LDV87

28 THIS IS AMERICA! Do you think we interpret these composers differently today from the way we did ten or twenty years ago? Vanessa Wagner — They already get played a bit more often, especially Glass: although his music is decried in some quarters, it’s extremely popular because his works for solo piano are fairly accessible. When I started out, there were pianists who played the classical repertory on the one hand, and those who dared to play contemporary pieces on the other. The new generation is breaking down those dividing walls, which I think is a very positive development. Personally, I wanted to renew my commitment to this American repertory, which doesn’t always get a very good press. But I’d point out, too, that our interpretations of these composers also draw on the mainstream classical repertory that Wilhem and I have been playing for twenty-five years. Wilhem Latchoumia — When a piece of music enters the piano repertory, that work is bound to evolve. I think that’s also why we make discs. We each bring our own contribution, with our personal conception and background, and that’s why it’s so important to keep recording! Vanessa Wagner — This repertory has sometimes suffered from codes that consciously discarded the dimensions of sonic texture, beauty of sound, differentiation of dynamics. For example, the Adams piece can be played in a very harsh register that only takes account of the rhythmic dimension, whereas it’s full of colours, of nuances that are just waiting to be brought out with sensuality and poetry.