Backstage in November
a musical think tank, a captivating arrangement, honeybees and a few teasers
I am listening to …
the new album by United Strings of Europe with a beautiful programme including a very special arrangement of Maddalena Casulana’s Morir non può, by Simon Parkin. His arrangement for strings includes four solo string quartet parts with the quartet and string orchestra proposing very different sound worlds at first (the quartet initially playing at ‘Baroque’ pitch). When these two groups finally merge, the cascading opening transitions into the madrigal, accompanied by subtle commentaries from the string quartet.
Maddalena Casulana (c. 1544 – c. 1590) was almost certainly the first female composer to have an entire collection of her music printed and published during her lifetime, very aware however about her position in a profession dominated by men. Dedicating her first set of madrigals to her patron Isabella de’ Medici, she writes:
"I know truly most excellent Lady, that these first fruits of mine, flawed as they are, cannot produce the effect that I desire, which would be in addition to providing some evidence of my devotion to Your Excellency, also to show the world the futile error of men who believe themselves patrons of the high gifts of intellect, which according to them cannot also be held in the same way by women."
And in 2023 we are still working at it…
I am looking at …
the Ensemblehaus Freiburg, the home of two fabulous orchestras: ensemble recherche and Freiburger Barockorchester.
The basic idea of the Ensemble House was to create a home for the two independent orchestras (both founded in Freiburg in 1985) and to provide them with rehearsal and workshop facilities, as well as admin space. And although the house does not have a concert hall, musicians from both ensembles regularly give recitals within their shared rehearsal venue.
Ensemblehaus Freiburg combines a musical workshop and think tank for two top ensembles of early and new music under one roof; and in this inspiring residential community, ideas for joint projects are frequently developed and put into action - call it ‘cross-fertilisation’.
I am reading …
Honeybees and Distant Thunder, by Ricku Onda
Set over two weeks of a fictional piano competition in Japan, Onda's novel utilizes the intense atmosphere of a highly regarded international piano competition to delve into the lives of her four protagonists, exploring their friendships, personal demons, and their music making.
There is Aya Eiden, a former child prodigy making a comeback after having retired from performing following her mother’s death; Masaru Carlos Levi Anatole, the ‘Prince of Julliard’ and an apparent favorite; Akashi Takashima, the oldest entrant, juggling fatherhood and work while preparing for the competition; and Jin Kazama, a former protege and student of a highly revered figure in the classical world, and somewhat of a disruptor.
These four main characters represent four well-known creative types: the wunderkind, the brilliant self-confident, the genial outsider, and the hard worker. Add a touch of tragedy, some romance, and passion, sprinkle it with a generous dose of friendship, and this book becomes an entertaining holiday read … and not really exceptionally unique were it not for the incredibly detailed description of the music played from the perspective of a knowledgable listener, a critic, a novice, or the performer themselves, which adds another layer to this book.
Here Onda employs a very detailed and illustrative style, mixing musical knowledge with a pastoral approach that I thoroughly enjoyed even so some of these descriptions are a bit lengthy. For the most part though they are incredibly seductive and make you want to go and (re-)discover these pieces immediately.
I am thinking about …
how little in terms of description or explanation there can actually be found about upcoming concerts or recitals on social media. All musicians are excited and delighted to perform and record, which is great … but more teasers and background info about the players and pieces can help to make the undecided and uninitiated curious enough to buy a ticket and step over the threshold or get the album.
Below are social media examples for a concert programme with additional info about the poetry, history and composers to ideally be put in the captions. The possibilities are as varied as the programmes.
Thanks for reading, see you soon!
Kirsten
PS There is a lot of reading, listening, research and travel involved in my line of work; I stumble across many interesting things and ideas I can't just leave behind so I decided to write about them and share with you.