How Classical Music Can Save the World
On music, performance, and the art of paying attention.
Thoughts from the podium.
Have you ever paid good money for a musical that skimped on… musicians?
The Lion King has just arrived in Sydney. When it last appeared there, 17 musicians played in the pit. This […]
Read more →Covid Classical
Week 2: Humour with tenor Nicky Spence
This week in isolation we focus on one emotion we all need: humour. In a new format to the vlog we welcome tenor, Nicky Spence, to share his thoughts on humour in music and in life.
Week 3: Despair with Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz
In this week’s edition of Covid Classical we talk all things “despair” with Yaron Lifschitz, Artistic Director of Circa Contemporary Circus. Is true despair possible in music? Which composers had the predilection for despair? And what does it mean for performers and audiences in this troubled time? Stay tuned for a guided tour through a playlist of Classical Music Despair.
Week 4: Desire with Peter Coleman Wright and Cheryl Barker
This week we talk to opera singers and husband and wife, Peter Coleman Wright and Cheryl Barker about “Desire.” We explore desire in music from famous operas like Tosca, Arabella and La boheme, delve into how those composers can conjure up amorous feelings as well as how Peter and Cheryl’s partnership in life has translated into a collaboration on the stage.
Week 5: Courage with William Harvey
This week we talk to American violinist, composer, pedagogue and arts advocate, William Harvey, on the subject of “Courage” in music. They delve into a range of topics including music as a force for good in people’s lives from Afghanistan, to Mexico, to the United States.
Week 6: Anger with Barry Douglas
This week we talk to Irish pianist and conductor, Barry Douglas, on the subject of “Anger” in music. They delve into a range of topics including how composers have evoked anger in their music over the centuries, and Barry’s musical journey from his youth spent in Belfast, to his historic victory at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Competition in the then-USSR, to his founding of Camerata Ireland as part of the Irish Peace Process.
Week X: Title
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More about Covid Classical
One of the great discoveries of this coronavirus lockdown was my overriding passion to share the music that I love with other people, far and wide. And so, Covid Classical, a series of YouTube playlists, was born.
Each episode concerns a different emotion that we’ve experienced in isolation or a character trait that gets us through it (we’ve looked at Hope, Despair, Desire, Humour and Courage, amog others.) I compile a playlist of classical music on theme and, in what has been a stimulating and thought-provoking exercise, I interview a different performing arts luminary each episode.
We’ve had tenor, Nicky Spence; director and artistic director, Yaron Lifschitz; opera singers Peter Coleman Wright AO and Cheryl Barker AO; and violinist, composer and pedagogue, William Harvey. In the works are episodes with pianist, Barry Douglas, and conductor, Holly Mathieson.
Each playlist has been a joy to compile and has been a journey of discovery, a reminder that music is always relevant to our emotions and helps us endure the challenging times. (Making each YouTube video has also been a great incentive to persevere and scratch the surface of the great art of video editing!) Special credit goes to my ten-year-old little sister, Ellary Lam, who suggested I needed custom YouTube thumbnails for the playlists and who designs them each and every episode!
Feel free to suggest topics for any future episodes – email dane@danelam.net