Manny Laureano

The sound didn't bother me, I found it to be a rather rich sound but I'm so used to the style with which André played those pieces that it's hard to listen to anything else, I'm afraid.

For me, that music is very much about the vibrato, articulation, and very "soprano" voice style. Do you know Edith Piaf? She was the ultimate chanteuse during the 2nd World War and the 50's.

So, it's not a question of bright or dark, etc. After all, if you played a French piece on Flugelhorn, wouldn't the other characteristics I mentioned be more important?

Oh, hey, I just remembered a story...

We were playing La Valse and afterwards one of my viola colleagues came up to me and said "How did you do that?"

"Huh?"

"How do you do that?"

"What are you talking about?'

"You know there's that litle solo you have in the middle of all that...?"

"Right... yeah?"

"You suddenly turned on this style of playing and I swear you sounded like Georges Mager!"

I thanked him even though I've never heard Mager's playing I knew he was paying me a very nice compliment, but you see, Nick? It's about ears and style. After so many years fo listening to André, Piaf, Voisin... you have to learn something. That's why I wish the young ones today would realize that they need to embrace the old recordings and not eschew the old ways. There is much to be learned from them but we have to be willing to not desire the "perfection" of the latest technoloy and make that the latest god.

French music comes in many colors but we have to look at the the aspects that truly make something sound "French".


ML