Cañizares, flamenco guitarist. Interview

“The prestige of ignorance has done
a lot of damage to flamenco”

Silvia Calado. Madrid, February 2007

Cañizares finally has it. After three years of preparation and an entire one of recording, he presents the result of his huge, nearly scientific task of transforming the score for piano of ‘Iberia’ into a score for guitar. And meanwhile, he pulls out and draws out the possibilities of all the flamenco which is latent in the work by Isaac Albéniz. Throughout this conversation, which takes place in front of a palace, opposite a café and next to a theater, the guitarist reveals the ins and outs of this gigantic project, at the same time he is getting it ready for the live show, that he is learning piano to make his music soar, that he is negotiating an assignment for the Ballet Nacional de España (Spanish National Ballet) and that he is drafting his next album: “Life has led me to the conclusion that the more music, the better”.

Cañizares at Conde Hermanos guitar shop (Photo Daniel Muñoz)

‘Iberia. Albéniz por Cañizares’ has a history, doesn’t it?

Yeah, I did the transcription of three pieces from the suite ‘Iberia’ in 1991 with Paco de Lucía. I’ve always admired Spain’s classical music and especially Isaac Albéniz. Ever since then, I’ve had the itch to do the whole thing. And I set it for myself as a personal challenge, because really, it was a big mess. I like challenges and that’s how I learn. And the album springs from the admiration I feel for classical music, and especially for Albéniz. It isn’t a record by a classical guitarist, but rather a record by a flamenco guitarist, a record to show what Albéniz is like in my own vision and perhaps also how I think Albéniz felt flamenco.

What entices you about Albéniz musically?

I’ve discovered really interesting things. The Andalusian atmosphere of the suite ‘Iberia’ is well-known by everyone, but above all, what I’ve discovered is a lot of connection to flamenco. I’ve listened to parts of tanguillos, parts of bulerías, parts of soleá, toques abandolaos and a lot of relation to cante. It was research work in which you start to pull the strings and you see what Albéniz seems like to the point where he could have conceived the work for guitar, by the way he has of sticking in notes por soleá and those sorts of details. The taverns he used to visit in that era might have inspired him (ha ha ha).

Do you mean that you’ve seen to revealing the flamenco which is latent in the work?

Absolutely. It’s really interesting because in the interpretation I’ve done, I bring it out more: I bring out the toque por soleá more when it goes por soleá, I bring out the toque por bulerías more when it goes por bulerías... Always, of course, with my own flamenco character. I haven’t tried to play like a classical guitarist; I can’t deny what I am. From my perspective as a flamenco guitarist, I’ve tried to reflect what I believe Albéniz thought he could get out of that work from a flamenco viewpoint.

Cañizares (Photo Daniel Muñoz)

The previous step was to transcribe the piano score for guitar. How did you confront such a complex job?

It was really research work, like when you have to do something like a thesis. It was really complicated. I tried to take the essence of the counterpoint and harmony side of all the rhythms that Albéniz saw. And taking that to two guitars has been a job of sifting. I’ve been working for three years, analyzing the works, passing them onto the guitar and changing the octaves because piano has many more sounds, more keys, more octaves and there were sounds I had to find a way to be able to adapt, due to the very tessitura and limitation of the instrument. Really, it’s a job which has required a great deal of effort, discipline and perseverance. But I’m happy; I think it’s one of the albums I’m going to feel satisfied with for a long time to come. Especially because of the work by Albéniz; the music is lovely.

How did the recording go?

The recording was special because it was at home. You do things with craftsmanship; you have time. I’ve always tried to do them with quality, but now you add this relax which allows you not to stop the take until you’re convinced. I like working like that, without pressure, my way, any time you want. That makes things easier. It lets you make an album at ease. The most important thing is for you to pass it along well in every phase.

You play two guitars on the album. What role does each one play?

I pulled out the essential part of the accompaniment, and I led that towards one guitar. Next, I led the melodies towards the guitar I’m going to be playing when I play this in concert. What happens is that many times due to the very layout of the music by Albéniz, this changes and it’s the left hand which takes over and does the melody; the hands cross over. It’s simply a job which can be done like that; that goes by tessituras and when one guitar is higher, then it can’t do the lower notes and vice versa. But in general, I’m doing all the melodies on my guitar for the live show.

Is it ready for the live show or does it require further adaptation work?

I’m on it. It requires months of preparation. The thing is it’s a really big work; you have to organize all of it. There’s a lot of counterpoint, a lot of mess and it’s really hard to perform. I think it’s hard enough for pianists, so for guitarists it’s really complicated. It’s music for another instrument and when you have to adapt it, you really have to juggle things.

And how will it be done live? With more instruments?

I want to give the touches of flamenco I found in the suite the atmosphere of each style and I want to do that with the group on stage. What I’m thinking about now are the arrangements for a group, about how to conceive it to be able to do it with a group.

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