By |

Annie Yim, piano, with recorded voices

The Performance Space, City, University of London

Friday 16 March 2018

My second visit to the Performance Space at City, University of London, and a second performance of John Cage’s infamous 4’33”. Last summer I heard a “straight” performance – the pianist silent yet fully present at the piano while the audience absorbed the myriad sound of the space; this time the piece was complimented by poetry – ‘A Kind of Silence’ by Ed Baker, and a reminder that Cage’s work was conceived with the idea that any sound constitutes “music”.

This was part of an intriguing and highly original concert by pianist Annie Yim in which music and words combined to reveal “tributes, friendships, and artistic affinities” (AY, programme notes). Annie is the creator of MusicArt London, a conceptual concert series which combines music with poetry and visual arts, creating interesting and unexpected dialogues and connections between the works in the programmes and across creative disciplines. Programmes include works by 21st century composers, juxtaposed with historical masterpieces. In this concert, Annie played music by Debussy, Ravel, John Cage, Arvo Pärt, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Philip Glass, interspersed with readings from poems which sparked a musical impulse or which were written in response to music.

The concert opened with Annie reading Baudelaire’s Harmonie du Soir, a line from which Debussy drew inspiration for his Prelude Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir (Sounds and perfumes turn in the evening air). To hear the words of the poet which influenced the composer created a quite different listening experience when the music began. This prelude is deeply sensual, rich in pungent harmonies and languid rhythms as Debussy’s responded to Baudelaire’s equally evocative and musical writing.

It is well known that Ravel drew inspiration from poetry for his Gaspard de la Nuit, and Aloysius Bertrand’s book of poems appealed to Ravel’s love of fairy tales. He set three of Bertrand’s poems to music – Ondine, Le Gibet and Scarbo – and printed each poem in full next to the piano score. Once again, Annie read the poem, seated at the piano, before launching into a characterful and vibrant portrayal of the grotesque gnome, “his fingernails scratching on the silk curtains round my bed!”

John Cage’s Dream, a minimalist work scored on a single stave music consisting of groups of tones that are freely sustained (either by holding the keys down or by using the sustaining pedal); the degree of resonance (as determined by the performer) creates the rhythmic and narrative flow of the piece and takes the listener into an otherworldly sense of time suspended. A gentle work, rather like a haiku in its simplicity and depth of expression, it was elegantly and sensitively played by Annie, accompanied by a reading of John Cage’s poem to Merce Cunningham (for whom the music was written) Poem. Cause: I love you. A rather touching addition to this performance was a projection behind the piano of Cage’s original typed manuscript of the poem.

And so to the performance of 4’33” where while the pianist remained silent and still at the piano, a recording of poet Ed Baker reading his ‘A Kind of Silence’ was played. This version of 4’33” was originally conceived in 2016 for a performance in an art gallery on the premise that “silence is musical – silence is poetic – silence is music is poetry“. In our frenetic world it is remarkable how long 4’33” feels and rather than “filling the silence”, the words and cadence of the poem offered special time for reflection and quiet contemplation.

This connected appropriately with Pärt’s Für Alina, a work whose “aesthetic is silence…..present not just as the silence framing the piece, but, paradoxically, silence has been written into the music as an acoustic space of sorts” (Kristina Korver, musicologist, Arvo Part Centre). Poet Zaffar Kunial wrote ‘Sunlight’ in response to the music, a short yet meaningful poem which perfectly complimented the simplicity and profundity of Pärt’s writing: “each line can be read after a pause or as a continuous train of thought” – just as Pärt gives few directions to the pianist as to how his piece should be played. This new poem was specially commissioned by MusicArt London and was reproduced in a delicate limited edition card, designed and handmade by the book artist, Pauline Rafal,

Cheryl Frances-Hoad‘s contemplative miniature Star Falling was composed “as a gift in an attempt to stop a partner from leaving me” (CFH) and is a calm reflection on lines from Else Lasker-Shuler’s poem ‘Reconciliation’. Delicate and expressive, with shimmers of star light, it was accompanied by the composer reading the poem which inspired her.

The final work in the programme was Philip Glass’s Wichita Vortex Sutra. which Glass wrote for a performance with poet Allen Ginsberg, whose poem of the same name (written in 1966) reflected the anti-war mood of the times. Glass’s music was intended as a portrait of America, complete with fragments of hymn tunes and the energy of the big city. At this performance, a collage of Ginsberg’s words was read by Ed Baker, who had selected sections from the poem to reveal his own response, as an American, to Ginsberg’s poem and Glass’s music. Annie performed the work with energy and commitment, bringing to a close this most interesting and engaging lunchtime concert.

annieyim.com

musicart.london

(Photos: Sophie Baker)

By |

This seemed such a great idea, and it was, indeed, great fun! It was also really hard. I don’t know about others, but my instinct was to start sifting through CDs to pick out my favourite tracks, but really, it would never be possible to do that in an hour of music (and yes, apologies…mine is an hour and nine minutes). So, the intention of my mixtape is to say something about me and the music I play, enjoy and listen to.

I guess that my first love has, and probably always will be, choral music. I was lucky enough to go to a secondary school which was very musical. We had a SATB school choir, often with over 100 members (though I think having a pass to be first in the dinner queue was perhaps more of a draw for some!). My first selection is John Joubert’s O Lorde, the Maker of Al Thing which was one of the first pieces we sang in that choir. Some might say it’s a bit of a baptism of fire, but once sung, I was hooked. This particular recording with the Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir, directed by Paul Spicer, is special to me as I was present at the pre-recording performance a couple of years ago.

John Rutter’s music has been much maligned over the years, often unfairly. Yes, we might argue it’s a formulaic, but my goodness, it works and it’s popular. I can’t help but feel that an awful lot of the disdain for his music comes purely from jealousy. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like it all, and I wouldn’t want to listen to it all the time, but it’s played a big part in my life. His setting of All Things Bright and Beautiful was one of my early introductions to it.

I’ve included Douglas Guest’s For the Fallen as an example of what I might call exquisite choral writing. To me, this short anthem captures everything about what can be achieved with human voices in harmony.

I’m afraid to say, I’ve never had much time for music from the classical period, and I’m only just coming around to baroque, but I have always found enjoyment in early music, whether that be plainsong, or works such as Josquin’s Missa pange lingua.

I couldn’t possibly create this list without including something by Herbert Howells. Howells’ music is perhaps the music which speaks to me most closely and spiritually. I don’t think this is something we can explain, but I’m sure we’ve all come across pieces and composers like that. There is something about the harmony and rhythm of Howells’ writing which tugs at me deep inside. Even in this short extract, the Nunc Dimittis from his Collegium Regale setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, there is so much to explore and enjoy.

Gavin Bryars’ work Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet was perhaps my first introduction to what then, we’d have called ‘contemporary music’. There is something quite magical in this work which makes for an almost hypnotic listening experience.

If you thought I was all about so-called ‘classical music’, you’d be wrong. I have always been interested in music for television, and in particular, ‘library music’. Keith Mansfield’s Superstar on the KPM LP Lifeforce is a fabulous example – pure 1970s. Over the years, I have collected hundreds of library LPs and CDs, all sadly being disposed of around the country as broadcasters go digital.

Then there’s pop music too…although my pop music knowledge probably ceases around 1989. Spandau Ballet’s True has always had a hold on my ears, and my only explanation is that it came out at about the exact time I was born. Spooky?!

I’ve always enjoyed musicals (apparently, we’re to call it ‘musical theatre’ now), but no surprise that I’m a fan of the musicals which no one really knows and didn’t catch on. So, I doubt anyone’s heard of The Goodbye Girl!

Of course, the precursor to musicals was operetta, and I couldn’t resist but to include some G&S. No surprises that it’s from Princess Ida which although my favourite, is not one of the popular ones! (Why not?! It’s very topical…)

Then there’s folk music too: here’s an Irish folk-song The Butcher Boy, but there are so many others I could have included. It’s perhaps the folk idiom which influences my choice of orchestral music. Here I’ve included an extract from Stanford’s Symphony No. 6 and Armstrong Gibbs’ Symphony No. 1. These, in my view are two totally underrated composers, and I guess, that’s always been part of me too…I like the things no one else has discovered!

Finally, just like Howells, I couldn’t leave this without including some Vaughan Williams, and it’s not one of the popular pieces, but instead, the first movement from his Symphony No. 6.

David Barton is a piano, flute and voice teacher, composer, mentor and writer based in Lichfield

www.davidbartonmusic.co.uk

 

 

By |

Guest article by Michael Volpe, General Director of Opera Holland Park

At Investec Opera Holland Park (OHP), we have recently announced a special memorial gala event to mark the first anniversary of the dreadful Grenfell Tower tragedy and to remember its victims, especially our friend Debbie Lamprell who perished in the fire. By the time of the concert an inscribed stone in her memory will have been laid on the theatre site.

GetFileAttachment-1

As many know, OHP became entangled in the political fall-out of Grenfell but we have now spoken and written about that period extensively and feel no need to revisit the matter. Our immediate response was to give a performance of Verdi’s Requiem in aid of The Rugby Portobello Trust (RPT), who were in the eye of the storm at the time, and it is to them that the proceeds of the Hope For Grenfell gala will go. The charity, with which we have had a long association, will this time use the money raised to look forward, to help young people explore the countryside and coasts away from the inner city. The whole evening is dedicated to trying to look forward, with hope. A year on from the disaster, we will bring together members of the community, both in the audience and on stage, to show how even in the midst of such darkness, healing can – and must – begin. We believe music is, and will always be, a major catalyst for the expression of hope, memorial and healing.

memorial-concert-image-768x762

We know from bitter experience that healing is a long process and that hope is not easily fostered or acquired. We are still regularly in touch with Debbie’s mother and her recovery has scarcely begun. The pain is still raw and she, as her daughter had been, is now adopted into the OHP family, whose care and protection of her is unlikely to end anytime soon. Such is the nature of grand tragedy whose tendrils spread far and wide; there are thousands of people in a position similar to hers who have to manage the daily, grinding relentlessness of grief. Yet even in these circumstances, there comes a time when we have at least to attempt to draw inspiration for the future, when human instinct tries to extract something good from awfulness. We feel that we, along with those at RPT whose job it is to begin to master the reparative process, want to offer some hope.

The concert itself is on 13th June and will bring together many of our casts from the season in extracts from operas. There will also be readings, remembrance and a choir, drawn from local schools and other services and coached by Gareth Malone, will sing a new piece composed by Will Todd. We will announce more details in the coming weeks.

The money raised will fund RPT’s summer ‘residentials’, when kids from the community are taken out of the city to the countryside or the coast where they have space to think, breathe the air and learn new skills. For some, this is their only chance to escape the concrete surroundings of their home environment. RPT found itself right at the centre of the Grenfell tragedy and became a hub for the community in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, going on to act as the central distributing charity for the funds that were raised. This role is one that the charity was never set up to perform but it did so with dedication. But the resources it utilised need to be replenished; their wider activity in the North Kensington community did not stop and we hope this concert will make a significant contribution to this vital ongoing work.

The concert will also be Opera Holland Park’s way of remembering our friend Debbie. Her death in the fire had a profound affect on all of us and continues to do so, but we intend to honour her memory as best we can with music she loved and in a place to which she was utterly dedicated.

The Hope for Grenfell Memorial Gala, in memory of Debbie Lamprell and all the victims, will feature full scenes from OHP’s productions of La traviata and Cosi fan tutte, performances of classic arias by guests from across the operatic world, and an original composition by Will Todd, performed by a community choir led by Gareth Malone.

Tickets for the Grenfell memorial concert are available now via www.operahollandpark.com

Investec Opera Holland Park’s 2018 season will run from 29 May to 28 July. Full details of productions at www.operahollandpark.com

 

By |

Who or what inspired you to take up singing and pursue a career in music?
I came very reluctantly to a career in singing thinking that surely this couldn’t be a real job! And despite what every taxi driver in London tells me it turns out that it is in fact a very real job and one I love! I came to it in a very roundabout way having first studied for a degree in music and history which would have allowed me to become a teacher but after two weeks of teaching I realised that children were much more difficult to deal with than directors so I decided to embark upon a career in singing.
Who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?
I’ve certainly had a touch of the luck of the Irish about my career. I was a young artist at the Royal Opera house and during that time won the Rosenblatt Recital prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and was also a BBC New Generation artist so all these things were huge opportunities for exposure when I was just starting out and gave me a super launching pad. The relationships I cherish most in my career are the ones I have with Wigmore Hall as I’m really devoted to song singing, the support the Royal Opera House have given my career over the years and my recital partnership and friendship with Iain Burnside who I have recorded many discs with and stood on the recital platform with many times.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
I think the travel has been the greatest challenge for me. When I’m performing opera is often takes me away from home for months at a time and I find that very difficult. I think that is part of the reason why I have such an affiliation with performing recitals.
Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?
I think the most fun I’ve ever had on a production was the most recent one I performed at Covent Garden. I was doing a very cookie role in Shostakovich’s ‘The Nose’. But it was particularly special for me because at the time I was six months pregnant with my baby Daisy And my husband was also playing in the orchestra so I think that particular time will always have a special place in my memory. The recording I’m most proud of is probably the Fauré disc with Iain Burnside. I just love French music and it was a special treat for me to get the opportunity to record an entire disc with one of my favourite composers.
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
At the moment I have a small baby so she is making all the decisions! Opera is on the back-burner for a while as I don’t want to be away from home for long. This suits me perfectly as I really love recital and concert work
Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?
I love to perform in Wigmore Hall. The acoustic and intimacy of the venue allows me to give my best performance. Also I’m welcomed there like family and that makes a huge difference to how you feel on a performance day.
What is your most memorable concert experience?
I would have to say any of the Proms performances I’ve ever been involved in. I think I’ve been in about 13 Proms now! Maybe my most memorable was Beethoven 9 with the NYO but performing at the first night of the proms was definitely a close second.
As a musician, what is your definition of success?
A huge bank balance…. only joking… I wish! Being able to do the work you want to do.
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
It’s tough so be prepared to work hard. Stay true to yourself and stay yourself. Be kind to your colleagues. Try to enjoy it!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A walk in the park with my baby Daisy, my lovely husband Keith who puts up with all the madness that comes with being married to a singer and my little dog Jack….. Bliss…. the only thing that could make it better would be a bag of chips!

Ailish Tynan trained at Trinity College, the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. She was a Vilar Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and a BBC New Generation Artist. In 2003, representing Ireland, Ailish won the Rosenblatt Recital Prize at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.

Recent highlights include Madame Podtotshina’s Daughter in Shostakovich’s The Nose for the Royal Opera, Gretel Hansel & Gretel for Welsh National Opera, Anna Intermezzo in her debut for Garsington Opera and the world premiere of Judith Weir’s Nuit d’Afrique at Wigmore Hall. Additionally, she was on the Jury for the Song Prize at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, 2017. In the current season Ailish makes her debut with the Dresdner Philharmonie for Mahler Symphony No. 8, performs Glière’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Askenazy, Vaughan Williams Dona nobis pacem with the Britten Sinfonia and her recital debut in Stockholm with Magnus Svensson.

Operatic engagements include Gretel Hänsel und Gretel and Madame Cortese Il viaggio a Reims; Marzelline Fidelio (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden); Gretel Hansel and Gretel (Scottish Opera); Tigrane Radamisto (English National Opera); Papagena Die Zauberflöte (Teatro alla Scala); Despina Così fan tutte (Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse); Héro Béatrice et Bénédict (Houston Grand Opera, Opéra Comique and the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg). Other operatic highlights include Sophie Der Rosenkavalier, Nannetta Falstaff and Atalanta Xerxes all for the Royal Swedish Opera; Miss Wordsworth Albert Herring (Opéra Comique and Opéra de Rouen) and Vixen The Cunning Little Vixen (Grange Park Opera).

Among her notable concert appearances are Mahler Symphony No.8 (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under Paavo Järvi, Philharmonia under Lorin Maazel and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Sir Antonio Pappano); Mahler Symphony No.4 (Prague Symphony Orchestra under Jac van Steen and the Hallé under Sir Mark Elder) and Mahler Symphony No. 2 (Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Myung-whun Chung); Verdi Requiem (Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele under Michael Hofstetter); Haydn The Creation (CBSO under Andris Nelsons); Handel Messiah (Academy of Ancient Music under Richard Egarr) and Vaughan Williams Hodie at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She performs regularly at the BBC Proms where she has performed Bella in Tippett’s A Midsummer Marriage (BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis) and Glière’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Kirill Karabits).

In recital Ailish works regularly with pianist including Iain Burnside, James Baillieu, Graham Johnson and Christopher Glynn, amongst others, giving recitals at venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Edinburgh, City of London, Gregynog, St. Magnus, Brighton and West Cork Music Festivals, and the Vinterfespill in Norway.

Her discography includes Fauré Mélodies (Opus Arte), Nacht und Träume (Delphian), From a City Window Hubert Parry Songs (Delphian) and An Irish Songbook (Signum Classics) all with pianist Iain Burnside, Il re pastore for Classical Opera (Signum Classics), Michael Head Songs (Hyperion) with Christopher Glynn, Messiah with the Academy of Ancient Music (EMI), Mahler Symphony No.8 under Valery Gergiev (LSO Live) and with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Lorin Maazel (Signum Classics).

(Biography Steven Swales Artist Management)