{"id":13115,"date":"2019-06-10T16:48:10","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T23:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/?p=13115"},"modified":"2019-06-10T17:13:32","modified_gmt":"2019-06-11T00:13:32","slug":"milos-karadaglic-returns-after-a-devastating-hand-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/milos-karadaglic-returns-after-a-devastating-hand-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Milo\u0161 Karadagli\u0107 Returns After a Devastating Hand Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"
BY TH\u00c9R\u00c8SE WASSILY SABA | From the Summer 2019 Issue of Classical Guitar<\/a><\/h6>\n

The London-based Montenegrin guitarist Milo\u0161 Karadaglic has become such a prominent figure in the music world over the past decade that he is known by many simply by his first name (pronounced me-l\u00afosh<\/i>). That familiarity of style and celebrity status has been assisted by his extra-musical activities, which include representing brands such as the upscale Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the 2011 release of his debut album for Deutsche Grammophon, simply titled The Guitar<\/i>, Milo\u0161\u2019 career seemed to move from strength to strength\u2014but crisis, in the form of crippling hand issues, hit just as he was launching his critically acclaimed Blackbird: The Beatles Album<\/i> in early 2016. In this candid interview, the guitarist discusses this major setback in his career, his long road to recovery, a variety of exciting new projects, the imminent premiere of a Howard Shore concerto, and his Play Guitar with Milo\u0161<\/i><\/strong><\/a> series for Schott Music. All of a sudden, the darkness has passed, and the future looks bright again!<\/p>\n

CLASSICAL GUITAR:<\/b> The classical guitar world had an encounter with film composer Howard Shore a number of years ago when he wrote Three Pieces for Two Guitars<\/i> for Sharon Isbin as part of the score for Martin Scorsese\u2019s 2006 film The Departed<\/i>. So, the news that Shore has been commissioned by [British conductor] Alexander Shelley to write a guitar concerto especially for you is very exciting indeed. Can you give us some background on the commission and the choice of composer?<\/p>\n

MILO\u0160: <\/b>For a long time before we met, I had been fascinated by Howard Shore\u2019s insanely imaginative soundtracks and classical compositions. The story of this collaboration goes back a few years. When my Aranjuez<\/i> recording came out in 2014, it was a very hot piece in my repertoire, and I played it all over the world. It was incredible to have the opportunity to create music with some of the world\u2019s finest musicians and conductors. In just one summer, in the USA alone, I performed Rodrigo\u2019s Concierto de Aranjuez<\/i> with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, L.A. Philharmonic, and Cleveland Symphony. Aranjuez<\/i> is a jewel\u2014it\u2019s timeless and I love it. And what a way to make a debut in all those places.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But then I asked myself, what would I come back with to those orchestras in the following seasons? Would I simply need to wait five years or so until it\u2019s time for another round of Aranjuez<\/i>? Most other guitar concertos, no matter how much we guitarists love them, simply don\u2019t have the commercial attraction of the Aranjuez<\/i>, and in the end, orchestras want to have concert halls at full capacity. The \u201cRach 3\u201d [Rachmaninoff\u2019s Piano Concerto No. 3<\/i>], Bruch, Elgar, Tchaikovsky\u2014in combination with a starry soloist\u2014all guarantee that. That\u2019s what we are up against. After a lot of thinking, it became clear to me that the only way to really make a difference here is to inspire big-name composers to write for me.<\/p>\n

Alexander Shelley and I worked together in Munich. We performed Aranjuez <\/i>at the Gasteig and we loved working together. After the performance, we had an intense conversation over dinner about music and repertoire, which gave birth to many great ideas for the future, including the idea for a Shore concerto. Alex was just about to go to NAC [National Arts Centre orchestra] in Ottawa and start his term as a principal conductor. The stars aligned and almost immediately the idea was presented to Howard. We then met in New York; he came to a solo concert I was doing there. He was mesmerized by the pieces I played and immediately started writing the concerto.<\/p>\n

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CG:<\/b> <\/i>Did you have much contact with Howard Shore during the writing process?<\/p>\n

MILO\u0160: <\/b>We were in touch throughout the whole process. Composers are often confused about how best to proceed when writing for the guitar, so I gave Howard many pointers about the key signatures, style, texture, techniques, things that I enjoy playing, etc. We met in person, too, and went through the material on numerous occasions. The main difficulty, however, was that in the middle of it all, I was ordered by doctors to stop playing, so I wasn\u2019t able to premiere the piece as originally planned for 2017. I am so grateful to Howard and the NAC for allowing me the time I needed to recover properly and for rescheduling the premiere to May of this year.<\/p>\n

CG: <\/b>Can you explain the background to the title\u2014The Forest: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra<\/i>?<\/p>\n

MILO\u0160: <\/b>The work is magical, just like the enchanted forest Howard wanted to paint with his unique musical brushstrokes. The first time I heard the piece, I was moved by the honest simplicity of its harmonies, the idiomatic writing, and the incredibly programmatic nature, which makes you instantly dream up so many colors and so much scenery in your head. I have been struck by how masterfully\u2014through the texture of the sound he creates, amongst so many shades of musical color\u2014Howard discreetly interweaves the net of various echoes from my own homeland. Montenegro and its dark forests have been an inspiration to Howard from the beginning. He finds my Balkan background mysterious and very inspiring. On the other hand, whenever I think of Howard, I always have those luscious, swooning Lord of the Rings<\/i> soundtracks in my head. Those movies also look as if they were shot in the Montenegrin mountains. There are indeed a lot of parallels here.<\/p>\n

CG: <\/b>In Joby Talbot\u2019s Ink Dark Moon<\/i> guitar concerto, which you premiered at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in August 2018, the composer had you sitting almost in the midst of the orchestra, and seemed to be trying to generate a slightly different relationship between the soloist and the orchestra. What was that like for you as a soloist?<\/p>\n

MILO\u0160: <\/b>Joby\u2019s concerto is a completely different beast. It was the first big performance that I did after my break, and for that reason, it will always have a special place in my heart. Joby went all-in\u2014he wrote a concerto that feels almost limitless in its power and effect. When we discussed the commission, I gave him a very straightforward brief: I asked him to write a piece that was going to break the glass ceiling. I wanted a musical vehicle to be able to go further than before, and to challenge some common misconceptions about the guitar in the concerto context.<\/p>\n

Next to his purely classical training, Joby also has a notable rock \u2019n\u2019 roll background. With everything else he imagined for this concerto, he also drew on those experiences and wrote a piece that has true musical fireworks. The first movement opens with these gentle rolling ostinato passages which immediately make you sit up and listen. The second movement is incredibly reflective and deep, while the third movement always makes me feel like a rock star\u2014it\u2019s infectious in its energy and edge. The idea of reimagining the layout of the orchestra by creating a small concertante group\u2014like a \u201cband\u201d\u2014around the soloist was very powerful, too. In effect, he wanted to create a human soundboard, where every single musical idea that comes from the guitar bounces off and around the orchestra, creating this sort of minimalist polyphony that is very much in the essence of his compositional style. The premiere at the Proms was such a culmination of our work together and, to this day, I don\u2019t remember ever feeling happier and more fulfilled onstage. I couldn\u2019t have asked for a better piece. Ink Dark Moon <\/i>has also just been recorded with the BBC Symphony at Abbey Road, and it will come out on my next release for Decca. I want the whole world to hear it now.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/b> <\/i>Is Howard Shore\u2019s approach to concerto writing distinctive, too?<\/p>\n

MILO\u0160: <\/b>Howard thinks in a more traditional \u201csoloist vs. orchestra\u201d way. He showcases virtuosity, as well as the intimacy of the guitar sound, by carefully orchestrating the score. The second movement is very still, the outer movements are constantly moving. The orchestra is at full power, but never overpowering. The music is so beautiful. At the time of this interview, it\u2019s all a few weeks away. I am nervous and very excited all at the same time.<\/p>\n

Conceptual video for Piazzolla’s <\/em>Libertango:<\/em><\/p>\n