As we know, all over the world, the live performing arts have been shut down by the global battle against the Covid-19 virus. But the world's determined musical artists can't be kept down for long, and the internet is full of intriguing solutions to the problems of live ensemble performance during the age of social distancing.
Although the technical ingenuity involved is considerable, and sometimes rises to the level of outright genius, it's the artistic quality that's so stunning in these performances, given under far less than ideal acoustic conditions and with ensembles having to blend together in spite of the fact that they are not physically gathered in a single space.
No less fine are solo performances of all kinds, where the unfavourable acoustics of the average living room do not in any way hamper the quality of the music making.
With that by way of intro, here are a few of my favourites which I've heard and seen so far, not in any particular order -- except that I am starting with one of the most industrious musicians of them all.
A Piano a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Pianist Leopoldo Erice presented a short piano piece every day for the first 50 days of the lockdown. On most days, he was camcording live performances from his home in Quebec. In the last week or so, he began adding in a few video recordings from live performances which he'd given elsewhere previously. For most of the time, he's been selecting quiet, gentle music to provide a soothing interlude in the face of the stresses we're all dealing with.
His page on YouTube would be a great place to start for pianists and listeners alike who are looking to expand repertoire, since he's added a generous mix of little-known music in between some beloved repertoire staples. You'll hear music by Balys Dvarionas (Lithuania), Ignacio Yepes (Spain), Federico Mompou (Catalan), Giselle Galos (France), Christian Petzold (Germany), and Emile Naoumoff (Bulgaria), among others -- alongside more familiar works by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and more. Note that many of the videos are posted twice, with the different versions containing commentary before the music in either English or Spanish. Here's the link.
His most striking recording to date involved reassembling the members of a choir which he used to accompany some years ago in Spain (a choir which no longer exists), under its then-conductor, for a performance of Mozart's beautiful motet, Ave verum corpus. Simple, yes, but lovingly sung, beautifully played, and expertly coordinated for the video. And here it is:
Sing Along With the TMC
I've always treasured the memories of my one and only year singing in the magnificent Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, so I needed no second prompting to sample some of their sing-along offerings. The performances in this case come from various concerts which the choir has given over the last few years. The text is added in subtitles to the video, and a link is provided to a place where the score can be accessed.
My favourite of the ones they've posted so far is a 2017 performance of Handel's Coronation Anthem, Zadok the Priest. In this one, the 150-some Mendelssohnians are joined by another 50 or so voices of the renowned Huddersfield Choral Society from England. Anyone who knows the piece can imagine the impact as the organist (Michael Bloss) reaches the end of the long introduction and the entire body burst out at full throttle with the first majestic chords of the anthem. They then show their mettle in the rapid but spot-on precision of the lengthy running "Alleluias."
Like its three companion anthems, Zadok the Priest was performed first at the coronation of King George II of England in 1727. The impact it made was so tremendous that it has been repeated at every one of the eight coronations since then. This could well be the music Beethoven had in mind when he said, "Handel is the unequalled master of all masters. Go to him, and learn how to create the grandest of effects by the simplest of means." The performance here is both grand and superlative in every way.
Like its three companion anthems, Zadok the Priest was performed first at the coronation of King George II of England in 1727. The impact it made was so tremendous that it has been repeated at every one of the eight coronations since then. This could well be the music Beethoven had in mind when he said, "Handel is the unequalled master of all masters. Go to him, and learn how to create the grandest of effects by the simplest of means." The performance here is both grand and superlative in every way.
Living Room Duo
The Cheng²Duo, the Canadian brother-sister team of Bryan Cheng (cello) and Silvie Cheng (piano), have joined together on two evenings now to present live concerts of their music from the living room of the apartment in New York City where they are sitting out the lockdown.
The first concert presented an intriguing mixture of different composers and styles in a diverse programme lasting some 45 minutes. The second event, a little shorter, gave a selection of night-themed pieces, performed by candlelight, and lasting some 30 minutes. Each programme includes a mixture of pieces composed for cello and piano alongside pieces arranged by the Chengs.
The playing in both concerts is intensely musical, as in all of the Duo's live performances, and makes for very rewarding listening, even with the less-than-perfect sound. These lively and personable musicians also give entertaining and informative commentary about the music they are playing and their own personal relationships with the pieces.
These two concerts have been presented on Facebook Live, and remain available for viewing as videos on the Duo's Facebook page.
Twelve Equals Forty
Mathematically, that statement is pure nonsense. But then, there's this soaring, heart-tugging video performance of the world-famous motet, Spem in alium, by Thomas Tallis. This recording was carried off with almost incredible technical and musical aplomb by the 12 voices of Stile Antico.
It's a performance that could only happen under the conditions of social distancing. Each of the ensemble's members is responsible for as many as five different parts within the up-to-forty-voices texture. Each of these vocal tracks would, of course, have had to be recorded separately. The resulting vocal blend and quality is amazing, and the coordination even more so. No hint of any missteps or any voices getting slightly ahead of or behind the rest of the group, as far as I could tell.
It's the editing, though, that makes this video such a treasure. Each of the forty voice parts (five groups of eight voices) has its own spot on the screen, and the images fade in and out as the voices take up the music and then fall silent again. More than this, the editor of this remarkable film has managed to place the voices appropriately farther left or right within the stereo sound picture to match the visual images of the five choral groups. To catch the full effect you will have to be using either headphones or a room-sized theatre sound system.
This detailed re-imagining of a live performance makes it possible to follow the structure of the music, even without a score, and brings the music to life in a way that could only be matched in a live performance with the singers widely spread, perhaps across the entire front of a church or hall. In the end, though, it's the sheer beauty of the singing that carries the day.
Bach to the Barre
Bach to the Barre
This unique, and so far one-off, fusion of music and dance is the brainchild of Toronto Symphony Orchestra bass player Timothy Dawson and National Ballet of Canada principal dancer Guillaume Cote. The married couple of Cote and principal dancer Heather Ogden are shown waking up and doing morning barre stretches and warmups, like a stylized daily class mingled with some graceful choreography, with their children also taking part -- while Dawson and four other string players of the orchestra play Bach's ineffable Air (the one that's not on the G string even though it's frequently called the "Air on the G String"). The combination of flowing movement and soaring melody could hardly be bettered -- and there are some lovely comedic touches waiting to make you laugh, the best one being at 2:45 into the video.
Socially Distanced Opera
At first glance, this one really sounds like an impossibility. A full-on dramatic performance with all the performers in different rooms, in different houses, in different cities?
The net result is an absolute delight. Twenty minutes of the finale of Act II of Mozart's sparkling comedy, Le Nozze di Figaro, are sung with real verve and aplomb by a splendid team of Canadian singers, anchored by the spectacular voice of baritone Russell Braun as Count Almaviva. With him you get Jessica Muirhead as the Countess, Jacqueline Woodley as Susanna, Neil Craighead as Figaro, Aaron Durand as Antonio, Megan Latham as Marcellina, Peter McGillivray as Dr. Bartolo, and Jean-Philippe Lazure as Basilio. Kimberley-Ann Bartczak welds the whole performance together with her energetic, stylish piano performance. The entire project was conceived and coordinated by Neil Craighead, with great success.
Although some viewers may feel that a few of these performances are strongly redolent of operatic ham, the overall skill and brio of the singing is wonderful, and the sound quality far better than one might hope under such limited conditions. A true comic delight!
Socially Distanced Opera
At first glance, this one really sounds like an impossibility. A full-on dramatic performance with all the performers in different rooms, in different houses, in different cities?
The net result is an absolute delight. Twenty minutes of the finale of Act II of Mozart's sparkling comedy, Le Nozze di Figaro, are sung with real verve and aplomb by a splendid team of Canadian singers, anchored by the spectacular voice of baritone Russell Braun as Count Almaviva. With him you get Jessica Muirhead as the Countess, Jacqueline Woodley as Susanna, Neil Craighead as Figaro, Aaron Durand as Antonio, Megan Latham as Marcellina, Peter McGillivray as Dr. Bartolo, and Jean-Philippe Lazure as Basilio. Kimberley-Ann Bartczak welds the whole performance together with her energetic, stylish piano performance. The entire project was conceived and coordinated by Neil Craighead, with great success.
Although some viewers may feel that a few of these performances are strongly redolent of operatic ham, the overall skill and brio of the singing is wonderful, and the sound quality far better than one might hope under such limited conditions. A true comic delight!
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