Activist Frank Bungarten By Wieland Ulrichs (Interview) The ”Göttingen Gitarrentage” (Göttingen Guitar Days) took place for the 17th, and final, time at the end of last year. Guitar professor Frank Bungarten, (Hannover, Germany) occupied a central position at the Festival, which in addition to concerts (among them one featuring Bungarten and the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra) and premieres of commissioned works, also offered semi- nars, discussions, and much more involving the guitar. We met with Frank Bungarten during the course of the Festival. - A credible source has it that in your youth you partook in some ”musical transgressions” invol- ving a saxophone and a jazz band. Frank Bungarten: You are referring to my more or less professional activities with my old friend Wulfin Lieske. I met him at the beginning of my studies at the State Academy of Cologne. I was seventeen, and he was a couple of years older, I believe. We got along right away, and we also found out that we had the same musical interests. - Beyond the classical guitar? FB: Absolutely – there was never a question about that (laughs). We founded a band called ”Extempore” and played what was then known as free music – improvised music and free jazz. We were professionally active, made a record, did broadcast recordings, made festival appearan- ces... - You are still partial to jazz, even today. FB: I have an inclination towards all good music. These boundaries are generally very loose, and have actually never existed for me. - But you have given up the saxophone? FB: I found out that there was not enough time to pursue both professionally. But on the other hand I just might buy myself a flat-pick guitar again, and a nice Marshall tower to go along with it... - You lecture in Hannover and Lucerne, come out with a new CD every two years, give concerts and hold seminars. How do you handle it all, time-wise? FB: Until a few years ago it was still a problem. At that point I still hadn’t learned how to deal with myself properly, and it was more a case of self-exploitation. Life has taught me in the meantime, through experience, how to manage my time properly: You can’t save time, time is. Everything that one does is quality lifetime, and I always enjoy it – I have a very positive out- look on life. That makes it possible for me to do everything that I want. - We are now at the end of the ”Göttinger Gitarrentage.” The festival is planning to move to Lübeck FB: Göttingen was a wonderful location for the festival – otherwise it wouldn’t have taken place here 17 times. In that respect it could be seen as a fixed institution of the German guitar world. The organizers, however, have decided to take a time-out, because the festival has taken on a whole new format. That is partly due to the participation of our guests from the United States, partly to the composition contest...all of these factors are mirrored in the organi- zational and financial considerations. The festival should grow in a new place. The friends that want to continue it in Lübeck have long-standing ties to the festival in Göttingen, both as partici- pants and musicians. They also have many ideas as to how best to continue it in the context of northern Germany: more performance locals, more activities, new additions... - There is undoubtedly a wide spectrum of guitar music, spanning old music, ”normal” classical guitar music and jazz. Does improvisation enter as well? FB: Improvisation is already of great importance. For the past three years we have invited my wonderful colleague Fareed Haque as a key figure on the subject. I find him to be the most accomplished guitarist in the world. I don’t know anyone else with the same command over classical music, non-European music, traditional jazz and free forms. Another musician used to improvising, of having a free reign over music, is the lute player Stephen Stubbs. There are many areas where this skill can be utilized. We have decided that the ”Crosover Effect” has receded in the last years. I am talking about the effect where classical guitarists learn more when they can see the need, and also enjoy taking part in seminars where they can play tho- rough bass, improvise on scales... - Where does the ”Concierto de Aranjuez” enter into this spectrum for you? FB: All the compositions we performed at the premiere performance were part of a trend, name- ly to play music that stands on its own. Not music that was ”fit” to the guitar by guitarists. When you look at the pieces that have found recognition outside the guitar world, ones that are still going to be heard in twenty, thirty, or fifty years, you notice that these are always works