Friendship

The making of this CD began as a plan for a demo only. The plan was born when Jean Louis and I had played Rachmaninov’s Vocalise on a jazz-evening in the Amsterdam Academic Club and we realised how well works from the classical tradition can be performed for an audience that came to expect jazz music. We ended with a complete CD with ten beautiful compositions from the lyrical, romantic and film-music repertoire. The recording of these pieces gave us also a chance to explore the possibilities of the vibrandoneon (best described as a harmonica with a keyboard) for this repertoire.
We entitled the CD Friendship since this was a project that emerged on the basis of friendship and the experience that music is best made with friends. Friendship in music is also essential because musical instruments are formidable opponents that can only be mastered through the patience of friendship: you have to become friends with your instrument. There should also grow a friendship with the compositions you play. You have to love them as in the original meaning of the word friendship that originates from Greek concept of “philein”: making love. You also have to believe that the great composers you play are your friends who are demanding and forgiving at the same time.
In times of numerous Facebook friends, business friends, club friends, political friends and even “fuck” friends we seem to have a rather cavalier attitude towards the notion of friendship. The word has become “homeless”. Yet, the great philosophers from Plato to Derrida have seriously reflected on the (im)possibility of genuine friendship. Among them Seneca in particular has taught us to be selective in friendship and he advises to ponder for a long time whether you shall admit a given person to your friendship; but when you have decided to admit him, welcome him with all your heart and soul. Speak as boldly with him as with yourself.
Jean Louis and I hope that you may enjoy our music surrounded by genuine friends.
Cees Hamelink Amsterdam 2017