In the Footsteps of Liszt: A Dialogue with a Particularly Inspired Composer-Performer
Introduction
Ludovic Selmi, an Exceptional Composer-Performer
Hello, I'm François Du Bois, a composer and marimbist based in Tokyo, author of the books "The Science of Composition" and "The Science of Musical Instruments" (published in Japanese by Kodansha in the Blue Backs collection)."
To celebrate the release of several of his works by the Japanese publishing company D-Project Co., Ltd., let's get to know the artist Ludovic Selmi and his sources of inspiration today. As someone who knows him well, I'll be conducting the interview for this occasion.
A brief introduction of Ludovic Selmi
Ludovic Selmi is featured in my latest book, "The Science of Musical Instruments," with a preface by the renowned pianist Gabriel Tacchino.
Ludovic Selmi is an exceptional composer and virtuoso pianist, a graduate of the Conservatoire of Geneva. Notably, the program he graduated from was founded by none other than the great Franz Liszt.
After completing his studies, he became a student of Pierre Barbizet in Marseille. Barbizet, a prominent figure in the French school of pedagogy, praised Selmi as a truly original composer. This marked the beginning of his solo career.
I met Ludovic in Paris in the early '90s, and we quickly formed a marimba/piano duo. Together, we performed across Europe, Japan, and in major French concert halls.
Ludovic Selmi now gives solo concerts throughout France. He collaborates with many partners such as the Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine under the direction of Roberto Benzi and others.
Originally from Toulon, a city on the Mediterranean coast, he eventually decided to leave Paris and return to the south. He now resides in the charming town of Tarascon, close to his birthplace, where he continues to develop his artistic talents. Why this choice?
A non-conformist with a brilliant artistic mind, Ludovic Selmi never rests on his laurels and is always looking for new paths to explore. He has chosen to flourish away from conventional networks, following his own unique path.
First, let's listen!
But first, let's listen to a powerful rendition of Prokofiev's "Toccata," where the performer's skill is evident from the first notes.
The dialogue
Two free and strong spirits of music speak to each other without taboo
François Du Bois: Ludovic Selmi, hello.
Ludovic Selmi: Hello!
F.D.B.: I propose an uncompromising interview, favoring straight talk. It's a rather rare exercise nowadays, where political correctness is preferred. This will provide both insight into certain realities of the artist's profession and a breath of fresh air for the readers.
L.S.: Absolutely!
F.D.B.: If, for example, you're not a fan of the major national music radio station, you'll have to tell us!
L.S.: France Musique then! The national French classical music radio station is just unbearable. It's all well-meaning with official composers certified by the government as guests!
F.D.B.: We're off to a strong start! The tone is set. But I assure you, with some differences, it's the same in Japan. We live everywhere under the reign of political correctness...
L.S.: Yes, it's not just the institutions that are conformist, but the artists themselves. They don't want to displease their group or clan to preserve their work. It's understandable but sad!
F.D.B.: Yes, you summarize well what I also observe on my side. We'll come back to all this, but to start, can you introduce us to the charm of the city where you live: Tarascon?
L.S.: Gladly. I want to clarify that it was after quite a few moves that I settled in Tarascon. I wanted peace and was tired of big, hectic, and polluted cities. Tarascon seemed suitable because it's a small town located between several large cities. It's easy to get around by plane or TGV (high-speed train).
It's very beautiful; you can discover the Château du Roi René, an extraordinary collegiate church, and a very renowned Italian-style theater.
Being from the south, I just needed sun and serenity. More and more soloists are settling far from big cities these days. I just started a bit earlier than the others. Plus, with the Internet, we can communicate better. Direct contact is always better, but we can still get things done.
Not interested in a spectacular career
F.D.B.: But in your case, I believe there's a deliberate desire to stay away from major centers where careers are polished through dinners and social cocktails. You didn't choose to be what is commonly called a careerist, I mean an artist ready to sacrifice everything to impose himself, playing from city to city, from country to country, as many times as possible in the year.
L.S.: Absolutely! I prefer to let things happen, and it has worked very well so far. Since I don't play too badly, people call me back. It might look like some kind of network, but it's not really that. The big difference is that money doesn't decide. If that were the case, I wouldn't tolerate it. I couldn't accept that an agent or concert organizer decides what I should play, with whom, and where.
F.D.B.: Again, it's the same thing in all countries. When you decide to be a careerist concert performer, you have to... how to say, force yourself to follow certain rules.
L.S.: Yes, sometimes these people even impose chamber music partners on you!
The ideals and realities of the artist's life
F.D.B.: It's really disappointing, especially for artists who, at the beginning, hoped to have a free and unconstrained life, to have as much freedom as possible in this rather hostile and very conformist world.
L.S.: There are great soloists who are forced to play with others who are supported by the current regime, often for various reasons. Do your research, dear readers!
If you don't collaborate with these people, you won't have visibility and sometimes no more work! Too many things are imposed on you in this profession, and if your goal is to have a very visible career, you are vulnerable to all kinds of pressure.
We practice a profession that must absolutely let your sensitivity express itself. I've made musical choices; it's very clear in my mind. What I like, I will defend! I lose interest in what I don't like.
Introduction to the published scores
"Quintette"
F.D.B.: Thank you for these clarifications. Let's now explore the first of the three works: "Quintette," which has just been published by D-Project Editions. What is it about?
L.S.: Well, it's a string quartet and a marimba.
F.D.B.: And the marimba isn't a soloist, let's clarify that.
L.S.: Yes, it's integrated into the quartet as one of the members of the quintet.
F.D.B.: This piece initially surprises by its length, around 30 minutes! Such a length is quite unusual. What did you want to express with this work, and why the marimba?
L.S.: Oh my, the trick question... Regarding the marimba, it's thanks to a certain François Du Bois who introduced me to the instrument. Do you know him? After writing several pieces for marimba and piano, it seemed appropriate to try a new environment around this instrument. For me, it's primarily an instrument that resonates directly with wood. It's this mix with the strings, which make the wood vibrate, that interested me.
F.D.B.: Can you tell us more?
L.S.: For this work, I started with cells, melodic melismas that I repeat and transform like a kind of gigantic metamorphosis. There is a brilliant part in the center, which is somewhat lace-like, organic, and rougher than at the beginning.
F.D.B.: And then, there's also a whole tone/semitone passage, really rock-like in the end.
L.S.: Yes, that's it, a clearly massive passage. For the atonal part, it's something more airy. For the finale, the strings vibrate continuously to give the impression of an orchestra tuning. It's very physical and demands a lot of energy from the performers. To play this, you can't be a slacker.
F.D.B.: And all this for a duration equivalent to a good half of a concert.
L.S.: Yes, it's the format of a symphony, half an hour, forty minutes.
"L'addition s'il vous plaît!"
F.D.B.: Let's move on to the second piece, "L’addition s’il vous plaît!" We're talking about a marimba-violin duo, which contrasts with the previous piece in its short duration. The title is rather unusual. I talked about it a bit around me in Japan, and everyone was surprised by the choice of this title! Tell us a bit more about this...
L.S.: So, the title actually comes from rhythmic addition: 1 and 1, 2 and 1, 2, 3 and 1, 2, 3, 4. An addition, hence the title: "L’addition s’il vous plaît!"
F.D.B.: So that's what it was!
L.S.: It's like a kind of grouping based on a minor scale. It's a bit technical, but in summary, we use the leading note of the first degree and the leading note of the fifth degree. The whole piece is punctuated by the violin in an obsessive manner, creating a kind of perpetual motion, hypnotic, leading to a sort of trance.
F.D.B.: But how can it be hypnotic if it's so short? It takes time to achieve a hypnotic effect!
L.S.: That's because you have to repeat the piece! You need to add repeats and play it over and over again...
F.D.B.: So that's it, now I understand! You really got me there!
"Amé"
F.D.B.: Let's move on to the third piece, "Amé" (pronounced Ah-meh). It's Japanese for rain. It's a very nice title, probably inspired by your stays, our stays in Japan!
It's a composition for marimba, piano, violin, and... a rainstick! It's not a common instrument, can you explain what it is?
L.S.: The rainstick is thought to have been invented in the 16th century by South American farmers, but some believe it's much older. Essentially, it's designed to attract rain. While in Africa they had music to make it rain, in Chile they had this stick.
A small tree trunk or bamboo is hollowed out, with pegs inserted inside. The trunk is filled with seeds, and when you turn it over, you hear the seeds falling. An important detail is that there's a membrane stretched over both ends of the trunk to create the instrument's resonance.
F.D.B.: I had one in France! So, we understand that the rainstick brings a "humid" element, if I may say, but where does the rest of the composition take us?
L.S.: I built the beginning in a very spread-out, linear way, with the rain modulating the whole piece, and the piano turning a bass line. Over this bass, the marimba and violin come and go in a repetitive manner. There's no real ending; it moves towards silence, it's very Zen.
F.D.B.: It's funny, this isn't the first time you've told me that. It seems like you don't like endings.
L.S.: Yes, it's true, I have issues with endings. The finale contrasts with the first part; it's extremely strong and agitated, with a central section that calms down a bit before building back up. The end goes crescendo, which is exactly the opposite of the first movement.
F.D.B.: It's like Yin and Yang, in a way, two worlds that are connected.
L.S.: Yes, they are connected, side by side.
F.D.B.: I noticed that the rainstick didn't play a part in the finale!
L.S.: That's right. I also thought of the rainstick as a baton that athletes pass during relays. I wrote the part so the marimbist could pass it to the violinist when the violinist isn't playing, like a relay exchange.
F.D.B.: That's very interesting.
"Asteroids" and "Baobab"
F.D.B.: Now let's talk about "Asteroids" and "Baobab", six marimba/piano duets released by the excellent Alphonse Productions. Although we didn't publish these works, I thought it was important to mention them since they are so original and popular. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that both instruments act as soloists and accompanists. It's different from the traditional format, where the piano usually accompanies the solo instrument.
L.S.: But that's not the case here! They blend together!
F.D.B.: Come on, inspire us, what's the secret of this music?
L.S.: These are very democratic pieces. What really interested me was the blend between the two timbres. After a while, you can't tell if it's the piano or the marimba playing, and that's the secret.
F.D.B.: Yes, you've blurred the lines, but it's really successful in the end.
L.S.: In my musical language, I don't restrict myself. That means I'm not afraid, like many contemporary composers, to make a beautiful C major chord. I love C major or D major, whatever—I need as many colors and dynamics as possible at my disposal.
F.D.B.: I completely agree! In my opinion, freedom of expression is what we expect from a composer. If a composer starts to self-censor, refuses innovation, and wants to stay within the "well-thinking" group, they'll stagnate, for sure. It's like a return to the Middle Ages, to the "Diabolus in Musica" (the devil in music). Back then, it was strongly advised not to use a tritone as a chord because it supposedly produced an anxiety-inducing and evil effect. The tritone was said to have been banned by the Church because it was considered satanic, although there are no writings on this subject. But that's what musicians say. In short, if you don't move forward, you fall behind, or at least regress.
L.S.: I love the tritone! It's true that this freedom in composition began with the Romantic era, so let's not limit ourselves! Generally speaking, I write the music I want to hear.
F.D.B.: That's very important.
L.S.: When I turn on the radio, it's not that I necessarily want to hear my own music, but when I write, I compose the kind of music I'd like to hear on the radio. I write music that I enjoy at the moment, influenced by whatever inspires me at the time, and this evolves constantly. I'm satisfied when, despite the different moods in my works, my signature remains recognizable. I'd also add that while we've all learned to compose, many people only write based on what they've learned, which prevents them from evolving.
F.D.B.: That's what a computer does, although with Artificial Intelligence, the machine might even do better.
The difference between brilliant concepts and ordinary concepts
If you want to be a first-rate musician, be bold
L.S.: It seems that many people struggle to break free, to compose beyond what they are, to move toward something new. They should also break free in their performance, instead of just trying to replicate what their teacher did. You can easily imagine them, overshadowed by their wonderful teacher, developing a behavior, a mindset: "I want to do like him/her, I want to be like him/her!"
F.D.B.: Imagine the teacher telling the student, "This low note must be played like this." The student replies, "Alright master, but why?"
L.S.: "Because that's how it's done! And besides, so-and-so plays it this way!" But if I don't want to play it forte, if I want to play it piano, because that's how I feel it and I have my reasons!
F.D.B.: Words like that can upset a lot of people, especially since, at the very beginning of our musical training, we are taught to follow the rules and instructions of our teachers. We need to be well-trained before we can spread our wings.
Could you explain why, in your opinion, it's important to develop a rebellious spirit early on if I've understood the essence of your thoughts?
L.S.: Very good question, essential even. It's important to break free from the rules, but not at the beginning, otherwise, you won't make progress. You have to listen to the teacher but also develop your own personality and musical sense in parallel. You need to have something to say and not be consumed by academicism.
What I meant is that many soloists stick strictly to the principles instilled by their teacher or master. The teacher's thinking acts as a wall, and these soloists, being so conditioned, will eventually hit their limits. They won't break free and will become, more or less, copies of the master who trained them.
That's what I wanted to express.
This is the best-case scenario if the master is already a very good musician. In the worst-case scenario, if the master isn't up to par, the soloist, if they don't emancipate themselves, will interpret based on erroneous concepts or simply mimic others. And then there's the case of a teacher who pretends to understand but actually knows nothing; that's a recipe for disaster from start to finish. I hope my explanation is clearer.
The dark aspects of the music industry
F.D.B.: Thanks for these clarifications, which I completely agree with. We never hear this kind of analysis; it can upset people to talk like this, and in the music world, we don't like making waves. We've spoken about this before; we think first about surviving, getting by, and keeping our contacts.
L.S.: Yes, exactly! Music comes second; networking comes first!
F.D.B.: We've mainly been talking about performers, but regarding composition, since we're on hot topics, what do you think about a composer's freedom to create based solely on their inspiration, without having to conform and compose works that will secure grants from the state or other organizations? In short, doing politics to be able to survive. What's your take on all that?
L.S.: You're talking about official composers, like there used to be official painters, the firemen painters (lacking subtlety) and portraitists paid by the emperor or the king of the time!
F.D.B.: Yes, exactly.
L.S.: To get into that circle, you need to be endorsed by the right people, then you can get hold of the subsidies.
A happy, carefree lifestyle
F.D.B.: We have a common point here; we both slipped through the net without having to give up our ideals and passion. How did you manage it?
L.S.: I mentioned it a bit at the beginning of our discussion; I focused on direct contact with the audience. When you play your own compositions in public, people love it! They "get into" the music right away, so to speak. They're directly connected with the reality of the moment, the current events, the influences—they're fully engaged, and I can feel it. I'm not saying this out of pretension, but last year in Switzerland, people were talking among themselves before the concert, according to what I was told: "We came, yes, it's true, but honestly, contemporary music, it's going to be a long evening. Well, we'll go to the restaurant after this!"
F.D.B.: What were you playing?
L.S.: “The 33 miniatures”, a suite of short pieces for solo piano that I composed.
F.D.B.: Ah, “The 33 miniatures”, yes, of course, I know them.
L.S.: It lasts exactly an hour, it flows continuously. I addressed the audience before starting: "Trust me, close your eyes, and we'll talk in an hour." I speak to people directly.
I don't think after composing, "Maybe in 300 years this music will be considered genius." I live at the moment with the audience.
F.D.B.: In 300 years, there's no way to confirm!
L.S.: What happens after my death doesn't concern me anymore! After me, the flood, as they say.
A great success that almost became a great disaster
F.D.B.: Let's talk about “Totem”, a piece we co-wrote for the 25th anniversary of the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, an institution that hosts artists from all over the world. We premiered ”Totem” at the Grand Auditorium, the 104, of Radio France. This work was broadcast nationwide on France Musique.
L.S.: That was a complete success! What a challenge!
F.D.B.: We went through the whole adventure together; I think it might be fun to talk about it. I'm passing the baton to you now.
L.S.: It was a bit of a wild adventure at every stage of the project. At the concert, there were no fewer than 25 ambassadors in the audience, according to the organizers.
F.D.B.: Yes, it was the opening piece, and after us, there were big names in classical music, globally renowned musicians. We had to make an impression with an original concept, and we took big risks. So, what's “Totem” about, and how does it present itself?
L.S.: If you want, you can answer.
F.D.B.: Possible, but you're the one being interviewed.
L.S.: It’s a piece for marimba, piano, timpani, and bass drum, and... a group playing on 200-liter oil barrels. It was a group very well-known at the time and still today, I think: "Les Tambours du Bronx." A kind of band of wild, rebellious, undisciplined, provocative people, never on time and particularly fond of alcoholic beverages. Do you agree?
F.D.B.: Yes, that's right. Since I had known them for a long time, having gone to school with some of them, I still wonder how it all happened, but anyway... and given the opportunity to work with them was quite great, you and I started writing for this formation.
L.S.: Exactly, you knew them, and for me, the big motivation was that it was going to happen at Radio France, which is a temple of academicism in this country. So, I found the place perfectly suited for such a performance. The rehearsals were very funny, I remember. They didn’t read music and worked by ear.
Do you remember they were 25 at the beginning? They all gradually dropped out, unable to memorize the music. In the end, we only had 8 left! In the middle of the piece, we asked them to shout "Totem!"
The presenter of the event at Radio France was Frédéric Lodéon. Do you remember during the rehearsal at the 104, (Also known as the Olivier Messiaen Hall) he scolded us: "You are crazy to do this, to play here with people like that? Do you realize what's going to happen?"
(Frédéric Lodéon is a star presenter in the field of classical music, very well-known in France, and he was also one of Rostropovich’s brilliant students.)
F.D.B.: It sounds like you have many fond memories! I must have lost 10 kilos during that adventure. Plus, when it was time to go on stage, we couldn’t find them! We had to run everywhere with our friends and assistants in this 700-meter circumference building with a 68-meter-high tower in the middle, in this jungle of 1,000 offices and 63 recording studios. Driven by the ticking clock and the approaching opening time, I’m sweating just thinking about it!
L.S.: And finally, we found them in one of the cafeterias, sitting calmly and drinking beer!! They were completely panicked when we announced that the show was about to begin. We brought them back to the grand studio and pushed them on stage just a few minutes before the start of the ceremony.
F.D.B.: Also, I remember when they arrived at the building, they had an accident with their truck entering the parking lot and almost got into a fight with security. Really, nothing was spared that day!
L.S.: But in the end, the audience was on their feet. I remember that Lodéon, who was careful to cover the microphone with his hand so as not to be on the air, said to us:
"Well done guys, that was impressive, honestly, I didn't believe it!"
L.S.: Regarding the composition, we had rented a house in Grasse in the south of France from a very famous perfumer. All those sublime scents undoubtedly inspired us for the composition.
F.D.B.: Indeed, I think she was making perfumes for Dior, Kenzo, etc.
It's nice to talk about these moments of artistic life, people never hear the stories from behind the curtain.
L.S.: People who live them are afraid it will come back to them if they talk about it.
To conclude
F.D.B.: Now, I would like to know about your projects. Do you have anything in preparation?
L.S.: Yes, I am working on the creation of a triptych for flute and piano that we will perform next Saturday in Tarascon. I am also currently writing a work for women's choirs based on texts by Rainer Maria Rilke, called "3 Roses." The scores will be published by EURO CHORAL for those interested.
F.D.B.: Thank you for these details. You seem very busy, we wish you success for all these projects!
I wanted to thank you for this frank and direct exchange. Readers will, after reading this article, get to know you better and discover an artist without compromise. We so need the "without compromise" in this canned society!
L.S.: The pleasure was all mine, I send all my best wishes to the land of the rising sun, Japan, which is a country I adore!
F.D.B.: Thank you, Ludovic, and see you soon!
L.S.: Thank you!
Music composed by Ludovic Selmi :
Astéroïdes and Baobab (6 pieces)
Translation by Aya KIMURA