Between November 18^th and December 2^nd, pianist Mihai Ritivoiu and actor Marius Manole will be performing in a national tour which is supposed to shine the spotlight once again on three great Romanian pianists: Dinu Lipatti, Mîndru Katz and Radu Lupu. Music aside, "The other voice. Forgotten exiles of the piano" represents an emotional dive into the grim reality of communist Romania, for the first time, the public will find out about letters from the CNSAS archives that the three pianists sent to their parents. We'll be finding out more from Mihai Ritivoiu, as interviewed by Ioana Țintea.

Mr. Mihai Ritivoiu, what made you join the "The other voice. Forgotten exiles of the piano" project? What was your first thought when you received the invitation from the Opus Association?

I was extremely happy when I received the invitation from the Opus Association, specifically from Monica Isăcescu-Lup, and my first thought was to ask myself how I would find a program that would honor this noble project in the best way. I cycled through a few variants and ultimately settled on this program, which is focused on three moments, so to speak: Beethoven with Mîndru Katz, Schubert in the Radu Lupu moment and Ravel's Alborada del gracioso - "The Jester's Aubade" and contemporary pieces with Dinu Lipatti.

What could you tell us about these pieces?

I searched for composers that might have been associated more with each of the three performers.

Regarding Lipatti, I tried to avoid the obvious, which is to say, Chopin, because when we think of Lipatti, we all think of Chopin's Waltzes, of the last recital at Besançon and the tragic illness that took his life so early, but he was also a pianist with extraordinary vitality and virtuosity. There's this recording of him playing the Alborada del gracioso - "The Jester's Aubade", which is absolutely stunning, with incredible speed. And I told myself that I want us to remember Lipatti in all his complexity.

After that, Radu Lupu, whose concerts I even attended, impressed me, with Schubert especially. And I told myself that when I think of Radu Lupu, I think of Schubert, personally. So to begin, I picked one of Schubert's sonatas, which became an impromptu performance for direction reasons, but that famous impromptu in G-flat major that I heard Radu Lupu play at a recital, in encore, in a way I will never forget.

For Mîndru Katz, who was a later revelation for me because not much is known, or was known, in any case, I found a video on YouTube with Mîndru Katz playing Beethoven's so-called "Moonlight Sonata", a performance with a powerful expression, which impressed me.

Do you feel a special affinity towards the style or vision of any of the three pianists discussed?

Somehow, I wouldn't want the audience to expect a hologram of the three artists because they were unmatched and there will never be another Lipatti or another Radu Lupu. Personally, however, I feel closest to the expressive universe of Radu Lupu most of all.

In the tour's shows, the musical moments alternate with reading moments by the actor Marius Manole, of touching letters sent by the three pianists to their parents. Do you think the audience will perceive the music you will perform differently, knowing the context of these testaments?

I believe so. It's a great initiative, fitting for the age we live in and the kind of audience that attends concerts nowadays. Decades ago, there was an expectation that the performing artist should be impenetrable, perfect, only presenting the music and then retreating into mystery, but now we want to know more about the person behind the artist most of the time, and I believe it's an appropriate moment to find out. It's not just an intellectual endeavor, but also spiritual, given the dire circumstances they found themselves in.

Lastly, what's the message you would like to pass on to the audience who will be by your and Marius Manole's side during this tour?

I invite them to attend. It's going to be a remarkable tour. These events aren't like your regular concert, they're true performances. It's a confluence of director, actor and pianist that I think will be very pleasant for the audience.