Being Shakespeare – Simon Callow Click here to watch Having a hard time with lockdown? Shakespeare will cheer you up, I guarantee it. Or, at least, Shakespeare as explained and performed by that magician of the stage, Simon Callow. There he is, one of our most popular actors, alone on the stage of London’s Trafalgar Studios, introducing us to the middle-class boy who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, telling his story and illustrating it with what he wrote. Only an actor as accomplished as Callow could embody so many characters and jump easily from one to another, and back to himself as narrator. I have seen this show, scripted by Shakespeare scholar, Jonathan Bate, and brought to life, thrillingly, by Callow, several times in the theatre and have been enthralled each time. This week, when lockdown started again, I watched it on screen all the way through, and was sorry when it ended because it had cheered me up. So I watched it again. It will do the same for you. Promise. LPO concert stream – all Beethoven (nearly) Click here to watch There is what promises to be a fine nearly-all-Beethoven concert on Wednesday, live-streamed from the Barbican. It starts at 8pm and will then be available, free, for 7 days. The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Rustioni, has programmed Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto, with Nicolas Namoradze as soloist, plus Beethoven's 4th Symphony, and his Ah! Perfido, sung by soprano Sophie Bevan, which should be a treat. The ‘nearly’ in the ‘nearly-all-Beethoven’ is an overture by the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, L’Amant Anonyme. I’m fascinated by the Chevalier because, although he’s almost forgotten today, in the 18th century, he was one of the most important composers in France. Known as 'the Black Mozart', he composed numerous string quartets, several operas, and many instrumental pieces, including the Overture the LPO is playing tonight. He was a virtuoso violinist, a conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris, decorated soldier, and a renowned champion fencer. He nearly became the Director of the Paris Opera until three of the Opera’s leading ladies complained to Queen Marie Antoinette that they couldn’t consider taking orders from a mulatto. The Chevalier was the first, almost the only, Black classical musician of his time and his is a great story. It’s a pretty good Overture, too. Songwriting with Amanda McBroom and Michele Brourman Click here to join I am constantly bowled over by the unselfishness of great artists. During this difficult time, more and more of the best of them are not retreating to their duvets to await better weather, but are using this downtime to do some good for other artists who may want to hone their skills. There is teaching going on at a very high level in all the arts on the internet, given by artists for artists, often those at whose feet we would not, under normal circumstances, have the opportunity to study. For example, here’s a chance to find out if you have the talent to be a songwriter of the first rank, taught by two of the world’s greatest singer/songwriters. If songs are your thing, you will immediately recognise the names – Amanda McBroom and Michele Brourman. These two extraordinary artists have had huge international success together and separately, and they are combining to teach a four-session workshop on the art and craft of songwriting. It is open to songwriters of all experience levels, those who are just starting or changing genres, or professionals who want to sharpen their focus. If you have ever imagined yourself as a professional songwriter, and want to learn from the best how to write effective and entertaining songs, here’s your chance. Richard 11 – National Theatre Click here to watch Irish actor, Fiona Shaw, is never less than brave. She takes on parts in productions that are always risky and sometimes downright foolhardy. The director she has worked with most is equally danger-minded – Deborah Warner – and, as you might expect, sometimes the risks this pair take pay off and sometimes you can’t imagine what made them try it. They are particularly keen on gender–swapping roles and, on this occasion, Shaw took on the title role in Shakespeare’s Richard 11, which is on offer via the YouTube channel of The Shows Must Go On, starting at 2pm ET (7pm UK) on Nov 9, and then available for a week thereafter. To stick my neck out (or else what’s it there for?) this is neither Shakespeare’s best play nor Fiona Shaw’s best performance, but it was a curiosity for those of us who wanted to see what a female Richard 11 might look like. When this production was staged at the National in 1995 with a cast including Donald Sinden, Richard Bremmer, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Kevin McKidd, and Paola Dionisotti, it produced howls of disapproval and equally loud squeals of delight. I was, in case you care, in the negative column but, as always, I give Shaw a respectful tip of the hat for guts. Cocktails with a Curator – Frick - Aimee Ng Click here to watch We haven’t looked at this series for a while now but here comes the impeccable Aimee Ng, Curator at the Frick, as she discusses a single painting in each episode. This one is by George Romney, a contemporary of Reynolds and Gainsborough in the late 18th century, coincidentally in the same period as the Chevalier de Saint Georges. This portrait, Lady Hamilton as Nature, was the first of dozens that Romney painted of her, made when she was just 17 years old and already with a good many miles on her. While Aimee Ng is too delicate to say so, its subject, Lady Hamilton, yes, that Lady Hamilton, has come a long way from housemaid to best friend of the Queen of Naples, to lover of England’s greatest naval hero, Lord Nelson. Somehow, in discussing this one painting, Ng manages to give us an overview of society painting in this period, a deliciously gossipy biography of Lady Hamilton, and an understanding of the work of George Romney, and where he fitted into the firmament of English portraiture. Emilia Click here to watch I really enjoyed this play, despite its heavy-handed insistence on all things feminist. And, of course, I loved the true story of Emilia Bassano, hard-done-by unappreciated writer who could have been, but probably wasn’t, the Dark Lady of the Sonnets (oh dear, we’re talking Shakespeare again). Well, you would expect a story of a hard-done-by underappreciated writer to strike a chord with me, wouldn't you? Emilia is a good story, told in a somewhat overcomplicated form. Despite the identical dresses, it takes a little while to work out that there are three actors, Adelle Leonce, Clare Perkins, Saffrom Coomber, who look nothing alike, playing Emilia, the afore-mentioned hard-done-by underappreciated writer who would have been appreciated had she been a man. Possibly. Probably. They all sing too. Pretty well. There’s lots of passion, fury, laughter, and song in this tale of a hard-done-by….…oh, all right, fighting to get her plays and poetry heard in the London of 1609 and reaching out to us across the centuries to complain of having been mostly ignored. Sound familiar? Emilia is available for 14 days from November 10th with tickets offered at a generous ‘Pay what you can, from as little as £1’. Mob Dance – Save the Arts Click here to watch The choreography isn’t up to much and the song, from The Greatest Showman, isn’t the best, but there’s no mistaking the yearning expressed by these dancers, in deserted London theatre streets, who may never work again professionally. This will make you cry if you care about the arts. And if you’re watching this, you do care. Flowers in Winter Click here to watch I know that many of you love Fascinating Aida, as I do. Here, from those three marvellous women who make up the group, Dillie Keane, Liza Pulman and Adele Anderson, is a song which is very different from their usual fare. This is what Dillie Keane herself has to say about it. “I wrote this song 21 years ago for my father and all the other wonderful Dads who’d made their huge contributions to the War effort in WW2. We decided to re-record it in time for Remembrance Day with the Hatfield and Askern Colliery Band. I do hope you enjoy it.”
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AuthorRuth Leon is a writer and critic specialising in music and theatre. Archives
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