The festival is almost halfway through and gearing up for the end. Festivalgoers in Antalya must be impatient for this year’s closing concert, as it will feature Spanish pianist Miriam Méndez. Known by Turkish concertgoers for her unique blend of classical piano with tunes from her native land, Méndez will present her most recent project, “Mozart, Sueño Flamenco,” on Saturday, the festival’s closing night, at the Antalya Culture Center (AKM).Released toward the end of 2008 on the heels of the massive success of her debut recording, “Bach por Flamenco,” Méndez was inspired to create “Mozart, Sueño Flamenco” by an imaginary journey of Mozart to Andalusia, where the roots of flamenco lay. In an interview ahead of her visit to Turkey, Méndez spoke about her music.
What are the major differences between your previous work and this newest one?
In “Mozart, Sueño Flamenco,” every track is an episode of an imaginary trip Mozart made to Andalusia, the south of Spain and the root of flamenco music. On his trip to Italy, he discovered opera. The question that I ask in this show is what would have happened if he had the opportunity of discovering the Andalusian culture traveling to the south, to such places as Seville and Cádiz.
If Mozart had visited Andalusia, what traits of flamenco would have attracted him the most?
Flamenco is a passionate musical expression where the extremes are very strong. In order to express joy and happiness you dance and sing until you faint, [like] in the “Fiestas por Bulerías” in Jerez. When you want to express pain, you do it in a very radical way, for example with a soleá. Mozart had both in his personality: joy, like in “The Magic Flute,” and pain, like in the “Requiem” and Symphony No. 40. So I think that everything would have been fascinating for him, but to be honest, in a private party “por Bulerías,” I think he would have flipped out and he would have stopped dancing. (laughs)
You say that the idea of Mozart meeting flamenco is very natural. How so?
Naturalness is something that defines Mozart’s personality and his music, and flamenco is a spontaneous and natural music, too.
When you reinterpret Mozart’s “Turkish March,” what do you think this piece communicates about Turkish people?
The nobility, the power and positivity while looking toward the future.
Is it Bach or Mozart who suits flamenco most?
Both, I think. Occidental music evolved in different ways, but mostly under the same feeling, and this is universal.
How do you interpret Baroque music through flamenco?
By being spontaneous and free. Imagine Mozart discovering the spontaneous flamenco expression in Cádiz, Bulerías and Alegrías. Flamenco music is the result of different cultures and civilizations living together for centuries in Andalusia. As you know, in Andalusia, for eight centuries, there were Muslims, Jews, Christians, Gypsies from India living together; it was like the present-day New York. I think that there’s something common in every culture and to find this joint point, this “gene,” makes me break my own limits when I relate Mozart or Bach with flamenco music or myself and Bach or Mozart or flamenco music. The entire human race is one.
How do you feel about Turkey?
I love Turkey. The diversity and enormous cultural legacy you can find in every corner there, it’s fascinating. And I love the food! I have many things to discover yet, and I hope to come here more often to keep on learning more. I really feel home, and it’s probably because of the Turkish people, that’s why I have this nice feeling.
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