SUMMER 2010 Thomas Bloch, Performer of Rare Instruments Left: Thomas with Bernard Baschet in Bernard’s Studio; Right: Thomas and His Glassharmonica The New York Times has stated, Punk (Thomas Bangalter)/Gaspar Noe “Thomas Bloch is unquestionably a vir- (Enter the Void), Pierre Boulez, Valery Next GMI Festival tuoso and a musician.” Gergiev, Michel Plasson, Myung-Whun Chung, Paul Sacher, Jean-Francois Planned for Thomas Bloch was born in Colmar, Zygel, Maurice Bourgue, Alexei Williamsburg in France in 1962 and lives in Paris. He is Ogrintchouk, Patrick Gallios, Andras a worldwide prominent classical soloist Adorjan, Pierre-Yves Artaud, Vladimir March 2011 specializing in rare instruments (ondes Mendelssohn, Philippe Muller, Gil Dean Shostak and I have started the plan- Martenot, glass harmonica, and cris- Sharon, Roger Muraro, Jay Gottlieb, ning process for the 9th Glass music Festival tal Baschet). His performances range quatuor Rosamonde, Balanescu quar- which will be held in Colonial Williamsburg, from classical and contemporary music tet, Orlando quartet, Artis quartet, Virginia, USA from 24 March through 27 to songs, rock, theatre music, opera, Michel Redolfi, Marcel Landowski, March, 2011. We suggest that GMI members improvisation, film music, world music, Jacques Chailley, Philippe Sarde, try to keep their calendars clear for that and ballet music. He is also a com- Isabelle Huppert, Charles Berling, -M-, month and we will zero in on the exact dates poser and a producer. He received a Yvan Cassar, Manu Dibango, Arno, soon. First Prize for ondes Martenot at the Marc Almond (Soft Cell), Fred Frith, As members are aware from the fea- Paris Conservatoire National Superieur Phil Minton, Lara Fabian, Vanessa ture article in the last issue of GMW, Dean de Musique (with Jeanne Loriod) and Paradis…. has given concerts regularly in Colonial a Masters Degree in Musicology at the He has taught ondes Martenot at Williamsburg for many years and those con- University of Strasbourg. the Strasbourg Conservatoire since certs have become that historic landmark’s Thomas has now performed over 1992. He is a musical director for the major musical attraction. Dean has informed 3,000 times in 40 countries and appears Evian Music Festival in France and me that Colonial Williamsburg will be donat- on over 100 recordings, some of them directed the Glass Music International ing the space required for all our concerts personal ones and some as an invit- Festival at the Cite de la Musique in and lectures. ed performer. His notable collabora- Paris in 2005. He writes articles for We request that members email Dean tions in concerts or recordings include: various books on music and has been ([email protected]) and copy me Radiohead, John Cage, Gorillaz/ responsible for presentations of his ([email protected]) with any ideas you Damon Albarn (Monkey: Journey instruments at the Paris Musee de le may have that could help make this festival a to the West, after 2007), Tom Waits/ Musique since its opening in 1997. successful one. Also, if you could let us know Marianne Faithful/Bob Wilson (The As a soloist of his rare instruments, if you believe you will be able to attend and Black Rider/2004-2006), Emilie Simon/ Thomas plays the complete classical and if you would like to perform and/or give a Luc Jacquet (The March of Penguins), modern repertoire (Messiaen, Varese, lecture. Milos Forman (Amadeus - long ver- Honeggar, Jolivet, Bussotti, Mozart, sion “the director’s cut”, 2001), Deft see BLOCH, page 2 see FESTIVAL, page 3 website: http://www.glassmusicintl.org • egroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/glassmusic/ 2 — SUMMER 2010 GLASS MUSIC WORLD # $ # $ $ $ $ $ $ $ &$ ! #! $ # $ % $ &$ $ $ $ $ '$ # $ $ Presidential Notes"! $ % Members will find that the dues request form for June and I were fortunate in being able to attend a 2010 is included as an insert to this newsletter. It is important wonderful program at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, that this form be completed and sent to Dean Shostak, our Massachusetts one weekend in March which featured Vera membership chairman, as soon as possible. Since Colonial Meyer and her glass harmonica. She played at different times Williamsburg has donated the space for the upcoming festi- in their atrium and in a special music room. She played beau- val’s concerts and lectures, we may be able to hold this festival tifully, demonstrated her instrument, spoke about its history, using funds already in our treasury plus those collected from and encouraged members of her audience to play a note on this year’s dues and not charge a festival registration fee. We her harmonica. We were especially impressed with her ability will have to take a good look at the projected festival expenses to take requests and play a wide assortment of music pieces. before we can make that decision. — Carlton Davenport BLOCH from page 1 RCA, Sony Classical, Toshiba, Naive, D & G, K617...). The listings of his musical partners are very extensive and Donizetti, Hasse, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Beethoven, appear in his website http://www.thomasbloch.net. These Richard Strauss ...). He also plays 10 to 15 premieres each year, include listings of conductors, musicians, composers, arrangers from avant garde music (Michel Redolfi, Regis Campo, Etienne and producers (in film or popular music), actresses and actors, Rolin, Bernard Wisson, Jan Erik Mikalsen...) to popular music popular artists and bands, and male sopranos and other sing- composers (Jonny Greenwood, Damon Albarn. Tom Waits...) ers. Thomas also gives numerous performances for specials and performs in numerous recording sessions. Especially and private events, alone, in duet with the male soprano Patrick notable among his performances in 40 countries were the first Husson, or with various ensembles. 20th century audition of the original version of the Mad Scene His next CD on Naxos (January 2011) will be dedicated to of Lucia de Lammermoor by Donizetti on glass harmonica in personal works he has composed for male soprano (sung by Milano Scala and playing the ondes Martenot as a soloist for the Joerg Waschinski) and various ensembles (a 45 minute long Warsaw Philharmonic centenary. “Missa Cantate” with symphony orchestra and four shorter Thomas often plays in all concert halls in Paris (Theatre du pieces with glass harmonica, cristal Baschet, ondes Martenot, Champs-Elysees, Salle Gaveau, Opera, Olympia, Salle Pleyel, musical saw, waterphone, keyboards….). Theatre du Chatelet, Auditorium du Louvre, Salle Cortot, Glass Harmonica Chateau de Versailles...) and in Amsterdam Concertgebouw, The history of the glass harmonica from its invention by in Zurich Tonholle, in St. Petersburg Mariinski , in Tokyo, Benjamin Franklin in 1761, through its early period of popular- New York, Mexico, Hong Kong in Los Angeles Music Center, ity and then its virtual disappearance around 1835, and then in Sydney, San Francisco, Budapest, Osaka, Bogota, Helsinki, through its renaissance centered around its rediscovery by Prag, Tel Aviv, Reykjavik, Brussels, Boston, Mexico City, Gerhard Finkenbeiner in the 1960s and rebuilding of it by him Berlin, London, Philadelphia, Madrid, Lisbon, Riga, Tallinn, in 1982 is detailed in Thomas’ website, but not repeated here Oslo, Stockholm, Geneva, in Prades Pablo Casals Festival, in since GMI members are very familiar with it. Luzern Festival, in Salzburg Festival, in Kuhmo Festival, in La Thomas plays its instruments in 442 and in 430 Hz Chaise Dieu Festival, in Presences Festival (Paris), in Musica and is one of the very few professional glassharmonicists in (Strasbourg), Maggio Musicale (Firenze), in Stresa Festival, the world. His vast repertoire for glass harmonica listed on in Bourges (Printemps and electronic festivals), Beethoven his website includes works by some 18 composers including Festival (Bonn), GRM... He also toured for Jeunesses Musicales C.P.E. Bach, Beethoven, Bizet, Donizetti, Sombach, Mozart, de France (J.M.F.) for 7 years. He has been a part of more than Naumann, Roellig, Schulz and Richard Strauss plus 36 compos- 200 TV and radio programs. ers of recent works (after 1980). Many excellent examples of Thomas is the recipient of some ten Conservatoire awards his glass harmonica playing as soloist. in ensembles, and with and also received the Classical Music Award 2002 given by full orchestras can be viewed on YouTube. European critics during Midem (Cannes) together with the Choice of Gramophon magazine, Best of the Year 2001 in cristal Baschet Audiophile and Choc in Le Monde de la Musique for his inter- GMI members are familiar with the cristal Baschet through pretation of Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalila-Symphonie (Naxos) several articles that have appeared in the Glass Music World with Antoni Wit (conductor) and Francois Weigel (piano), Newsletter on the Baschet brothers and Michel Deneuve since Victoires de la Musique, Prix de l’Academie Charles Cros the early 1990s. The principle of a glass bow and a metal rod and four times best soundtrack during the World Subaquatic fixed to a heavy metal block, which could be seen in laborato- Movies Festival in Antibes. ries during the 18th century but had never been used before to He also gives numerous performances for special events: make a musical instrument, was revived in 1952 by Bernard 150th Luis Vuitton Cup - America’s Cup anniversary, Canal + and Francois Baschet, who also invented the inflatable guitar, (TV) 20th anniversary, BNP – Paribas Foundation 10th anniver- several original instruments (piano Baschet, tole a voix...) and sary, for General Electric, Christofle, Corning Museum of Glass, an educational instrumentarium which is widely used in music Versaille Castle…. schools today. He was one of the first musicians to play alone and with- The cristal Baschet is usually 4 octaves and a half, but can out stopping the complete Erik Satie’s Vexations, a 24 hour go from 3.5 to 6 octaves, and is composed of 56 chromatically long piano piece.