Meet 'the Bob Dylan of the Hispanic world'

Composer Ricardo Lorenz and violist Roberto Diaz salute the late Victor Jara

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(Friday, Oct. 15) “He’skinda like the Bob Dylan of the Hispanic world,” says Ricardo Lorenz, MichiganState University associate professor of composition. He is talking about thelate political activist and singer Victor Jara.

AlthoughJara passed away in September 1973, his words live on. “He brings thattheatricality to his songs. He was very outspoken,” says Lorenz.

So,how does world-renowned viola soloist Roberto Diaz fit into the picture?

“Well,in a way (Diaz) chose me,” Lorenz explains. “He contacted me six years ago fora viola concerto. There are not many that play the viola. So, I agreed becausehe’s one of the top viola players in the country. He has this nuanced way ofplaying the viola, and Jara had a very mellow voice. The more I thought aboutit, the more I realized that I was trying to impersonate Jara’s voice in theviola.”

OnOct. 22, Diaz performs the world premiere of Lorenz’s concerto “Canciones deJara (Jara’s Songs)” for viola and orchestra at MSU’s Wharton Center.

Diazis president and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music and principal violist ofthe Philadelphia Orchestra. “He has played with the top three orchestralsymphonies in United States,” Lorenz said, “and he comes from that world. Thisproject, I think, bridges his world and part of my world.

“Theintention is not for audiences to leave the concert singing Jara’s songs. It ismore to do with the viola impersonating the emotional content of the songs.”

Diazagrees. “For me, it’s not so much the political message. I talked to Ricardoand he made it very clear that he is not trying to make a political message. Ithink — what I understand from it — it’s the sound of the viola. If you thinkabout the sound of the viola, it is the one string instrument that is closestto the normal human voice range. It’s a range that’s not too low or too high. It’sonly natural to think about songs in that range. In some ways the vocalness ofthe lines of songs has carried into the piece.”

Thevocals are a significant aspect, but the music remains a priority. “I thinkit’ll be different in that I’m bringing grass-roots, Bob Dylan-type of music,where the viola is the guiding strength,” Lorenz says. “It has very happy, sad,dramatic moments.”

Jarawas a folk singer, according to Diaz. “He pretty much sang and played theguitar. If people want to think of an equivalent, it would be Joni Mitchell.”

Inaddition to performing, Diaz will hold two master classes for MSU students fromthe College of Music. The Viola Master Class will be held on Monday, Oct. 18, whilethe Chamber Music Master Class will be on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

Foran Artists-in-Conversation discussion on Thursday, Oct. 22, Diaz said, “We mayshow a documentary of Jara playing songs. I’ll be explaining the ways in whichI translated the meaning of text and how I utilized them.”

Roberto Diaz concert performance
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22                    
Cobb Great Hall, Wharton Center         

For ticketinformation, contact www.music.msu.edu or call (517)353-5340. Tickets are $10 ($8 for seniors); students with ID and those under 18are admitted free. Tickets are alsoavailable at Wharton Center Box Office at whartoncenter.com or by calling (517) 432-2000.

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