In Jane Gray’s sensitive and stirring production of Tchaikovsky’s Yevgenyi Onyegin, now showing at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, tensions rise in Pushkin’s tale about a young girl who falls in love with a man who realises too late that he is also in love with her. Tchaikovsky’s alluring and stupendous music score, exquisitely performed on the piano by David Smith, elicits the love the young girl, Tatyana holds dear for an unsatisfied aristocrat, Onyegin as well as the suffering and torment of love’s powerful nature.
Opera Loki’s new production has been touring in France and the UK. Sung in English, Onyegin is a refreshing opera for both avid opera-goers and those who are new to Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. A vocally athletic cast take to Tchaikovsky’s vocal lines with ease and rapture, evoking the tragic and melancholic essence just as the Russian composer intended. At St Paul’s Covent Garden, the staging is kept to a minimum, yet the use of a handful of props and collection of lush costumes, by Pam Line and Carolyn Bearare, bring the audience closer to Pushkin and his era.
There are a selection of noteworthy scenes in this production which demonstrate Tchaikovsky’s unique interpretation of regret, rejection and resilience. Hope for young Tatyana, engrossed in her fantasy novels of heroes and warriors, can be found in Act I when Tatyana writes her letter to Onyegin, disclosing her deepest feelings for him. Act 2 plays with fire when Onyegin turns on his closest friend, Lenski, by crossing the line, attempting to steal Lenski’s lover and all of her attention, leading to fatal consequences and an unexpected duel. It is only when Onyegin sees his friend lying dead on the ground that he realises he has made a big mistake.
The use of masks in a banquet scene in Act 3 — representative of Onegin’s loneliness and absence of love in his life — is a clever insight into Onyegin and Tatyana’s polarising characters: one was inspired by her emotions and passions; the other learned to feel too late and remains stuck in his own Byronic, wandering state.
Kirsty McLean is adaptable for both the roles of young and old Tatyana. (It’s fascinating how a change of clothes and great acting skills can influence one’s performance.) McLean is vocally sharp and eloquent with a beguiling performance as the distraught little girl in Act 1. By the time the final act arrives, the audience is clenching their fists, angered by Onyegin’s foolish behaviour, yet sympathising with a woman who has suffered the brunt of unrequited love and the biggest rejection.
Jonny de Garis’s Onyegin is robust and vocally controlled in the first two acts, depicting a man of class and with a touch of stoicism. His most moving and heartfelt performances come in Act 3 — the entire audience was at the edge of their seats the night I attended as they watched Onyegin begging on his hands and knees for Tatyana’s forgiveness. This was perhaps the most intense scene in the opera; together McLean and Garis give an exhilarating and suspense-worthy performance to set both Tatyana and Onyegin free from the tension.
Jack Roberts (Lenski), Lara Rebekah Harvey (Tatyana’s sister) and Georgia Mae Bishop (Tatyana’s nanny) also gave terrific performances. Jack Roberts’s voice was warm and romantic; it projected effectively across the stage. His character is easy to pity, particularly in Act 3 when we the sense Lenski’s friend was using him for his own amusement. Lara Rebekah Harvey’s singing in Act 1 is a joy to see and hear, vocally clear and graceful as Tanya’s sister. And Georgia Mae Bishop’s performance is filled with wit and delight as she tells Tatyana tales of her past loves. Julian Charles Debreuil’s performance of ‘All men surrender to Love’s power’, as Gremin in Act 3, is brilliantly sung and full of wonder. And not forgetting to mention strong and supportive performances from Ryan Hugh Ross and Helen Rotchell.
Oneygin may not have his happy ending, yet here is a wonderful production that demonstrates the vicissitudes of the human condition and the fragility of our emotions. In the face of rejection, one will regret but must eventually move on in order to survive.
Opera Loki’s Yevgenyi Onyegin continues until 29 September – details and tickets here
Mary Grace Nguyen is a writer and blogger. She is creator of TrendFem, an online platform to promote the theatre, entertainment and arts scene in London, as well as independent off-West End shows and new works performed at some of best theatres in the world. Mary holds an MA in Journalism from Birkbeck College, London
Who or what inspired you to take up the piano and pursue a career in music?
I was born into a family of musicians: my mother is a pianist and she was my first teacher. She inspired me to take up the piano and supported me with my further studies.
Who or what were the most important influences on your musical life and career?
Of course my teachers: my mother Liubov Chistiakova, Elena Khoven, Anatoly Ryabov, Mikhail Voskresensky, Boris Petrushansky. I was also very lucky to have wonderful teachers of chamber music and accompaniment: Guzal Karieva, Sergey Voronov, Galina Brykina. And my musical life, thoughts and way of playing changed a lot when I moved to Italy.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
Life and music are inseparable: that’s the greatest challenge of my career.
Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?
I am never happy with my performance! But I’m really proud of my second CD of French Music which was recorded in Germany thanks to the Shigeru Kawai team. Things are good when you work with professionals.
Which particular works do you think you perform best?
There are some pieces that are always successful: Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, Petroushka Suite by Stravinsky, Liszt’s Paraphrase “Don Juan”, La Valse by Ravel, several miniatures by Chopin.
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
There is always something or someone who inspires me to make a choice. I like it when a concert program makes sense for me and for the public.
Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?
It’s the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. I have the best memories from there and it’s always a dream to go back there.
Who are your favourite musicians?
A lot of names and not only from Classical, but Jazz, Rock and Popular music as well. I love musicians, people with a great culture, education and respect for the listeners.
What is your most memorable concert experience?
It’s the first time I played with an orchestra at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. I played the 1st Chopin concerto there when I was 12.
I remember when there was an orchestral tutti I felt how the floor was vibrating under my feet and it was so thrilling and so exciting. It was the youth symphony orchestra of Moscow with lots of kids, but they were already professional musicians, like me, so for me it seemed to be very powerful and energising.
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
Practise with passion, never give up and never regret.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Peace and health of my family, well organised life, travels and concerts.
What is your present state of mind?
Fantastic! I became a mother one year ago and it’s an absolutely wonderful feeling.
Galina Chistiakova performs in Manchester Camerata UpClose: The Next Generation at Stoller Hall, Manchester on 4th October 2018. More information
Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos in D major K. 448
Schumann Andante and Variations in B flat major WoO 10
When we consider the role of musician as “curator”, we tend to think of someone who organizes a concert series or music festival, much in the same way as a museum curator organizes exhibitions.
At a recent piano masterclass I attended, the tutor talked about “curating every note” and I really like this notion of the musician as the personal curator of the music, its sound and interpretation. In practice, what this means is that when we study and learn music, we should attend to every single detail in the score. This not only ensures that we honour the composer’s intentions, but also allows us to study the music in depth so that our interpretation and communication of it is both faithful and personal, thus creating a unique listening experience for our audience. And so for each and every note, rest and fermata, dynamic or articulation marking, and all the other details that make up a musical score, one should consider how and why that marking is there. What is its purpose? What effect is the composer suggesting? What stories or emotions might lie behind those notes and markings?
This detailed curatorial approach is particularly appropriate for Classical Period music (such as the music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven) where all the little articulation marks, in particular, need to be observed because of their significance to the sound and intent of the music. Even the tiniest two-note slurs in Mozart or Beethoven, for example, create wonderful effects if observed correctly – a little more emphasis on the first note of a two-note slur and a fractional shortening of the second note to create tiny separations, redolent of string articulation. Mozart and Beethoven are both very specific in their markings: take the first movement of Beethoven’s Tempest Sonata Op 31 No. 2, with its plethora of drop slurs which, when observed correctly, bring incredible drama and energy in those opening bars. We ignore these details at our peril for they bring the music to life with vibrancy and vivid colour.
Beethoven – Piano Sonata Op 31/2, ‘Tempest’
As players and performers, at whatever level we play, we have a responsibility towards the music, and for me, this is the broader definition of the musician as a “curator”. It is a huge privilege to be able to play these great works by Bach and Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven et al – works that rank alongside Aristotle and Shakespeare in their magnitude and cultural importance. One can feel like a conservator, or a curator, taking responsibility for them and sharing them with others. It is a cultural gift – a gift to oneself, and a gift to those who love to listen to the music.
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
My great uncle gave me the family piano when I was six and I started to have piano lessons. I then went to a pretty average comprehensive school in Liverpool. The music teacher, Edward Fielding Kirk, was a great inspiration to me. He was a composer, arranger, pianist and conductor. He spotted early on that I had some musical talent so took it upon himself to come to my house one evening and talk to my parents (both of whom were not musicians). On his advice, I took up the opportunity to have free cello and percussion lessons at school (as well as keeping up the piano). It soon became clear that my real interest lay in percussion.
Who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?
Mr. Kirk arranged trips to concerts throughout the school year. I attended performances given by the RLPO, Fires of London, London Sinfonietta and many others. This initial exposure to new music really fired my enthusiasm for contemporary performance. I then went to Huddersfield Polytechnic for one year before moving to the RNCM in 1986. At Huddersfield I organised all the percussion for the 1985 festival and I attended as many performances as I could… reinforcing my passion for new music. In 1991 I formed Psappha based on the instrumentation of the Fires of London for whom Peter Maxwell Davies [known as ‘Max’] had already developed a body of work. Max was composer/ conductor at the BBC Philharmonic. I met him regularly as I was freelancing with the orchestra. Max officially became Psappha’s Patron in 1995 and continued to be my inspiration both personally and for the group until his death.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
I formed Psappha in 1991 as I really enjoyed the challenge of performing new music. I also looked after the management of the group from the outset. As our work has developed my main challenge has been the balance between practice time and administration duties.
Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?
Psappha was invited to give the 70th birthday concert for the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall for our then Patron, Peter Maxwell Davies, in 2004. It was a concert of works selected by Max and the performance was well received. It was a fantastic occasion that I won’t forget. The group has performed Eight Songs for a Mad King more than 70 times over the years and worked with Max on interpretation on many occasions. We decided to make a second recording of the work (on limited edition vinyl) as Max agreed to supervise the recording. This was a very special collaboration and I’m very pleased that we managed to do this only a few years before Max passed away. I’ve worked with American composer Steven Mackey over many years and I really enjoy his music. We recorded his Micro-Concerto for percussion and ensemble with Steve and I’m proud of the recording.
Playing Harrison Birtwistle’s Axe Manual at Plush Festival with Tim Horton on Harry’s 80th birthday (at the composer’s invitation) and working with György Kurtág on his Scenes from a Novel were real high points too.
Which particular works do you think you play best?
It’s rare that I’m completely happy with myself. I’m very critical… Most recently I was pleased with the performance of Stravinsky’s Renard with BCMG and Oliver Knussen – I played cimbalom.
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
I listen to lots of music when I’m deciding on the repertoire for each Psappha season. I like to support composers at all stages of their careers as well as including some classic works each season.
Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?
I’ve been lucky to play in many fantastic concert venues all over the world with Psappha and through my work as a percussionist/timpanist with symphony orchestras. But I’m really fond of the intimacy of Psappha’s two Manchester venues – St Michael’s and Hallé St Peter’s in Ancoats.
Who are your favourite musicians?
I learnt a lot about music from Peter Maxwell Davies, I love the spontaneity of Bernstein, the intimate musical knowledge and showmanship of Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the amazing performances of Claudio Abbado.
What is your most memorable concert experience?
Every concert is special but if I had to pick only one concert experience it would be a performance with ECYO in 1988 at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder conducted by Claudio Abbado. It was the first time Abbado had conducted the piece and the performance and rehearsals were from memory. The soloists were the best in the world and included Jesse Norman, Brigitte Fassbaender and Philip Langridge (I didn’t know at the time but he was to be my future father-in-law!). The performance was amazing and perfect in every way….
As a musician, what is your definition of success?
To be well prepared and give the best performance possible. If the audience enjoys the performance, is moved, or hears something new that excites them, then that’s a success.
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
My musical development started properly from the age of 14 and involved attending as many performances as possible. I was born in Liverpool and attended every RLPO performance – I also managed to sneak into rehearsals too. I learnt a lot from those years and continued attending performances all the way through college too. You have to be true to yourself but at the same time listen to others and take advice, listen to live performances, listen to multiple recordings of the same piece and work out how you want it to sound. Record yourself and listen back; in my experience it doesn’t always sound the way you think it does! If, like me, you have the privilege of working with composers, make sure you spend a decent amount of time with them and get into their sound world.
Don’t limit yourself to a single genre. Communication with an audience is just as important in classical music as it is in other genres. I recently took my son to an Earth, Wind and Fire performance… Verdine White, the band’s founder bass player, who’s been with the band for 45 years was one of the best communicators I think I’ve ever seen.
What is your most treasured possession?
[Sir Peter Maxwell Davies] Max gave me two handwritten manuscripts, which are my most treasured possessions. The first was the timpani part to Throstle’s Nest Junction – he knew I was playing timpani in the première of the piece with the BBC Philharmonic so wrote a special part for me. The second was the sketches of the scene change music for Mr Emmet Takes a Walk the opera Max wrote for Psappha in 1999. Both include personal notes to me.
Tim Williams is the founder of Psappha, which launches its 2018/19 season on 27 September 2018 with ‘New Adventures’ at Stoller Hall, Manchester. The full programme is available here: http://www.psappha.com/diary/
Tim Williams has performed with most of the UK’s symphony orchestras, opera and ballet companies as a freelance percussionist and timpanist. His particular interest in new music led him to form the ensemble Psappha in 1991. Since its inception he has been its Artistic Director, General Manager and also its percussionist. With the ensemble he has performed throughout the UK, in Europe (France, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland & Belgium), North America (New York and San Francisco), South America (Caracas and Buenos Aires), Hong Kong, Australia (Barossa Festival) and most recently at the Jerusalem Festival.
He has been featured prominently in such works as Stockhausen’s Kontakte (also broadcast on BBC Radio 3), Birtwistle’s The Axe Manual (including a performance for the composers 83rd birthday), Peter Maxwell Davies’s Stedman Doubles (original 1955 version) (also recorded for CD, film and BBC Radio 3), Steven Mackey’s Micro-Concerto (UK tour and CD recording), Martin Butler’s Going with the Grain, Gordon McPherson Little Moses (also recorded for CD and BBC Radio 3), Alvarez’s Temazcal, Boulez’s Le Marteau sans Maitre (also recorded for BBC Radio 3) and Anthony Gilbert’s Moonfaring (UK tour and recorded for CD).
In 1999 Tim Williams went to Budapest, bought a cimbalom (Hungary’s national instrument) and taught himself to play it, going on to perform many works on the cimbalom including Stravinsky’s Renard (BBC Proms, BCMG (This is Rattle)) and Ragtime (BBC Proms & Britten Sinfonia) , Jonathan Harvey’s Weltethos (CBSO UK premiere), Boulez’s Eclat/Multiples (London Sinfonietta), Mackey’s Five Animated Shorts (Network for New Music, Philadelphia and Princeton and with Psappha, Cheltenham Festival, Lancaster, webcast and CD recording), Peter Maxwell Davies’s Image, Reflection, Shadow (UK tour), Peter Maxwell Davies’s Sonatina and Farewell to Stromness. In 2001 he worked on Scenes from a Novel with its composer György Kurtág at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. He has had works written for him by Gordon McPherson (Memory Crash and Lorelei), Anthony Gilbert (Vers de Lune) and John Casken (Fractured Lines). He has also taken part in Kodály’s singspiel Háry János on a number of occasions, Howard Shaw’s Lord of the Rings Symphony and Kurtág’s Stele.
Since 2008 Tim has developed Psappha’s online presence and has directed all the films you find on Psappha’s websites.
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