Ricard Miralles, a composer and arranger with a long career, was born in Barcelona in 1944, but has lived in Madrid for decades. Lately he has opted for commissions from the veteran Trío Arbós (piano, violin and cello), which have taken shape in a record of zarzuela passages. The maestro, Joan Manuel Serrat’s faithful musical squire, has composed contemporary classical music and soundtracks. Every day he takes notes sitting at the piano and doesn’t stop until he gets an outline of a melody. His service sheet includes infinite collaborations: Pi de la Serra, Alberto Cortez, Facundo Cabral, Soledad Bravo, Pablo Milanés, Amancio Prada, Marisol, Mari Trini, Rocío Jurado…
How did you experience Serrat’s last tour?
It was very intense. I think it is one of the times that he has sung more at ease. I always saw him happy and passionate. Also, without neglecting his musical dimension, he is always very interested in contacting people and he knows how to do that very well.
You signed with Manolo Sanlúcar Fantasia for guitar and orchestra years ago and now you have given him the zarzuela.
It is a commission from the Trío Arbós, with the pandemic involved. Of the lyrical versions, under the title of Zarzuela Miralles, a CD was released and they were presented in public in the network of theaters of the Community of Madrid.
What zarzuela passages have you covered?
They are personal versions, very free. Among other titles are Siempre es el amor de Doña Francisquita, the Coro de barquilleros de 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 chotis Madrid.
Have you also arranged for the Trío Arbós some boleros sung by Sandra Carrasco?
Yes. The album bears the title of one of the songs, Alma mía. In addition, the repertoire includes El reloj, Llanto de luna, I will forget you, Only once, Look how beautiful you are, Like a miracle…
You were trained at the Barcelona Conservatory but you have a family musical background.
My grandfather was from Les Borges del Camp. He was a barber by trade and played the tuba. My father already studied at the Bruc street conservatory. They called him the Spanish Harry James because he mastered the trumpet. He had played in the orchestras led by Jaime Camino and Ramón Evaristo. Later he founded his own, which was called Jaime Miralles and his Orchestra. I also studied trumpet and played in my father’s orchestra, earning half as much as the others, and he also played with my grandfather in processions.
He was also a regular at the Barcelona Jamboree. How did he enter the world of jazz?
At the Jamboree I met Tete Montoliu. Back then we understood by jazz everything that was not classical, where we all came from. Tete had also studied at the Bruc street conservatory. You had to pay close attention to how she played, because she 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. Lately it arouses my interest, especially romances.
What other classical composers interest you?
Bach and Beethoven always come first, but also Verdi, the operas by Handel, Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Richard Strauss with his lied Morgen…
And the world of jazz?
The usual, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau… But music is universal. In Argentina with Serrat I was lucky to meet Ástor Piazzolla, who I like a lot. 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 Michel Legrand’s soundtracks.
Does the vocation exist?
They instilled it in me. At first it was a martyrdom, that bloody handwriting goes in, but later I became interested and you see.
