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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <?xml-stylesheet title="XSL_formatting" type="text/xsl" href="/blogs/shared/nolsol.xsl"?> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"> <channel> <title> Wales Music - Laura Sinnerton </title> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/</link> <description>A guide to music in Wales: blogging on festivals, gigs, events, festivals, news, radio sessions, bands, singers, choirs and more. Adam Walton's show on BBC Radio Wales has three hours of non-stop new music, exclusive session tracks and interesting chat, live from Wrexham. Adam's blog RSS feed Subscribe to Adam's posts via email Bethan Elfyn presents live sessions, essential interviews and a mix of classic rock and pop on BBC Radio Wales. Bethan's blog RSS feed Subscribe to Bethan's posts via email James McLaren has worked on the BBC Wales Music website since 2006, and has been writing about Welsh music for almost 15 years. James' blog RSS feed Subscribe to James' posts via email Laura Sinnerton is a viola player with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Laura's blog RSS feed Subscribe to Laura's posts via email</description> <language>en</language> <copyright>Copyright 2012</copyright> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:15:51 +0000</lastBuildDate> <generator>http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.33-en</generator> <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs> <item> <title>Let the Proms begin...</title> <description><![CDATA[The <a href="/proms/">BBC Proms</a> are the world's largest festival of classical music, and it is a great honour for us to be involved so heavily in the season each year. Our first 2012 Prom came hot on the heels of our tour to China, and a full day's recording for a new children's show to be aired in the Autumn. It was quite a hefty programme, the first half comprising of Elgar's In The South and Hugh Wood's jazz inspired, and incredibly complex, Concerto for Piano. The second half was a watery event, dedicated to music inspired by the sea - Ravel's Une Barque Sur L'Oc茅an, Prom founder, Henry Wood's orchestration of Debussy's La Cath茅drale Engloutie, and Debussy's La Mer. The programme was to be conducted by principal conductor, Thierry Fischer, who unfortunately had to withdraw last minute due to ill health - young British conductor Ryan Wigglesworth took the reins at short notice. In The South was the first work by Elgar that I ever really liked. My little Irish heart somehow always bristled a little at the overt imperialism of the Pomp and Circumstance marches, and until I went to college, sadly, these were the only Elgar works I knew. I had yet to discover the turbulent angst of the Introduction and Allegro, the humour of the Enigma Variations, the imagination of works such as Cockaigne, and the glorious viola solo of In The South (on this occasion, beautifully and imaginatively played by principal viola, Goran Fr枚st). When we first played through the Wood Concerto for Piano, I knew we were in for some hard work! This is definitely one of those works that I would term a 'stressful' play. It is rhythmically very complex, and the writing gives you ample scope for coming in with an embarrassingly loud spare (when you play where you shouldn't). The viola part requires very dexterous playing, jumping around from the low register to the high register frequently and at speed. In short, it's one of those works that makes violists wish they had an E string. Nonetheless, hats off to Mr Wigglesworth, whose businesslike approach and, in my opinion, clear beat, meant that, by the concert, everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing! It was also fabulous to work with Joanna MacGregor. Not only does she have amazing shoes, and impeccable hair, but surely, to get through that piano part, she must have four hands, or at least six fingers and two thumbs on each hand. For me, the highlight of the concert was Debussy's La Mer. It isn't a work I've particularly enjoyed before (I've always had a love/hate relationship with playing French music), but on this occasion, I felt I could get beyond the little fidgety details and enjoy the music itself. After the concert, it was back onto the coach for the drive back to Cardiff. One day off, and back into rehearsals for the next Prom. ]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/08/let-the-proms-begin.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/08/let-the-proms-begin.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:15:51 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>Chinese tour diary, part four</title> <description><![CDATA[Shenzhen would be our final base of the tour with one concert in Shenzhen itself, and one in Guangzhou, China's third largest city. Stepping out of the airport in Shenzhen, it felt as though both the heat and humidity had upped a notch. However, the sky seemed much clearer than it had done in Beijing or Shanghai. I found the overcast sky of Beijing quite oppressive, and it was nice to actually see blue above you. Despite having almost bathed in DEET, I had somehow picked up an irritatingly large number of insect bites somewhere between the Shanghai hotel and the coach from Shenzhen airport (Irish blood would appear to be a rare delicacy for mozzies and every other biting thing), and so it was that I spent the journey trying not to scratch my legs like a crazy person. On arrival at the hotel I was rather consoled by the outdoor pool. Outside the Shenzhen concert hall, a group of us girls were stopped by a young girl and her mother who were attending the concert. It transpired that she was studying bass at a local music school and she was very excited to meet Claire from our bass section. We even had our photos taken - it was a bit like being papped, but nicer. The journey from Shenzhen to Guangzhou was an arduous one. On the route to Tianjin, the countryside was notable for the seemingly unending urban expansion evident on the outskirts of cities, with miles of new build high rise flats stretching as far as the eye could see. Each night, we played two encore pieces. The first was one of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance marches, and the second a traditional Chinese song called My Motherland, arranged by Qigang Chen. The delighted reaction of the audiences each night to this piece was quite overwhelming - shouting and cheering, clapping and squealing. It had been a really wonderful tour. Although the immigration queue crossing over to Hong Kong, which was in excess of an hour, was a definite low, and threw into sharp relief the difference in attitude between the British and every other nationality when it comes to queuing, the humour and camaraderie of one's colleagues make the high points of touring much more memorable. Arriving in Heathrow at 5am, it was pleasant to walk outside (after an anxious few moments when it seemed my luggage had disappeared), and to feel a gentle coolness on the skin. There may be no pork dumplings for breakfast today, but at least I won't break into a profuse glow of perspiration with the slightest movement! However, all that heat and humidity has been good training - this week we begin preparations to face the microclimate of the Royal Albert Hall, in our first Prom on Thursday! The <a href="/now/">orchestra</a> will be performing at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday 26 July as part of the BBC Proms 2012; you can hear them live on BBC Radio 3 from 7pm. ]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-four.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-four.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:55:07 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>Chinese tour diary, part three</title> <description><![CDATA[Monday dawned another travel day, but there was time for a little last minute sightseeing. First violin Sam Wickramasinghe and I headed to the Temple of Heaven, and after the swarming crowds outside the Forbidden City and in Tian'anmen Square, this proved an oasis of tranquility. At lunchtime, we were coached to Beijing South Railway Station for our journey to Shanghai on the new bullet train. It has halved the journey time and got up to 304km an hour! It is inevitable that in a country as vast as China, you get tour days like this. Days where nothing really happens, just horrible amounts of time sitting in one place waiting to arrive somewhere. I find days like this more tiring than days involving full rehearsal and concert. I hate that grubby, sticky, stuck in an airless space that doesn't have enough legroom feeling, and so, after another hour in a coach, I was very glad to reach our next hotel. Especially as it was a very nice hotel indeed. My room had more rooms than my flat in Cardiff! As it would take 24 hours for the instruments to travel from Beijing to Shanghai, Tuesday was by necessity a free day. This mostly involved shopping, with Claire Dibble (bass) proving an expert haggler. I am rubbish at it. A great privilege of touring is the opportunity to explore places you might otherwise never have the opportunity to visit, and for me, one of the highlights of the day was a river boat cruise along the Bund at dusk. The Shanghai skyline is quite a sight, with traditional Chinese, and old European style buildings, nestling alongside the most modern structures imaginable (one of which was designed by second violin, Katie Littlemore's father!). The lights of the city are spectacular, making London's Piccadilly Circus seem a little dimly lit. <div class="imgCaptionCenter" style="text-align: center; display: block; "> <img alt="BBC National Orchestra of Wales performing in Shanghai" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/shanghai-concert_446.jpg" width="446" height="251" class="mt-image-center" style="margin: 0 auto 5px;" />BBC National Orchestra of Wales performing in Shanghai </div> I really enjoyed our Shanghai concerts. The auditorium was, if not noisy, certainly restless by Western concert hall standards. People walk around taking photos, people don't turn their mobiles off (apparently it is a tradition for a mobile to ring during the horn solo in Firebird), and there is no concept of waiting for the final chords to die away before applause begins. And yet, despite this, and I am sure many of my colleagues would agree, the sincerity and genuine excitement of the audience was both humbling and inspiring. Bolero is a work that is perhaps overly-familiar to Western ears. However, never before have I heard an audience clap along to it, sing along - genuinely get proper carried away with it. In a country where the people are marked by their reserve and demureness, it is quite something to watch a middle aged man throw his inhibitions to the wind, and dance in the balcony like no one is watching him! I really loved Shanghai as a city, and would love to come back again. However, it was soon time for the orchestra to roll on to the next city - Shenzen! ]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-three.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-three.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:54:06 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>Chinese tour diary, part two</title> <description><![CDATA[After a morning of haggling in the silk markets, finally finding a decent coffee, and negotiating the intricacies of the Beijing metro (remarkably like London Underground, though less creaky), our coaches departed for our next venue. Our second and third concerts were held in the Opera House of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing. I'm not sure if I have the vocabulary to express quite how remarkable a building this is. The architecture is stunning, and the vast backstage areas are frankly labyrinthine. Along with the endless corridors of black marble front of house, the structure gives the impression that one could bump into a Minotaur, or some other mythical beast around any of the corners! The exterior resembles some form of extra-terrestrial space hopper rising out of a lake of constantly moving water. Much of the theatre is subterranean, so in one of the (many) entrance halls, you look up to the sky lights, expecting to see the hazy Beijing firmament, but instead see the water of the lake flowing over the glass above your head. As Saturday's programme was identical to the previous night's, rehearsal was a brief affair, giving us a nice long dinner break. Many of the orchestra are very committed to trying as much local cuisine as possible, and trips to McDonald's and Starbucks are met with a great deal of teasing! I had brought a packed dinner with me (or rather, I'd ended up with so much food at lunch time that I had to request a doggy bag) and so took the opportunity to have a little relax with a leisurely cup of jasmine tea and a crossword! The auditorium of the opera house is cavernous, but again the audience turnout was remarkable, filling the tiers upon tiers of seats. It was quite exciting to know that we were live on Chinese television and radio, in addition to being streamed live on the internet! p>Sunday's concert was the first outing of our second programme. It opened with the impossible not to sway along to overture to Strauss' Die Fledermaus (a real earworm for me), followed by Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. The soloist was our own Rob Plane, and his playing was as beautiful as it always is. In this programme we also perform Wu Xing (The Five Elements) by Qigang Chen, one of China's foremost contemporary composers. Those who attended the 2012 Vale of Glamorgan Festival will already be familiar with his work. I really like his writing - it's exotic and suggestive music, subtly evocative of Eastern sounds whilst fully utilising the large Western symphonic orchestra. For me the highlight of this concert was Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition. I've always loved this work and Ravel's orchestration renders the character of each movement in technicolour. After that, it was back to the hotel to watch the Wimbledon final. There was a good bit of friendly banter between our Swiss principal conductor, Thierry and, well, everyone else regarding the match's outcome!]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-two.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-two.shtml</guid> <category>BBC National Orchestra of Wales</category> <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>Chinese tour diary, part one</title> <description><![CDATA[Packing for a two week tour is always a difficult thing, generally throwing up the obvious difficult choice between a hair brush and another pair of heels. On Wednesday 4 July, the <a href="/now/">BBC National Orchestra of Wales</a> made the journey from the cool, clear climate of Cardiff to the hot, humid and very unfamiliar bustle of Beijing. We arrived in the early afternoon and thankfully had the rest of the day to ourselves. <div class="imgCaptionCenter" style="text-align: center; display: block; "> <img alt="Some of National Orchestra of Wales at the Great Wall of China" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/now-great-wall.jpg" width="446" height="251" class="mt-image-center" style="margin: 0 auto 5px;" />Some of National Orchestra of Wales at the Great Wall of China </div> Determined not to waste any chances for sightseeing, a large intrepid band of us made our way to the Great Wall of China (many thanks to orchestra chairman, Ian Fisher, for organising us). Gradually throughout the day, our numbers dwindled and in the evening it was a small group who enjoyed a tea tasting at a local tea room. All highly enjoyable after having been coupled up on a long haul flight for too long! The following day's programme included Prokofiev's Classical Symphony and so a fairly early night was in order. I love this work, but any string player will tell you, it's not really the sort of piece you want to play while battling crushing jet lag. After a refreshing night's sleep (and a trip to the hotel spa, and a monstrous breakfast of fruit and pork dumplings - piggy viola), I was feeling at the very least human and quite ready to head off to our first venue. One notable aspect of our tour so far has been the sheer scale and grandeur of the concert halls. We played first at the Tianjin Grand Theatre, a venue that had not yet been finished when Byron (orchestral manager) went on his recce! The theatre is part of a complex that includes a concert hall, an opera house, a museum, an art gallery and a library. You really wouldn't want to take a wrong turn back stage - I got the sense that you would never find your way back in time for the down beat. Our first programme was a veritable feast of orchestral highlights - Bernstein's Candide, Faur茅's Pavane and Debussy's L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune (with such beautiful solos from guest principal flute, Michael Cox), and the Infernal Dance, Berceuse and Finale from Stravinsky's Firebird. Principal horn Tim Thorpe's Mozart Horn Concerto proved very popular with the audience, and Ravel's Bolero caused a great deal of excitement. Audiences here behave quite differently from European audiences. At home, there is a great deal of hushed silence in the concert hall. In China that is not the case. Although not unruly by any means, there is a gentle buzz of noise throughout the performance. It's not that people aren't paying attention, their enthusiastic response suggests they certainly do, it's just that they are not bound by the conventions of etiquette that we in Europe so often are. It was very gratifying to play to such a full house, and it was satisfying to enjoy such a warm audience response.]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-one.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/07/chinese-tour-diary-part-one.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:52:54 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>It is finally nearly here! </title> <description><![CDATA[Next week the <a href="/now/">BBC National Orchestra of Wales</a> heads off to China! Typically, I am overexcited (and have been since it first appeared on our schedule). I love traveling, and Asia is a continent that I have long been keen to explore. That I get to play lovely music while I'm there is a bonus. But what does it take to get a whole orchestra from Cardiff to Beijing? The answer is, a lot of paper work that must all be filled out perfectly. Our office staff are easy to spot in town - they are the ones running in terror from the piles of paper in stationery departments. They've had visa forms, freight forms, travel forms, itineraries that are constantly subject to change to supervise, and vaccination information to procure. In short, mountains of paperwork that has threatened to spill out of the office, all while our own season ticked along. Our tour to China is part of a very prestigious international festival called UK Now. This will be the biggest ever festival celebrating British arts in China. Not only does the festival mark the 40th anniversary of the resumption of China-UK Ambassadorial relations, but it also celebrates the relationship between the 2008 Olympic Games holders and the UK as this year's Olympic host (come on, you knew the Olympics would make their way in there somehow). It also builds on the success of the British involvement at the Shanghai Expo of 2010. The British orchestral tradition enjoys a fantastic reputation, not just across Europe, but worldwide, and so it is fitting that many British ensembles will take part in this festival. Our colleagues in the Scottish Ensemble, Academy of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields, the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra have already completed their turns at the Festival, and on 4 July it will be our turn to head East! It is an honour and a privilege for us, not just as representatives of the United Kingdom, but also of Wales, to be involved in this huge festival. As a mainly studio based band, while we frequently tour domestically, we do not embark upon so many international tours. There are many stresses involved in touring - leaving family behind, coping with a different climate and different food - but touring is also a very good experience for an orchestra. Traveling is always a broadening experience, and not only does it allow us to perform on an international stage, but it also gives the orchestra an opportunity to bond a bit away from the normal stresses of studio life. The viola section still laugh about the great Spanish-English translation error during the viola section dinner on our Spanish tour several years ago (too rude to recount here)! Over the next two weeks, I will be writing on the highs and lows of touring life. I am armed with guide books, insect repellant (I'm allergic to mosquito bites) and a freshly rehaired bow. Just need to relocate my passport...]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/national-orchestra-of-wales-china-tour.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/national-orchestra-of-wales-china-tour.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:56:54 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>And now, the end is near... </title> <description><![CDATA[Saturday evening saw our final concert in Swansea with principal conductor, Thierry Fischer. The Brangwyn Hall was well filled to hear a virtual variety performance of a programme that included Argentinian pianist, Ingrid Fliter. Now, I don't normally like a big heavy meal before a concert (it makes it difficult to zip the concert dress up), but to be honest it felt like there was enough music in this programme to make several concerts. I therefore felt the need to have a massive pre-concert feast in order to avoid running out of steam before the end (cheeseburger with ketchup, disgracefully large portion of chips with mayonnaise). After Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito Overture (short and sweet), Ingrid Fliter took to the stage for Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1. Not only did Ms Fliter have fabulous hair, but her playing was exceptionally stylish and elegant. She is a beautiful communicator, to both listener and orchestra, and it was a real pleasure to accompany her. I like soloists who communicate with the orchestra - I feel it makes a real difference to the quality of the music making. One of my favourite works in the programme was Massenet's Sc猫nes de f茅erie. It's a really fun play, with plenty of 'meat' in the viola part. I also think its a good work to listen out for if you thought the only work Massenet composed was that infernal Meditation from Th盲is! Our programme ended with Ravel's La Valse, a work that is, as my friend Julia would put it, a bit 'noodly'. As the music progresses, not only does the tempo pick up, but harmonically, you fly through so many different keys that it makes you feel cross eyed. I really like this work as a piece, but you do need to keep your wits about you. I had an utter meltdown during one rehearsal that involved me playing non-existent A flats. Ravel would not have approved. Come the concert, everything was went well (due to a little extra PPR session - Personal Practice and Reflection). This was only my second performance of this work, and I enjoyed it immeasurably more than the first time I played it (that involved not blinking for the duration of the last six pages). Egged on by Alex's suggestion that the viola section should 'go large' at the end, and by my desk partner Jim's seemingly unlimited ability to draw more and more sound out of his viola, 'go large' desk four did. By the end, one was very sweaty and had shredded a fair amount of bow hair And so, now we have enjoyed a few days off. I have restrung my viola, sent my bow off to be rehaired, got my currency for our China tour, lost my passport 300 times, and am currently pondering the contents of my suitcase. Today we record more Doctor Who with the lovely Ben Foster and Murray Gold, then we are straight into rehearsals for China - very exciting times!]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/and-now-the-end-is-near.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/and-now-the-end-is-near.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:51:43 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>Stravinsky Symphony No 1 in E Flat</title> <description><![CDATA[Wednesday afternoon's concert from Hoddinnott Hall (live on Radio 3, and Thierry's last from our own studio) will feature Stravinsky's Symphony No 1 in E Flat Major, a work that I was unfamiliar with until now, and if I had heard it on the radio, I would definitely not have guessed it was a work by Stravinsky. When I think of Stravinsky, my mind generally moves straight to the big ballet scores. The scores he produced for Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, for me, rank among some of the finest scores in the repertoire in terms of their energy, orchestral colouring and dramatic drive. What better evocation of the fairground is found in classical music than the opening of Petrushka? What more violent, genuinely terrifying music is there in ballet than the Sacrificial Dance from the Rite of Spring? It is understandable, perhaps, that this symphony, as a purely symphonic work, should have a less pictorial vibe. Nonetheless, the Symphony in Three Movements is still recognisable as a work of Stravinsky, although it too has no explicit programme. With its jazzy syncopations (I find it impossible to sit still in it - although the viola section would say I find it impossible to sit still at any time), angular melodic lines, and quite dissonant harmonies - it is essentially Big Igor in symphonic mode. To that end, if it is the Stravinsky of Petrushka, Les Noces, or the Rite that you seek in the Symphony No 1, you may be very surprised. If someone had taken Stravinsky's name off the front cover, and told me it was a work by Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov, or even Tchaikovsky, I would have believed them. This is a youthful work written between 1905 and 1907, and the first of Stravinsky's official output. In its traditional structure and traditional harmonies, one hears more the influence of his mentor Rimsky-Korsakov and his Russian master predecessors, than the emerging voice of the composer widely regarded as the most influential of the 20th century. Although arguably the material played by the pianissimo and still diminuendoing tremolando basses at the end of the third movement can also be found in Firebird (I seriously think it is, it is almost exactly the same as the bit before the amazing horn solo near the end of the ballet's score), to me there is little else to link this work with his better known scores. That is not to say that this symphony is not a viable work - it is charming, pleasant, uplifting and buoyant. However, it is simply incredible to think that the Symphony No 1 predates Petrushka and Firebird by only three and four years, and the Rite of Spring by less than a decade. Perhaps if Rimsky-Korsakov's death in 1908 had not ended Stravinksy's formal composition studies, and thus encouraged the young composer to adopt influences from further afield, it would have taken longer for these behemoths to be conceived. Indeed, perhaps they would never have been conceived at all. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs an afternoon concert of Honegger and Stravinsky tomorrow (Wednesday 20 June) at 2pm, at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay. Tickets are available by calling 0800 052 1812. The concert will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/stravinsky-symphony-no-1-in-e-flat.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/stravinsky-symphony-no-1-in-e-flat.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:56:12 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>The British Horn Society visits Cardiff... sort of</title> <description><![CDATA[This week will see Cardiff play host to a meeting of the British Horn Society. Well, actually, no it won't, but it will feel like it, because this week we perform Strauss' once heard/seen, never forgotten Alpine Symphony which features 100 French horns. Once again, gross exaggeration, but there certainly are an awful lot of them. The scoring of this gargantuan symphonic work is quite staggering. The brass is greatly augmented - eight horns onstage, plus four Wagner Tubas, four trumpets, four trombones and two tubas (note to self: remember to put earplugs in viola case). Offstage there are a further twelve horns, two trumpets and two trombones. The wind are augmented too, with four flutes and four bassoons. There are also some fun visitors to the percussion section - a wind machine, a thunder machine, and an extra set of timps. There are also cow bells - couldn't have a work about the Alps without some atmospheric bells tolling. Just to add to the general cacophony, Strauss also requires an organ. Composed in 1915, the Alpine Symphony was the last of Strauss' tone poems. These are works over which I have cried (in despair, at times, in a practice room), been exhilarated and inspired by (the last section of Ein Heldenleben blows me away every time). There is something so genuinely genius in the manner in which Strauss uses his orchestra - undoubtedly, he had a gift for conveying the content of his programmes explicitly through his orchestration. Alpine Symphony quite simply, tells the story of an Alpine climb. This being Strauss, it is immediately obvious that this is no wander among the foothills on a nondescript, average day. Epic in score, and epic in sound, one can easily imagine the protagonist at the foot of the mountain, beginning the ascent, battling to the summit against the terrain, the weather and all manner of danger, obviously helped along the way by a few horn players who got lost en route to a rehearsal. Also on the concert programme will be Mozart's Piano Concerto No 22 with pianist Angela Hewitt. Naming no names, when I spotted this in our season brochure, one of our cellists told me that he was related to Angela Hewitt, and I believed him for a full rehearsal until I asked his wife if he was winding me up or not. He was winding me up. I am far too trusting! This will be Principal Conductor Thierry Fischer's final St David's Hall Concert before he leaves us for pastures new. You will be able to catch Thierry's final Hoddinott Hall concert on Wednesday 20 June, and his final Brangwyn Hall, Swansea concert on Saturday 23 June. Post-China tour, Thierry's final, final concert with us will be at the BBC Proms on 11th August. Fittingly, we will perform the Berlioz Grande Messe des Morts. Berlioz is a great favourite of Thierry's, and I very much enjoyed L'Enfance du Christ which we performed at Christmas, so this should definitely be a wonderful Prom. To book tickets for Strauss' Alpine Symphony at St David's Hall, on Friday 15 June, call 0800 052 1812.]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/british-horn-society-visits-cardiff.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/british-horn-society-visits-cardiff.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:53:48 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>An educational week of annual leave</title> <description><![CDATA[The <a href="/now/">BBC National Orchestra of Wales</a> has just enjoyed an ever so lovely week of annual leave. It was well placed, a quick pause to catch one's breath before the final countdown to our season finale, our tour to China (I've already started making lists regarding the contents of my case, and us girls are having serious conversations regarding our 'capsule wardrobes') and, of course, the 2012 BBC Proms. Over our break, in addition to manically learning the dots for Alpine Symphony (Strauss - you bad, bad man. PS I love you), I took a trip to Manchester to have some lessons with my teacher from my RNCM days, Dr Louise Lansdown. I was asked recently if I still went for lessons, and if I did, why did I. It's quite simple. I am of the opinion that in many ways, being a musician is a bit like being an eternal student. Thankfully, not in the eating beans on toast forever, and wearing jumpers so darned you can't remember what the original colour was way, but in that you can always learn something new, improve some aspect of your playing or knowledge, or take instruction and advice from someone. In some ways, I find I get more out of lessons and playing to other people now than I used to. Now, although I don't have the luxury of hours and hours specifically set aside for just me in a practice room, I can apply the things I learn much more readily, as I can see how or if something will benefit me when I'm actually 'doing the job'. In my lessons last week, it was refreshing to have a bit of a technique servicing. Sitting within the section, as I've said before, you often can't really hear yourself properly, so I wanted to do some work on tone production, and was also keen to get some fresh input on a particular work I've been learning in my own time. Two sets of ears are better than one, and bouncing ideas regarding interpretation off someone else can be so productive. Students, the bad news is there is no quick fix for your playing. On no morning in the future will you waken up and magically be bestowed with the gift of perfect rhythm and intonation, with the innate ability to construct perfect nuances befitting each and every musical style, and the revelation of what composer x truly intended in bar y of piece z. The good news, however, is that you have signed up for a life of continual learning, that will be as exciting and entertaining as you make it. It's like everything I guess - youthful enthusiasm will take you a very, very long way, but its life experiences (in the studio/in the pit/on stage), a bit of maturity and continued hard graft, that help to hone the skills we learn as students and beyond. I don't think we should ever be ashamed to learn new things, nor to admit that we have more things to learn. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales' season of concerts at St David's Hall, Cardiff, concludes with Strauss's Alpine Symphony on Friday 15 June, 7.30pm. For tickets and more information, call 0800 052 1812.]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/national-orchestra-of-wales-annual-leave.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/national-orchestra-of-wales-annual-leave.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:26:59 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>What do you mean name me a viola soloist? I'll name you several!</title> <description><![CDATA[In a recent radio interview, I was asked why there are so many mean jokes about violists. In all fairness, the viola often gets pretty bad press. Back in the day (or so I was told in A-level music class), owning a viola meant you stood a good chance of getting a plum position in a tasty band with a prominent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapellmeister">kapellmeister</a>. Violists were portrayed as halfwitted ignoramuses who should only ever be entrusted with notes of a crotchet length or longer (Mozart totally knew this to be a fallacy). In my opinion, times have changed dramatically. Okay, we don't have the plethora of concerti that violinists have, but the concerti we do have are beautiful and often quite dark. We don't have a huge deal of original early repertoire, but the viola became a fast favourite of composers throughout the 20th century, and its popularity continues to grow today. Furthermore, the standard of viola playing has risen dramatically and, in my opinion, this has largely been down to the inexhaustible pursuit of excellence by a number of pioneers. As a young musician there were a number of violists who really inspired me and continue to inspire me today: <ol><li>Nobuko Imai: The original grande doyenne of the alto clef. This Japanese lady may only stand about five foot, but she has been a pioneer her whole career - as a female musician and as a promoter of the viola as a legitimate solo instrument.</li> <li>Tabea Zimmerman: Many men wish they could make this much sound! When faced with a musical dilemma, I frequently like to ask myself 'What would Tabea do?' Her sound, and the agility of her playing, technically and musically, is jaw-dropping stuff.</li> <li>Laurence Power. This does not even need explaining. If you don't know why he's amazing you should a) be ashamed of yourself and b) rectify the situation immediately.</li></ol> A few weeks ago, in a midweek afternoon concert from Hoddinott Hall, I got to add another name to my 'Violists I Love' list (this list actually does exist - it is a running joke in my family that I like lists, and I blame my mother for this). Nils M枚nkemeyer is a young German violist and I really, really hope we get to work with him again. Nils joined us (along with BBC New Generation Artist, violinist Veronika Eberle) to perform Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante and it was quite simply refreshing, exuberant, fun music making. It wasn't just that technically he was impeccable, it was that his playing was so musical and so natural that you didn't even give a thought to the technical aspects. If my mother and father are reading this, I would love some of his recordings (this is a subtle hint for birthday and/or Christmas presents). Every instrument needs its champions. It is in this way that we can continue to push boundaries, technically and musically, and that we can continue to be inspired.]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/what-do-you-mean-name-me-a-viola-soloist.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/what-do-you-mean-name-me-a-viola-soloist.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:23:25 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>We are heading west!</title> <description><![CDATA[This week we have been preparing to take part in the 2012 St David's Cathedral Festival with conductor Si芒n Edwards and mezzo-soprano Anna St茅phany. Our concert will be on Friday evening and we have our fingers crossed for good weather because who doesn't love a picnic on the green outside the cathedral? I am not a great coach traveller and the journey to the cathedral is definitely a long one. I'm sure I've mentioned in earlier blog posts that I have been troubled by motion sickness since I was little, so I always regard long coach journeys with a certain degree of apprehension. I really hate that feeling of getting off a coach to start a rehearsal, with legs like jelly and everything feeling like it is moving! I have prepared nibbles, a big bottle of water, and a pimped out music selection to distract myself for the journey. This year we present a programme of mostly familiar, well loved works at the festival. Ralph Vaughan Williams' Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, with its double string orchestra, is a real gem in the crown of the string orchestral canon. With its evocative harmonies and intertwining solo melodies, this work is as much a pleasure to play as it is to listen to. We will also perform this in the <a href="/proms/">BBC Proms</a> in a few months under the baton of conductor laureate Taadaki Otaka. The work always reminds me of long hot summer days; the second orchestra is like the hazy mirages you can sometimes see on the horizon, mimicking but not always true to real life. Elgar's Enigma Variations are a perennial favourite. Pretty much everyone would at the very least recognise the Nimrod Variation, associated as it has become with the solemnity of British state events. My favourite is either Variation 11 (the one where a friend's dog infamously falls into the River Wye) or Variation 7 dedicated to the architect Arthur Troyte Griffith. I can't decide what I think of the Ravel Menuet Antique that will open the concert. I am fond of Ravel's music, but this sounds rather unravelian to me! However, it will be a real treat to hear Anna St茅phany perform Berlioz's sumptious Les Nuits d'脡t茅. Anna represented England in the 2009 <a href="/cardiffsinger/">Cardiff Singer of the World</a> and since then has gone on to many, many great things. This year alone has seen engagements with the Bolshoi, appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, and, also with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. In addition to this she will join the Zurich Opera in the 2012/13 (her first role will be as Cherubino in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro). She is undoubtedly a star in ascent, and the cathedral will be a beautiful setting for this song cycle. I think this is a lovely programme to bring to St David's Cathedral. Whatever the weather, it will be a great evening. The orchestra will be performing at St David's Cathedral tonight (Friday 1 June) from 7pm. Limited tickets are available on the door. ]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/we-are-heading-west.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/06/we-are-heading-west.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:10:04 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>Shostakovich Violin Concerto 1 with Daniel Hope </title> <description><![CDATA[Last week was a difficult one for me. On Monday I fell off my bicycle, cut my knees, grazed my left hand, my left elbow, both of my feet (no idea how that happened) and worst of all, put a little hole in the knee of my favourite black jeans. On Wednesday, as a result of an overly enthusiastic up bow crescendo that got a little out of control, I managed to move my A string several millimetres to the left along the bridge and took a chunk out of the string binding. Then on Sunday, while on the Cardiff Bay barrage revising for my upcoming OU History exam (argh!), I got woefully sunburnt, proving once again that Irish skin should never be exposed to temperatures in excess of 10 degrees. However, in the middle of all this woe there was Daniel Hope playing Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto. I was rota'd off, so had the opportunity to listen. It dramatically improved my week. Many people find this concerto disconcertingly bleak. To be fair, the first movement is not exactly sunbeams and fairies, but as it was composed during the period of Zhdanov's persecution of many Russian artistic figures, I don't think these sentiments were high up Shostakovich's emotional spectrum at the time of its composition. The second movement can be described in no way other than demonic, and frankly, I think I would need a little lie down after playing it - it demands such stamina from soloist and orchestra! The Passacaglia is heart rending and the extended solo cadenza bridging the third and fourth movements (surely large enough in scope to almost be considered a separate movement in its own right) doesn't so much give way to the finale as it crashes headlong into it. The full throttle finale feels as much like a race to the death as it does a race to the end. Having recorded this work in 2006 with our colleagues at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Hope is obviously exceedingly familiar with both of Shostakovich's violin concertos. However, at no point did this feel like a mundane repetition of a work trawled out for the umpteenth time. Daniel has amazing technical facility, but that's not what made his playing of this concerto so satisfying for me. He took risks. Instead of a concerto performance that simply begged to be admired for its technical prowess, what we got was an interpretation that genuinely took the audience on a journey. I know that's a clich茅, but sometimes clich茅s become clich茅s because they're true. Mr Hope's playing reminded me that I want to take risks with my own playing. It's not enough to play the notes on a page, these are only the composer's blue print. Rather, we have to strive and strive to find the soul behind the music, no matter whether the work be a Bach suite, a brand spanking new contemporary work, a mammoth of the symphonic canon, or a heart wrenching concerto such as Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto.]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/05/shostakovich-violin-concerto-1-daniel-hope.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/05/shostakovich-violin-concerto-1-daniel-hope.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Thu, 31 May 2012 14:25:55 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>My brain is all full up!</title> <description><![CDATA[This week the<a href="/now/">BBC National Orchestra of Wales</a> has been tackling Debussy's Images with associate guest conductor, Fran莽ois-Xavier Roth. Now, I have always had a bit of a problem with Debussy. I know his music is very lovely, and very exotic sounding, and all the other words that we are taught should be used when discussing Monsieur Debussy's works, but I have always found it a little hard to get into. I like the big gestures of Mahler, the rawness of Shostakovich, the unabashed heart on sleeve writing of Tchaikovsky, and for me, Debussy's music has always seemed a little too intangible, a little too diaphanous. I often find myself a little overwhelmed by what can sound like a wall of sound, an orchestral wash of colours. Approaching Images this week has been something of a revelation for me. Fran莽ois has an amazing way of breaking the music down so that you can hear all the layers of the music (and being Debussy, the layers are many), building it up bit by bit to create the whole picture. This is so helpful, as it means you understand exactly where your line fits in and your ear learns what it can latch on to. The end result is that, rather than being a wishy-washy, airy-fairy, sensuous melee of Frenchness, the music can blossom forth with all the subtlety and nuances needed to make this style of music successful. Debussy's scores are always so explicitly marked. In one bar of four notes, you can often have four different articulation marks over each individual note. It can often feel like information overload, and there can be the temptation to gloss over some of the details. The problem with that is, while you will still get the general gist of what it sounds like, you miss the crucial details that give the music its character, and you can also adulterate what the music is really supposed to be saying. Glossing over is strictly prohibited in Fran莽ois' rehearsals. Any attempts to do so are normally met with "Ah, my very dears, do you not see in your score that this is different from the note that came before? Why you no play this?" I guess the thing with Debussy's music is that it is a subtler style of writing than the music of the German romantics whose music I love so much, or the Russians whose music thrills my mind. With Debussy, the devil really is in the detail, and I think this is the first time I've really full grasped that. I have found myself really challenged to capture every nuance in the score, and, as a result, am enjoying Images in a way that I have never enjoyed playing Debussy before. I can honestly say I get it now. My goodness, it is hard work though. My brain feels full up. I feel slightly cross eyed, slightly overwrought, I definitely have a slightly furrowed brow and I could do with a coffee! The orchestra performs Debussy's Images at Cardiff's St David's Hall on Friday, and Swansea's Brangwyn Hall on Saturday. For tickets and more information, call 0800 052 1812.]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/05/national-orchestra-of-wales-debussy-images.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/05/national-orchestra-of-wales-debussy-images.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Thu, 24 May 2012 10:40:41 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <title>It's like work experience, but much more fun</title> <description><![CDATA[This week the <a href="/now/">BBC National Orchestra of Wales</a> was joined by a number of students from the <a href="http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/">Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama</a>. Similarly to many other colleges and orchestras, the college and orchestra co-operate on a student placement scheme. The students win their places by competitive audition, in much the same manner that each of us have won our jobs. The successful students take part in rehearsals throughout the year, sitting beside members of the orchestra. The opportunity to work with the orchestra gives students an intimate insight into working life. Firstly, it demonstrates how prepared your music must be before the first rehearsal. In my first year of Ulster Youth Orchestra, I thought it was good enough to give the music a cursory glance before rehearsals began. Surely rehearsals were the time when you learnt all the notes? Wrong! Lessons were quickly learnt on that course. As all of the violas appeared to have the seem attitude as me, the conductor made us play, desk by desk, a particularly nasty viola passage in front of the whole orchestra. In a subsequent course the late Mike Cookson asked if I knew which instrument the violas played a particular passage alongside. I did not, and he kindly pointed out to me that, although I could play the notes, I did not know the music. He was right. While it is seldom that a conductor will pick out individual string players to play passages in front of all their colleagues, the point is that you probably should be able to if you were asked to, and you should know where in the grand scheme of the music your line fits in. In order to lift the music to a high standard, you simply have to know the music thoroughly before you arrive for rehearsal. In addition to this, the scheme gives students the opportunity to hone their awareness skills. In the orchestra a lot is done within sections without much being said. You are supposed to keep an eye on the music, an eye on your principal, an eye on the leader of the orchestra and an eye on the conductor. Now, I'm rubbish at maths, but that's too many eyes, but all the same, you have to get quick at doing it. As the summer term wears on, with the summer break itself approaching (someone might like to remind the weather of that fact), the colleges will all be gearing up for final recitals. Students will be frantically practising their recital programmes, with the final year and postgraduate students hoping to demonstrate to the examining panels the culmination of what they have learnt during their studies. This is a stressful time for students; it can feel like the rest of your life is dependent upon you not messing up that shift, not splitting that note. I would like to wish all the students who have worked with us all the very best for their recitals and for the future. The orchestra presents a programme of Debussy and Shostakovich at Cardiff's St David's Hall on Friday 25 May, and Swansea's Brangwyn Hall on Saturday 26 May. For more information and tickets, call 0800 052 1812. ]]></description> <dc:creator>Laura Sinnerton Laura Sinnerton </dc:creator> <link>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/05/its-like-work-experience-but-much-more-fun.shtml</link> <guid>http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2012/05/its-like-work-experience-but-much-more-fun.shtml</guid> <category>Music</category> <pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 11:46:21 +0000</pubDate> </item> </channel> </rss>