The Masterclass

This week was the previously mentioned masterclass with the famous English mezzo-soprano, who shall be known as Dame J.B. (Incidentally, Radio 3 is featuring her all week; a bit of strange and somewhat daunting coincidence; I’m sure you’ve probably guessed by now...). It was a good afternoon and not nearly as nerve-wracking as I might have anticipated. I thought that I and the other three student singers all did a good job of presenting solid performances which could be shaped by Dame J.B. She is a lovely lady, very graceful and quite sprightly for her 73 years. She talks with great passion, knowledge and commitment about the art of singing. I chose Ivor Gurney’s beautiful setting of ‘Sleep’. My interpretation ended becoming sort of a hot topic. Both my fabulous accompanist and I saw the song as sort of an agitated reflection on insomnia (and our faster tempo led to the controversy) , while nearly everyone else saw the song as a slower more heavy statement. Dame J.B. disagreed with me, but was willing for me to try to get my interpretation across. She also slipped in some helpful things about making more space for vowels in the middle range and giving more voice and colour to short notes. I prefer this sort of technical work in masterclasses to those teachers who try to overhaul one’s whole technique in one 30-minute session. This session was equally about interpretation, performance and technique. Eventually after making some vocal and pianistic adjustments we managed to perform the song as we desired but in a more convincing manner. I also sang Faure’s ‘Lydia’ which became better as Dame J.B. encouraged me to be more personal and specific in my interpretation. She came back the next day for a Q & A session which was also interesting. It is interesting to hear great artists talk about their reasons for pursuing music as art. I have heard more than one talk about a performer’s duty to serve the composer without ego. It is true that song gives us the chance to express ourselves and our feelings on a particular piece, but we must remember that it is done through the words and music given to us. Our first duty as performers is to make sure that the piece of music comes across clearly and that we do our best to give it life. I was also reminded of the incredible commitment it takes to really be a world class musician. Dame J.B. while quite nice and classy, also had a sort of toughness and drive that no doubt carried her through her long career. I wish I could focus myself that much, but I’ve always been too interested in different elements of musicmaking. Sometimes I wonder if I really applied myself as a singer and became possessed of a drive to succeed if I actually would. Still, I want so many other things though and I fully intend to pursue all of them...without regret.

Dispatches from the field

I'm in the middle of a lovely trip to Prague, Amsterdam and Germany. Prague and Amsterdam were both fantastic and rather different cities. Prague has a sort of epic, old-world grandeur with a lingering hint of Soviet drabness. It feels like a city that unfolds on a large scale with amazing art-deco, Baroque facades, medieval cloisters and towering church spires set among beautiful hills and a rolling river . And it has cheap beer! Amsterdam is a more tightly controlled city in appearance with beautiful 17th century row-houses overlooking canals. It feels like a city of neighborhoods, both full of partying young people and quiet residential areas. I spent a lot of time just walking around the streets in search of my next meal of pancakes or old pub. It has an incredibly vibrant feel to it with people from all over making up its population. I also managed to catch a concert at the Concertgebouw (it really did have the best acoustics I've ever come across) by the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. They did an early Haydn symphony, two Vivaldi violin concertos and the very beautiful Pergolesi 'Stabat Mater'. Both of the vocal soloists were exceptional, and the lack of conductor gave them the freedom to dictate how the piece unfolded. There was great communication from all of the musicians reminsicent of a string quartet or small vocal ensemble. Well worth it...

Off to Germany this afternoon for a brief choir residency at Muenster. More later...

Monk de-Monked

I had my introduction to the music of Meredith Monk this week (I’m analyzing and writing about Bjork’s remarkable Medulla album, which bears Monk’s influence in spots). I find the music simultaneously repulsive and utterly captivating. Monk’s voice is really quite spectacular, even if some of the sounds she makes are (intentionally) far outside the circle of conventional Western vocal production. I’m particularly intrigued by her piano-vocal pieces. Most of them are built around a simple piano figure (some might say minimalistic even though she shuns the word) with a vocal line that gradually goes from simple and melodic to rangy and shrill. It’s really a good demonstration of the capabilities of the human voice and how sort of boxed-in we classical singers are. I’m not saying I want to sound like Meredith Monk (I don’t think anyone could) but I can appreciate the journey into uncharted vocal territory. This is somewhat the same reason why I listen to "pop" singers; often the untrained voice is more able to explore a wider range of colours without always wondering if it’s healthy or "on the breath". I’m always impressed by singers that know their voices so well and can choose colours at will to inflect different musical phrases. This is why I like people like Jeff Buckley, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Bjork, Audra McDonald and Thom Yorke from Radiohead. I have to say I’ve learned more from any one of these singers than I have from any number of classical singers.

Suggested listening: "Volcano Songs-Duets" from Volcano Songs; "Biography" from Dolmen Music, both available from your neighbourhood Amazon retailer...