It is necessary to allow the work to penetrate you before beginning without impatience. Otherwise, you may discover inadvertences forty years later that have led you to deceive your audience for a good part of your life, which is unforgivable.
It is important to remember that the public only knows the work through us. Therefore, it is crucial to move away from personal and partisan perspectives and strive to read truthfully, although it can be challenging.
It is worth emphasising the difference between an artist's attitude towards "work" and "play." While work should not be enjoyable or playful but rather strenuous, avoiding self-satisfaction when exercising control over it is essential. This is because the acquired knowledge of labour is the product and should not be exhausted through self-enjoyment.
As this asset grows, others are added to it, and it becomes more and more interesting. One does not live off one's capital, as the man of money says, or off the interest on one's capital. Instead, interests, interests, etc., and eventually, we reach a point where we can share it with others. So, we must put aside any concerns associated with the work and give away what we have as simply as possible.
Sometimes, an irresistible force of communication will overtake us, and we will have to abandon ourselves entirely to do things not planned for at work. Even if it means examining them afterwards calmly and judging them, often they seem to justify themselves and overcome analysis. Communication with others gives rise to these spontaneous outbursts, a probable but unexpected result and consequence of the previous work.
This state of mind can be applied when playing J.S. Bach. If we refrain from using any so-called expressive manner and entirely disregard any means of expression, focusing instead on following the musical thought's natural flow, the moment comes when an enthusiasm emerges from our depths that sets us on fire entirely. By freeing us from all worries, it spreads outside of us by its force of expansion.
It is important to note that no matter how expressive a person may be, there is always room for improvement. If the expression is deep, it will naturally manifest itself without any pre-planned form, as it contains all forms within itself in potential.
Being completely free of personal or professional concerns and focusing solely on self-awareness is the foundation for our relationships with others, whether they are present or absent. This disinterest in everything else is essential.
Although we share the same fundamental beliefs, we do not share the same concerns. Simply put, we do not pay for our place at a concert to admire any particular work. For that, we would go to the circus, which is a different experience altogether but equally interesting and full of lessons. Therefore, we must exercise our powers of play, if not work, as much as possible. However, we must learn to be patient if we have not yet acquired the necessary skills and knowledge through hard work. Otherwise, we may become presumptuous, which can hinder our development.
Self-awareness is crucial in both work and play, but in different ways. Regarding work, we must treat ourselves like children and not be complacent. In contrast, during playtime, we celebrate the day of rest in everyone's company, whether present or absent.
It is difficult to break the habit of being concerned with the usual and embrace freedom and abandonment. One must acquire the necessary skills and knowledge; memory and skill must work together to live and imagine the world of sound and rediscover or invent relationships within it. This way, we can experience the unexpected and recreate the known. In retrospect, it may have been a mistake not to train ourselves in improvisation, and it is something we should revisit.
*With heartfelt gratitude to Maestro E. Del Pueyo, J. De Tiege, and Y. Van Den Berghe,
my mentors and teachers.
Some very astute observations.