"It was a life changing experience" said Michael , after hearing Antonio De Innocentis playing in my living room. This was after a dinner party I organized, inviting a few of my musician friends and their guests.

I had served a pot of chipino, mistakenly thinking it was an Italian dish and not knowing how to make Mexican food for my guest from Italy and possibly the world's greatest guitarist.

Brian, another guest on the night of the dinner, was completely mesmerized by Antonio's playing. Antonio sat on my couch playing piece after piece on my Kwakkel. It is very good to hear the guitar you have chosen played by such a phenomenon. Makes you feel very good about your choice.

Antonio progressed through his Baroque music, in which all of the transcriptions are his. His Chaconne by Bach was in d minor with no drop d. It is clear and superior to all the transcriptions that I have heard. He played it with the greatest of understanding and I'm sure that it is a simple piece for him. As well, all of the Baroque playing had the crisp ornamentation and overall execution of someone that was born in the Baroque period.

What took me by surprise, that evening, was his reading of movements from my Suite: Bless Me, Ultima , certainly the hardest music I've written. What can I say but "amazing." Like his playing of my Kwakkel, I am convinced that my music is good by his rendering.

The next night, Saturday, December 3rd, 7:30 PM at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, Antonio performed to a capacity audience. His program consisted of mostly standards: Three Sonatas: K 1 Allegro, K 208 Andante e Cantabile, K 209 Allegro by D. Scarlatti (transcribed from the harpsichord by A. De Innocentis), Going to Dreamland by L. Arbolino, Danza Brasilera by J. Morel, Fandanguillo and Sevillana by J. Turina, Aconquija, Madrigal, Las Abejas, Contemplacion by A. Barrios-Mangoe, Americana, op. 96 by J.W. Duarte, Four Caprices: No 1 Andante, No 6 Lento, No 9 Allegretto, No 24 Quasi Presto by N. Paganini but these "standards" were performed to a new standard which did come to the overwhelming attention of the Merced audience. There were four standing ovations. All of his CDs were sold out after the intermission. There were dozens of unhappy people who were without the prize of the CD. There is now a waiting list at the Arts Council's office.

So what kind of person is one of the world's greatest guitarist? Just a regular guy, very nice and courteous, very funny, very humble. Very humble.

Please forgive me for using the appellation "the world's greatest guitarist." This is just my belief. I'm sure that you will be convinced.

A Review of Antonio De Innocentis' CD "Guitar Recital.

Introduction to the Interview:
As you will read in my review which accompanies this interview, I was sent a CD of Antonio de Innocentis playing a rather broad sampling of just what marvels he can accomplish on the guitar. After I finished the review, I then approached Larry Cooperman about my conducting an interview with Antonio. He was pleased to hear about it (in fact, he had started one himself). As I had already had a few email exchanges with Antonio, I knew he was probably sufficiently computer-literate to manage an interview, live, over the internet. We used Yahoo Instant-Messenger. It worked like a charm and it even gave me a transcript of every word at the end! Better yet, it was all free! Antonio even played for me via the Yahoo Instant-Messenger OnLine Chat mode. The sound quality was remarkably clear. This live playing over the internet from Caserta, Italy to Marion, Iowa (USA) actually had better fidelity than many of Segovia's early recordings!

As I mentioned above, some of this was conducted by Larry Cooperman, but most of it was done by me. Rather than laboriously identify which question came from whom and when, I tried, rather, to weave a tapestry of conversation more like what it would have been if Antonio had simply popped in for an afternoon's visit with Larry and me. The interview is pretty faithful to the chronological order in which> questions and topics came up.

Antonio has studied English with any real seriousness for only a very short time. Some of the awkwardness of his questions and answers I have kept
intact (as it has the charm of those who are fairly new to a language but working hard to master it!). Other times I have "tidied up" his English for clarity's sake.

I am identified simply as NMG ("NewMillGuitar") and Antonio as ADI ("Antonio de Innocentis").

- John Bent -

NMG- OK. Let's begin with the usual stuff. How old were you when you began the guitar? What caused you to want to play?

ADI- I began to play guitar (in general) around 11, but at that time I played light music with friends and girls. Later, I passed also to electric guitar and just at 16-17 I started with regular studies with classical guitar.

NMG- That's a common pattern among classical guitarists! Who were your teachers? Anyone we would know?

ADI - No, I think not. Before I had a friend of mine for first rules; just after few months I had a local guitar teacher, Mario Quattrocchi, who let me enter the Conservatory.

NMG - After we are done with the interview, let's try again with the audio. I think I know what was wrong.

ADI - Yes, you are very optimistic! For me it's a bit difficult to understand you, because of my "young" English!

NMG- You're doing fine! I was thinking yesterday that we could even advertise chat rooms like this on Larry's web site. Guitarists from all over the world could gather to ask questions of professionals like you. It's just a thought!

ADI -Oh yes, it could be possible and fine, maybe.

NMG- Anyway, back to the interview. Julian Bream says his technique is a bit non-standard and that he would never tell anyone to play as he does. Is your technique standard?

ADI - Well, I don't know really. I think that technique is consequential also to your repertoire and to the way you interpret your music.

NMG- True. But the right hand position has changed over the years. The way players are taught these days is NOT the way Segovia played.

ADI - Oh, yes. I find , seeing some other guitarists, I have quite a vertical and still right hand, instead of bending it through the strings.

ADI -No, I think not, also because Segovia had a gigantic hand. I mean putting the hand like a "x" respect the strings. I saw many guitarits, especially in Italy, who put so the hand, like lutenists. I don't want to mean it is wrong, just it is personal.

NMG- I see. The hand position you describe is actually fairly standard now. The nail attacks the string from the edge facing the thumb, This gives, generally, a richer tone.

ADI - Yes, it probably does. What I look for is feeling comfortable while playing. so you can think of music and interpretation.

NMG- That is the most important point, of course. On another issue, who were musical influences on how you play? (I mean harpsichordists, pianists, singers, composers, etc.)

ADI - I best like, among instruments, harpsichord and cello. But I love also piano music, orchestra and chamber. There are some players that I like, like Glenn Gould, violinists Accardo and Ughi, harpsichordists Kirkpatrick and Leonhardt. But there are many others - I probably miss someone!

NMG- Who are Accardo and Ughi? I hate to be ignorant of great players of ANY instrument!

ADI- They are very BIG Italian violinists. I especially know them from Bach and Paganini solo violin music. I think they play usually in the US too.

NMG- I am VERY embarrassed to admit that I have never heard of either of them. You mentioned Glenn Gould. Your playing of Scarlatti has much of Gould's crispness. Can you comment on this?

ADI- Yes, I like it, but Gould had an exceptional ability of control in his playing, not the same for me! I try, in fingering Scarlatti or Bach (I mean polyphonic music), to get the best fingers and positions to express what you kindly found in my performances. It needs a lot of time and practice, of course!

NMG-Yes. Practice. Practice! How do you practice when you are learning a difficult piece of music that requires technical ability that is not yet comfortable?

ADI -Like Larry's Ultima! Well, it depends on different pieces. I try at first to read the whole piece, even the worse passages, maybe playing at a lower time (speed). Usually, it happens to me to get quite soon "my" ideas on how to play that music. I mean, I will play that way the piece also when I will know it very well.

NMG-I see. Is there anything in Ultima that has stumped you yet?

A Review of Antonio De Innocentis' CD "Guitar Recital.

ADI -It is difficult to say, because your practice should accustom you to everything. I should say, I was very surprised by many of Larry's "inventions" and by his musical ideas and knowledge. Then, some special effects, like those "damned" headtones (but really beautiful sounding) can give you some nightmares!

NMG-Very true. I've known Larry for about 9 years, and he has always been an exceptional musical thinker. My first exposure to him was when I reviewed his "Walking on the Water" for Soundboard magazine! How is Larry's music different from other composers' music?

ADI - A difficult question! Apart from his being very original - also for looking for new technical dimensions for guitar and guitarists- I like his way to say new things without annoying people (in the meaning of "yawn") . his passion and also dramatic power he gets to put in his music. Also, his character of being inspired also from literature really produces rich fruits, like the case of Anaya's book.

NMG- Yes. Larry seems often to be inspired by images. "Walking on the Water" was actually inspired by a movie! I must confess, I find the more mechanical effects a little difficult to listen to. They often detract from my ability to enjoy the music, I think. I'm learning to like them more now, but I may never be as comfortable as Larry is with them! Fortunately Larry's music is so compelling that it "carries you through the valley" of all the newer stuff as he expands your mind! What's your reaction?

ADI - They are very stimulating and provide to open your mind and... your hands, of course! Obviously, there is a close ralation between them and facts and people in the book, translating them in technical effects!

NMG- Yes. Koshkin, in "The Prince's Toys", is probably the best example. He is very careful, though, to use the effects as percussion AND pitched notes. I think that is why they are so successful and popular.

ADI -Yes, I was just thinking of the same work. Really it is a sort of dictionary for new ways to express yourself with guitar. I played it sometimes at school for children and they liked it a lot, also in conncection with the plot of the work.

NMG-What different kinds of audiences do you play for?

ADI -It depends on the occasions. Sometimes, when I play during the Summer in my town, I have a sort of quite distracted tourist audience. It happened to me to play for very interested audiences in England, or very qualified audiences, like when I played at John Duarte's 80th birthday at the Bolivar Hall in London. Knowing that also Julian Bream was in the hall, was quite shocking, but also stimulating!

NMG- Yes. I can imagine it was nerve-wracking to play when the guitar world's 800-pound gorilla was in the room!

ADI -Yes, but now I can tell people about; I mean, I passed that moment. While playing, it can happen to you to think of a lot of things, even not musical, you know, and it's very strange "looking" and "listening" to yourself like another person, while your fingers go with "automatic pilot". But, it is just for short instances, I think.

NMG-Two weeks ago, you "introduced" me to John Duarte via email. Tell me about your experiences with him, his music, and specifically about his Suite Americana!

ADI - I knew him in '97, since I had to give a concert near London, and the organizer, my dear friend Chris Dell, told about the possibility to have also J. Duarte at the concert but not sure. So I thought to play a piece of his too, having to select between English Suite and Fantasia and Fugue on Torre Bermeja -- at last I chose the second one, happily, because probably it was the main reason Jack came to hear me, since (he later told me) he had been not listening to that work for 30 years!! After the concert he was very kind and also invited me at home, some days later. Then we kept in touch via fax, and he, informed by the same friend, Chris, about my new CD with Cimarosa, Scarlatti and Paradisi, decide to write himself the liner notes for me. Later on, also to thank him for that gift, I decided to prepare a programme of his works, as an hommage for his 80 years. He was so kind to send me himself a lot of scores and I finally selected four works, among them the Americana, too. While preparing some concerts in London for October 99, my friend Chris told me that Jack was at home on the real date of his birtdhay (the 2nd) and organised the recital with his presence and his wife Dorothy, too. In the meantime, I accepted to honour him also at the Bolivar Hall together with other musicians, like John Mills, Fabio Zanon, etc. And he asked me to play one of his most important works, Preludio, Canto, and Toccata, Op, 38. Americana is an hommage to the US, in occasion of 400 years of colonisation of America. It has three movements: Broadway, Work-Song and Blues, and Hoe-Down. I really like it very much, it's a lot of fun and, as always in Jack's music, it's very clever and well written.

NMG-Tell me about the versions of Americana: solo and quartet!

ADI -Yes, the solo version is the first one. Jack told me that, after first performance, someone else decided also to play it, but avoiding especially the third mouvement because of speedy and some tricky passages. So, later on (I think also because he liked very much this composition of his) he elaborated the work for Prague Quartet, it seems to me, which also recorded it. Jack told me he wanted to add some new parts, taking advantage of the major number of strings! You will listen to it soon - I also, in the Blues, added some melodic upper lines to the solo part and Jack liked it, too! I like his music very much and I really look forward to having his new composition for me!

NMG-He is sending me a cassette tape (which I should have this coming week). I believe that on the tape is a performance of you playing something ... somewhere! I don't yet know what is on the tape. He told me that you play the Hoe-Down faster than he would have thought is humanly possible.

ADI - Yes, I knew that from my friend Chris (who is close friend of Jack) when he visited us here at home. Jack told Chris so just after the birthday-concert. Well, when I play Hoe-Down, I don't think of the speed, but it's the idea of the dance in the field which probably let me get euphoric (is it?). Jack also told that I should have to record my interpretation of Preludio, Canto, and Toccata, because it was very appropriate.

NMG- Are any of the tunes in Americana based on actual American tunes?

ADI - Yes, apart from the strong references to America in first and second movements (Gershwin, the Blues, negro music, etc.) there are some quotations in Hoe-down, specifically "Old Joe Clark", "The Arkansas Traveller" and "Uncle Ruben".

NMG-Now I really can't wait to hear it! I haven't thought of Duarte's Torre Bermeja music for years! As I recall it is really gorgeous. The original by Albeniz is a great guitar piece, also! Did you ever play that?

ADI - Just at home. Some years ago I was working also on the whole Suite Espanola by Albeniz, in my transcription (you already know Asturias). Like Asturias, the other parts of the Suite were played in the original key - for example Granada in F major, and so on, with very unusual keys for guitar. It's crazy, isn'it?

NMG- Yes. I particularly enjoyed the way you played/arranged Asturias. It was very true to the piano. Very much Soriano-like! [I refer here to the great Spanish pianist Gonzalo Soriano.] Did you ever hear Barrueco's recording of the Suite Espanola?

ADI - Yes, I did. It was just during the period I was working on the Suite. As always with Barrueco, it was an excellent arrangement and performance of those wonderful pieces, but with more idiomatic keys for the guitar, luckily for the guitarist! I listened a lot to Alicia de Larrocha disc for Albeniz and it is always a great source for inspiration!

NMG- OK. You mentioned earlier a CD of yours with Cimarosa, etc. Tell me more about that recording. I love the music of Cimarosa. It works well on the guitar.

ADI - Well, it's quite a long story. I recorded it, with 16 Sonatas by Cimarosa (that I published in California some years ago for Angel Music Publications), 8 Sonatas by Scarlatti and Toccata by Paradisi, towards the end of 1998 for an Italian label, Rainbow Classics, owned by Mr Paolo Spadetto, guitarist too. I paid to produce that, and so far I did not get the CD published yet. Mr Spadetto is like a ghost, it's very difficult to find this man, so I wrote him a letter but he did not accept it. Now, I am thinking to ask for a lawyer, so that I can get Mr Spadetto to honour his duty, even if so late! It's a shame also for Jack who is waiting for seeing his liner notes published at last! Maybe I have been not too much lucky in that occasion. I think, after having produced myself both the first one CD (that you know!) and the second one (that nobody knows!), I just will wait for some contracts from labels for next recording, since I will never pay any more to record my CDs! What do you think about?

NMG- We need to get some backing for you to do more recordings. Unfortunately, it is so difficult to get the attention that you deserve. There are so many half-talent and no-talent players out there. They dilute the image of classical guitarists. Larry has also had bad experiences with publishers. My friend Ricardo Cobo, the great Colombian guitarist, tells me that he believes that the internet is the best way for new players to become better known. There is software available now that can enable a player to record and edit his/her own stuff! With the proper equipment and software, you could be independent (to a certain degree, anyway!) There are many options. I'm not going to give up. These situations make me VERY angry. Great players go unnoticed, and the well-publicized amateurs get more attention than they deserve. I talk to Larry about this. We're seeing what we can do.

ADI - I imagine I will be always grateful to you all for this kind of interested friendship, very difficult to find, but it happens. I had quite some sacrifices to record this second CD also because of great distance from home, especially about family, I mean leaving them alone also just after Christmas, to end last session of recording! I expect my whole satisfaction on that! We'll see.

NMG-What Ricardo Cobo was hinting at, I think, was that WEB sites can be developed easily. As a result, music samples can be easily available for playing on the WEB. If people like what they hear, they could buy them right there with a credit card or bank account information. I may set up something like that myself. We could, perhaps, use your wonderful CD as a "test case". Your thoughts?

ADI -It should be fine, because I think that the WEB is a strong medium to communicate too, and really e-mail, WEB, now CHAT also, are changing my life. Before, until 4 years ago, I did not like the computer and I had not one. Now, I can't renounce it. I just knew Larry on the WEB, replying to an advice of his!

The following section was a week later ...

ADI - Did you hear some guitar sounds?

NMG- Yes. It worked!

ADI - Can you identify it for me?

ADI - So, it's working! Thank you. Yes, I like to do like Baroque players did at that time, improvising ornaments in the repeats. Many people don't like that!

NMG- Well. I do. Listen to Gould or Backhaus [William Backhaus -- a great pianist hardly ever heard these days] and you hear good examples of it.

ADI - Right. I am practising Bach for Spanish examination!

NMG- They require Bach! That's wonderful. Are you playing anything unusual of his, or the standard stuff?

ADI -The standard, the whole Suite BWV 996. I have a wonderful harpsichord version by G. Leonhardt.

NMG-Are you preparing a new guitar transcription or using an existing one? Also, are you interpreting ornaments as Leonhardt would?

ADI - It's my own transcription of that - I played it many times. I try to keep some of Leonhardt's ornaments which can work on guitar too.

NMG- Of all the pieces in BWV 996, the Courante is the one played most differently from one player to another. Can I hear you play it?

Wonderful! Tricky to play, isn't it? You play it a bit faster than most players do. That's good.

ADI - Yes, but at your own risk. I have been not playing since yesterday, because of preparing documents for Spain. I'll try - please, be patient!

NMG- Wonderful! Tricky to play, isn't it? You play it a bit faster than most players do. That's good. After all, it IS a Courante!

ADI - Yes, it is. I try also to keep the rhythm through the whole piece. Is the sound you hear quite good through the chat?

NMG- It's OK. Certainly not CD quality! I was thinking that Segovia's earliest recordings from the 1920s had worse fidelity than this live trans-Atlantic performance!

NMG- That got cut off at the very end. My only comment would be that your embellishments of the ornamentation in the repeat of the second half were perhaps just a bit extreme. I know that is what a lot of players do these days. Is that stylistically correct for Bach OUTSIDE the guitar world?

ADI - What about Sarabande? Sorry... I think, from a keyboard point of view, this way is quite usual: I know you can say:"But the guitar is not a keyboard...", but really I like this performing style - I find it very exciting and surprising. On the other hand, my technique is not too good, at this point I also have a broken nail [the "a" finger], so it's shorter than usual!

NMG - Yikes! Nails are our curse, aren't they? Although Bach is always my favorite composer, I generally (like Larry) find 20th-century (and now 21st-century!) music my favorite. Therefore, my comments on your playing of Bach are not to be taken too seriously. Can you repair the nail?

ADI - Yes. I have a dear friend of mine who cares of them, when possible. But I am very interested in your comments or suggestions, really!

NMG- OK. The approach to the embellished ornaments during repeats sounded just a bit rushed -- literally. Several time you would speed up a bit when it sounded inappropriate. It's a SMALL observation of a SMALL issue! The pulse of the original music MUST be undisturbed when embellishing, else it sounds sloppy.

ADI - Yes, I did understand. Really ornaments have to enter the piece very natural and easily - it's not an excuse, I think to be able to play better, in this sense, that Bach in last days I had also school opening and especially contacts with Spain, with consequential work to prepare documents to envoy to the Conservatory. I mean, I did not practise very regularly! And, you know, Bach is the worse kind of music in this sense: as soon you leave it, you lose it!

NMG- How true! Bach is so unforgiving that way (like Scarlatti)! I wonder if there's a connection in that they were born the same year (1685)!!?? (Larry and I were born the same year (1951)!) What else will you play in Spain? Also, will your nail be repaired (or regrown) by the time you go?

ADI - Probably yes, there is a hidden connection, also with Haendel (also born in 1685). I have to play some Authors from the usual ones they expect at the final exam of a student. So, apart from Bach, I'll play Giuliani's Rossiniana (sorry for you!) and Duarte's Americana.

NMG- This is all for the first part of the interview. The size of the interview warrants that I put the second part up later.

Here is a Review of Antonio De Innocentis' CD Guitar Recital.

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