Two great exponents of Cuban jazz and pianística, of recognized international prestige, Chucho Valdés and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, delighted the demanding Austrian public in a beautiful unique concert with four hands and two pianos offered yesterday in a crowded Great Hall of the Konzerthause, Vienna's main theater, which houses more than two thousand attendees.
The audience enjoyed the brilliant show, in an atmosphere of complementarity and harmonization starring the talented musicians for two hours, passed without pause, with a repertoire that practically represented a chronological journey through the different stages and styles of Cuban and universal piano. It was impressive to appreciate how the African-American and Latin roots of Cuban music, exposed through the personal compositions of the Masters and the works of Lecuona and Moisés Simons (with the original version of El Manisero), melodically imbricated with the classicism of Chopin or the authenticity jazz of Caravan, of Duke Ellington, where Gonzalito himself played the drum with the piano, as Chucho drew exclusive chords when he ripped the inner strings of the instrument.
In the end, a long and -unusual- strident ovation, standing tribute, was testimony of the receptivity and gratitude of the audience for the artistic mastery demonstrated by the performers in their proposal. The Austrian press agency APA described as "perfect night" and "brilliant" the performance of the Cuban musicians, who "gave wings to the pianos".
Both Masters, of different generations and styles, achieved on stage a shocking synchronization of movements, musicality and virtuosity. They made Cuban culture and music shine at the top.
The concert was the beginning of this year's European tour of both pianists that will also take them to Spain, Germany and Russia, among other countries, presenting the new joint project: Trance, which precisely establishes a deep connection between the many styles in the music, based on an instrumental dialogue between two brilliant artists, representatives of different generations, whose friendship, mutual admiration and respect go back decades to become now the foundation of this cultural event.
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(Embacuba Austria / Cubaminrex)