Miraculous indeed – the LPO and Osmo Vänskä at Southbank Centre
Osmo Vänskä’s four-concert Sibelius suvery with the London Philharmonic Orchestra reached its climax at the Royal Festival Hall last Friday night. Entitled Miraculous Logic, the series has had to fight for column inches in a busy period at Southbank Centre – featuring Beethoven performances by both the sublime Takacs Quartet and Daniel Barenboim with the Berlin Staatskapelle – that has had the critics reaching for superlatives. Even by these exalted standards, the performance Vänskä drew from the LPO was something special.
Sibelius was famously yin to Mahler’s yang in the symphonic stakes. If, as is often quoted, Mahler believed the symphony should encompass the world, Sibelius – especially with his mature compositions – looked inward, distilling his emotions into something purer. As the Miraculous Logic series presented the symphonies and accompanying works in near chronological order, the final concert brought those mature compositions – the sixth and seventh symphonies and the tone poem Tapiola – sharply into focus. Or rather, the opposite. Focus is exactly what the Finnish master avoided with music that created an elemental tension through its harmonic stasis. Few composers painted scenes as vividly as Sibelius did with these works – the seventh symphony and Tapiola especially. In their invocation of Nordic remoteness, they were the antithesis of Maherlian omnipotance.
Vänskä is often described as the Sibelius conductor. If that sounds rather meaningless on paper (so to speak), in the flesh it makes perfect sense. An energetic, affable presence on the podium, he has a clear, unfussy beat. The Finnish conductor is not glamorous, but he is wholly in control and is a master craftsman. He shaped a dramatically taut opening of the quasi-minimalist tone poem Tapiola, allowing this eternally modern-sounding work space to breath, while he brought out the spirit of dance in the more pastoral sixth symphony in an account notable for its crystal clear sound. The real highlight though was the seventh symphony. A mystical glow – cold-edged but nostalgic – surrounds this one-movement work. It has tricky linking corners and if all of them weren’t perfect, the whole surely was. The LPO players responded to every gesture, generating a great sweep of sound that ebbed and flowed before coming to its uncertain close: brought to a conclusion in the least demonstrative way by Vänskä. An orchestra and conductor at the very top of their game.
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at the Roundhouse, Camden
The Roundhouse was packed to the rafters on Friday night. The young trendy crowd that gathered had come to hear Beethoven’s seventh symphony played on period instruments. It all sounds rather unlikely, testament to the success of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s Night Shift series, which has become something of a phenomenon. The formula has achieved what for any arts organisation is the Holy Grail: a ‘ways in’ event that has built a genuinely youthful following.
The format for the Night Shift, which the orchestra has run since 2006, is sensibly, rather than radically, innovative. The orchestra presents a lighter, cheaper version of the more traditional concert performed earlier the same evening. Full works are still on offer, but the concert experience is re-packaged. Pieces are presented from the stage, punters are allowed to take in drinks and walk in and out; a generally relaxed atmosphere is encouraged. It recognises that young Londoners have very broad tastes when it comes to the arts but are put off by classical music, not by its inaccessability, but because of its formal setting and outmoded rituals.
Usually set in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Night Shift took a leap into the unknown this time round, performing as part of the Reverb Festival (which has focused on the cutting edge of the London classical music scene throughout January) at the famous Camden venue. The festival has included performances by the Britten Sinfonia with young composer du jour Nico Muhly and the London Contemporary Orchestra, and by all accounts has been a huge success, perhaps mirroring the recent vogue for presenting classical music in non-traditional settings. The Roundhouse itself isn’t new to classical music of course – it hosted late night Proms in the 1970s for example – but it certainly avoids the concert hall atmosphere.
It also lacks a concert hall acoustic. The OAE sometimes struggled to lift its sound, denting the immediacy of Jurowski’s electric reading of the Beethoven symphony, which followed the opening Coriolan Overture. Although the in-show dialogue from the presenter, Alistair Appleton, bordered on the excruciating at times, Jurowski, no geriatric himself, is clearly at home in the Night Shift setting. Speaking from the podium, he eloquently described the structure and mood of the symphony, especially in relation to the distinctive rhythm of the second movement, which he subsequently shaped beautifully, drawing powerfully melancholic playing from the OAE. Sadly, the most intimate moments of that profoundest of movements were upset by the clumping feet of a few thirsty audience members off to the bar. Although the quality of listening was very high on the whole, it is a pity that some took the concert’s informal licence rather too literally.
Nevertheless, some aural spillage was not enough to dent the obvious success of the night. Jurowski’s breakneck speed in the final movement was suitably exhilarating but finely controlled, and conductor and orchestra received a roar of approval for their efforts. The Night Shift powers on and one suspects that it is fast becoming the benchmark from which other such ventures are measured.
Click here for the Night Shift website. The next event is on 25 May 2010, back in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
New horizons – Mumbai’s emerging classical music scene
The two growing economic powerhouses of the east, China and India, have developed very different relationships with western classical music over the past twenty years. With state funding and enormous enthusiasm (from both the political elite and ever-burgeoning middle classes), China has embraced instrumental and orchestral music and now offers audiences international concert halls and home-grown stars like Lang Lang. While the world’s top orchestras would be unlikely to tour the Far East today without visiting China, India is still off the beaten track on the international concert circuit. There are myriad reasons for this, not least that with Hindustani and Carnatic music, India has an extremely rich classical tradition of its own – a heritage that dominates the traditional cultural landscape of the country.
Yet, a nascent western classical music scene is emerging in India, centred in the megalopolis of Mumbai, the nation’s most metropolitan, international city. It boasts a significant venue, the National Theatre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), which promotes over 400 concerts annually – from chamber music to Indian dance – across five theatres. Signifying the green shoots of progress for classical music in Mumbai is the Symphony Orchestra of India, founded in 2006. The driving force behind the formation of this new group was Khushroo Suntook, the Chairman of the NCPA and one of a few dedicated individuals determined to introduce western classical music to a wider audience in India.
Read the full story in the new edition of Classical Music Magazine, out on Saturday 30th January 2010.
CD review: Gilles Peterson presents Havana Cultura – New Cuba Sound
Having come a little late to Havana Cultura (it was released in October 2009), I can only retrospectively bookmark it as one of the top album’s of 2009. The project represents a significant undertaking for British DJ, producer and all-round global beats guru, Gilles Peterson. A master of presenting different music movements on classy compilation discs, Peterson goes a step further with Havana Cultura, which is a more substantial, collaborative – though not by any means comprehensive – survey of contemporary Cuban music.
This two disc release, the full name of which is Gilles Peterson presents Havana Cultura – New Cuba Sound stems from an organisation – sponsored by Havana Club International Rum – that promotes the Cuban capital’s arts scene through a swanky website (click here). With jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca, Peterson sets out to take the pulse of Havana (‘bringing together the street, the urban and the more traditional’ he says on an online film). Together they present 28 tracks featuring recordings by Peterson’s own Havana Cultura Band (disc one) and a selection of music from local emerging artists (disc two).
In bringing together a host of Cuban musical talent under one roof, Havana Cultura invites inevitable comparison with Buena Vista Social Club, and in its scope and ambition, the upstart album does at least have the feel of a similar achievement. But, despite the fact that much of Havana Cultura was also recorded at the famous Egrem Studios, facile observations on similarities should end there. Havana Cultura documents a hugely varied stable of music. The jazz, latin, hip hop, reggaeton and funk that vie for space are all linked by Cuban rhythms, but follow different paths, reflecting the greater degree of cultural to-and-fro between Cuba and outside world in recent years. There is a homogoneity to the sound on each disc though: Roberto Fonseca’s dextrous virtuosity at the keyboard towers over disc one, while rap, in one form or another, gives the second part an urban vibe.
From the opening riff, the pizzazz of Fonseca’s playing brings a benevolent glow to an anyway riveting set from the Havana Cultura band, which includes Fonseca’s band mates: reeds-man Javier Zalba, drummer Ramses Rodriguez and bassist Omar Gonzalez. Unsurprisingly then, it’s a tight, swinging affair, as demonstrated on the irresistible groove of ‘Arroz con Pollo’, which extols the virtues of chicken and rice. On some of the best tracks, Peterson’s house band invites other artists to sit in. The big-voiced Mayra Caridad Valdés contributes to a Havana-style re-working of Fela Kuti’s ‘Roforofo Fight’ and to a further standard, Irakere’s ‘Chekere Son’. Meanwhile, a find of Peterson’s, the singer Danay, leads the band in the sexy ‘Lagrimas de Soledad (No Existen Palabras)’. It’s a scintillating set.
Given the cohesion of the first disc, it’s hard to find the same sense of narrative on disc two, but its charms come in its eclecticism. Established artists like rapper Kumar and Free Hole Negro sit alongside rarer fare. Inventive hip hop outfit Ogguere rolls out an animated anthem; DJ Wichy de Vedado is more laidback with jazz-sampled beats; while Gente de Zona’s jumping reggaeton number, ‘Homenaje a Benny More’, proves a memorable dance tune.
A benchmark recording for new Cuban music.
CD review: Kailash Kher & Kailasa – Yatra (Nomadic Souls)
For a slice of modern Indian pop music, look no further than the larger-than-life figure of Kailash Kher. The Mumbai-based vocalist and bandleader made his name as a playback singer and star of many a Bollywood soundtrack. His powerful, soulful voice and celebrity status has made him a star in the subcontinent, success he is looking to spread globally with Yatra (Nomadic Souls), his first internationally distributed release.
This leap is not an easy one. Many artists find a following within the world music community but struggle to make an impact locally (Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili springs to mind), but the problem also applies conversely. Kher tackles the challenge with a mixture of re-packaged Kailasa hits and new songs, both of which blend modern Indian rock with traditional folk instruments and Bollywood and Sufi influences. The result is a stylishly produced and accessible introduction to Kher and his band (with extensive accompanying notes in English), but whether it will make waves internationally remains to be seen.
‘Kar Kar Main Haara’ is a good example of the fusion Kher is aiming at with this collection. He sings Sufi-inspired lyrics on top of a catchy riff, before the music develops into a jam that alternates between guitar and sitar embellishments. Kher describes it as one of his favourite songs and with its smooth backing vocals and choppy harmonium solo, it’s easy to see why.
Elsewhere, some of the strongest tracks on Yatra are the ‘international versions’ of Kailasa songs, testament to the success of Kher’s collaboration with Naresh and Paresh Kamath (his colleagues in the band). Opening numbers, ‘Kaise Main Kahoon’ and ‘Dilruba’ both feature driving beats, unfussy melodies and inventive arrangements, while the combination of Bollywood-esque strings, sleazy synth sounds and fast patter vocals gives ‘Tauba Tauba’ a cool, hip-shaking vibe.
All in all, Yatra is an impressive fusion of old and new India, held together with Kher’s voice, which is never less than sumptuous. It is certainly a more substantive record than you would expect from a Bollywood soundtrack star, proof of Kher’s ability to successfully straddle genres. This is an album to join the Slumdog Millionaire generation of Indian culture: bright, confident and multi-dimensional.
Yatra is released on 25 January 2010 – expect a tour to follow.
CD review: Mayra Andrade – Stória Stória
An overnight star was born when Mayra Andrade’s debut album, Navega, was released in 2006. Gloriously sunny but full of energy, anchored with Cape Verdean rhythms but always looking afield for inspiration, it was one of those ‘of the moment’ records for world music. Inevitable comparisons were drawn with the original Cape Verdean diva, Cesaria Evora, but in truth, the voices and life experiences of these two women set them apart from the off. Andrade’s tastes are more international (like her upbringing, which took in Cuba, Germany, Senegal and Angola) and she weaves Brazilian, Cuban and other European and African influences into her songs. However, unlike a high percentage of Cape Verdean people, who live abroad, Andrade’s is not music in exile. She sings principally in the Creole language of Cape Verde and her music is rooted in the song forms of the Atlantic archipelago.
Given the success of Navega and considering her youth and beauty, there was always the danger that Andrade’s record label, scenting easy money, would point her towards a too-smooth or easy-listening second release. In a funny way, this has happened. Stória Stória is an even more approachable listen than Navega: the production is fuller and the melodies are perhaps more even-keeled. But fear not, the new album has the stamp of Andrade and her closest collaborators all over it. Any reservations come with the caveat that the new album reveals a more mature artist working at greater depth. In short, it’s a more sophisticated offering.
That remarkable, smoky voice is given space to breath by Brazilian producer Ale Siqueira while the frequent brass, wind and string accompaniments are perfectly pitched – not intruding on the swing of a song but adding texture and emotional weight. The string arrangements especially (by well-known – again Brazilian – cellist Jaques Morelenbaum) add languidly but lustrously to the atmosphere, as on the beautiful ballad ‘Morena, Menina Linda’ and also ‘Odjus Fitchádu’, the results of a recent Andrade collaboration with Israeli artist Idan Raichel.
Other stand-out tracks include ‘Stória Stória’, in which Andrade’s poetic tune develops into a slinky chorus sung by a children’s choir; the call-and-response cool of the percussion-led ‘Nha Damáxa’; the one French number, ‘Mon Carrousel’, which Andrade composed with Portuguese accordionist Celina Da Piedade; and the final song, ‘Lembránsa’, a Cuban-style morna with a delicate cameo from regular partner, Roberto Fonseca.
Stória Stória proves Andrade is a serious and thoughtful artist. If she continues to surround herself with such an eclectic crop of musicians, there is no doubt that as a singer, songwriter and lyricist, her star will continue to rise.
I could sing you so many tales
Of these sons of the Atlantic
Crushing rocks to extract their island joy
No other place on earth
Belongs to us like Cape Verde
Coming not-so-soon: The Berlin Phil heads to London
It took a rare piece of collaboration by the two big beasts of London’s arts venues – the Barbican and Southbank centres – to bring off a remarkable coup for the capital: a four-concert residency, in February 2011, by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle. Over four consecutive nights, the orchestra will perform a chamber and three symphonic concerts, covering repertoire from chamber music by Schubert and Schoenberg to Mahler’s mammoth third symphony.
To have the opportunity to potentially experience four concerts in a row by the world’s still pre-eminent orchestra represents a triumph for London audiences. Sir Simon is not known for his love of the symphony orchestras that distinguished call our city home; he only usually comes to London to guest conduct the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The Berlin Philharmonic is not a regular visitor either: Rattle has never conducted his orchestra in the Royal Festival Hall. So to witness Liverpool’s finest on the podium is certainly a draw, but to see him with the Berliners in full throttle with Haydn, Schubert and Mahler is enough to make any music lover salivate.
It would be wise to be quick on the draw for tickets though. Expect it to sell out sharpish. I’m lucky enough to have tickets for the first Barbican concert: a late Haydn symphony, a new horn concerto by Toshio Hosokawa and Schubert 9. I hope I’ll still be alive to see it.
Stocking filler – try some Cape Verdean sunshine
Cesária Évora may have put the Cape Verde Islands on the music map, but the next generation of artists from the Atlantic archipelago is now also bringing its extraordinary variety of music to the world, something singer Nancy Vieira does stylishly on her third album, Lus (Light).
Click here to listen to an extract from title track ‘Lus’.
Read the full review in the January/February 2010 (#65) edition of Songlines, out now.
YouTube Highlights – Radiohead’s Kid A in a new light
As the pre-eminent ‘thinking man’s rock band’ of the past 20 years, it is perhaps not a surprise that Radiohead’s music has inspired frequent re-interpretation by cognisecenti enamoured of the band’s sometimes experimental but always distinctive and powerful sounds. New to the fray is an arrangement of Radiohead’s iconic album, Kid A, for piano, electronics and string quartet by London-based composer and arranger, Stephen Polydorou.
Launched in 2000 to acclaim and dismay in equal meausure, Kid A was a watershed moment for Radiohead, as they downed guitars and instead crafted an eerie masterpiece dominated by a new electronic and beats-driven landscape. The album has very much stood the test of time and now has classic status. Polydorou’s ‘classical’ arrangement takes the album’s 10 tracks and spins them in new directions, with influences that range from minimalism and electronica to Chopin and folk music, paying homage to Thom Yorke’s talent for melody but creating a new structure and atmosphere for the music. Plans are afoot for appearances at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival, so keep an eye out for this exciting project.
Rupa & the April Fishes at Cargo, Shoreditch
If Rupa and her April Fishes love to whip up a carnivalesque frenzy on their records, in the flesh their approach is even more sweaty and joyful. Whistles, microphone banditry and thundering percussion form the energetic backdrop to the band’s delivery of their distinctive brand of multi-stylistic world-folk music during this storming set at East London’s trendiest venue.
Rupa herself, centre-stage and dressed in black boots, white knee-high socks and colourful skirt and top, cuts an impressive figure with her spread of frizzy, dark hair. But what is more striking about Rupa & Co. on stage is that you see six musicians in the round, who, despite the non-stop party atmosphere, combine to deliver their punchy songs – mostly from recent release Este Mundo (click here to read a review) – with well-oiled ensemble playing, each adding to the band’s sound with their own distinctive musicianship.
Take trumpeter Marcus Cohen, for example. Instead of blasting away riffs like sidekick brass players tend to in upbeat bands, Cohen is a genuine jazz player, forming tight runs off Rupa’s vocals and never allowing flabby phrasing to take the bite out of his improvisations. Similar things could be said about each of the April Fishes, not least accordionist Isabel Douglass, whose gritty playing gives Rupa’s songs their gypsy flair.
In between numbers, Rupa took the time to explain a little more about the band’s global agit-pop outlook and tell the crowd a about the their US/Mexican border trip, inspiration for much of the music on Este Mundo, with its borderland themes and internationalist concerns. Appropriate perhaps that they finished with ‘Soy Payaso’ with its eastern tabla-style opening developing into a foot-stomping burlesque dance of epic proportions. Stirring stuff.
Watch San Francisco’s finest in action:
