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| Caoimhe de Paor, Laurence Cummings, Elspeth Robertson, Cathy Bell, Marie van Rhijn, Edwin Hillier, Katarzyna and George Ross By Lucy Judson (c) Handel House Trust Ltd |
In a way Handel House Talent scheme is an extension of the composer residency, but this time applying to performers. A group of six young professional baroque music performers have been chosen to join the scheme. They will perform at the house, have masterclasses, work with Laurence Cummings and there will be opportunities to rehearse and work at the house. There will be show-case concert, but to a certain extent the scheme is flexible and Handel House director Sarah Bardwell hopes that the participants will be able to develop their own work and collaborate.
The young performers are a varied group, mezzo-soprano Cathy Bell, harpsichordist Katarzyna Kowalik, recorder player Caoimhe de Paor, harpsichordist Marie van Rhijn, recorder player Elspeth Robinson and cellist George Ross. Talking to them, it is clear that whilst all have a strong interest in the music of the baroque, they venture into far wider territories.
This is highly appropriate for a museum which houses not only Handel's house, but the flat where Jimi Hendrix lived (and Hendrix's flat is part of a new project to open up the museum further). We talked about the intersection between modern and ancient repertoire. Whilst singer Cathy Bell's main interests lie in the early repertoire and contemporary, for the recorder players Caoimhe de Paor and Elspeth Robinson, there is in fact little in between; but modern composers have been exploring the contemporary repertoire.
Harpsichordist Katarzyna Kowalik is originally from Poland and we talked about the pioneer 20th century harpsichordist Wanda Landowska. Kowalik is interested in Landowska's work not just as a harpsichordist, but as a composer. Though, of course, Landowska played on a harpsichord far bigger than used nowadays, and it was still regarded as quiet by contemporaries. But this is something that modern performers still have to deal with when performing in large venues, and Laurence Cummings talked about the strategies that performers need to draw the audience in. Cellist George Ross will be doing research at the RCM whilst on the Handel Talent scheme, and he hopes to be looking at the unaccompanied cello repertoire, and our talked veered from Bach's cello suites through to the outrageous Etudes written by the Italian cellist Carlo Alfredo Piatti (1822 - 1901).
All involved seem to have not just a fine technique, but lively and enquiring attitudes with and interesting flexibility of mind. It will be fascinating to see how the scheme develops and to hear how performers and composer respond to the remarkable spaces at the museum.
Cevanne Horrocks Hopayian's EYEMUSIC - Seeing Sound concerts at the Handel House Museum run in Novemeber (13, 16, 20, 23 November)
Elsewhere on this blog:
- Thinking big: An encounter with Anthony Wilkinson of the Wimbledon International Music Festival - interview
- Not for the purist: Bach transcriptions on guitar from Lily Afshar - CD review
- Festival finale: Hatfield Festival Chamber Orchestra - concert review
- Delightful discovery: Offenbach Fantasio - CD review
- Vibrant performances: Stravinsky, Korngold, Schubert at Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival - concert review
- Dr Scroggy's War: William Lyons score for new play - theatre music review
- Enchanting: Fairy Queen at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea - opera review
- Astounding debut: Javier Camarena at Rosenblatt Recitals - concert review
- Opera undressed: Otello at ENO - opera review
- Bravura: Vivaldi's Griselda, Opera Settecento at Cadogan Hall - concert review
- Rare and enticing: Purcell's The Indian Queen at the Wigmore Hall - concert review
- A discovery & a delight: Etienne Mouline from Ensemble Correspondances and Sebastien Dauce - CD review
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