Part Two. Saturday 20th – Monday 22nd February 2010. Utrecht – Mora – London

Saturday, 20 February

Martin Fröst at Vinterfest

Another early start by train to Schiphol to start my epic journey to Mora, which is sort of heading towards Northern Sweden, to join Martin Fröst at his 2010 Vinterfest. Martin has been asking me to go for some time and as three other BBT artists were taking part as well I felt the journey was justified.

I left Utrecht at 7.30am and arrived in Mora via Stockholm, in a blizzard, 12 hours later.  Schiphol was a zoo as it was the start of the school Spring holidays.  The train from Arlanda to Börlange was delayed because of bad weather and therefore I missed the connection to Mora and I had to wait one and a half hours at Börlange.   However, the journey was tempered somewhat by the help of a very nice 6’5” young Dutchman who had some Swedish and was able to explain to me what was going on.  He was a teacher/photographer who was going skiing and camping (in that weather!).  He tossed my luggage on the rack and proceeded to share his wildlife photos with me (and very good they were too).  I also had the help of another gentleman who ordered a taxi for me from the train (by this time my phone had run out of battery and I could not contact the Vinterfest organisers to tell them what was going on).  It turned out that he worked as a policeman for the EU in Chad (close to Darfur) of all places and that he had been travelling for 48 hours, so I had nothing to complain about.  I obviously looked like a damsel in distress and I cannot thank them enough for their help.

After a short rest I attend my first concert of the festival at 11pm (yes, that’s right in the evening).  We were taken to an inn at the bottom of the mountain to hear the first music of the evening based around Swedish folk music.  The original idea was for this to be held on a snow-stage at the top of Gesundaberget so that we could hear the calls of the cow-herder in the open air.  Unfortunately it was no longer snowing but ice-ing – horizontally – hence the title of the concert Goose Pimples on the Peak!

Anyway we were nice and snug and warm and it was lovely to hear the strange sounds and hypnotic rhythms whilst sipping hot chocolate.

Viviane Hagner

After a bite to eat the next concert of the evening started at around 12.30 with mainly French repertoire performed by Christian Poltéra (2004 winner), Viviane Hagner (2004 winner), Roland Pötinen and Olle Persson.  It was all very lovely and a good time was had by all.  Got to bed at 2.30am.

Sunday, 21 February

Out of the hotel by 8.30am to be taken to the Frykås Hotell, 15 minutes outside of Orsa.  The 11am concert was given in the hotel’s, wood-lined dining room, overlooking the lake and the mountains, creating a truly chamber music atmosphere where an audience of around 120 gathered to hear Alexei Ogrintchouk (2007 winner) and Martin Fröst (2003 winner) play the Mozart Oboe Quartet and Clarinet Quintet.  They were joined by Julian Rachlin, Christian Svarfvar, Tabea Zimmermann and Frans Helmerson and these two woodwind masters gave such exquisite performances of these works that I was moved to tears.  Unforgettable.

Next up was a concert in a pleasant hall in Mora at 2pm.  Martin, Christian and Richard Hyung-ki Joo opened the proceedings with a beautifully played Beethoven Clarinet Trio.  Gorgeous.  Followed by a mixed bag of lieder sung by Olle accompanied by Ronald who went on to join Julian and Frans in the Schumann Piano Trio No.1.  I just sat back and enjoyed it.

With barely time to breathe and get a cup of coffee we were off to the final 5.30pm concert of the festival in Mora Kyrka.  The beautifully lit church was packed to the gills, with cameras everywhere for a Swedish Television recording.  Alexei played the Bach Double with Julian, Ronald played Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2 (don’t know how he did it as he took part in an extraordinary number of the concerts over the four days of the festival) which was followed after the interval by a new, substantial work, by Svante Henryson.  Finally Martin finished with an outstanding performance of the Weber Clarinet Concerto.  They were very ably accompanied by the Dala Sinfoniettan which was joined by Martin’s younger, viola playing brother, Göran Frost.  A thoroughly good time was had by all.

Alexei Ogrintchouk

At last we could relax over a delicious ‘feast’ organised by Vinterfest at our hotel.   Time to gossip and exchange stories.  Miraculously, Martin – who must have been absolutely exhausted – managed to give a speech where he thanked everybody individually (even me although I am not quite sure what for!) in a most touchingly personal way.

Off to bed at 12.30am.  It had snowed all day…

Monday, 22 February

I wake up to a bright and crispy morning, with the snow twinkling in the sunshine.  I was delighted to learn at breakfast that the trains were now running again as they had not been going into Stockholm on Sunday night due to the huge amount of snow they were experiencing (it would appear that British trains are not the only ones that cannot cope with snow).   I therefore decided to take a walk before we set off for the station.   After 20 minutes my face began to freeze, literally, so I decided I had better retreat indoors to discover that in fact the temperature was -27ºC!

Then, it was announced that the trains were not running after all, this time because of an accident on the line.  The fantastic Vinterfest support team hastily rustled up two people carriers and by 12.30 we were off.  Pianist Bengt Forsberg offered to drive the luggage-cum-instrument van whilst the heroic Anna drove the rest of us (Julian, Tabea, Christian, Alexei plus girlfriend and me) to Stockholm.  Christian took over the driving after a while and after four hours I was dropped off at Arlanda Airport whilst the others drove on to their hotel in central Stockholm.   Christian, Bengt and Martin (who had travelled separately by car with his family) were planning to rehearse again that evening for a concert that everybody was participating in at the Stockholm Concert Hall the following evening.  Such is the glamorous life of musicians.

I got into the Airport to discover, naturally, that my flight to London Heathrow was delayed…  I eventually got back home by 11pm (midnight by Swedish time) having completed another 12 hour journey.  I was so tired I could neither think nor speak.

Was it worth it?  Absolutely!   This has been an exceptional week not only in terms of the amount of travel I have done but more importantly for all the creative ideas and opportunities it presented as well as being able to reveal the work of BBT to a whole new range of people.   Now I need to be in the office to be able to bring everything to fruition.  What a joy and a privilege it is to work with so many talented young musicians.  I wonder if they know how proud we are of them?

Photos taken at Vinterfest by Nikolaj Lund

Read Susan’s blog Part 1: London – Aldeburgh – Utrecht

It had been a busy and intense time, both shortly before and during the week of the rehearsals for the piece. As Gavin works meticulously and very detailed, it was only after last Christmas that I received the first notes. It struck me that Gavin had fulfilled all expectations – the piano was treated purely as a melodic instrument. Quite a difference with most contemporary composers, who in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries value the instrument for its percussive qualities in the first place! Although the piano part did not look directly as a traditional virtuoso type of music, I was immediately challenged by how to make a keyed instrument such as the piano, without possibilities for portamento playing, pure legato playing or vibrato, sound like a stringed instrument. On top of that, as with music such as by Mozart, it seemed that every note became very intense, in the context of its sparsity.

Gradually I received more pages, and it was clear that the piano part remained as intense the full 28 minutes. No large outbursts of notes, but the role of a guide, leading the orchestra and the choir into new territories of sound colours, landscapes, all passing by in a floating way, as if in a dream. Indeed the poetry by the Scot Edwin Morgan, sung by the male choir, added to this almost unreal feeling by its mystical descriptions of foggy natural scenes. The slow pace of the piece contributed to its static, almost processional character.

In rehearsal

At the first rehearsal, which was without the choir, the beauty of the notes which I found on the pages, turned out to be as beautiful when actually sounding. Although the piece indeed had a very tonal feel, it was far from consonant at times – something which became clear especially because of the absence of the choir. There were even sections where the strings would create a seemingly disjointed tapestry of unrelated singing sound, mildly chaotic, reminding of the works by Charles Ives, or perhaps even Xenakis. However, the incredibly soft dynamics at those spots somehow concealed its radicalism, especially after the choir joined. In the end, within the context of the piece, it seemed to sound just in another world of subconsciousness, hardly to be noticed, but silently being very present.

With the première on Friday, Gavin joined our rehearsal on Thursday. He had a busy day – having to get up at 3.30 AM to be in Holland at 9.45 AM, with a full day schedule ahead. His presence at the rehearsal made a lot of difference – a few tips of advice, such as having more sense of rubato playing in the piece, suddenly brought it into a new daylight for me, and for the orchestra. It very much contributed to its dream-like, floating atmosphere.

Gavin Bryars and Ralph van Raat in recording

After the rehearsal, Gavin and I quickly jumped in my car to drive to the concert hall of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where we would record his piano duo piece “My First Homage” for CD. This recording will ultimately be joined, amongst others of his piano works, by the Concerto. Some intense hours later we were finished, which meant that Gavin and I had to rush to another part of the building, where he would give a lecture for the composition students of the conservatory. The two hours that followed brought a unique light on the metier of composition, and gave a deep insight into Gavin’s musical world and ideas. The day was closed by a dinner together, which was a good opportunity to wind down, gain new energy for the next day and even think of future plans.

That Friday was the big moment. In the well-occupied concert hall of Utrecht, Gavin’s Concerto sounded for the first time, in presence of the composer, Susan Rivers from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust, and Sarah Osborn from music publisher Schott. I think that this was the best performance since the rehearsals, as the adrenalin of all musicians made it more intense. Luckily there was a live radio broadcast, which made it possible for me to immediately listen it back afterwards, to conclude which spots or aspects of the piece could still be improved for the concert the next day. However, this performance generally went well and quite a large portion of the audience gave a standing ovation to Gavin and the musicians. A little party belongs to a first performance, and this was organized, making Susan, Sarah, Gavin, I and many others drink a good glass of wine (and Diet Coke) afterwards!

On Saturday, we did the second performance. This time I had heard the recording, and the conductor and I looked at some spots to once more rehearse before the concert. It was quite important to do this, as this performance was to be recorded live for CD. It certainly had still improved upon the previous performance, and the great acoustics at the concert hall in Amsterdam helped the balance between piano and orchestra a lot. After the performance, audiences again were very enthusiastic. It was a great honour for me that this time, David Hoskins and Graham Johnston from the BBT had come all the way from the UK, especially for this occasion. The day was concluded with a very nice dinner in Amsterdam with Gavin, David and Graham with their partners, and my girlfriend, closing off a period of four years in which a seed had grown into a full-grown organism.

I think the Piano Concerto by Gavin Bryars takes on a unique place in piano concerto literature. First of all, because it has a rather uncommon orchestration of piano solo, orchestra and choir. Second, because the piano takes on a role which is quite radical: virtuosity is not anymore defined by playing as many notes as possible, but by another element which I think is, at times, overlooked by musicians and composers: that of complete ‘control’ over the instrument. Control, in my opinion, not only means being able to control technically difficult passages, but also means being able to play just a few notes as one wishes, i.e. with the right colour, tone, intention and dynamics. I think the concerto is challenging, because one cannot hide himself or herself in technical display. Here it comes down to playing relatively few notes in such a way, that they start to mean something, and that they move people. Gavin asks for an intrinsic way of music making, which is averse from musical acrobatics. Especially nowadays, in which very flashy television and radio make many people used to needing just very short attention spans, this piece forms an interesting counterpart, which we generally are not used to anymore.

The reactions of reviewers to this work have been very different and opposite. In general, I think this can be interpreted as a positive sign, as most radical works in the past have generated the most extreme reactions. Some newspapers praised its gripping melodic lines and the dream-like qualitites; others have turned down its melodiousness, calling it simple and comparing it to 19^th-century music. I personally think that especially the latter reaction is caused by a misunderstanding. It seems almost a Pavlov-like effect that whenever a composer nowadays chooses to use consonance as a basis for his tone language, a (denouncing) comparison is made with the old masters. It also happens to other composers, such as John Tavener or Arvo Pärt. This notion of comparison may be valid when listened to in a superficial way; after all, indeed the same tools (consonances) are used. However, when listened to with a more open attitude and especially open ears, one can discover that although consonances are used, they are used in a completely different way and with a different intention than the traditional composers did, two centuries ago. In this postmodern period, composers have about three centuries of music to absorb, and it is hard to reason why they would have to deny most of the roots of Western musical history, based on tonality. We are still enjoying Beethoven, Liszt, Strauss and Mahler, why suddenly turn down the new lyricism as an expression of aspects of today’s world? I very much think that Gavin’s music is music of our own time, of our present-day feelings and experiences. He uses both known and new sounds to express his own message, and to evoke the mystical world of the contemporary poetry. Although seemingly accused of being old-fashioned by some, I think his choice of style is very radical nowadays, in that very sense.

Additionally, indeed one could object to the piano not having a traditionally significant role. However, it is as interesting and valid, in my opinion, to see another approach to music, different to what is usually expected. Personally, I am in favour of any style – whether it be Boulezian, Cageian, or Chopin – as long as a musical work has its own meaning. It makes the world of music very rich to have it all available!

Celebrations after the concert in Amsterdam

I am very happy that the Borletti-Buitoni Trust has supported the birth of the work, and that they continue supporting traditional music, new music, established artists and upcoming artists. It is the hard work of people such as Susan, David and Debra, and all the others who are associated with it, who keep the spirit of classical and newly composed classical music alive. For sure, The Solway Canal will give me the great opportunity to play with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, who immediately expressed their interest in the piece. Also, the cooperation with Gavin will continue in the future, as new projects are talked about. I am honoured that, besides the Concerto, the composer has actually dedicated his newest piano solo work to me, and also this work is a great lyrical counterpart to other great works in an oppositely ‘complex’ style. Long live the Borletti-Buitoni Trust, long live the many musical flavours and moods available today, and long live music itself!

A BBT film with Gavin Bryars and Ralph van Raat, made at their first meeting in 2006, is available here.

Part One. Monday 15th – Saturday 20th February 2010. London – Aldeburgh – Utrecht

Monday, 15 February

I spent the morning catching up on e-mails and trying to push various BBT artists’ projects forward.

In the afternoon David Hoskins [BBT Special Projects Consultant] and I were allowed to creep into Maida Vale Studio 1 to listen to Mahan Esfahani (2009 winner) recording Martinu’s Harpsichord Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jiri Belohlavek.  David is working on a video profile for Mahan, with our film-maker Graham Johnston, and assisting Mahan in putting a website together.  It was good, therefore, to catch up with him albeit briefly but I particularly went along because I was curious to hear a contemporary harpsichord concerto.  It is a very accessible and enjoyable piece.  It was interesting to see how a balance was achieved between the orchestra, piano and harpsichord.  Not so difficult in a studio environment but Mahan tells me that in live performances harpsichords nowadays are subtly amplified so it is not a problem and audiences are not even aware of it.

Tuesday, 16 February

I am frantically cramming in as much work as possible today before I go off on my travels later in the week.  In the evening David and I go to hear Colin Currie (2005 winner) at the Queen Elisabeth Hall with his Percussion Group performing Steve Reich’s Drumming. Wow – what an achievement Colin!  We so enjoyed it and it was great that another BBT winner was also taking part, namely Owen Gunnell of O Duo (2008 winners).  I had taken my ear plugs along as sticking your fingers in your ears is not a good look but past experience of ‘percussion concerts’ has alerted me to the fact that these concerts can be ear-piercingly loud sometimes.   All was well until the glockenspiels joined in but as it was towards the end I just managed to hold on…  Steve Reich and Colin gave an interview afterwards which was very revealing and informative.

It seems to me that Colin is becoming a sort of Elder Statesman of the percussion world as he is such a prolific commissioner (3 new pieces commissioned with BBT’s help alone).

Meanwhile Debra Boraston [BBT’s PR consultant] went off to the Wigmore Hall to hear Gautier (2004 winner) and Renaud Capuçon with Nicholas Angelich.  I heard the ensemble at a Wigmore Hall Coffee Concert on Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.  It was great to catch up with Gautier and say hello to Renaud and Nicholas who works with one of our new 2010 winners Gabriele Carcano, of whom he spoke most highly.

Wednesday, 17 February

Off to Aldeburgh.  How I hate driving there.  It is roughly a three hour journey by car from West London and a good part of it is on the A12, my least favourite road in the British Isles.  Bumper to bumper lorries and mainly only two lanes.  Still I get there in good time with no mishaps.

I had a very interesting lunch with Bill Lloyd who has recently been appointed Director of Artist Development having been a producer with the  BBC Scottish.   I was there to discuss possible future residencies in Aldeburgh for our artists and it was helpful to know what his future plans might be.  It turned into a very creative meeting as other possibilities emerged.  I can’t wait to follow them up.

In the evening I had a wonderfully inspiring meeting with the Aronowitz Ensemble (2009 winners) who were fulfilling their third Aldeburgh residency.  We had some really fruitful discussions about their future BBT projects.  Sometimes it takes a while to put ideas together but I think now we really have ‘a plan’.

Thursday, 18 February

Manage to make a reasonably early start for the return journey to London, this time in freezing fog.  Again no delays but arrive home with stiff shoulders from having to concentrate so hard to see in the mist.

In the afternoon I went for a meeting at IMG’s offices to see our really delightful trumpet player Tine Thing Helseth (2009 winner), who was over from Norway, to discuss some possible BBT projects including a promised new concerto to be written for her by Bent Sørensen.  It is the first time that we have had a BBT winner represented by IMG so it was a good opportunity to explain to them how BBT works and that we do more than simply hand over the money.

Friday, 19 February

Up at 5am to get myself to Heathrow to fly to Amsterdam for lunch with Charles Watts (husband of Aronowitz violinist Nadia Wijzenbeek), who is Artistic Director of the soon to be renovated De Bachzaal in Amsterdam.  He meets me in a vintage black Citreon – very glamorous.  We head off to meet with the General Manager of Bachzaal, Léon de Lange, and have a jolly brain-storming session where I give them the ‘benefit’ of all my years of promoting concerts.  They seem to find it helpful!  Unfortunately I don’t get to see the Bachzaal because of works to remove asbestos but I can see from the outside that it is a very elegant 1930s building.

Then off to Utrecht by train for the world premiere of Gavin Bryars’ Piano Concert The Solway Canal which we co-commissioned with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra for contemporary music specialist Ralph van Raat (2005 winner).  Ralph really understands this sort of repertoire and it turned out to be a very lyrical and moving piece with the addition of a male voice choir.

There was a standing ovation from an audience of around 600 (for an all contemporary programme) which was pretty impressive.  It would have been interesting to hear it again in a different acoustic.  David and Graham go to the concert at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam the next day, where a live recording of the piece was made for future release on Naxos.   They send back excellent reports.

Read Ralph van Raat’s blog On Gavin Bryars’ “Solway Canal”

In Part Two (Saturday 20th February – Monday 22nd February 2010), Susan travels North to Martin Fröst’s Vinterfest, in Mora, Sweden.

There we were three young oboists at Herkulessaal in Munich, after having played Strauss Concerto with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at ARD´s competition finals. The Jury came to stage, we were down where the audience sits, waiting for the result.

I was awarded first prize, something that didn´t happened at the oboe competition for 40 years! Of course, I didn´t expect it! I became the third one to get it in the competition´s history, after Heinz Holliger and Maurice Bourgue, and this means a lot. I remember from that moment I started to fly: I went to the stage to take my prize, talk to the press, have dinner with the Jury… it was a long evening and day.

I could never imagine that it would happen. I was not totally conscious of the situation that evening and the following days.  I couldn’t possibly imagine what it would mean to have got the first prize that evening. I was just 19 years old, and all was very new for me.

In the following months, I changed my residence to Germany, I got many concert invitations as a soloist, for chamber music, for playing in great orchestras as principal oboe, my manager came to me, I got the position of Principal oboe in the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra… All these things were really something that I never imagined to get as a 19-year-old! For me it was a dream that I wished to get, but never expected it so soon. My life just changed completely! Travelling everywhere for playing concerts, visiting many new cities, meeting so many different people, starting my work in the orchestra, where I have the luck to work with the greatest conductors and soloists of our time, living abroad…

It has taken me more than a year to get used to that big change, and still today I find myself dealing with things that I wouldn´t have expected so soon, like for example, right now, getting a Borletti Buitoni Trust fellowship.

This means a big help for me at the moment: We were having some contacts for CD productions with my agent, some conversations were opened, but it is really difficult today to make a project reality. With the support of BBT things are moving forwards. I have felt, from the first moment I have got the fellowship and got into the family of BBT, that it means a big push for my career.

Getting into the BBT family just gives a new air to all my projects: a CD will be released next Autumm. Probably I will take it with me on my “Rising Stars” tours, next season, where I will play on the greatest concert halls in Europe like Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Viena, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, etc..

And what I feel more important is the support that BBT is already giving me:

They want to be involved in my projects, offering me all the help that they can. All the publicity that comes together with getting a prize. All their knowledge about the classical music world and market. It makes me very excited and happy to have them on my side.

I just can be so thankful for all this help, it lets me take a new breath, have new fresh ideas and continue with this life, this flying I started 2 years ago.  I am still on the air! Thanks Life!

As I am in Spain now, coming from the most inspiring time in Perugia at the house of Ilaria and Franco Buitoni where we found space to feel “earth”,and freedom to experience  the spiritual energy of Assisi, I am asking whether “duende” can only come upwards from the earth or whether “duende” creates itself and is always around us waiting to be recognized…

It is somehow very difficult to define this word which describes emotion and authenticity. It comes from inside as a response to music,with its roots lying in Flamenco.

But what interests me in particular is what is said in one of the articles about Lorca and “el duende” :

“ ‘All that has dark sounds has duende.’ And there is no greater truth.

“These dark sounds are the mystery, the roots thrusting into the fertile loam known to all of us, ignored by all of us, but from which we get what is real in art…

“Thus duende is a power and not a behavior, it is a struggle and not a concept. I have heard an old master guitarist say: ‘Duende is not in the throat; duende surges up from the soles of the feet.’ Which means it is not a matter of ability, but of real live form; of blood; of ancient culture; of creative action.”

Walking in Assisi one feels such deep old roots,while walking on stones that fill the soles of the feet with a very powerful energy. I can’t explain why, but walking in Assisi, especially at Chiesa di San Damiano, the place where Franciscus wrote his “Cantico delle Creature” but especially the place where Santa Chiara has lived, I felt pure guilt in myself;  Again I can’t explain this but being there at the centre of religion of “creative religion” the question arises; Where have I been? What did I think? How can I make music without this silence, without this experience?

“It is known to all of us and ignored by all of us” ….

When you realize who has appeared at the unbelievable concert-series of Amici della Musica at Perugia one can only become silent. We were lucky to be invited to sing at the ‘Sala dei Notari’.  Staying at the house of Franco and Ilaria Buitoni was not only a complete luxury and treat but it opened up a realization of deep love for music and art. Together with soprano Sophie Daneman and pianist Joseph Breinl we prepared a very special trio-program with composers like Schumann, Brahms, Reger and Dvorak. This chance to exchange ideas and be together the three of us, exploring the music and understanding each other surrounded by books and paintings but above all the cultivated atmosphere created in this house was a rehearsing utopia!!

So our so-called tour began in Perugia! And where could we have a better start of the journey then at the paradise of Italy! Spain followed, Valladolid and Bilbao where we even had the chance to visit the wonderful Gugenheim-Museum. The museum feels like a moving dream as soon as you enter the space. Speaking about “Duende”, this place carries duende in form and imagination. As “Duende” means a fairy-or goblin-like mythological creature as well you imagine this huge “shell” as a home for goblins! Bilbao had a great tradition of art and music as well. The hall welcomed us by old pictures all around us of great musicians who all appeared in the more then hundred year old hall. A wonderful warm public surrounded us with Spanish grace and not to forget a very tasty Rioja afterwards. The photos of Claudio Abbado made me think of the exciting working-session in Bologna I was able to do just before arriving in Perugia. This thanks to the memorable concert last year in Berlin with Mitsuko Uchida.  After which I was invited to do a solo-recital at the Philharmonie in 2011. But before this something even more exciting will happen: Schönberg:  ‘Das Lied der Waldtaube’ and Schubert-Lieder with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado!!

For this I need to have a lot of Duende!!!

Christianne Stotijn 27-11-2009

More information about Christianne Stotijn’s performances with Berlin Philharmonic on 14, 15, 16 May 2010 at www.berliner-philharmoniker.de

The concert on 16th May will be webcast live on Berlin Philharmonic’s Digital Concert Hall. www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/dch

Visit Christianne’s website at www.christiannestotijn.com

When I first visited Amsterdam during holidays in my second year at university, I wasn’t even really sure back then whether music was the right profession for me. I was studying music history and theory at the time at school, and was fairly serious about my instrumental studies, but the experiences of this visit, during my first serious trip by myself throughout Europe (in the time-honoured tradition of student ‘back-packing’) were intimidating in so many ways! The musical scene in Europe looked so vibrant, so different, and the audiences seemed particularly well-disposed to Baroque and Renaissance music and to the harpsichord, particularly in the Netherlands but also throughout the other countries I had trekked through. I remember going to a number of concerts that summer – a recital of Beethoven sonatas with Pieter Wispelwey at the ‘cello and Dejan Lazic at the piano particularly sticks out in my mind as an event in which my mind began to stir to taking stock of what I should do in life. I had a pocket score of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti in my rucksack which was well-thumbed and marked up throughout my journeys; to this was eventually added a battered pocket score of the Well-Tempered Clavier, covered in my notes and analyses of the fugues. In the back of my mind, I dreamt about having the opportunity to really share these pieces with people other than myself, but I didn’t really believe that it ever would be possible.

The second time I visited Amsterdam I had just left university that June and was pursuing further private studies at the harpsichord and other early keyboard instruments in order to try to figure out what I was going to do with my life. These were difficult times and I was probably even a bit depressed back then. It’s a wonder I didn’t drop everything and go and do something else or more ‘useful.’ The dreams ignited on the previous trip had made the acquaintance of reality, and the meeting was not altogether happy. Bach’s music was a source of strength to me in that time, as I read about him over and over again, and studied his Partitas and second part of the Well-Tempered Clavier very closely. I was performing to some extent back in the States, but I didn’t feel like I had a future that could sustain me either artistically or practically. I remember making a list on an Intercity train once, and drawing up what I called the ‘ideal month’ – a week playing solo recitals on the harpsichord, a week of involvement with operatic or Passion repertoire, a week of research, a week of modern music and new commissions and dedication to the music of our time. Sighing, I tucked this into my notebook, thinking that it would never happen! When I returned from this trip, I eventually came to the conclusion that I needed to either go somewhere where I was a ‘real person,’ or that I should go and do something else.

About three years passed between the second and the present visit (my third). A great deal has happened in those three years. To make an exceedingly long story short, one particular recital in the States got me to Europe through the notice of a well-known conductor who needed an assistant for a few opera projects. This led to some rather key recitals with certain people in the audience, which led to an organ scholarship in Milan (I also have a great interest in historic organs and their respective repertoires), which eventually led to a visit to London that culminated in my being asked to be a BBC New Generation Artist, the first musician in historical performance asked to do so. At this same time, I was invited to take up the position of Artist-in-Residence at New College, Oxford, and now I call the United Kingdom my home. My activities with the BBC reflect my dreams that I scribbled into that notebook, that little sheet of ‘the ideal week’ that I wrote on the train between Paris and Amsterdam three years ago. Since August alone (to say nothing of last year’s activities), I have played with New Generation Artist colleagues at the Proms, in music ranging from Haydn lieder at the fortepiano to Martinu’s (yes, Martinu!) Promenades, have recorded a recital of works of J.S. Bach at Wigmore Hall (where I made my debut as concerto soloist with The English Concert last season), have recorded a recital on an Aubertin French Baroque-style organ at St. John’s College in Oxford, appeared with the BBC Scottish Symphony as soloist in Francis Poulenc’s Concert champetre (1928) – and these are only the activities that I can remember! And the moment I get back to Oxford, I have to prepare a couple of recitals for November and get ready to record a recital of Rameau, Louis Couperin, and others on the 1636 Ruckers-Hemsch at the Cobbe Collection in Surrey. As a beautiful side-note, the day I arrived in Amsterdam saw a wonderful occurrence – I received a call that very morning informing me that I have just been offered general management with a notable international music management agency. And this is, as they say, just the beginning. I’m happy not because of having more recognition but because I finally have the forum to say what I wish to say as a musician – think of it as a growing ’soap-box,’ if you will. And that is the really the most exciting and rewarding thing for me.

The Borletti-Butioni Trust has made two very important things available to me: the first opportunity is in the form of a source of financial support to help establish a career above the fray of a hand-to-mouth existence and the worries of the natural ‘ups and downs’ of a young career. By using the generous grant to produce a short film about this rather ‘different’ instrument I have chosen to dedicate my life to, it is allowing me to expose my instrument and this wonderful music to as many people as possible and take advantage of the remarkable revolution in communications that has happened in the last decade. The second gift of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust is no less important; perhaps it is the most important aspect of this remarkable organisation! Since being honoured by the Trust, I have come into contact with people who have proven to be a source of advice, support, encouragement, and genuine interest in helping me in the relatively early days of my career. I feel like I can ask members of the Borletti-Buitoni team – Susan Rivers, David Hoskins, Debra Boraston – anything, and really anything! They have been responsible for my meeting someone who will be a great colleague (the recorder virtuoso Erik Bosgraaf), and more recently, were responsible for introducing me to my new agents. And, on a lighter note, they haven’t even been afraid to play in loco parentis when I need it most as someone who is alone in a new country and a new artistic scene – goodness knows sometimes I need it. I could write more, but it’s time to catch the tram back to the station, the same tram that brought me into a town when I was just dreaming about all that is happening. I suppose you could say that this is still a story in the making.

It’s a year ago since this very nice phone call from Susan. And what a year! A lot of exciting things have happened, and I am very grateful for being a part of the “BBT family”. (It was very exciting and special to receive a message on my answer machine from Mitsuko Uchida, and even more exiting to try to call her back, I was in Vietnam and I think she was somewhere in between London and New York… not easy with the time difference.

Trondheim Soloists

My last month has been busy and there have been so many different impressions to digest. I started in Dusseldorf, and then I went to Russia. Novgorod and St. Petersburg, the last city must be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I am a little obsessed with architecture, great buildings, palaces and city landscapes, and to experience so much authentic historic buildings of all sorts was truly special. After a week in Russia I went to Norway (but not home to Oslo) and to Trondheim for a rehearsal with the Trondheim Soloists. We were to go on a tour with the following destinations: Nordfjordeid, Bergen, London, Canterbury, Leeds and Hammerfest.

London: Playing an instrument is universal. I get in to the lift at the hotel in London (with my oversized suitcase, handbag and trumpet bag), and a nice gentleman with his wife joins me for the short journey. – Had I known you were here I would have taken my trumpet with me! He exclaims with a smile. I smile back and almost tell him that I do in fact have more than one with me, but instead I answer that it is nice to meet a fellow trumpet player, and I hope that he is not going to take a nap because he will probably hear me practise later. It is wonderful that you can meet people at the weirdest places in which you have this musical language in common, even though your mother tongue is not the same.  All the cellos and violins walking around on airports around the world, I feel like I know them all and that we are all part of a huge family. The cello I happened to be seated next to on a flight from Copenhagen to Vienna once is probably an extended cousin or something…  I always smile at them, they smile back, and we get this warm familiar feeling of having something in common, a musical language.

Canterbury

Back to London and my UK tour. Speaking of architecture and buildings, Canterbury was a dream come true! The concert was in the cathedral, and wow, the way the sound filled this enormous room, not something I will easily forget. Neither will I forget the streets of the small city. I woke up an hour early the day we went to Leeds, just to walk alone in the streets and enjoy the houses and the atmosphere. (The night before, after the concert, I think some members of the orchestra got extremely tired of my; oh look!.. now that is special… have you ever seen something so cosy?!?.) The concert hall in Leeds was also something I will not forget so easily! The whole UK tour was a fantastic journey. Great places and so many extremely nice people, both in the orchestra, the audience, and of course great to meet up with Susan, David and Debra from BBT, so supporting and giving.

The tour ended in Hammerfest, way up in the most northern part of Norway (you might think that it is completely dark up there at this time of the year, and that polo bears walk around in the streets, neither of this is true I’m afraid… Still about a short month until the sun almost never gets up in the morning).  Canterbury is beautiful, but so is the Norwegian nature! (I must be allowed to brag just a little bit, I’m a city girl from Oslo and the nature still overwhelms me.)

My last year has been great, my last month has been great, and hopefully my next month and year will be just as exciting. I wake up every morning and think: I just love what I do, how lucky am I?!?

Back home, we each have our own families and businesses. We meet for rehearsals, but only when we have to learn new repertoire or get ready for an upcoming concert. The work of a trio is different than of a string quartet in the sense that it does not require rehearsing on a regular basis. This suits us quite well, I must admit, since we like to engage in other activities as well, and it keeps our meets fresh and spontaneous.

On tour, on the other hand, we spend all of our time together. We travel together, we are going out together to explore the places we are visiting (mainly shopping and dining facilities); we eat together and we like to celebrate a good performance with beer and wine, occasionally a cigar, together. I’ve heard stories about groups who detested each other so much they would never speak, other than what’s necessary, and even make separate travel arrangements so they wouldn’t have to tolerate each other’s presence. Not for us, Muchas Gracias. We rather do something else than spend our life like this.  Above all, I feel that the synergy that’s created between our musical and personal connections is what makes us who we are as a Trio.

Last night we ended a 7 day tour with performances in Slovenia, Italy and Spain. I’ve decided to name this tour “The Prison Break Tour” simply because this time Daniel, our violinist, has brought on his laptop the complete 4 seasons of the American TV series, whose twisted plot deals with breaking out of a prison. On this side of the millennium, soft-cover best-sellers which are historically consumed as entertainment on flights and train rides have evolved into trashy yet well produced American TV shows that people can watch on their laptops.

Daniel, who had already been addicted to “Prison Break” at the beginning of the tour, has managed to get our group’s femme fatale hooked on it as well; Hila had previously seen Daniel glued to his laptop screen. She did not have a laptop of her own and could not watch the show like Daniel did on the plane to Ljubljana and on the train to Rome. Only in the hotel the two could meet and share the viewing experience by watching together and listening to the soundtrack thru the computer’s internal loud speakers. Since buying a new laptop was not an option for her, Hila set herself to find a headphone jack splitter. On the 4^th day of our tour Hila found the right gadget in Rome’s airport. For the remainder of the trip the two could watch the show together any time they wanted.

Having the entire 4 seasons on the hard drive means 40 minutes times 22 episodes times 4 seasons, equals roughly 60 hours of viewing which, so it seemed, the two have set themselves up to complete by the end of the tour. I don’t think they got even close to that. I believe they completed season one and some of season two. I must add they did offer me to join their viewing sessions at the hotel (where headphones were not needed). I have systematically refused for my own reasons. Nevertheless, I could not get away with being exposed to some of the shows images as they glowed from the laptop screen and to get an update occasionally on the plot’s development and on some of the characters, specifically one convicted felon nicknamed “Tea-Bag”.

Let me pause for a moment. I wouldn’t like you to get the wrong idea about us. We are serious people who take our art and craft seriously. When we rehearse we get down to the finest detail and we try to perfect our interpretation and the execution thereof before and after every show. Music is a profound art form, and the smallest detail is of utmost importance to us, even if we realize that in real life the percentage of audience who is able to notice, understand and fully appreciate delicate nuances in a performance is quite small, even among members of an audience who are musicians. Frankly, it is a very hard thing to do – to be one hundred percent focused in a performance, undistracted by other audience members or by our own thoughts.

Nevertheless, that does not hold us back from trying to achieve our artistic goals as performers. Even if appreciated only by a few, audience is able, in a magical and difficult-to-explain way, to tell a good performance. This normally happens when the performance’s flow is right. This is something we find very important in our delivery: when the music flows one can dive into the realm of fantasy that this abstract and hard to understand art form has to offer, undisturbed. But should the performance’s flow break, whether it is because of tempo, balance or pure intonation, especially within a performance of otherwise high quality, it has the potential to stick out even to a not so educated crowd.

Going back to Tea-Bag…well if you’re really curious to know what ended up happening with Tea-Bag you would have to watch the show yourself, I did not intend to write a spoiler.  Only reason I am mentioning the fellow is the fact that we like to make each other laugh about things, and one of the ways Hila and Daniel like to do that is by writing funny things in each other’s part so when they flip a page they might notice the comment and consequentially break a smile. Audience sees that smile; even though they may not know the real reason, audience likes it when the performers smile occasionally. Of course, one should be careful not to write funny things in certain pieces; to do such thing in the score of Shostakovich’s Trio #2 is really inappropriate. We’d never do that. Luckily not all the pieces in our repertoire are that serious.

Backstage, before the last concert of the “Prison Break Tour”, I suggested to Daniel that since we were really occupied with the fictional character of Tea-Bag in the past few days, instead of writing a funny thing he should tape an actual tea-bag in Hila’s part. Of course we didn’t carry this out; it would have been a bit too much, but we did share this mischievous thought with Hila. We all had a good laugh about this and went on to play our last concert in a very good mood…

Ohad Ben-Ari

It was very well received by a quiet, listening audience, who shouted bravos at the end.

I myself felt a strong personal involvement in the piece, feeling that it drew a lot of interior characters and thoughts out of me. I felt it was a very emotional journey through the story of the piece.

I now can’t wait to meet Olga in person in November, when we’ll give another performance, this time in Vienna. It will also give all of us a nice chance to come back to the piece with a little distance.

Here starts the life of this Music…

Read Antoine Tamestit’s blog “Olga Neuwirth and me: serving and discovering”.

The fact that the BBT are having this concert filmed (with interviews, etc.) is a huge huge bonus for us, as hopefully the above will be far less of a problem – there is only so much our CD tells the listener what is going – the DVD will reveal all (hopefully that’s a good thing!!)

So between now and then, there is the usual playing practice, we are playing a couple of pieces that we haven’t performed in a while (Baristas by Stephen McNeff being one), and I suppose maybe thinking a little bit more about the chat in between pieces and what to say in the interviews as it’s being recorded… but then that stuff usually just happens, it can be quite spontaneous!

So to give a rough idea of how the week build up to any concert goes for me, here’s the plan for this week(!!) – personal practice everyday at any possible free bit of time (some days more than others), two days of gigs with Katherine Jenkins, then the East Coast Surf Championships on Saturday morning (which I’m in – waves depending), on Sunday a three hour recording session, then Monday and Tuesday rehearsing with Olly! Then the gig Wednesday.  In a way every week is different, but it’s also completely the same!!

I think that  the DVD and the Concerto that Stephen McNeff is writing for us with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (which are all happening because of the BBT) will really take the duo to the next level, but you never know what the next wave will bring……

O Duo at Wilton’s on 14th October at 7pm

Hope to see you there.

Owen Gunnell. 8th October 2009