The Association of Friends of the Conservatory of Music of Madera, over nearly two decades, promotes and disseminates classical music in Madeira, through a cycle of concerts with artists of international caliber. Music festivals that receive wide acceptance by the tourists and a growing support of the islanders. At the helm of this organization of public utility, is the teacher, scholar, musician and pianist Robert Andres, who advocates an ambitious, high-quality poster of the island's cultural events and also as funding vehicle for young national talents.
What are the main objectives of the Association of Friends of the Conservatory fo Music of Madera (AACMM)?
Robert Andres: We organized a season of classical concerts. In the past, we tackled inedited projects lately we organized a festival dedicated to Liszt in November. Before that we had a full cycle of piano works by Chopin and Beethoven piano sonatas. Our activity is not for profit. The AACMM organizes concerts and channel the profits for grants for students of music.
When you started these concert cycles did you had the notion that there was an audience for this kind of events?
RA: When the association began there was not much activity in this regard, in previous decades had a tremendous momentum through concerts and societies had even a Bach festival, but it was not an organized season. That was the purpose of creation of AACMM in 1993, I became president in 97 'and since this year we tried to organize an annual season of about eight to 10 concerts and for this reason it has earned the status of an institution of public utility. Our focus is educational and cultural. Is part of the tourist attraction of the region, since our concerts in its large percentage are attended by an audience made up of tourists.
What is the balance that makes the activity of this past year and earlier?
RA: We have presented in early December the bicentennial concert, unique of its kind, because we rarely repeat programming. They were two hundred of musical experiences with artist of international caliber, where there was also room for musicians of the island and whenever possible we give the opportunity for a first presentation to young people who are at the end of their musical education.
Over the years have you noted that the Portuguese public has increased?
RA: It has been increasing, but not in the desired proportion. The local public is a problem faced by all institutions who organize concerts of classical music, in my view, stems from a lack of the habit of attending cultural events in family. Then there is another aspect, these shows do not have any kind of support, must be paid, the culture has inherent costs, quality costs money and we cannot allow ourselves the luxury, nor would it be a good practice to be for free. It was a failure of the past when the public was accustomed to culture event for free. Maybe we do it when it comes from a teaching experience, because it does not involves travel costs, subsistence and people with a curriculum that improve the cultural level of the population and that obviously has to be paid. All this is reflected in the price of the ticket and it often happens that the audience that comes from the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom sometimes complains about the prices, but they do not protest to pay the double, or triple, to see these same artists in London. It is a matter of perspective. In this context, there are only two lanes, or we present a program with doubtful quality, not involving investment, or we have to ensure and insist on quality, but everything has its cost. Another phenomenon that is very interesting here in Madeira, is that we as an association, we offer a package for the entire cycle, nearly 50% below list price and on both occasions we had only one entry. People here do not want to assume a compromise in September, for the month of May, for example. The commitment that aims to take over for something that is very good is minimal. This says a lot about the cultural habits.
What's scheduled for this year?
RA: We have scheduled in late January the recital of an Italian pianist, on the 29th. On February 14th there will be another piano concerto by a Serbian artist and on March the 4th is scheduled a concert flute and piano, with two artists from Oporto Luis Meireles and Manuela Sousa Guedes. For April and May we are waiting for confirmation by the Baltazar Dias theatre to confirm dates of the remaining schedule.
Do you think the younger generations show a greater interest in classical music, or rather tends to decrease?
RA: I think it's very difficult to make such assessments and a general summary. It differs from much of the investment you make in advertising, there are marketing machines behind certain artists and so often we think that is a generational issue that young people feels less attraction for classical music. The fact is that new generations have less power of investment and even they had an interest, indeed, is a problem that occurs at the regional level, their purchasing power is very low. It's hard for a whole family to pay 60 or 80 euros to see a concert. It also has much to do with the world economy. Of course, in large urban centers where many thousands or even millions of people live, housing all types of profiles of maturity, education and cultural context, there is a greater openness to the music market. In smaller places like ours, it is almost impossible to have a self-financed culture, depends on artists from outside the island and the costs involved.
Diverting us a little about this subject, let's talk a little about the book you wrote. What is the importance of this publication for teaching?
RA: It's not in terms of education. This book is a continuation of my dissertation I rediscovered a pianist, an American philosopher and theoretician who settled in Europe; Frederic Horace Clark was like his idol Liszt. He lived most of his live until the First World War in Germany and Switzerland. He was the founder, but until the publication of this book had been lost, of modern piano technique. This is an area that involves research of the human body, anatomy, rules and laws using ergonomic shape of the body on the piano. I wrote about his life, his work and he even built special pianos. He was considered a quack in his time and my book came primarily to demystify this idea, stripped what was good in his studies. His geometric calculations with levers and more a large part of his work was stolen by his contemporaries especially in Germany, which had a much greater public acceptance.
