Have you booked for Dani and James on 15th April?
Classically trained soprano and guitar player offer an intimate take on the jazz of the 1920s and ’30s Harlem, New Orleans and Kansas City. Plus jamablaya….
Book here.
The tales of Apollo and Hercules
So… Did the mythical tales live up to expectation? Well, they certainly did – and in the process, I lost my heart to a puppet….
The two tales were quite separate, linked only by the insistence of Greek gods on interfering in the lives of humans and – in this production – by a chorus of dancers. Six members of the New English Ballet Theatre, clad in skin-tight subtly glittering gun metal grey, inhabited the two tales, sometimes ‘commenting on the action’ but often just creating mesmerising patterns of their own.
In the Apollo tale, bully Apollo (Dan D’Souza) forces his attentions on – and is passionately repulsed by – Daphne (Lauren Lodge-Campbell) – supported by the magical oboe of Leo Duarte. Escape is only achieved when Daphne, after much clapping of thunder and flashing of lightening, is turned into a tree. Apollo is left to gather up and mourn over her leaves.
In the second tale the battle between the gods of Pleasure and of Virtue is focused on Hercules, a puppet.
It is one of the wonders of theatre that the mask face of a puppet can, by the movement of its head and its arms, create such a wealth of expression – and inspire devotion amongst watchers. Credit must of course go to Hercules’ maker, Mandarave and his two ‘handlers’. But above all credit must go to counter tenor James Hall who not only ‘voiced’ him, lyrically and touchingly, but was responsible for those head movements which entranced us all.
Pleasure (Madison Nonoa) and Virtue (Bethany Horak Hallet) were vigorously voiced by two ladies in pink, one fluffy, one plain, backed by the dancers. The battle was fierce. Hercules was dreadully torn. But, as in all good moral tales, Good won out and, somewhat regretfully, Hercules ascended to the ‘virtuous happy heights’….
The music, being Handel, was divine, the playing by La Nuova Musica, superb, the singing moving and enchanting – and the venue?
Well, Shoreditch Town Hall is now a slightly down at heel but very delightful relic of early 20th century municipal magnificence. Its layout is quirky – as stewards we spent a good deal of time rescuing audience members who had disappeared down staircases leading only to the basement and helping them up the 60 lift-less steps to the balcony. But the acoustic is excellent, the staff were delightful and it proved to be a very happy temporary home for our Greek gods and their harassed humans.
What remains of the London Handel festival?
Tonight – 2nd April – the final of the International Singing Competition at St George’s Hanover Square – there are still few tickets left here if you hurry.
Saturday April 5th – Middle Temple Hall – Handel Knights with Bjarte Eike and his Barokksolistene. This is sold out but there might be some returns.
Monday April 7th – Handel Hendrix House. Chamber recital by Singing Compettion finalists. Again, sold out but worth checking for returns.
Thursday April 10th – St George’s Hanover Square. Closing concert – Floridante first performed at the Haymarket Theatre in 1721. Some tickets till available, but not many.
Rythm of the Seasons
It was Stone Nest, of course, that hosted Figure’s latest collaboration – this time with the extraordinary percussionist James Larter – in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
The Four Seasons does seem to have an endles fascination for both composers and musicians – Max Richter probably the best known, Nigel Kennedy’s Prom with the Palestine Strings and Members of the Orchestra of Life not far behind – or try David Evangelista’s versions of Summer for electric guitar. So it was not surprising that its energy and driving ‘beat’ would also appeal to a percussionist. The result, with Frederick Waxman on an ethereal harpsichord, five strings players and Larter’s vibraphone, marimba, drums, gongs, woodblocks and castanets – was gripping and again demonstrated what a great composer Vivaldi was.
Sometimes, as in the opening above, the drums carried the piece alone, sometimes the percussionist melded into the backgorund, sometimes he ‘became’ one of the group and occasionally the strings played alone. All combinations would have charmed Vivaldi.
Figure’s next appearance at Stone Nest – 10th April – Lamentations.
For future happenings in at Hampstead Lane and elsewhere – see our Upcoming Events page.
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