Menu

Get Socialize

Saul Cosentino

Composer

Argentina

Author

  • 2

    Videos

About

I was born in 1935 in Argentina, and I live in Argentina. My mother played piano very well, so since I was a child I was in contact with great composers. Around 1960 I listen a LP that Astor Piazzolla had recorded in France. I was studying Harmony and one day I showed my teacher a composition in Piazzolla style. He told me that Piazzolla had to listen it, so he arranged a meeting with Piazzolla. I played to him several pieces, so he gave me his telephone number and told me to carry the scores to his apartment. He corrected all of them, but we began a friendship. Many years later I phoned him and told him that I wanted to show him a new composition. After playing that piece, my Tango barroco (Baroque tango), he told me that it was the first time he had not to correct anything. He always encouraged me to study Composition, Counterpoint and Orchestration, what I did. Since then I have released 15 CDs with my compositions."

In my web page www.saulcosentino.com you could see a pair of Astor Piazzolla' dedications. And I dedicated to him my piece "Fuera de serie" in 1972, and after he died my piece "A la memoria de Astor" (In Astor's memory)

http://saulcosentino.com/en/#home

Sheets

Interview

What does music mean to you personally?

**I was born with music in my house because my mother played piano very well. Tears appear when I listen to some songs, it's wonderful, they reach my soul.

Do you agree that music is all about fantasy?

**No, I don't think that music is all about fantasy.

If you were not a professional musician, what would you have been?

**I have been an airline pilot during 30 years, and at the same time I composed a lot of music. I loved to be a pilot.

The classical music audience is getting old, are you worried about your future?

**Not at all. At least in my country there are many new pianists, violinists, etc that love classical music.

When I say that classical music is searching for new ways or that the classical music is getting a new face, what would come to your mind?

**New composers bring new ideas, that's normal. The music by Bach is different to the music by Chopin, and both are different to Debussy, etc, etc. Music evolves.

Do you think that the classical musician today needs to be more creative? What's the role of creativity in the musical process for you?

**I don't know if I can answer this question, but I guess nowadays there are less composers of classical music than before, but maybe in some years it could change a lot, who knows.

Tell us about your creative process. Do you have your favorite piece (written by you) How did you start working on it?

**Yes, I have my favorite pieces. I started working on it like I do it with many other of my compositions, generally improvising some chords and some musical drawings. Many times nothing happens, but others, suddenly, a small cell catches my attention, and I know that I have to work on it to develop all the melody.

We, Moving Classics TV, love the combination of classical music with different disciplines: music and painting, music and cinematography, music and digital art, music and poetry. What do you think about these combinations?

**I like music and painting, and with cinematography, and with poetry. I have been playing during a painting exhibition.

Can you give some advice for young people who want to discover classical music for themselves?

**There is much classical music that I don't like, so I would tell them to listen to their favorite composers and compositions.

Now it is a common practice in the media to talk that the classical music is getting into the consumption business, do you agree? We are speaking about the supply and demand rules and how to sell your “product” in your case your compositions. How do you see it?

If I knew it, I would be a millionaire. It's no easy to answer this question. Sometimes in a very popular film they play a classical piece, and after that all the people sing that piece and musicians want to play it with their instrument. That would be, for example, an easy way to sell my product, but many of us do not have the opportunity.

Do you have expectations what regards your listeners, your audience?

**No, but I hope they understand and enjoy my compositions. Fortunately many listeners came to me after the concert to congratulate me or to tell me that they have cried after having listened to a special piece.

What projects are coming up? Do you experiment in your projects?

**I have three projects for this year, that is to release three albums. One played by an Argentine jazz pianist, playing 12 of my compositions, and this is an experiment because is the first time that I have ventured into jazz. The second album played by an Argentine concert pianist, playing 36 of my piano pieces. And the third one with 20 modern tangos composed by me and played by me. I am 83 years old and few months ago I decided not to play anymore in public.