Music Makers Volume — 19 Page 2 Guest Artists
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Volume — 19 Australian August 2016 Free Music National Academy Makers of Music Inspiration: Working with maestro Simone Young — Page 4 It’s a hat-trick! ANAM’s vocal trifecta — Page 2 Taking ANAM to the world — Page 12 Machine for Contacting the Dead — Page 4 Leading the way in musicians health and wellbeing — Page 5 Event Calendar — Page 6 anam.com.au ANAM Guest Artists It’s a hat-trick! ANAM’s vocal trifecta Being a professional singer is tough. Emerging triumphant from the rigours of a Verdi aria or a Schubert song cycle is not enough; one also must prevail against the threats of jet lag, air conditioning, bad hotel rooms and unsympathetic conductors. Acquiring an unassailable technique is just the start, and behind every great singer is at least one great teacher who has laid the essential foundations. Over the next few months ANAM will host three of Australia's finest singers, and each has a story to tell of the teacher and friend who helped them find their voice. Lisa Gasteen AO is the Brisbane into the bushy gully. So, having made able to resettle in Brisbane and soprano who conquered the it to the doctor's little house, the bed establish an operatic summer school world’s opera houses singing the barely fitted in the door and took up at Griffith University, the Lisa Gasteen great Wagner and Verdi heroines. most of the space in the lounge room National Opera School. Her neck She found her mentor in the where the piano was situated. I had to problems have been successfully legendary Margaret Nickson, stand in the doorframe of the kitchen treated, and Gasteen now performs the doyenne of Australian singing on the other side of the house. I sang again, but usually close to home. teachers, who shaped entire Ecco l'orrido campo, the big graveyard Lieder has taken on more importance generations of Queensland singers. aria from Un Ballo in Maschera by for Gasteen and in 2011 she returned "Margaret Nickson was my teacher Verdi. The doctor was very interested to the stage in a recital accompanied over a period of 28 years, which seems to observe our communication, as she by Simone Young AM. incredible now. During that time there was unable to speak. That was our last "After years of having no interest were lengthy absences. For instance, lesson together. in performing song, I now find myself when I was away studying at the She gave me so much but I enjoying the intimacy of the art National Opera Studio, London for realise now that I also gave her much. song milieu, and the close working a year or living in Italy for five years, It was a very close relationship and relationship with conductor and or working with any of the opera no one else knew my sound as she orchestra or accompanist. The difficulty companies all over the world. I would did. After the death of my mother, for me is memorising the texts. When I from time to time try other teachers to she became a mentor in life as much was a full-time singer, that is what help me but they actually were no help as in voice. She was a wonderful warm I did, worked and studied for the at all. In fact I'd usually find the work character. Very giving, very passionate, forthcoming performances. Some of with others detrimental to my singing. very joyful, very intelligent, very the biggest roles would take a couple Margaret had the most amazing generous, very honest, very empathetic, of years to prepare, Isolde, for instance. ear and could pick me up on the very, very talkative, very brave and so Now my time is pretty well devoted to slightest flaw in my production. much more. She was big in all ways mentoring and teaching, which leaves She would say, "Don't look at me like other than her physical stature. insufficient time for my own singing that Gasteen, it may sound very nice Margaret Nickson gave me a activities. This is not a complaint as but it's not right". So I'd do it again technique which stood me in good I find now that at last there is some — the 'right way'! Her concern was stead throughout my career and balance in my life." for my stamina and she knew how lasts to this day. I suppose because the smallest impediment to 'right' she was my only actual teacher production could (and often would) (apart from those few unhappy snowball. One mistake uncorrected, experiences with others) the technique SIMONE YOUNG then another, then another and there I have is 'pure' bel canto. She was CONDUCTS goes the climax of the phrase along taught by a Garcia pupil. I think having, ANAM GALA CONCERT with ease of production leading to from the very beginning, an aural WITH LISA GASTEEN fatigue, and then to disaster resulting aesthetic or ideal, goes a long way to Fri 19 August 7.30pm in a really unhappy night on stage. how she taught and, with luck, is how Then the confidence takes a battering I teach and continue to teach. If the and fear becomes an unwelcome basics are not correctly put in place, See the calendar on pages partner. On and on it goes. it takes a long time to rectify." 6-8 for program details Margaret worked with me in Venue Lisa Gasteen’s international preparing all my roles until her death Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, career took off when she won the (I think in 2002) from Motor Neurone Melbourne Recital Centre 1991 Cardiff Singer of the World Disease. Even when she was in care Tickets Competition. Her lush voice easily and confined to a hospital bed, Full $85 Sen $70 Conc $55 encompassed the great spinto barely able to move even her hand and Wagnerian roles, and she Bookings and unable to speak, we had a lesson in became the world’s leading Brünhilde, anam.com.au or 03 9645 7911 the house of the head doctor which was Isolde. She has also been celebrated Simone Young's residency is next door. I remember my accompanist as a great Leonora (Un Ballo), supported by Lepley Properties and I wheeling her in this incredibly Salome and Clytemnestra (Elektra), bulky and heavy hospital bed through Lisa Gasteen's residency is amongst numerous others. supported by Peter Jopling AM QC the grounds and down a hill, the wind A neck condition forced her blowing her hair. She enjoyed being out retirement from the operatic stage in the air but I was terrified of losing in 2008. It was a blessing in disguise. hold of the bed (and her along with it) Missing her home and family, she was and having to chase it down the hill Music Makers Volume — 19 Page 2 Guest Artists Steve Davislim’s career knows Can you share some of your see in her eyes that she longed to stand music! As the long gone Russian no boundaries. He sings in all the recollections of Dame Joan with on the stage again. This love for the conductor, Juri Aronovic once said to great venues of the world, and in all us, and what you still retain music and performance was, and still me backstage before a performance genres, equally celebrated in opera, from her in your own work? is, highly inspiring for all of her former in Italy — "You know Steve, we have oratorio and lieder. He began his "Dame Joan helped me enormously students I am sure, as it certainly the best job in the world. Every day we vocal journey with the great Dame at the beginning of my career and in a is for me." get to speak to God and get paid for it Joan Hammond, darling of Covent way still helps me today, as do all of my too!" — How right he is." Your performing schedule covers Garden and the Vienna State Opera, teachers in one way or another. For me opera, concert work and lieder — whose recording of O mio babbino she had a fortitude in her dealings with no one could pin you down to any caro sold over a million copies. every day issues that is very necessary one of these. What do you get from to survive the travel and stresses of singing lieder that you don’t get STEVE DAVISLIM performing. She would always sprinkle from your other areas of work? IN RECITAL her lessons with personal anecdotes, "Lieder is the most intimate Tue 30 August 11am especially the ones during the war magnifying glass to the soul that years where times in London were any singer can aspire to. It is just you, See the calendar on pages 6-8 for tough. She often related stories about the pianist, the poet and the composer, program details performers having their own costumes, in an intimate setting that allows singing in cold auditoriums with the Venue for infinite nuances to unfold at your constant fear of bombs falling, doing South Melbourne Town Hall whim, nuances that are often brushed their own make-up and making do with Tickets over with other larger performance whatever was available. This flexible All $35 mediums. When everything is right, attitude is one that has helped me the results are unique and immensely Bookings greatly, as one is always confronted anam.com.au or 03 9645 7911 satisfying. This of course takes nothing again and again with difficult away from opera and oratorio. Complimentary morning tea is served circumstances.