Archive for April 21st, 2011

Pact with the Devil

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

by Keith Clarke

“It might be a disaster,” Terry Gilliam tells the Daily Telegraph cheerfully, contemplating his version of Berlioz’ The Damnation of Faust, currently in rehearsal at the London Coliseum. It might well, given English National Opera’s track record in handing out operas willy nilly to people who have never seen the inside of an opera house in their lives.

It’s a bit of a slap in the face to the serried ranks of opera professionals who would give their eye teeth for a chance to tackle a mainstage production. But then we might not have heard of them, whereas Gilliam is the wacky brain behind the cartoons in Monty Python’s Flying Circus and director of Brazil, a film that put the wind up studio executives to such an extent that Gilliam took a page in Variety asking them when they were going to release it.

Gilliam is the next in a line of directors to benefit, if that’s the word, from ENO’s mania for having productions directed by just about anyone other than opera directors. Given some of the self-indulgent tosh that the pros come up with, that might not seem such a bad idea, but it is not a policy that has covered itself in glory thus far. The most recent ingénue was film maker Mike Figgis, who got so bound up in making miniature movies to go with his Lucrezia Borgia that he forgot to direct the opera at all.

Maybe Gilliam will surprise us all, making something of a strange work that was never supposed to be staged anyway. Hope springs eternal, and all that.

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An unlikely alliance of the Almighty, the royal family and the workers is giving the UK eight out of 11 days off work starting tomorrow, if you include weekends. The beano starts with a late Easter and finishes with a May Day holiday. In between comes a royal wedding, which is currently getting the press into a predictable lather of excitement.

The musical aspects of the event have not been immune from forensic examination, of course, with much speculation over what’s on the order of service, who’s going to take part, and second-rate songwriters offering their services.

We’ve seen the boys of the Choir of the Chapel Royal rehearsing; we’ve had a tv interview with conductor Christopher Warren-Green, veteran of many royal occasions; we’ve learnt how Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs has written a fanfare for the trumpeters of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force to herald the moment Prince William and Kate Middleton sign the register. The excitement is intense, as they say. At least it’s another day off.



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Social Butterfly or Caterpillar?

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

by Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

Dear Edna:

How important is the social aspect of one’s career—hanging out at receptions, meeting and greeting other artists at concerts (not my own), cultivating potential donors and charming presenters—in contrast to the time one needs to spend alone with the music? I am not the most social person and I find this public aspect enervating and distracting, but think it may be necessary if I am to be on the “inside track.” Please advise! —Not quite a social butterfly

Dear Not quite a social butterfly:

Although there is no denying that building a successful performing career depends on countless hours of musical preparation, it has become virtually impossible to sustain a successful career without recognizing the importance of good will and interpersonal relationships. A manager may get you your first engagement with a given orchestra or concert series. Your chance for a reengagement may well depend not only on how well prepared you were and how well you performed and engaged with the audience but also, what sort of impression you left on the presenter, their staff and even their donors. (See last week’s blog, “The Art of Reengagement.”) A post-concert reception will generally take up no more than an hour of your time (an informal dinner, a bit more). Donors absolutely love to meet the artist personally, to have an opportunity to ask questions, and to get an idea of an artist’s life offstage. It gives them a privileged feeling and makes their contribution all the more meaningful. It also allows them to brag to their friends that they met artist X—something that is seemingly minor, but incalculable in value to them. You don’t need to reveal anything that would make you feel uncomfortable.  A little speech by you thanking the donors, as well as the presenter for inviting you to perform on their prestigious series is certain to melt everyone’s hearts and leave a wonderful memory of your visit in their minds. This becomes all the more important if your concert was a debut with that orchestra or series and if you don’t have a manager.

Regarding meeting and greeting artists at other peoples’ concerts, this is a wonderful way to open new doors or learn about opportunities that could be extremely meaningful to you. Examples might be meeting a composer whose music you might want to commission, or if you are a composer, securing a possible new commission; learning of a new festival, concert series or performance ensemble that is in the process of formation; meeting a conductor or contractor who might be helpful to you; meeting a presenter who might take an interest in you – the possibilities are varied and seemingly endless. And if you’re really lucky, you may get invited to join the artists for a meal after the concert.  Artists love to let their hair down after a concert and enjoy good food, good wine, great jokes and inside-the-industry stories. That kind of bonding gives potential new colleagues a chance to get to know you and become acquainted with what you are doing, leading to future possibilities for collaboration. In such a case, if it is your nature to be shy, put on your best Academy Award-winning performance and join wholeheartedly in the fun. You can always get up an hour earlier tomorrow to be “alone with the music.”

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

© Edna Landau 2011

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