Ricard Miralles, composer and arranger with a long career, was born in Barcelona in 1944, but has been living in Madrid for decades. Lately he has opted for commissions from the veteran Trío Arbós (piano, violin and cello), which have materialized in a disc of zarzuela fragments. The teacher, faithful musical squire of Joan Manuel Serrat, has written contemporary classical music and soundtracks. Every day he takes notes sitting at the piano and doesn’t stop until he gets a sketch of a melody. His list of services includes endless collaborations: Pi de la Serra, Alberto Cortez, Facundo Cabral, Soledad Bravo, Pablo Milanés, Amancio Prada, Marisol, Mari Trini, Rocío Jurado…
How was Serrat’s last tour?
It was very intense. I think it is one of the times that he has sung more at ease. I saw him always happy and passionate. In addition, without neglecting his musical dimension, he is always very interested in contacting people and knows how to do this very well.
You signed Fantasia for guitar and orchestra with Manolo Sanlúcar years ago and now you have been drawn to the zarzuela.
This is a commission from Trío Arbós, with the pandemic in the middle. A CD was released of the lyrical versions, under the title of Zarzuela Miralles, and they were presented in public in the network of theaters in the Community of Madrid.
What passages of zarzuela has he versioned?
They are personal versions, very free. Among other titles there is Siempre es el amor de Doña Francisquita, the Coro de barquilleros d’Agua, azucarillos y aguardiente, as well as fragments of La Revoltosa, La verbena de la Paloma, El barberillo de Lavapiés, La Gran Vía… Oh, and the xotis Madrid.
Has he also arranged for the Trío Arbós some boleros sung by Sandra Carrasco?
Yes. The album bears the title of one of the tracks, Alma mía. In addition, the repertoire includes El reloj, Llanto de luna, Te olvidaré, Solamente una vez, Mira que eres linda, Llora, Como un milagro…
You trained at the Barcelona Conservatory, but you have a musical background in your family.
My grandfather was from Borges del Camp. He worked as a barber and played the tuba. My father already studied at the conservatory in Carrer Bruc. They called him the Spanish Harry James because he mastered the trumpet. He had played in the orchestras of Jaime Camino and Ramón Evaristo. Then he founded his own, which was called Jaime Miralles y su Orquesta. I also studied trumpet and played in my father’s orchestra, earning half as much as the others, and also played with my grandfather in the processions.
He was also a regular at the Barcelona Jamboree. How did you enter the world of jazz?
At the Jamboree I met Tete Montoliu. Back then we understood by jazz everything that wasn’t classical, where we all came from. Tete had also studied at the conservatory in Carrer Bruc. You had to pay close attention to how he played, because he didn’t have the patience to teach you anything.
Sometimes the commercial dimension of an artistic work is criticized…
Even Mozart has a commercial side, especially in his lighter operas. He is an author who has recently aroused my interest, especially the serenades.
What other classical composers interest you?
Bach and Beethoven always first, but also Verdi, the operas of Handel, Stravinsky, Rimsky-Kórsakov, Richard Strauss with his lied Morgen…
And the world of jazz?
The usual, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau… But the music is universal. In Argentina with Serrat I was lucky enough to meet Ástor Piazzolla, who I really like. But also Cuchi Leguizamón and Horacio Salgán, master of tango with his orchestras. At the time we were influenced by the chanson. Then I became interested in Claude Nougaro and the soundtracks of Michel Legrand.
Does vocation exist?
They instilled it in me. At first it was a martyrdom, the lyrics come in handy, but then it became interesting to me and you can see it.
