A musician revered for his exquisite tonality and technical prowess, the late Chrsistophe Caron was a unique and inspiring individual. This interview, dated to the release of his classic duo recording Gwenrann, with pianist Christian Metayer in 2000, tells us a lot about his approach towards his beloved instrument, the bombard. 

Some of the earliest recordings that we heard of Breton music, from musicians as diverse as Alan Stivell and Bernard Benoit, featured occasional bits of bombard that carried an indescribably fine, regal tonality - the sound of Christophe Caron. In the Gwenrann recording, playing on my stereo as I type this, Caron also settled into the use of the bombard in F as a profoundly beautiful balance point between the shriller tone of the smaller instruments and the warm, rounded sound of the hautbois or “pistoñ”.  

Our recent discovery of this article dating from the turn of the century inspired us to translate and present it here, as a wonderful retrospective into this fascinating musician. 

Translation ours.  ~Fañch

Christophe Caron is a dandy, and if that word, which does not suffer from any comparison, since by its nature having no definition and therefore no example, seems a little pejorative, it remains likely that he would still not refuse it.

Having the elegant look, sharp tone, and pointed humor, Christophe floats above criticism and serenely follows the difficult path around this damn hautbois rustique that he refuses to just lock away in a straitjacket.

As this album of bombard and piano is released with the talented pianist Christian Metayer, who echoes the spirit of Debussy, we meet the man that some, like Erwan Hamon or Ronan Le Gourierec, consider to be a master... how did all this happen?

“First of all, I am very proud to know that I am cited by musicians such as those you name, and to learn that there are others! My "innovative" path has not been easy nor free from pitfalls of all kinds. When one day we see others break through by means of self-discipline and the blossoming of their approach, while you, perhaps, are just beginning, it is rather encouraging and even gratifying and you tell yourself that everything is not dark!

All this happened to me quite simply because it was all around me! I followed the family tradition; my father and his cousins played and I was initiated in this way by the age of 10 or 11. (Sonneurs de) Couple, Bagad, stages in Rosporden or in the Montagne with Birrien, Le Meur, Castel, Le Vallégant and all these sonneurs from the end of the 70s who also allowed me to rub shoulders with the elders still alive at that time.

At the same time, I also received classical piano training from the age of 7. And then, it's true, I heard (bombard player) Jean-Claude Jégat and discovered the vibrant quality of his sound, his sensitivity, and I listened a lot to Bernard Pichard and I said to myself that I was going to work in this direction and develop such a technique.”

“The quality of traditional musicians proves it: it is impossible today to consider the Bombard just a simple,  thunderously loud instrument with only approximate intonation. My wish is to show other sounds and the concert reality of this ancient oboe. In this sense, the piano gives its full measure to assist in exploring this potential.”

Q: Let's discuss this technique that you seem to work on with particular focus, and about your challenging repertoire...

“For me the technique is not an end in itself. It is only as good as it is appropriate, fully incorporated in order to be at the service of the music. I am not a bombard technician, in the mechanical sense of the term. A pen is useless if you don't know how to write and without a pen you can't write. I’ve always wanted to show that the bombard has immense potential and depth, and this has been my spelunking period! It was important to me to contradict the definition found in certain dictionaries, which defines the bombard as a "thunderous instrument with only approximate tuning”! I then put on my pilgrim's clothing, which was not always popular in Brittany but found echoes and an audience elsewhere.”

Q: Why are you obviously looking for other roles for the instrument, even while performing in duo with Ronan Robert on the accordion?

“Because why not! The instrument is so rich that the player only needs to offer it new ideas to make it sing, to become music.”

Q: Our ears are accustomed to the sound of a bombard and organ duo (common in Brittany but generally not explored on this website), but isn't there ultimately more finesse, more interesting interaction with a piano?

“When I play with Mathieu Hamon, who is a singer, or with Ronan on the accordion, it's always different. I always come back to the intent of the project. So yes, more finesse perhaps, and more emotion because we are always progressing. It’s a duo that works spontaneously, simply. We have the ideas, we define directions and the choice of repertoire becomes obvious. There are still many openings and the concerts are sometimes different from each other. To return to the piano-organ comparison in Guérande, Hervé Rivière wanted a bombard with a piano and I reminded him that the pieces where people let loose the most in concert are those played fortissimo; we like a bombard that plays with an organ that’s just screaming!"

Q: In your home region around Guérande, you are a trainer, you work with the new generations of musicians. What do you think of these new arrivals?

“Precisely because I am a trainer, I am happy to see a concern for quality within the groups, the bagadou, especially the (sonneur de) couples, and if I see shortcomings it is essentially on the human level. The development of musical quality is all the more remarkable when the individuals remain themselves: natural, simple. Unless they are not, and we are not! Let us never forget that we have the opportunity to present our work to the public on a regular basis thanks to volunteers and enthusiasts. It is all possible because of them as well as those who give you food and sweep the room after the concert.”

Christophe concluded this meeting with a sentence from the poet Jean-Louis Giovannoni - “It is the words of others that give you a body”. In the end, he is perhaps more of a wise man than a dandy, who knows. We also find in this beautiful album a track dedicated to Benny (English composer Benjamin Britten), who deserves it.