Pianist, Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles-Cros for his interpretation of the works of Francis Poulenc and the works of Maurice Ravel, Alexandre Tharaud also played the soundtrack of the film Love by Michael Haneke (2012). For this, he performed music by Beethoven, Bach and Schubert. Today, he released a first album dedicated to the music of Franz Schubert, Impromptus D899, Moments musicaux D780.
franceinfo: Franz Schubert had an enormous duality and I have the impression that you are very sensitive to it.
Alexandre Tharaud: Duality, yes, maybe. In any case, at home, it is clear. He was a very nostalgic man. When he spoke of the past it was always with great joy. His past was imbued with youth, sometimes naivety, childish things, small magnificent themes. The past systematically returns to him, a few seconds in his music and then he returns to his tragic destiny, to death, to a life, truly a terrible present.
What place did Schubert have in your apprenticeship?
He is a composer that you learn quite young because he has written easy pieces. And then, it is essential, precisely with its Impromptu, its musical moments. As far as I’m concerned, he’s never left me, he’s always been there. I played it in concert all the time as someone who is essential to me, a bit like a friend. You know, you always have a friend who is depressed, it’s not a lot of fun to call them or you’re like, “No, it’s him again“when he calls you, but deep down he’s been there your whole life and you know deeply that you’re never going to leave him.
When we look at your journey, we realize that there is a real connection in everything you have been able to do since you were little. Your father encouraged you a lot, in particular, to make extras at the beginning.
Schubert was his favorite composer.
What were you dreaming about in a child? Because there is this figuration that comes into your life and at the same time, there is this piano thanks to a meeting with an extraordinary teacher.
Me, I wanted to be on stage so I did figuration, dance, I sang a little in the operetta shows my father put on. And, what I wanted to be was an actor in the broad sense of the stage. Living the stage, I assure you it’s wonderful to be on stage. I imagined, as a child, living it rather by dancing. I wanted to be a dancer or a magician. I would have liked to do the circus too, and all these professions are found in the profession of pianist.
You will meet in this course a woman who will mean a lot to you, your teacher. You say she gave you life lessons.
Yes, it was Carmen Taccon-Devenat. A fabulous teacher. She always told me that I had to speak on the keyboard so we sometimes put syllables on the notes.
“I learned to tell stories on the piano at a very young age.”
Alexandre tharaudto franceinfo
In the time of Chopin and Liszt, at the beginning of the 19th century, it was said: “Chopin will tell you a nocturnal“. We forgot that expression and I think it speaks a lot, it is the case to say it.
Music is one of the difficult jobs, as we saw during confinement. It was, moreover, dramatic for all those who touched music in general. How did you experience this confinement?
I was particularly touched with sick relatives, friends who died of it, but personally, I must admit that being more than a week at home, in Paris, on my little balcony, cooking, tidying up , to take the time without the pressure of concerts, of the next plane, of the next stage appearance, it was quite wonderful.
You are one of the few pianists who does not have a piano at home. It’s amazing, it seems incredible.
It’s a lifestyle choice. Would you see yourself doing all your shows from home? No, well it’s the same. Me, I want to separate my professional life from my private life. So moving away from it has done me a lot of good and it’s been over 20 years now.
What place does this piano occupy in your life?
They `re my best friend. You know, when a child starts playing the piano, it often very quickly becomes the person he confides in. Then, if we decide to become a pianist, he becomes our partner, our racehorse. He’s with us when we’re scared, when we’re 20 and giving our first concerts. On stage, we find ourselves all alone … And no, we are not alone, we are with this big black lacquered doggie who loves us.
I would like us to tackle the rest. What motivates you today?
First, please, really. I realized during this whole time of Covid-19 how much music was essential to people. What I want to be in the future is to be useful. To please, to please me too, to have fun in a life that is not easy because the life of a soloist, there are incessant journeys and quite appalling pressures.
“We are useful, if doing this job as a musician can heal someone, in any case take away their pain for five minutes.”
Alexandre tharaudto franceinfo
A lot of work, a lot of work outside of music and we have to manage to lighten it all up. My future, I want it to be a good life. It’s quite ambitious, but we will try.
Alexandre Tharaud is on tour. Normally, it will be, for example, January 14, 2022 in Chambéry, February 19 in Bordeaux, Lille, April 6, etc. But do not hesitate to inquire about the current health situation.