I think out of all the vocal ranges, the bass-baritone voice is my favourite. I love the depth it has and how that depth can be used to express so many different emotions. This is certainly true in Bryn Terfel’s case who conveys such a variety of emotions in the various songs he has performed over the years.
Bryn Terfel Jones was born in Pant Glas, North Wales, the son of a farmer. He developed an interest in and talent for music from a very young age and was taught to sing by a family friend, starting with traditional Welsh songs. After winning numerous competitions for his singing, Terfel moved to London in 1984 and entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studied under Rudolf Piernay.
In 1992, he made his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début as Masetto in Don Giovanni, with Thomas Allen in the title role. He has since gone on to perform in over 30 operas at venues all over the world including Carnegie Hall, The Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, The Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and La Scala.
Terfel has not shied away from popular music either and has recorded CDs of songs by Lerner and Loewe and Rodgers and Hammerstein. In 2001 he commissioned and performed Atgof o'r Ser ('The Memory of Stars') in the National Eisteddfod with the composer Robat Arwyn. In 2010 he released a double CD Carols & Christmas Songs which featured one disc of carols sung entirely in Welsh.
What I particularly enjoy about Bryn’s singing is his diction. Every word he sings is sung and finished so articulately that it adds to the richness of the piece. I’m not sure if he learnt this as part of his operatic training or just as part of learning different languages but the results are truly incredible in every song.
I have only seen Bryn perform live once which was at the Classical Brit Awards 2010 at The Royal Albert Hall in London. He sang Tre Sbiri from Puccini’s Tosca (a song which also features on his album bad Boys of Opera) and the sound was truly remarkable. It seems that bass-baritones are often cast as the villains in operas and their characters usually meet an untimely death near the end but in the meantime they also get to perform some of the best songs.
One of my favourite songs from his Christmas album was the duet he sang with tenor Rolando Villazon El Nacimiento (The Birth). Their two voices compliment each so perfectly and create such a gentle and calming sound they really bring out the meaning and emotion in the lyrics.
My other favourite duet of Bryn’s is when he performs the Pearl Fishers Duet. I have seen him perform this on TV with Andrea Bocelli which was incredibly beautiful and more recently at The South Bank Show Awards with one of my favourite tenors, Alfie Boe. On this occasion they were accompanied by only a piano which whilst lacking the grandeur and richness it has when accompanied by a full orchestra, you got to hear and appreciate the voices in their raw form and appreciate how well their two voices blended together.
The name of Maksim Mrvica may not be one you are familiar with, but the fact is, this guy is an incredible classical crossover pianist who has been thrilling audiences for years with his unique style and flair.
Born in Sibenik, a small, medieval town on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, Maksim first wanted to play the piano from the age of 8yrs old when he caught sight of the instrument at his friend Alexander's house. His parents knew nothing of classical music but were supportive of their son and helped him enrol in Sibenik's state music school.
He was 15 when war broke out in Croatia and life became almost unbearable for the Mrvica family. Bombs fell almost constantly on Sibenik: Maksim remembers “There were more than 1000 grenades a day. At one point there were seven whole days when we stayed in the basement and didn’t see the sun. “But you got used to it: you had to go on living.”
For Maksim, living meant playing the piano. He would meet his teacher Marija Sekso in the basement of Sibenik’s music school and forget the war, losing himself in the music for hours at a time.As well as grenades, there was the constant threat of being attacked by Serbian snipers – any time spent outside was a danger.
For three years the whole family slept each night on the concrete floor of the shelter in their basement. They occasionally were able to escape to a house on one of the islands off Sibenik’s coast, but although he was away from the bombs, being away from his piano was tortuous for Maksim and, despite the dangers; he always welcomed the family’s return to the city.(Maksim official website)
It would seem that even with all these challenges, it didn't stop Maksim from reaching his dream and in 2001 after meeting music impresario Mel Bush he signed his first record deal.
What I love about Maksim's style of music is how he takes a really well known piece of classical music and mixes it with a techo beat or electronic sound to create such a unique and individual sound. He has a real passion for music which shows in the way he performs and sometimes he plays so fast that his fingers are just a blur.At other times, the pieces are so gentle and tender that you just get carried away in the moment - it is so beautiful.You really feel the emotion of the piece through the way that he plays.
I had the opportunity a few years ago to see him perform live in concert with my friend Jillian and I remember just sitting in total awe the whole way through the concert. We got to meet him afterwards and were impressed by how humble he was and how appreciative he was of his fans. In meeting him you really get the feeling that his music isn't just a job, it's a way of life and he is just pleased to share his passion with others.
Look at his fingers fly in this piece - Rimsky Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee
A new feature I want to start today is Music Monday, where each week I talk about a musician, singer, songwriter, composer who has inspired me with their work and music. Top of that list has to be Ludwig van Beethoven! Ever since I can remember I have enjoyed listening to his music. I wouldn’t say I am familiar with every piece he has written and yet if I turn on the radio to Classic FM when they are midway through playing a piece I can instantly recognise whether or not it is Beethoven. I am not classically trained and haven’t had piano lessons since I was nine years old but there is something about this man’s music that just touches a chord in my heart. His music conveys so many emotions that it really is music to suit all moods, there are romantic, relaxing sonatas and concertos, invigorating and energising symphonies- not forgetting the pieces to just let off steam too(1st Movement of Symphony No 5 works for me every time!)
Many people will know the name of Beethoven and will probably easily identify him as the “deaf composer”. Anyone who has learnt to play the piano will probably be able to play Fur Elise and yet for most people their knowledge of one of the greatest composers is probably little else.
When I develop an interest in anything, it sometimes becomes an obsession and very soon I want to find out every bit of information I can – Beethoven was no exception. Luckily for me an English reporter and newsreader John Suchet (now Classic FM presenter) shares my love of Beethoven and it’s from him that I’ve gained much of the information I now know about him. Through his series of books and talks “The Last Master” my knowledge and appreciation for this incredible composer has grown.
Beethoven’s deafness is just one of the things about him that inspire me. How someone can write such incredibly beautiful, poignant and inspiring music when you are unable to hear it yourself is simply a wonder to me. He was said to have a volatile temperament and would often fall out with his friends in spectacular style. In May 1803 for example,Beethoven gives the first performance of the Violin Sonata op. 47, with the English virtuoso George Bridgetower as soloist. He dedicates the sonata to Bridgetower, but after Bridgetower makes an insulting remark about a lady, Beethoven withdraws the sonata from him and dedicates it instead to Rudolphe Kreutzer – hence the Kreutzer Sonata as it is now known. However, despite his renowned temper he was also very witty and would often compose musical quips or jokes. For his overweight friend, the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, he composed a piece Lob auf den Dicken ([In Praise of the Fat One), WoO 100, for full chorus and three solo male voices, the first line of which is "Schuppanzigh ist ein Lump" (Schuppanzigh is a rogue).It lasts around 30 seconds.
For such a great name in the classical music world he composed relatively few pieces when compared with Mozart and Haydn (both of whom he admired greatly) just nine symphonies, five piano concertos, one violin concerto, sixteen string quartets, one opera and yet these pieces are still played and revered throughout the world today.
One of the mysteries surrounding Beethoven’s life were the letters to his Immortal Beloved – who was she? In the 1994 film Immortal Beloved starring Gary Oldman, the film seeks to reveal the identity of this mysterious woman and whilst partially accurate does not reveal the true identity. Likely suggestions have been Giulietta Guicciardi; a young student of Beethoven’s who he fell in love with. It was believed that one of her parents objected to the match and so she married Count Von Gallenburg instead. Beethoven composed what is now known as Moonlight Sonata for her.
For another student and love Therese Malfatti he composed Bagatelle WoO 59. He planned to play it for her at a soiree at her father’s house and afterwards propose to her. It all came to nothing as he got horribly drunk that night and not only unable to propose but also to play the piece. Therese demanded that he still dedicate the piece to her and so he wrote on the top of the page of manuscript Fur Therese (For Therese). After her death, the original manuscripts was found in her effects and immediately recognised as Beethoven’s work. It was published under the title Bagatelle but the dedication was possibly mis-read...today you will know this piece (and maybe even able to play a few notes) as Fur Elise.
One of the most beautiful pieces in my opinion though is Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, more popularly known as The Emperor Concerto. I don’t think there are words to adequately describe how stunning this piece is, it is so delicate and intricate to start with and yet builds up to a full crescendo at the end. In the film Immortal Beloved it is played at the end when the letter to the Immortal Beloved is reunited with its rightful owner (although the film is inaccurate).More recently it was used in the film The King’s Speech as King George VI delivers his first full speech to the nation after his speech therapy. It is so incredibly moving and poignant that it really strikes a chord in the heart of the listener.
Want to find out more...here’s the recommended booklist:
The Last Master trilogy by John Suchet (v.1 Passion and Anger, v.2 Passion and Pain, v.3 Passion and Glory)
Despite having performed on Broadway and at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and having a hugely successful operatic career it seems that the name of Alfie Boe only really burst onto the scene following his spectacular performance as Jean Valjean in the 25th anniversary concert of Les Miserables at London’s O2 arena in 2010.
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, more commonly known as Alfie Boe, was born 1973 in Fleetwood Lancashire, the youngest of nine children and counts some of his earliest memories as listening to his father’s Richard Tauber records. He joined an amateur dramatic society at the age of 14 and performed the song Bring Him Home from Les Miserables as his first solo piece. At the age of 17 he became an apprentice mechanic at the TVR factory in Blackpool and would enjoying singing opera arias to his colleagues whilst polishing cars. It was whilst in this job that he was overheard by a customer who had connections in the music industry and suggested that Alfie audition for the D’Oyley Cart Opera Company. The audition was a success and Alfie left his job to embark on a music career. He studied at the Royal College of Music and in 2002 was approached by Baz Luhrmann to play the lead role in the Broadway production of La Boheme.
His first album Classic FM presents Alfie Boe was released in 2006 and since then he has gone on to appear in numerous opera productions, be nominated for two Classical Brit Awards and perform for Royalty. In 2007, he was appointed as an ambassador of The Prince of Wales Arts and Kids Foundation, a British educational charity working to inspire and educate children by introducing them to the arts. Alfie's role being to bring music, and opera in particular for those children involved.
In October 2010 he performed the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables alongside a cast of Musical Theatre’s leading performers at the O2 arena. His rendition of Bring Him Home earned him a standing ovation which went on for several minutes – something which I’ve heard has never happened midway through a performance in the whole 25yrs that Les Mis has been performed. He became part of musical theatre history when as an encore he performed with the Valjean quartet (Simon Bowman, John OwenJones and Colm Wilkinson all who had previously played the role of John Valjean in the UK) the most incredible arrangement of Bring Him Home which has subsequently been released as a charity single.
On December 27th 2010, he released his new album under the title of the track that had catapulted his recent success Bring Him Home. It is an album comprising of many well known and much loved songs from the world of musical theatre including Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific, Come What May from Moulin Rouge (featuring Kerry Ellis) and On the Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady.
The choice of songs is interesting as although they will be familiar to many, they are not songs that have been sung to death by other performers. They are also all songs that have a particular significance and meaning to Alfie which I think adds to the feel and overall emotion of each piece.
I have to say that I have been a fan of Alfie’s for quite a few years now. I have met him on several occasions and am always struck by how genuine, sincere and humble he is. He has to be one of the nicest performers I have ever met. He has a great sense of humour, interacts well with his audience and always takes the time after a performance to meet his fans. His voice is quite distinctive in that it appears to be gentle and melodious, full of emotion and passion but it is also very powerful and evocative. There are times when he sings, that he will pitch just one note with such perfection that it strikes a chord deep into the heart of the listener creating a truly magical moment.
His choice of songs on this album therefore is ideal as they allow him to portray all of these characteristics in his voice and for the listener; it is easy to get caught up in the mood of the piece.
The album is so varied in its style of songs that it has something which will appeal to everyone. There are songs from children’s musicals such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, there are the romantic ballads such as Come What May from Moulin Rouge and Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific and there are the more poignant ballads such as Tell Me It’s Not True from Blood Brothers. Each sung with emotion which really highlights the beauty of the music and lyrics.
There are so many wonderful songs on the album that it would be hard to pick just one favourite and indeed every time I listen to the album I find a different track that I enjoy. Each song is beautiful in its own way and listeners will find that they can connect to the songs in different ways as each will have special meanings to them. However, I will say that after seeing Les Miserables three times this year (once with Simon Bowman, once with John OwenJones and at the O2 with Alfie Boe) my favourite song is Bring Him Home. This is a hauntingly beautiful piece which is overwhelming in emotion I confess I cannot listen to it without being overcome, it is simply sublime. Seeing Alfie perform this at the O2 had to be the highlight of my year.He performed with such feeling and yet so naturally that the whole piece was incredibly heart wrenching.I think he should now have shares in Kleenex as I doubt there was a dry eye in the O2 after his performance.
One thing is for sure, this CD will bring many hours of listening pleasure and will delight both old and young alike. Pick up your copy and Bring Him Home today – you will not be disappointed!
