PAVEL ŠPORCL: I’M NOT AFRAID OF STEPPING IN THE SAME RIVER

Six years after the release of the highly acclaimed Gipsy Way (SU 3951–2) album, the renowned violin virtuoso Pavel Šporcl has returned to a unique crossover project whose common denominator is Gipsy themes, from Hungarian czardas through film melodies to pieces by great Roma violinists. The new CD, titled Gipsy Fire (SU 4180–2), also features a composition by Šporcl himself. And just like Gipsy Way, it was recorded live: during two public concerts at which Pavel Šporcl and the Gipsy Way Ensemble were joined by the phenomenal accordionist Vojtech Szabó.

We asked Pavel Šporcl about what it is like for a non-Roma (“gadjo”) to play with a purely Gipsy band, why the recording was made live instead of in a studio, as well as about the selection of the repertoire.

Your 2008 Gipsy Way project has been a great success – perhaps the bestselling of all your CDs. Besides Czech stages, you have presented it to great acclaim at concerts throughout Europe, in China… Why does this programme enchant Czech and foreign audiences alike?

You should rather ask the listeners themselves (laughs). I think one of its attractions is the blending of a classically trained “gadjo” musician and Gipsy ones. The repertoire is alluring too: concertante and, in a way, unusual for both parties. We play ebullient pieces radiating the Gipsy vivacity, which people like and which makes them get up from their seats. And, last but not least, we really enjoy performing together, which is evident. We, the musicians, and the audience leave the concerts full of joy. We are charged with positive energy.

You are now releasing Gipsy Fire, your second album made with a Roma band. Is it an attempt to step in the same river?

The theme is similar, of course. But in this case I’m not afraid of stepping in the same river. We recorded Gipsy Way five years ago and since that time I have performed the repertoire at more than 220 concerts, both at home and abroad. I have grown together with it, just as I did with classical music, so naturally I have arrived at the conclusion that the Gipsy-themed repertoire should be extended. With Gipsy Fire, I have become far more involved as an arranger and composer. In comparison with the first one, the new project rests far more heavily on my shoulders. But this is what the first violin should do, after all.

So could you give us a few details of the repertoire of the new recording? The track list also refers to great Gipsy violinists, such as János Bihari and Béla Babai…

For me, as a violinist, the new recording is much more demanding than the first. Some of the pieces are really challenging in technical terms, ranking alongside Paganini’s com­positions. The album not only includes creations of great Gipsy violinists but also selected film melodies and Hungarian czardases. It will be a mixture of styles whose common denominator is Gipsy themes. I believe that the listeners will have a lot to choose from.

It seems that you have also been captivated by composing; following the highly acclaimed album My Violin Legends, this is the second Supraphon title featuring a piece of your own.

I am delighted about the splendid reception My Violin Legends met with all over the world. I do strive to represent Czech culture and history in a good way. Such work makes sense for me. The album is made up of pieces by Czech violinists of the past. In this connection, I again realised that violinists have often written music tailored to themselves, and these compositions have survived and are still played today: from Vivaldi through Paganini, Wieniawski to the Czech Jan Kubelík. So I wanted to link up to this tradition. I actually began composing for my pop project Sporcelain back in 2012 and have done so ever since. I have already mentioned that the new album, Gipsy Fire, features a few Paganini-style creations by Gipsy violinists. In relation to this, I have composed the title track, an extremely virtuosic piece, into which I projected my own feelings and the inspiration I have gained and absorbed over the five years during which I gave numerous concerts together with Gipsy musicians.

What is playing in a Gipsy band like? There aren’t many “gadjos” around who have been accepted by Gipsy musicians as one of their own…

The guys from the band have always joked that I am “one of them” (laughs). It’s a great joy to play with a group of friends who enjoy giving performances together. The Gipsy Way Ensemble is actually my Gipsy band. We play in the line-up of Nikola Sléz – violin, Tomi Vontzsemu – cimbalom, Zoltán Sándor – viola and guitar, and Ján Rigo – double bass. All of them are superlative instrumentalists, some of the best Gipsy musicians around, and they aren’t afraid of appearing before thousands of spectators. They provide me with great support and I can always rely on them on stage. I think we wonderfully inspire and highly respect each other.

Why did you opt for live recording of concerts? Isn’t recording in the studio more convenient?

Naturally, the band, the producer Matouš Vlčínský and I discussed this possibility. The previous album, Gipsy Way, too was recorded live, at La Fabrika in Prague. We came to the conclusion that one of the main reasons for its success was the lively atmosphere at the concert and the positive responses on the part of the audience, which have been captured on the recording. And I wanted to achieve the same in the case of Gipsy Fire as well. I chose the more difficult variant and assumed a certain risk, but I am convinced that the emotional atmosphere in the auditorium is very important for performing Gipsy music, as well as for the Gipsy musicians themselves. And the atmosphere at the concert at the Domovina Culture Centre in Prague during its recording was amazing indeed. I believe that owing to all the circumstances the live recordings have turned out well.

Have you lined up more concerts with the new project?

Absolutely. I always make a pre-Christmas tour of the Czech Republic with each new album. And we have also scheduled performances abroad. Our new recording has aroused interest in the USA, where we have been invited to give concerts in the next season, so I hope we will present the repertoire there soon.