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Jacques Loussier
 Felix
Lamouroux has talked - between soundcheck and concert - with Jacques
Loussier at the Cologne Philharmony. Jacques Loussier is one of the
world's greatest pianists living today. He has become famous through
his Bach interpretations in the 50's and 60's. Today he's
improvising on Vivaldi, Bach, Satie and lately released a new album:
Ravel's Bolero.
How did you come to jazz-up Bach?
When I was 10 years old I started to play the piano and as soon as I
was able to read music I fell deeply in love with Bach's first small
Prelude in G-Minor. I was playing and repeating so many times this
same Prelude, I started to change the rhythmic of the theme and also
to move the melody cline. And in fact I discovered I was
improvising.
Years later in the 1950's I was admitted to the Conservatory of
Paris to study music seriously. At that time I wanted to become an
international classical pianist.
During the same period the music of jazz became more and more
popular, meanwhile I was continuing to improvise on the music of
Bach. I was very attracted to jazz, particularly with the modern
jazz quartet. That gave me the idea to add a double-bass and drums
to perform the music of Bach my way. And in 1959 I recorded my first
album Play Bach.
You have been the first musician to seriously
do this. Do you still feel like a pioneer?
The way I am making music with my trio, there is no other group of
musicians doing this. I don't see any musicians improvising on
classical music.
It needs much experience to make this, because it is very risky to
improvise.
You have been making music for over 40 years now, on CDs and live
in concerts. Who has changed more: you or the audience?
The audience has not changed much. I have some old fans, who come to
my concerts, they have grown with me.
I have certainly changed more than the audience. There has always
been a big evolution in my way to play. In the first years when
improvising I was very timid, now that I have some experience I am
doing much more of improvisation. Also my improvisations have become
brighter.
On your latest release you are playing
Ravel's Bolero with your trio. What fascinates you most about
Bolero?
The theme does not change during the piece. The challenge is to vary
the theme, to give it a special touch. This is easy with an
orchestra, with several horns, strings and drums. But in a trio it's
a different thing. To vary the theme of Bolero with a trio, you need
to improvise. You have to cut back much more of the original themes
as if you were playing in an orchestra. It is very interesting to
work on this piece, but it is also a great challenge.
What gave the impulse to make this album?
I wanted to play this theme of Bolero that everybody knows very
well. I wanted to play it my way. I wanted to show that there is a
different way from the classical way to play this piece.
What are your plans for your musical future?
I will certainly make some more arrangements on some other
composers. I first did that on my Vivaldi-Record. Before this record
I always played and improvised on Bach.
What is your maxim in music?
The research of perfection, which is never reached and to take risks
when improvising.
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