April 15, 2021. Elena Lasco offers the audience an improvisation based on themes that take us from the origins of jazz to the most modern music… She goes through very different styles and surprises the audience in the middle of the concert by changing the sound of the piano with the “Crazy Pedal”.

I talked to her a few days later. She told me that she and Sergey Gogolev met through social media during confinement. They do not remember who contacted whom first, but the fact is that they saw that they had complementary interests in the musical universe. "It's lucky, as a pianist, to find a good tuner you can trust, like Sergey," she says (not knowing that Sergey will read it).

Elena Lasco is a pianist graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, the Gnesin Academy (Moscow), and the Gnesin Higher Musical Academy, Moscow, in classical music, jazz, and pop. She then successfully created her own musical program, "Your turn, Artist!" . And now she resides in Barcelona, acting as a guest artist on various projects.

When the confinement eased, she and Sergey met in person, and he told her about his project with the Acoustic Hybrid Piano. After watching some videos, Elena wanted to try playing a piano tuned in this other way. "I was not surprised when I played it for the first time, really, because I had already seen so many videos ...", she laughed.

So they agreed on the concert: "As I am a pianist and composer of very different styles (jazz, classical, experimental ...), I find it interesting to change the sound of the piano during a performance." In addition, for Elena, one of the concert performers' magic is knowing how to keep the audience's attention through surprise: changing clothes, changing the musical style, saying something ... or changing the tuning of the piano. "It's as easy as removing the pedal and the effect is gone. ”

For Elena, this sound is“ nostalgic ”:“ It sounds like an old piano… or maybe a modern one… it's hard to tell. As if it was destroyed, but in a well done way. I would like to be able to include this sound option in all my concerts from now on. "(Of course, it is important that it is a good quality piano, so that the sound can really be enjoyed.)

However, "it is a sound that does not work well with all songs or styles. It is perfect, for example, for old jazz, Ragtime.” So Elena's concert begins with the “Crazy Pedal”, and it disappears when she drifts towards the more jazzy themes. modern.

"In fact, I only used the pedal for about... twenty minutes, maybe more ... Let's say it was half of the concert. It looks good like this." Elena sees this melancholic sound ideal to complement and enrich concerts.

“The idea of tuning differently is not new, but it is good to know that there are people who know how to do it well like Sergey and who make it known. I myself had experimented with tuning pianos in the baroque style. Everyone will have their opinion; some will like it a lot and others not so much. But that is positive." Because it keeps music alive. It keeps the audience awake, attentive (perhaps nostalgic).

“I like the word experiment. I am passionate about experimenting, and for me this pedal is an extra possibility. So yes, I will use it. By the face. Exactly, by my beautiful face. Put it in the article”. I answer that I will write that in the last paragraph of this article about nostalgia, beauty and jazz.

Nadja Bas.