We started discussing the programme over a year ago, and had been chipping away with our preparations for several months, but of course Monday’s recital with Adam Plachetka at Vienna’s Musikverein flew by in a two-hour flash of glinting golden panels, volleyed consonants and enthusiastic applause. Being in Austria, the piano was of course a Bösendorfer. Going on my experience thus far, these instruments tend to be rather hit-or-nasty-miss in comparison with their Hamburg Steinway cousins. This, however, was a beautiful Imperial, complete with nine extra growling bass notes (see picture) that I was actually able to use a few times in our Sibelius set!
At 4.30am on Tuesday, after perhaps a few too many celebratory glasses of wine the night before, the alarm starting screaming in my ear, and I dragged myself – muttering and cursing, my body hating me – out of bed and to Vienna airport for my flight to Frankfurt.
A short car journey to Heidelberg, hangover fading slower than I would have liked (but fading nonetheless), and it was time to jump back into rehearsals for our dancing Schöne Müllerin, as part of the 2012 Heidelberger Frühling International Music Festival. Our new friends from the Bundesjugendballett (see previous post) had of course been up and at it much earlier than we feeble singers and pianists, and things were taking shape nicely. Here’s the full cast line-up:
Dancers: Gabriela Finardi, Graeme Fuhrman, Maurus Gauthier, Natalie Ogonek, Yukino Takaura, Yaiza Coll Suppert, Paco Ruiz Echarri, Hélias Tur-Dorvault (Daan van den Akker, Winnie Dias Pinto, Patrick Eberts were all involved too, but sadly had injuries that prevented them from dancing the shows)
Singers and pianists: Hagar Sharvit, Anna Alàs i Jové, Maximilian Krummen, Aarne Pelkonen, Ammiel Bushakevitz, and yours truly
We were supported and directed throughout the project by our fab choreographer, Robert Binet, and by Yohan Stegli, Kevin Haigen and Lukas Onken of the Bundesjugendballett.
After three sweat-drenched shows, we wrapped up with a final matinee today, and the Maid of the Mill has now been put to bed until next time – watch this space! Here’s a photo I took this morning. A little grainy, I’m afraid, but it gives you an idea of the space we performed in, and of what the dancers’ daily routine starts with.
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