What the classical world has been listening to this month
Susan Bullock Soprano I’ve spent some months in Paris working on Missy Mazzoli’s opera Breaking the Waves. I’m always struck by the amazing colours that she brings to her music, and the way she combines instruments to create extraordinary soundworlds. Her styling is very eclectic: the way she uses voices, in almost sprechstimme style, evokes mystical or religious chanting. For her latest release, Dark with Excessive Bright, she has reverted to Baroque influences. Once again, she finds unusual combinations that just seem to work, creating incredible atmospheres.
Being in Paris switched me back onto lots of beautiful French music. Branford Marsalis’s lovely album Romances for Saxophone with Andrew Litton and the English Chamber Orchestra contains so many of my favourite French pieces – Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Fauré’s Pavane, Debussy’s L’Isle joyeuse. It’s quintessential, impressionistic French music – brought to life on a saxophone! Hearing that wonderful music in a whole new interpretation, with totally different colours, was an uplifting experience.
To relax, away from the harrowing storyline of Breaking the Waves, I’ve been listening to the jazz pianist Bill Charlap.
During my time in Paris, Charlap’s album Street of Dreams became my soundtrack for going home, cooking dinner and relaxing. It’s essentially a celebration of New York City, with a mix of jazz standards and songbook favourites. It’s incredibly atmospheric and nostalgic, and brings back lots of musical memories from my childhood.
And also…
I love cricket, and I am very excited about this year’s Ashes. My husband, the tenor Richard Berkeley-Steele, is a member of the MCC and we’ll be going to a couple of days of the series. I’m so excited to see how England do against Australia – especially with this exciting new talent, Josh Tongue, who took five wickets against Ireland in his first Test.
Susan Bullock performs in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle at the Edinburgh International Festival, 23-27 August
James Gaffigan Conductor
I’ve recently been listening to the 2000 recording of JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. I find Herreweghe’s Bach recordings incredible in that they look back in time with regards to performance practice but the sound is so beautiful and clear. He is also one of the most natural of Bach conductors. He never gets in the way of the music – you never think ‘Oh, that’s Herreweghe’, as you do with other conductors. With him, it’s all about Bach.
I have been condu
