Birmingham Royal Ballet on Classic FM, April 2008

Transcript (part two)

Audio | Transcript part one | Transcript part two

Julia Richter is one of four pianists who work with the ballet. She has a curious hybird role of needing to act as a bridge between what people hear and what people see, to ensure that the performance feels cohesive.

'The shape of the phrasing, the line of the melody, the harmonic structure and the harmonis rhythm, go exactly, as they collaborated together on that. We've got a piano reduction which is used for every production. I tend to then look at the orchestral score or hear an orchestral recording, usually do alot of editing and then write stuff in to play. I do that because for the dancers the most important thing is that when they come to being on stage with the orchestra they're not going to get a shock!

'This whole visual translation of music is quite interesting. I think we're the only ones in our job that do that. Taking a very easy example, something like Nutcracker - the Sugar Plum Fairy - which has a celeste solo in it; that's quite easy to replicate on the piano. Something like the Act II pas de deux from Swan Lake, where there's a big cello solo and a violin solo, that's quite similar as well. If you think orchestrally when you're playing all the time, you're thinking of the string sound or if it's a pizzicatto sound or a wind cound or a brass chord or something like that - or even the timpani's! - as long as you're thinking orchestrally, you're going to bring that out for the dancers to hear.

'On a new work, when you'r working with a new choreographer straight away - like we're about to do on Le Baiser de la fé with Michael Corder, he and I will work and talk the music through together; how he wants it and how I think the music should go. So it's quite interesting this visual thing where you're taking this visual thing and all these visual elements and putting them to music.'

Paul Murphy is conductor for the production. For him, vision in music is vital. He needs to use visible techniques to communicate with all those taking part in the ballet.

'Think back to the beginning of conducting, if you like, which was developed I think in 17th century France. Jean-Baptiste Lully did one of the first experiments, which I think just involved banging a great big stick on the floor to keep the musicians in time.

'Well of course, musicians these days are so much more skilled in terms of playing together than they used to be. Conductors guestures don't always need to be directed to wards beats and time. Sometimes our guestures in a more complicated score, for example something more contemporary, the actual beating of the time is critical to the orchestra. But in something like this piece [Swan Lake], where the music is relatively straight forward, our guestures are there, primarily to enhance the overall experience for the audience.

'So in other words we're trying to create the mood of the piece through guesture. So in other words, encouraging dynamics, encouraging various levels of sound and tone quality, and drama. A lot of it is actually done with the face as well as the hands. There's a very strong 'X-factor' in conducting because two people could stand in front of an orchestra and do pretty much the same thing and the orchestra would sound entirely different.'

Conductor Paul Murphy. Well the proof of the pudding is in the eating. How did Birmingham Royal Ballet do in Manchester?

[Audience comments]

'It was spectacular, and nice costumes. The music is very popular and familiar!'

'The Hungarian dance - I've never seen the dance - I've heard the music loads of times but when you see it it puts it back into your mind, so every time you hear it, you're back watching the ballet dancers doing the dance, which is very good. The pictures with the music!'

'The music's the main thing. Same in opera - the music's more important than whatever happens on stage, which sometimes is better not to see. Everybody's idea of what it's about is not neccessarily your idea.'

'It certainly does help, seeing that visual part of it, and you can hear the climaxes coming up, seeing what leaps are being done.'

'I find it surprising that it wasn't very popular when it was first performed, apparently'

'I think that if you had a visual behind an orchestra playing, it would not neccessarily enhance it. The only difference is something like fireworks playing, or a fountain playing with the music. That does help you, even though it's silent.'

'This is the second time I've seen the Birmingham Royal Ballet. I used to go a lot when I was a child. I love all the sparkles and the energy, and the energy and the costumes and the lighting, I really like it. But I also listen to it on the radio and I enjoy it so it just adds an extra dimension.'

'No I don't neccessarily think you need one or the other, but for me to come out to the opera and the ballet, I enjoy the whole spectacle rather than just sitting and watching an orchestra. They're both enjoyable.'

That's Classic FM Arts Daily for today. Thanks for listening, join me again tomorrow.

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