieces by the contemporary Argentine composer and master bandoneonist Dino Saluzzi (to whom he dedicated the album “Imágenes”, “one of the 20 best albums of 2015” according to Ted Gioia of the New York Times), which had its American premiere at Carnegie Hall: they were “La casa 13”, “Claveles” and “Donde nací”. He did not hesitate, in Santa Fe, to link Saluzzi’s work with that of Carlos Guastavino and Ariel Ramírez, recounting how he did the same with Andean music. “It is a very abstract language, a very personal path: the music you are going to hear is as important as the silences. It is a music of absolute introspection, he plays with different folkloric rhythms, with his childhood and with what he feels for Argentine music.

He returned to the European repertoire with Franz Schubert, with the “Moment Musicaux” D.780, op. 94 No. 3 in F minor (“a Russian, but also Austrian, air”) and the Impromptus D.899, op. 90: No. 1, Allegro molto moderato in C minor (inspired by Beethoven), and No. 2 Allegro in E flat (based on Austrian folklore, full of interpretative variations). The link is the ability to capture the sound of his homeland, in Schubert’s case, southern Germany.

He continued with “Variations sérieuses” in D minor, op 54 by Felix Mendelssohn: he stressed that his good position allowed him to access a comprehensive artistic education, and that his grandfather Moses was his contact with Hebrew religiosity, although he eventually converted to Christianity. In the work, he stressed the presence of intervals in Middle Eastern music and its development into Christian choral music.

He concluded with original improvisations on works by George Gershwin. Regarding the first piece, “Swanee,” he stressed that it is “as if it were for more hands,” because the composer re-recorded on pianola rolls. He also spoke of “Harlem Stride,” created by African Americans such as James P. Johnson and Fats Waller “when jazz was not called jazz”; with great difficulty, “because the left hand travels at an incredible speed and because African Americans wanted to invent a technique that whites could not play: Gershwin and I tried.” He went on to “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “S’ Wonderful / Funny Face” and “I Got Rhythm.”

As if that were not enough for some of the attendees, there were two encores: “Fine and dandy” by Kay Swift, in a version by Art Tatum, and a re-reading by Vladimir Horowitz of “The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa (National March of the United States by act of the Congress of that country, but “the march of Crónica TV” and a stadium song in our country).

Prodigy

Buenos Aires, December 1, 1984: Horacio Lavandera was born in a vibrant city full of musical history. He is a pianist who showed exceptional talent from his earliest years. The son of renowned percussionist José María Lavandera, a member of the Buenos Aires Tango Orchestra, Horacio seemed destined to leave his mark on the world of music.

Lavandera began his musical training at an early age, first with percussion lessons given by his father, and then, at the age of seven, with piano studies under the guidance of his great-aunt Marta Freigido, who trained at the prestigious school of Vicente (Vincenzo) Scaramuzza. He subsequently continued his training with Antonio de Raco, another disciple of Scaramuzza (and ancestor of the De Raco-Westerkamp-Tiempo-Lechner-Binder piano family), thus consolidating a technical and expressive foundation that would be crucial in his career.

In 2001, his life took a momentous turn when, at just 16 years old, he won the 3rd Umberto Micheli International Piano Competition, held at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan. This achievement made him the youngest competitor to win this prestigious competition and opened the doors to an international career. He was also awarded the Best Piano and Orchestral Performer by the Philharmonic Orchestra della Scala, a recognition that reaffirmed his talent and worldwide projection.

Repertoires

His career has taken him to perform on the most prestigious stages in the world, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Herkulessaal in Munich, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Lavandera has shared his art with audiences in America, Europe, and Asia, always standing out for his ability to interpret not only the great classical masters such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Rachmaninov, but also for his commitment to contemporary music. He has collaborated with composers of the stature of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mauricio Kagel, and Pierre Boulez, demonstrating his versatility and passion for musical innovation.

The international press has repeatedly praised his talent. From “the golden hands of a young prodigy” according to Marie-Aude Roux for Le Monde to “he brings Schubert to life” as noted by the Viennese magazine Klassik Begeistert, Horacio Lavandera has captivated audiences and critics alike. Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most influential composers of the 20th century, described him bluntly: “Your talent is given by God.”

In addition to his success in the field of interpretation, Lavandera has been a standard-bearer for the diffusion of classical music in Argentina and the world. His discography reflects this duality between the classical and the contemporary, with albums such as “Debut” (2000), “The Three Bs” (2005), and “Chopin” (2012), which earned him the Gardel Award for Best Classical Music Album in 2013.

His work has been recognized on several occasions. He was awarded the prize for best Argentine instrumental soloist in 2006 and 2008 by the Association of Musical Critics of Argentina and received the diploma of merit from the Konex Foundation. In 2014, the National University of Rosario named him Honorary Professor, in recognition of his contribution to culture and music. In 2015, he published “Imágenes, música para piano”, dedicated to the work of Dino Saluzzi.

Persistence and resilience

In 2017, in an interview with El Litoral, he said: “I created the ‘Nights of Music and Science’, I had some television programs where I linked current music with that of the past. To make an audience, to excite them and bring them closer to your art (…) If you take it as research, and of emotions, there is no limit. Beethoven spent his whole life until he created the Ninth Symphony, since he was old enough to reason. He created it and died years later. His life was at the service of music and emotion: he wanted to leave a message that all men are brothers. It is the most wonderful music in history. We have to live with those emotions, those of great artists who tried to take them to their maximum possibilities. With a lot of love and respect, thinking about the past and leaving a legacy.”

During the pandemic, he suffered the blow of his father’s death, at the same time that he ended up playing during isolation, at the request of those who connected to his lives, songs by Rage Against the Machine, Queen or Luis Miguel. He shared a long interview with Andrés Ciro Martínez on Instagram, although the link was previous: in 2019 he had shared with Ciro y Los Persas a performance of “Tan solo” by Los Piojos.

At the beginning of the quarantine, she decided to record all 33 of Beethoven’s “Diabelli Variations” Op. 120 on video, one per day, for her Instagram followers. “Every day of this recording was filled with hard news about Covid 19. Beethoven’s music helps me recover from this sad time,” she wrote when publishing the compilation.

Today, Horacio Lavandera continues to reside in Buenos Aires, his hometown, from where he continues to explore new frontiers in musical interpretation and composition. With more than two decades of experience and an inexhaustible love for music, Lavandera remains a central figure in the international music scene, proudly carrying the banner of Argentine culture to the world.

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