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If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Naples, find
a fake Rolex and visit the Hotel Santa Lucia. They will
give you a free watch in case you get mugged. They are
so considerate that I now have so many watches most of
which are strapped around my ankles. Amongst them all,
I�m lucky to come out alive with the real one strapped
around my wrist.
So anyway, I arrive
there to do a TV show. I�m expected to play two pieces,
Honky Tonk Train Blues, which I have the score to,
and something else. That �something else� was Malambo
from Alberto Ginastera�s Estancia suite -
something I have never played live before. Despite the
fact that I had notified of such to the organizers, upon
the arrival to Naples the night before the rehearsal, I
was notified that the orchestral scores have not arrived
in the hands of the members of the orchestra. I don�t
know why I should have been particularly surprised by
this, but the Orchestra della Basilica di Santa
Chiara along with the conductor, Maestro Renato
Serio seemed resolved that to perform such a difficult
piece, they�d need more than two hours�more like two
weeks! So I got down to rehearsing a piece that the
orchestra was not so familiar with. I started working
with the rhythm section. The bass player and the drummer
� I�m sorry I forgot your names � were prestigious in
encouraging fruition through my arrangement. When the
score finally arrived on the day of the show, Maestro
Serio put everything into perspective by his brilliant
direction. The orchestra excelled themselves in
achieving the desired results in less than two hours,
and I am thankful to each and every one of them for
welcoming me and fulfilling what seemed the impossible.
(You guys rocked!)
A last minute decision
by the TV producers to include two great pieces by Yusef
Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) meant that most of
the other artists� work had to be severely edited in
order for the program to fit into its limited 55-minute
slot. Apparently, Honky Tonk Train Blues got the
showing when the program aired on the 6th of January.
Malambo was not included due to the time
constraints, but it was filmed. I have every wish and
intention for the first performance of Malambo by
me and the amazing orchestra to be made available to you
asap, as well as additional photographs of the event.
Stand By.
Keith Emerson
January 2007
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Rehearsals with the Orchestra
(photo: Michelline Alves) |
Emo
and the Maestro
(photo: Mari Kawaguchi) |
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Rehearsal
(photo: Vania) |
Rehearsal
(photo: Vania) |
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TV shot
(photo: Corrado Canonici) |
Rehearsal
(photo: Luca Nocerino) |
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