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The curious tale of the musician, Dr Frankenstein, and apocalyptic Tesco on Christmas Eve…..

A guest post by pianist Emmanuel Vass

Definition of art 

noun 

1 [mass noun] the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

 

Definition of chemistry 

noun 

1 [mass noun] the branch of science concerned with the substances of which matter is composed, the investigation of their properties and reactions, and the use of such reactions to form new substances.









As I sat by the piano in the recording studio waiting for the next red light, I couldn’t help but think about my abrupt transformation from artist to chemist, as defined above. I was sixteen and, having just played a Chopin Nocturne from start to finish, there were one or two small fluffs and errors, which I considered re-recording and editing. Why? The track was for my own personal use and was never going to go beyond the four walls of my Yorkshire bedroom. Until that point, my teachers encouraged me to discount any mistakes in live performance and continue regardless of the odd inaccuracy: bigger picture and the overall artistic communication what I was always told to aim for. We’re only human, after all. Unexpectedly, the option of appearing ‘super human’ and re-recording sections of pieces until they were perfect had a certain appeal, and it was from that moment on that my potential status as an artist-cum-chemist, a Dr Frankenstein, first began.






It is no secret that musicians strive for perfection, a perfection that may involve securing a technical inconsistency, or developing a better form of communication within a piece – we are all a work in progress. Whether you are a beginner or professional, there will always be something further to strive for and now, as a 24-year-old pianist, I discover new possibilities and developments within my playing on a regular basis; I also hear it whilst teaching my pupils. It is wonderful how much can change within as little as five days, especially with regards to a live performance of the same piece, say, twice in one week. After all the blood, sweat and practice tears striving for perfection, a live performance may go fantastically well one day and less so on another. Comfort and enjoyment onstage knowing the piece has gone well a number of times in the past can, for instance, suddenly yield to confusion as to where that random wrong note came from. It is something we all experience to varying degrees, and is part of the exhilarating, impulsive and unmistakably human-world of live performance, which I fell in love with aged seven. To dedicate yourself with total abandon to a live performance, both as a listener and performer, is to accept that occasionally, just sometimes, the unexpected may occur.






Now consider the world that surrounds us and the ensuing paradox: we live in an age of convenient, digital, airbrushed perfection where a vast amount of items presented to us are expertly designed and manipulated. The lines between reality and illusion, and how we perceive and identify them, have been blurred to the point where entire body parts of celebrities can be digitally sewn on and removed, ‘Frankenstein-ed’, as to morph our opinions and perceptions. We have the luxury of driving around in cars that can protect us from ever making a wrong turn; international news can break on social media via eyewitness films long before newspapers or twenty-four hour news can give a detailed description, and the entire country seems to go into apocalyptic meltdown when the instant convenience of supermarket shopping is lost for just twenty four hours on Christmas Day. I rarely buy bread, but come Christmas Eve there I am elbowing past panic-stricken mothers who also appear to have the entire contents of the cheese aisle stuffed into their pushchairs. In many ways I believe the entire world as we know it is just an all too convenient, disposable and HD-streamed click away: I won’t read the book and will just wait for Hollywood to feed me their version, or, I could probably learn a language but online translator machines can do it for me. Who needs to write a letter when you can talk instantly via webcam? Why bother travelling to Paris, you’ve seen all the stock, generic photos on Facebook and Google Streetviews, right?!






I’m here neither to argue that we should do away with these modern conveniences, nor rant about how the world has changed for the worst and we’re most definitely, direly doomed for all eternity. Rather, my fear is that certain audience members may have been conditioned to believe that a live performance that is anything other than note-perfect is not a worthy one, that the lines between the supposed illusion within the world of recording and reality of the concert hall are far too blurred. There is, of course, a difference between the odd wrong note and a distinct, noticeable problem with fluency and continuity; here I accept that in this situation a performance may start to be deemed ‘less successful’. That said, as humans, we are bound to make mistakes and we should never aspire to be machines; nothing should ever anaesthetise us from the raw reality of life. Does this not contradict the whole point of art in the first place? Perhaps some would be more satisfied listening to pre-programmed robots over real musicians?






 As mentioned in my opening paragraph, recording can be a very complex process for musicians. Of course, not every musician heavily edits or relies on sophisticated recording software – indeed, I didn’t have the time or the money to do so for my first album, ‘From Bach to Bond’. Similarly, it would be absurd to comment that a 100% accurate performance is impossible to achieve or less artistically valuable. I hope the discerning audience member of a live performance would value their experience based on the authenticity, emotion and artistic powers of the performer, and not just their ability to mechanically replicate the exact formula. Judging an artist on their capacity to be an onstage chemist is not an equation for success.






For those of you who prefer the anaesthetised comfort of CDs/recordings and hate wrong notes, I tell you what, you can go ahead and look at pictures and videos of Paris on the Internet, and I’ll go and travel to Paris myself. We are all a work in progress.


Emmanuel Vass will be giving a lunchtime concert at St Sepulchre, the musicians’ church in London on Wednesday 10th July. Full details here


Emmanuel Vass


Named as ‘one to watch’ by The Independent newspaper in April 2013, twenty-four year old Emmanuel Vass is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most charismatic pianists on the contemporary scene. 2013 has already seen the launch of his first CD – From Bach to Bond – and his first UK recital tour under the same heading. The tour, which took in seven venues across the North of England and culminated in his London debut at Steinway Hall and St James’s Piccadilly, attracted considerable media interest, including a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.


Emmanuel Vass was born in Manila, Philippines and grew up in East Yorkshire. Having passed Grade 8 piano with distinction at the age of 15, he subsequently studied with Robert Markham at Yorkshire Young Musicians, the centre for the advanced training for gifted young musicians based at Leeds College of Music. This was followed by four years at the Royal Northern College of Music, where Manny studied with John Gough and was supported by scholarships from the Leverhulme Scholarship Trust and the Sir John Manduell Scholarship Trust. He graduated in 2011.


www.emmanuelvass.co.uk




			
					


	
	
		

	


		
			


	

		

		
			

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GetInline 09.22.59


Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in composing and conducting? 






I think it was probably a combination of discovering that I could make my own sounds on the piano as a very young child and also hearing Beethoven’s 6th Symphony and Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) on a tape recorder, which I can still remember vividly. Later I became obsessed with the Beethoven Piano Sonatas as I tried to learn how to play them, but soon became more interested in mimicking their sound in my own modest piano compositions. Beethoven has remained a great influence on my work. I was also very lucky to have the encouragement of my piano teacher and parents, who never questioned my interest in composition, but did provide very useful constructive criticism when required! As a result of this, I can’t recall ever making the decision to be a composer. This path was simply inevitable. Like many of my colleagues, I think that composing is not so much a choice or career, but really a very intense compulsion and almost a way of life.






What are you working on at the moment? 






I have just finished creating a Live Music Sculpture for St Paul’s Cathedral, which will be premiered on 12th July 2013 as part of the City of London Festival. The site-specific work will involve singers and French horns which are placed spatially throughout the cathedral in various horizontal and vertical locations, including the Whispering Gallery. It has been designed to explore the unique acoustic of Wren’s architectural masterpiece. I am also working on an original story and libretto for a new chamber opera commissioned by Size Zero Opera.






Who or what are the most important influences on your work? 






Usually I turn to literature for inspiration. In prose and poetry, the construction of phrases, form, ambiguity, the importance of context and semantics have a great deal in common with music. I have been directly influenced by the prose of James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Vladimir Nabokov and Thomas Mann very much, and also the poetry of T.S. Elliot, Thomas Hardy, Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins. These influences are always changing. I am not so aware of musical influences and try to avoid thinking about these too much!






What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far? 






The greatest challenge so far was probably composing a Live Music Sculpture for the very long and narrow space above the River Thames inside the walkways of Tower Bridge. The space was so long that the sound behaved in a very unusual way. There was a significant audible delay while the sound travelled from one end of the bridge to the other, which had to be built into the composition.






What are the particular challenges/excitements of working with an orchestra/ensemble/singers? 






The most exciting thing about working with an ensemble of musicians is hearing how a collection of entirely different personalities can unite for a period of time to bring to life the vision of a composer through performance. An imagined or written down piece of music exists in a different kind of intangible reality until it is actually performed. And even then, the way that music works is still wonderfully elusive. I think many composers are delighted when they can finally get out from behind the desk and hear their work materialise in rehearsal and performance. One hopes that there will always be unimagined revelations and pleasant surprises brought out by the performers, but also a confirmation that the imagined sounds of a composition are actually achievable. It is thrilling when an ensemble performs a new composition with the same expressive commitment as they would Brahms or Mozart and are able to channel all their knowledge and experience through new music.






It can sometimes be a challenge to convince an orchestra or ensemble that the virtuosic difficulties or conceptual ideas are worth all the effort, but also just as challenging as a composer to learn that the vision isn’t working, and that it needs refining in the next composition after speaking to the players or simply listening to the performance!






Do you have a favourite concert venue? 






I have been privileged to write for a great variety of venues, so it’s almost impossible to choose a favourite. I’m enjoying working with St Paul’s Cathedral very much at the moment and attempting to discover some of its architectural secrets.






Who are your favourite musicians? 






Again, there are some many it is hard to pin them down! I am a great admirer of Pierre Boulez, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and the pianist Krystian Zimerman. As well as enjoying their extraordinary compositions and performances, for me, these three different musicians epitomise what it means to have artistic conviction, as well as complete dedication and a rigorous approach to their work. I am also a big fan of Leonard Bernstein who seemed to be the most remarkably gifted all-round musician. He was very much ahead of his time as a thinker and a great educator.






What is your most memorable concert experience? 






The first time I heard Mahler’s 2nd Symphony with the CBSO as a student was a huge moment. Despite having got to know it well on record, the sheer scale of the thing was overwhelming in performance. It is extraordinary to consider how Mahler was able to control and organise form over such expansive amounts of time. I will never forget the devastating emotional gravity of the Urlicht in the fourth movement after all the preceding orchestral bombast! This must be one of the most poignant and beautiful moments in Mahler’s entire output.






What is your favourite music to listen to? 






Bach, Beethoven, Purcell, Szymanowski, Maxwell Davies, Britten, Puccini, Boulez, Mozart, Sibelius, Mahler, Schubert, early Stravinsky, Vaughan Williams and Berg.






What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians/students? 






I think it is very important to have conviction when composing or performing music. If you don’t believe in what you are doing, nobody else will. And more importantly, if you find that you can’t believe in your work wholeheartedly, turn that doubt into something constructive until you can believe in it. It is also important to have a very strong connection to the past, as well as a clear vision for the future when composing or performing music. However, it is easy to be seduced by both, and actually the most important place to be is in the present. We should ask ourselves: What matters now? And what can my music say about the present? And the connection between the past and future will hopefully be there instinctively, for the same themes returned to by humanity over and over again are always eternal.






What is your most treasured possession? 






I have a very beautiful 1920’s horned gramophone which plays old 78s. I often listen to fantastic 1920s/30s and 1940s popular music and jazz on it, as well as wonderful recordings of classical music. It’s fascinating to notice how the tempi were often altered to fit each movement onto one side of the record. The sheer effort involved with winding the thing up and changing the needle just to hear about 4 minutes of music, as well as the crackly sound quality, provides a wonderfully different listening experience. It turns a very short listening session into a major event as everybody gathers around the horn to listen. It’s definitely not the same as casually flicking through an ipod!








Samuel Bordoli’s new work, Live Music Sculpture 3: St Paul’s Cathedral, will be premiered as part of the City of London Festival, with five performances Friday 12 July, taking place at 11.30, 13.20, 14.20, 15.20 and 16.20 in St Paul’s Cathedral, London. 









For more information on Samuel: www.bordoli.co.uk






For more information on Live Music Sculpture: www.livemusicsculpture.com






			
					


	
	
		

	


		
			


	

		

		
			

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We didn’t have to travel as far as Caracas last night to experience the distinctive, atmospheric sounds, rhythms and textures of Latin American music. Bolivar Hall is attached to Venezuelan Embassy’s cultural complex in London’s Fitzrovia, a short walk from Goodge Street or Warren Street Tube stations.


London-based Venezuelan-born pianist Clara Rodriguez has curated a short series of concerts at Bolivar Hall over the course of the last month, showcasing the talents of established artists as well as up-and-coming young musicians in concerts featuring the best of South American classical music and jazz. In the final concert of the series, she was joined by Efrain Oscher (flute), Cristóbal Soto (mandolin, cuatro, guitar), Gabriel León (double bass) and Wilmerr Sifontes (percussion) to present a musical journey from Argentina to Puerto Rico with a selection of Tangos, Joropos, Merengues, Waltzes, Salsas and Sambas. From the foot-tapping sambas and merengues of Brazil and Venezuela to the passion and pathos of the tango (most notably in Astor Piazzolla’s heartfelt ‘Adios Nonino’, a hommage to his grandfather), the musicians played with commitment and conviction, and a very palpable and infectious sense of pleasure and musical friendship.


As a classically-trained pianist (she was a pupil of the late Phyllis Sellick at the Royal College of Music), Clara brings a deep understanding of musical shape and expression, phrasing, dynamic shading, texture and beauty of sound to her playing, even in the more raucous and rousing pieces. But her Venezuelan heritage shines through in her ability to handle with apparent ease the differing and complex rhythms of the music (although as she admitted at one point during the performance, it isn’t easy music to play, with the emphasis “off the main beat”, and on syncopation and cross-rhythms.


The other musicians were equally skilled: I was particularly struck by flautist Efrain Oscher’s performance. Haunting melodies, sometimes almost whispered, contrasted with bright motifs and some impressive technical/textural effects (triple tonguing). Meanwhile, double bass player Gabriel León showed the richness of the instrument’s voice in some soulful accompaniments and solos. My husband was fascinated by the percussionist, and the myriad sounds and patterns he was able to achieve with simple taps of his fingers or hands. The guitarist, Christobal Soto, brought perhaps the most distinctive Latin flavour to the music: flamenco strumming or the shimmering sounds of the mandolin.


Two encores confirmed just how much both musicians and audience were enjoying the concert. And on the homebound train, our feet were still tapping to the irresistible rhythms of the evening’s music.


Clara Rodriguez


A keen champion Latin American piano music, Clara Rodriguez has recorded the piano works of Teresa Careno, Moises Moleiro, Ernest Lecuona, and Federico Ruiz (a contemporary Venezuelan composer with whom she has enjoyed a close collaboration), as well as an impeccably presented album of the late piano music of Chopin, including the Piano Sonata No. 3 and the Polonaise-Fantasie Op 61. Clara’s recordings are available digitally on via iTunes and Spotify, and from good CD retailers. Further information here 


 


Clara talks about music from Latin America in this short film, featuring clips from the concert



			
					


	
	
		

	


		
			


	

		

		
			

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Who or what inspired you to take up conducting and make it your career? 






I never wanted to be a concert pianist. I’m a people person (at least I like to think so!) and the idea of spending hours upon hours practising in solitary to then go and give solo performances really wasn’t for me – but I knew that I wanted to make music. It was Paul McCreesh who inspired me to become a conductor – I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life until Paul conducted the Creation and Elijah projects at Chethams. He really understood the nature of working with young people. So many conductors would have turned up for the session and disappeared at the end, but Paul made an effort to talk and get to know the students, passing on stories and giving a real insight into life as a conductor. We got talking – and he has been a mentor and a friend ever since. I admire his attention to detail as well as his ability to craft performances that are ‘different.’ You always know you’re going to hear something special and unique at a McCreesh performance. It’s always about the music.






What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far? 






Organising concerts is hectic and stressful – there are so many elements that can go wrong, and then to top it all off you have to be able to switch from admin mode to conductor mode. I have spent hours on my phone trying to get musicians to be in the same place at the same time! The most satisfying moment usually comes during the concert interval when I think to myself ‘this is why I put myself through hell…’






Which performances are you most proud of?  






In 2010 I was employed by the BBC to be the conductor to Benjamin Till’s A Symphony for Yorkshire project. People from all walks of life turned up to be a part of this community event – over 200 musicians took part. Working in the recording studio had it’s highs and lows – one particular moment came when the professional musicians in the string orchestra decided to walk out as soon as the clock hit the end of the session. Things just hadn’t been going our way and we had about 30 seconds of music left to record – despite the offer of over-time pay being dished out they were adamant that they were leaving. The project turned out to be a huge success and eventually won a Prix de Circum and three RTS (Royal Television Society) awards. I’m proud of what the Yorkshire community achieved – we had a few issues, but for the most part, everyone’s enthusiasm was a joy to see!






The idea of working across more then one genre of arts is something that really interests me. With the Symphony for Yorkshire project, it was working with visuals and creating something for a TV audience –very different from anything you do in a concert hall.






Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in?




Being a young conductor makes this question quite difficult to answer! When I’ve been to a few more, I’ll let you know!






Favourite pieces to listen to? 






I think I have a very open mind when it comes to what to listen to. But I have a particular affection for English choral music. Howells and Finzi are prime examples – their music is so sublime and very easy to get soaked into.






What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians? 






I think the most important thing when you are starting out is to make things happen for yourself. Too many people sit back and wait for the phone to ring – this is about entrepreneurship, getting out there and making your own opportunities. Hard work and sheer determination will get you a long way.






What are you working on at the moment? 






I’m currently working on ‘The Beethoven Piano Concerto Project’, which is an exciting and ambitious fundraiser for the Musicians Benevolent Fund. International concert pianist Martin Roscoe will be performing all five concertos in a single evening with an orchestra of past and present Royal Northern College of Music students. Supported by Pianist magazine and presented by John Suchet, this really promises to be one hell of a musical extravaganza! This adventure will take place on 5th October 2013 at the RNCM Concert Hall.






Where would you like to be in 10 years’ time? 






Somewhere with sun! (Only joking… although I wouldn’t complain!). The most important thing to me is that I’m working with top musicians to make fantastic music come to life.






What is your idea of perfect happiness? 






Can anyone really experience perfect happiness? Life is full of ups and downs – and in particular, I think the life of a musician is a roller coaster of emotions. I would love to discover perfect happiness, whatever that is, but I’m just unconvinced that it will happen!






What do you enjoy doing away from music? 






Music is my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I do think it is necessary to find time to switch off. Doing non-musical things refreshes the mind. I am not a sporty person (unlike my sister who can’t get enough of it!) but I do have a particular fascination with the world of F1. I’ve been following this sport since I was a young child – the pinnacle of motorsport provides speed, determination, glamour, and an obvious desire to succeed. In many ways the workings of a Formula1 team is very similar to that of an orchestra. A lot of attention is given to the driver, but without the team around him he is nothing: the mechanics and designers all the way through to the physios and caterers!


Daniel Parkinson will conduct all five of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos in ‘The Beethoven Piano Concerto Project’ with acclaimed British pianist Martin Roscoe, introduced by John Suchet, to raise money for the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund. Tickets are on sale now. To book please visit www.beethovenpianoconcertos.co.uk










A former pupil of Chetham’s School of Music, and music graduate of the University of York, Daniel has been studying conducting with Mark Heron. He has also received tuition from Mark Stringer, Philippe Bach, Johannes Schlaefi, Russell Cowieson, Tim Reynish, Matthew Wood and Sasha Mäkilä. In 2013, Daniel will be joining the MMus Orchestral Conducting programme at the Royal Northern College of Music where he will study with Clark Rundell and Mark Heron.


Daniel has performed with a wide variety of ensembles including the North Cheshire Wind Orchestra, Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, University of York Chamber Orchestra, Chester Philharmonic Orchestra and the European Medical Students’ Orchestra and Choir. June 2012 saw Daniel conduct Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2 in a version for piano and string orchestra with soloist Masayuki Tayama. This was the third of four performances given by Daniel and the Chester Chamber Orchestra. The most recent concert also featured the Chester Consort – a vocal ensemble made up of young professional singers from across the UK. He was the Associate Conductor of the Chester Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2011/2012 season.


Daniel was the conductor for ‘A Symphony for Yorkshire.’ This was commissioned by the BBC in the summer of 2010 and received nationwide coverage across television, radio and online. It has since won a Prix de Circum award and three RTS (Royal Television Society) awards. He has also worked for Youth Music Theatre UK (YMT:UK) and is the Musical Director for Codys Productions. His enthusiasm for promoting classical music to the younger generation recently saw him conduct an educational concert in Notting Hill. As well as featuring Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, this event included a concert adaptation of the animated film, ‘The Mousehole Cat’ for orchestra, soprano and children’s choir.


Future engagements include concerts with Chester Philharmonic Orchestra and Stockport Symphony Orchestra as well as a ballet collaboration with KSDance Ltd. Autumn 2013 sees Daniel alongside international concert pianist Martin Roscoe in ‘The Beethoven Piano Concerto Project.’ All 5 Beethoven Piano Concertos will be performed in one evening to raise money for the Musicians Benevolent Fund. 


Daniel is a pianist at The Hammond School and KSDance Ltd.




www.danielparkinson.co.ukwww.beethovenpianoconcertos.co.uk