What began last winter as a musical tribute to the late Paul De Ridder, a music lover through and through, continued this past Sunday and is well on its way to becoming a cherished tradition. The driving force behind it is his son Jan, who managed to steer Paul toward classical music.
Armenian
For the concert in the salons of Battenbroek Castle, he combined tradition with fresh surprises. As always, he called upon Aram Grigorian. A close friend of Paul's, Aram has been a faithful presence for the family. Yet throughout the years, he remained the star who scaled the heights of the Yerevan Opera House. To hear and see Aram sing is pure enchantment. His voice seems to emerge from unfathomable depths. It is warm, supple, and vibrant. He was accompanied by another Armenian, Hasnil (meaning 'jasmine') Manoukian. In Belgium, she completed her piano studies at the Lemmens Institute and in Brussels. Despite numerous awards, she chose to pursue a career as a 'collaborative pianist' rather than in the traditional role. This means not simply accompanying musicians, but strengthening them through intense collaboration and allowing them to shine at their best. Her professional accompaniment enabled Aram Grigorian to expand his repertoire from traditional Russian ballads to Glinka and operatic fragments from Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra' and 'Macbeth.' His deeply felt physical presence, his depth, his diction, and his expressive hands captivated the audience, even for those unfamiliar with Russian or Italian.
Reunion
The many connections that Jan De Ridder possesses led to the day's surprise: none other than guitarist Wim Brioen had come all the way from the French Indre—the homeland of George Sand. The virtuoso who, after studying in Liège, Antwerp, Ghent, and with Alexandre Lagoya, won prizes in competitions like Tenuto and Pro Civitate and in Rio de Janeiro (Villa Lobos), the master who succeeded in coordinating his guitar with the carillon of Eddy Marién high in the tower of Busleyden, was back in Mechelen! He took the audience through the history of the guitar. Until his playing became less certain, less precise, and he had to stop. His neurologist was right: no performing! Yet he returned and bravely worked his way through Tárrega, Villa Lobos, and a posthumous 'wink' to Paul: an arrangement for guitar of Benoit's Third Fantasy. A duet with Jan De Ridder in a surprising recital-concert featuring Francisco Da Milano & Joanne Matelart completed the circle.
Last year pianist Ilya Maximov. Now Manoukian and Brioen… Paul's memory is in good hands.
