BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
You get shipwrecked, finally make it home and your wife is shacked up with your best mate. Tragic enough to die of a broken heart, don’t you think?
That’s what happens in Enoch Arden, the romantic poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson which Richard Strauss felt compelled to set to music. Fast-track a century and a bit, and Australian pianist Simon Tedeschi teams up with Bell Shakespeare founder John Bell AO to perform this intense tale at QPAC on 4 July. Simon tells us about his Enoch Arden experience.
Enoch Arden, hey? Tell us how your collaboration with John Bell AO came about.
I first proposed the project to my manager Jackie, who thought it sounded fascinating. Then, Jackie proposed the idea to Toby Chadd of ABC Classics, who is remarkably receptive to new and distinctive projects. The next job after that was to find a suitable narrator. I wanted somebody more senior, who could imbue the work with the gravitas it needed – someone theatrical, but also not too orthodox in their approach.
Why this work, and why now?
I was simply fascinated by the work – the idea of man vs nature, the individual vs society – and the tenuous grip on civilization that we all face is just as relevant in 2017. Enoch Arden is a melodrama, which fits into the romantic ethos perfectly – it captures the notion of human beings, entirely vulnerable and at the mercy of nature, and dependent on their inner fortitude and relationship with the almighty. I feel that it is a remarkable piece of music, written by a timeless genius, depicting the interchange of romantic poetry and music that whilst seemingly of a different age, is entirely appropriate for the challenges of the world today.
What do you think it is that makes a musical story live on through the centuries? And can we predict a modern work’s longevity?
Great poetry is great poetry – and even though the words and dialogue themselves are old fashioned, they have an internal rhythm and metre, and depict a landscape that is as beautiful as any Les Murray or T.S. Eliot. The themes in this story are timeless, and technology has only made the feelings of isolation, despondency and dispossession even more palpable. In terms of longevity, the works that I think have become truly immortal – things like Beethoven’s Emperor concerto second movement, the Moonlight Sonata first movement, and Debussy’s Clair de lune – live on for a reason: they tap something immediately recognizable, even primordial, in human beings. Enoch Arden, in many ways, has not done this, as it has been comparatively rarely performed. However, I think, like many ‘hidden gems’, that this is a great work deserving of more public attention.
In the lead-up to your QPAC performance, the two of you released this as an album. How has it felt for you personally to immerse yourself in such an emotional and tragic tale?
Initially, I found the antiquated language somewhat bamboozling, but very quickly, it was set alight by John (whose voice could make the Gregory’s street directory sound interesting!). In our first performance in Perth, I actually – in many ways – could listen to the tale in full for the first time. It was quite overwhelming and I was affected in a personal way by the plight of the main character, his wife, and even Phillip Ray, the ‘other man’. All of the characters in this melodrama are good people, thrust into catastrophic circumstances through no fault of their own. I am still coming to terms with it in many ways. We have all been where Enoch has been, even if we have not been shipwrecked!
What do you feel are the benefits of making music when the natural expressive elements are also driven by the power of words, as in John’s reading of the poem? Or are there even challenges, disadvantages, of having part of the emotional narrative literally written out before you?
The only thing I had to learn – and quickly – was how to connect the poem with the music, as it’s not like a song recitation in which the interplay between voice and accompaniment is clearly notated. So, in many ways, it was as much about conducting as piano playing. I used my head a lot! As for the delights: working with an actor of John’s stature is a very humbling experience, because in those deep, brooding tones are the combined experience of decades performing the most complex, multi-layered roles. So, when I first met him, I was a little overwhelmed – until I got to know him and realised that he, like me, is utterly at the service of the art he has devoted his life to. When you work with someone who uses their voice as John does, you instinctively as a musician learn about breath, about phrasing, about timbre. It’s an incredible experience.
Now, we’ve spoken before about your incredible career success. I’d like to know what advice you would give to young musicians who would like to follow in your footsteps:
– What have you been most proud to take on in your career?
Certainly winning the Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year award in 1998 was my proudest, and a pivotal achievement.
– What do you wish you’d said ‘no’ to?
When I was very young, I did music for a fashion designer for his big Sydney show – I wasn’t paid and I had to improvise for two hours in ‘African’ style. Suffice to say, I regret that one.
– What’s been the most important stepping stone for you?
Every piece is a stepping stone for me, but especially the works by the great masters – Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert.
Visit the QPAC website for more details on this 4 July affair.
Image supplied. Credit: Cole Bennetts.
