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Enescu`s Violin Started to Take Musical Journeys Again Through Romania`s Villages: First Stop at Viișoara Village in Cluj-Napoca County

Monday, 26 October 2015 , ora 14.01
 
All the way back home I kept wondering what was it that overwhelmed me with joy and made me say at the end of Gabriel Croitoru and Horia Mihail`s concert that it was a plain delight. As I was not able to grasp it, I kept thinking about the whole evening, hoping I would find the key in the end. I`ve been to Viișoara before, I know the tales of each of the seven hills that surrounds it, as well as the stories that amaze the children when their grandparents try to add something new to every one of them, with a discreet smile ; I told myself that the eight legend that was just born might be exactly what caused my feeling. Or maybe it was what happened on stage. A man, in a perfect connection with a precious violin, and another man, whose soul seemed to having moved into the digital piano they were travelling with, both in a continuous vibration along with each other. But it wasn`t exactly that either. Then I thought maybe it was the audience that was a true spectacle, as it seemed to hold its breath lest it should miss a single note. But somewhere in the middle of the hall, a little blonde girl with a great smile on her face looked as if she had just received the most beautiful toy in her life; she started to dance on her chair, transmitting her feeling to her three friends whom she arrived with at the concert.

I wasn`t able to find out the secret at all, so, for that matter, I asked a few people about it hoping to get some help.

I began with Gabriel Croitoru:

Everytime we go across the country with this project we encounter different types of audiences. It is obvious that in the last four years since we`ve been taking the 'Enescu's Violin' National Tour,we have covered many geographical areas in Romania. What I wanted to day is that the warmest and the most receptive audience that we`ve seen lies in the areas of Transylvania. This pleases me, because we have the opportunity to present this marvellous instrument, and somehow, along with it, the music that we represent through Radio Romania`s project. I think the impact on the audience was a great one this evening. The people who enjoyed our performance were in greater numbers than those who did not liked it. Part of them stayed until the end because they loved it, while others, how should I put it, were maybe too ashamed to leave…There were only a few who got bored and left.

I continued with Horia Mihail:

Firstly, this is a matter that has to do with our 'chemistry', and secondly, with our experience. We've been performing for many years now, and the fact that you observed our connection brings me a great joy, especially if we consider the fact that we communicate at a higher level, because we don`t rehearse too much.

What did you think of the audience?

They were well-behaved and showed their interest in our work; they were very civilised and enthusiastic at the end of the performance.

What do you mean by an 'well-behaved' audience?

They sat quietly and listened to everything we performed.

Do you have the feeling that they understood the music ?

It`s not about understanding what we perform. What we performed was written in a language without words, letters or syllables; it was a musical language, an energy that gets transmitted. When you tell someone you love them, I don`t believe that person must understand it, but needs to feel it.

I was beginning to figure out something, but I still needed further details.

Did you enjoy it?

It was outstanding. I came from Cluj-Napoca. I found out about it in a second, andI arrived in Viișoara right away.

We take advantage of this kind of relaxing nights, we forget about all our trouble.

Did you enjoy tonight's event?

Yes.

Why?

It was beautiful. The violin.

I liked it very much. I'm afraid that this is a rare opportunity. They were extraordinary; live performances are more special than TV or radio broadcasts.

A unique event. Splendid, indeed.

Are you from Viișoara?

I am from Câmpia Turzii; as soon as I heard about this concert,I came.

Did you enjoy it?

Yes, very much.

What did you mostly enjoy?

The Spanish dance.

I really loved it. Honestly. It calmed me. I liked Shostakovich the most.

The Spanish composer's music was my favourite. It was the closest to my heart.

Well, I didn`t like it because it was too long, and I don`t like long violin songs.

I did. Above all, I enjoyed the music.

The violin fascinated me. Perfect acoustics in a hall that lacked amplifiers. You can tell it's from 1731, so it's such a precious violin for lasting such a long time and it keeps getting better and better.

I don`t know if that was the secret, but I am aware that after listenening to their recordings, I told myself: 'Gabriel and Horia, I don`t know what you wanted to achieve with this project, but if you`ve made a girl dance like a leaf in the wind, well, you`ve done it. This means that we are witnessing an unbelievably beautiful fall.



Author: Anca Mureșan, Radio Cluj
Translated by Ilinca Elena Dinulescu and Ioana Săbău
MTTLC, the University of Bucharest