When the musicians saw Rosalía’s work while recording “Lux” In London, they suffered “A kind of ecstasy” They felt a responsibility to fulfill the “mission” she set for herself through the album, says the Spanish violinist. London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) David Ballesteros in an interview with EFE.
Born in Tenerife, Crossbowmen He has been part of the London Symphony Orchestra since 2000, where he is a conductor second violin, He was one of the few musicians chosen to participate with Rosalía in the recording process of the song “Lux,” which lasted “three or four days” in the British capital.
When you see The first of the dozensWithout lyrics or prior rehearsals, the feeling that was evident in the London orchestra was a mixture of the two curiousity They were skeptical about knowing what the Catalan singer had come up with, but when they played the initial notes, they knew they were facing something “just right.” various And very stimulating,” describes the musician from one of the LSO’s rehearsal rooms.
“We had the same impression that Rosalia had. I worked hard In those last years to reach that moment, which for her was, I imagine, a kind of euphoria that we all felt (…) because the moment we sat down to put music He adds: “From those observations, we felt that she had a mission and that she was very focused on achieving what she had invented and imagined in her mind.”
During his twenty-five years at the LSO, Ballesteros has had the opportunity to collaborate with many famous artists, as well as scoring music for video games and film epics such as “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter.” However, he maintains that the experience of working with Rosalía was something special only.
“Continuous” intervention.
During the “intensive” recording sessions Rosalía intervened “fixed”, But his, Ballesteros confirms a personality And his natural grace when it comes Give guidelines He prevailed upon the London orchestral musicians who submitted themselves “unconditionally” to his suggestions.
From the control room, the Catalan artist repeated with her voice the melodies that the musicians had to play repetition Then with their tools. “And that gave us Component “It’s very valuable when it comes to contributing what I imagined to go into these details,” the violinist says.
“His ideal was, in a way, evident in his approach a job, I didn’t get the impression that it was Final productBut in fact, during the sessions, their ideas or dreams regarding many topics were quickly developed.”
Behind the scenes, Ballesteros was also able to share some private moments with Rosalía, whom he described as a girl “cultured” person “Sensitive” and “naturally curious.” “It was so nice to have time to talk to her during one of the breaks Exchange opinions About the music that affects us the most,” admits Canary, who recalls how the singer showed a special interest in knowing her opinion of the “Lux” melodies.
A tribute to the past and a connection to the future
It’s been almost a year since Ballesteros and the rest of the LSO musicians recorded the songs (and they had to Keep the secret), but it wasn’t until its release, on November 7, that they heard the final product.
“For the orchestra, it was a pleasant surprise to be able to see that The challenge was of a very high level The result was fantastic,” says the man from Tenerife, who dared to repeat some basic notes from memory using his violin. proud From “Berghain”, the first single from “Lux” and one of his favorite songs from the album – along with “Magnolia” and “Memory” -.
he Orchestral componentespecially string instruments, are present in most of the songs and are one of the structural pillars of the album, along with Thirteen languages Which they form, collaborating with artists like Björk or Carminho and incorporating the musical styles they explore, from opera to fado.
In Ballesteros’ opinion, “Lux” is Rosalía’s tribute to the “lineage” that links her to many modern-day artists and musical styles. past And at the same time connected to the device future Which shows that music lacks classifications in today’s world.
He concludes that Rosalía’s music resembles “A invitation So that any young man would dare take up tool”, Something that represents “a very valuable incentive and a gift that Rosalia gives to this generation.”