OH MY!! MOMENT : Ready for Bocelli & Westenra live performance

May 15 2011 looks so surreal for me. On that day, (who knows) I'm gonna attend a concert of the most-ever-multi talented slash world renowned (pop) opera figure, ANDREA BOCELLI. Not just that, he brings my fav. crossover soprano HAYLEY WESTENRA too. Two words : more surreal!

Hayley visited Bocelli, in his Italy house.

I think this is the first concert of internationally-known classical musician I ever attend to since it's a very rare event in Jakarta (this kind of music - some says but not for me - is very segmented, just for wealth people), and the ticket price is shockingly crazy (even the price of cheap seat can cost you a Blackberry device). Years before, Jakarta also welcomed same genra artist, like Sarah Brigtman (Bocelli long-time singing partner), vocal quartet Il Divo. Prior to the expensive ticket, I was absence to attend those gigs.

But it's different story for me when Bocelli & Hayley Westenra were planned to come. Bocelli is like an inspiration for me and Hayley has been my music crush since her debut in 2003. I live in Hayley's music for about eight years, I grew with her five studio albums, I breath by wathing tons of her video on YouTube, showing her performed in front of The Queen & Royal family, former US president, The Pope, Mandela or dueting with other music stars, from Il Divo to Ronan Keating. Really a misserable for my whole-life, if I skip their one-in-lifetime Jakarta appearance. That's why, just days before the concert, I already got the ticket. Platinum seat (no one wants to know about the crazy price. and how I got it. I can assure you. hha). It's a must-to-watch show man!

Already holding the ticket. Got the excitement. High blood pressure. Next, going to the venue & witness the heavenly moment of me, proudly brought by Andrea Bocelli & Hayley Westenra themselves.

to be continued...

Classic Brit Awards 2011: Main Event

Perhelatan yang ditunggu para pecinta musik klasik akhirnya digelar juga. Classical Brits Award diselenggarakan untuk kedua belas kalinya Kamis (12/5)  di Royal Albert Hall, London.

Dibuka oleh The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Parker Bowles), acara ini didedikasikan bagi para insan musik klasik, baik mereka yang  menekuni genre murni musik klasik (tradisional/konvensional) hingga main-stream (klasikpop/crossover/kontemporer). Mengingat diperhitungkannya juga crossover di penghargaan ini, muka-muka 'fresh', atau 'now-generation' kerap terlihat baik sebagai nominator maupun performer di malam itu. Sebut saja gitaris Milos Karadaglic, mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, All Angels, Isabel, komposer muda Eric Whitacre meramaikan nominasi dan panggung penampilan diantara nama-nama pemain lama seperti Aled Jones, Antonio Pappano, Andre Rieu, Bryn Terfel. Yang sangat mengejutkan adalah, dianugrahkannya 'artist of the decade' bagi kuartet vokal IL DIVO. Terdengar mengejutkan, karena selama tujuh tahun mereka berkarir, tidak ada satupun album IL DIVO yang dinominasikan di Classic Brits.

Pada malam itu, Classic Brit juga mendedikasikan sebuah penghargaan khusus "Outstanding Contribution to Music" kepada John Barry, komposer theme-song & scorer film JAMES BOND. Dame Shirley Bassey pun tampil secara khusus menyanyikan lagu "Gold Finger" yang terkenal itu untuk menghormati mendiang sang komposer.

Classic Brits akan ditayangkan di ITV Inggris tanggal 29 Mei. Bagi kalian yang tinggal di luar Inggris, masih bisa mengaksesnya via youtube (link menyusul) :)
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Video wawancara IL DIVO di karpet merah Classic Brits. #facts: (setelah Katy Perry membicarakan Indonesia di majalah Vanity Fair), dalam wawancara ini Il Divo membicarakan Jakarta lho.. (skip ke 1:38)

Transcript
Interviewer : "Have you found them (fans), as you gone around the world,  what has the response been like?" 
Il Divo's Sebastian:  : "So far it's been really amazing. The more and more we performing around the world, then the more and more we get fans, and we go to places you would never think we would have gone probably. We playin in JAKARTA, and places, that you live like a tressure, cause you really bring something to music. I think that would be our biggest AWARD. "

intinya: Jakarta adalah satu kota, yang menurut Il Divo punya fans yang loyal. Itu adalah sebuah penghargaan terbesar dalam tujuh tahun mereka berkarir.

Foto Karpet Merah Classic Brits

IL DIVO

mezzo-soprano, Katherine Jenkins

vocal-quartet, ALL ANGELS

ex-member of ALL ANGELS, soloist Laura Wright

Pemenang X-Factor, Rhydian Roberts

Gitaris Milos Karadaglic

Gareth Malome & Eric Whitacre

Alion Balsom

Berikut full-list para pemenang The 12-th Annual Classic Brits Awards
Female Artist of The Year : Alison Balsom (trompetis) --> Alison Balsom tampil di Late Night with David Letterman

Male Artist of The Year: Antonio Pappano (Conductor)

Newcomer Award : Filde Frang

Composer of The Year : Arvo Part

Critics of The Year : Tasmin Little

Artist of The Decade : Il Divo

Classic FM Album of The Year : Andrea Rieu

Outstanding Contribution to Music : John Barry (James Bond's theme-song composer)

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sebagai penutup, berikut penampilan Andrea Bocelli dan Sarah Brightman di Classic Brits 2008. Bocelli dijadwalkan akan tampil di Jakarta, Minggu (15/5). Which is very exciting for me, cause I'm gonna be there :) 

Store Guide: The Classical Album 2011 & IL VOLO

Mad about the rare classical record to find in our local CD store in Jakarta?? 

Well, here some new release of classical CDs I could find in a CD store in Jakarta. 

Yesterday, I made a pit-stop in Duta Suara Plaza Senayan. There I found 'The Classical Album 2011" (released in UK last year, now Universal Music Indonesia made it released here). This compilation album is a serial recording following The Classical Album 2008 & 2009, which was released here too. But unfortunately the 2010 version wasn't released. I found my self excited as Uninversal Music Indonesia to continue releasing the 2011 version. Talking about the price, the 2011 album is more expensive than the last year version. I spent my rupiahs for about 115,000, for 44-song album, while 2008-2009 version just costed me 75,000,- Rupiah. However, I can't guarantee you, the album lists some of biggest name in classical music of this decade, from the traditional to the crossover one. It has Il Divo, Russell Watson, Blake, Camilla Kerslake, Katherine Jenkins, Rhydian, Charlotte Church, The Priests, listed on this album. So, It's worth. 

Not only The Classical Album 2011 I found there, but also IL VOLO. This is the debut album of three classically trained young fresh-faced boys, named their group 'IL VOLO' ( I regard them as the combination of The Three Tenors and The Jonas Brothers). Also released by Universal Music Indonesia, the price of this album is 75,000 Rupiah.

Hoping for tons of new classical cds to come in Jakarta. Finger (really) crossed.

TORI AMOS goes CLASSICAL (like Sting & McCartney did)

Another mainstream musician explores classical music. Tori Amos, follows Sting and McCartney footsteps, to release classical album. 


The alternative pop rock singer/songwriter will release her debut classical album, under classical label Deutsche Grammophon. "Night Hunters" will due in September. 


On her official website, the singer says about the upcoming album as a "21st-century song cycle inspired by classical music themes spanning over 400 years". She also adds :"The protagonist is a woman who finds herself in the dying embers of a relationship. In the course of one night she goes through an initiation of sorts that leads her to reinvent herself allowing the listener to follow her on a journey to explore complex musical and emotional subject matter. One of the main themes explored on this album is the hunter and the hunted and how both exist within us."


A few years ago, McCartney and Sting did the same stuff. In 2006 The Beatles star released classical recording, titled "Ecce Cor Meum" (Behold My Heart), a choral and orchestral work in both English and Latin. Also in the same year, The Police frontman, Sting, relaesed "Labyrinth", which brings up the music of Elizabethan age back to the modern era. The world reacts. Numbers of award nomination followed the recordings. Both Sting and McCartney were nominated in Classic Brit Awards, a British classical music award equal to Grammy.

We've seen pop acts like Sting and McCartney had released classical album before. Awards and honor followed as the album went 'mainstream'. And now, Tori Amos. Who's next?

Classical Music in Twitter Universe!!

It's not difficult to keep updated on something these days. Social media era has helped us reach out to everthing, beyond the borders. Look, what they've done to the classical music improvement. We can lots of updates about what's happening in the classical music world. Thanks to the one called twitter

So, here what did I do on my twitter to have myself updated on classical music. Here's what I follow to..

1.The labels

Some major labels that specialized in classical recordings now on twitter. Keep upgrade your latest recordings updates and its promotion events..

Decca  (Andrea Bocelli, Eric Whitacre, Hayley Westenra, All Angels, Aled Jones, Andre Rieu, Farryl Smith, The Choirgirl Isabel, Blake, Camilla Kerslake)

Decca Classics (Renee Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Pavarotti, Nico Muhly, Jonas Kaufman)

DG & Decca US 

Deutsche Grammophone (Yuja Wang, Milos Karadaglic, Sting,Anna Netrebko)

Sony Masterworks (Il Divo, The Priests, Lang Lang, Escala, Placido Domingo, Yo Yo Ma, Jessye Norman, Russell Watson)

EMI Virgin Classics (Libera, The King's Singers, Sarah Brightman, Joyce Didonato, Karl Jenkins, Kate Royal)

EMI Classics US
Warner (Josh Groban, Katherine Jenkins)

Note: One artist may sign to different record label in past time, like Lang-Lang who was DG's, also Jessye Norman.

2. The Artists
Twitter is frenzy, even to some of our 'old' classical performers. Flemming and Bocelli, they are 'tweeps' too (even not quite sure whether their own or their manager who is managing their twitter). Here are some of our fave classical performers who join twitta...

Singers
Josh Groban, Katherine Jenkins, Hayley Westenra, All Angels, Renee Fleming, Andrea Bocelli, Joyce Didonato, Russell Watson, Il Divo, Il Volo, Camilla Kerslake, The Priests, Faryl Smith

Choirs/ Vocal Ensemble
Libera, The King's Singers, The Sixteen, Voces8, Stille Anctico, I Faglioni, New College Choir

Violist
Sarah Chang, Andre Rieu

Pianist
Lang Lang, Yuja Wang

Guitarist
Milos Karadaglic

Instrumental Group / Orchestra
Escala, Raven Quartet, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic

Composers
Eric Whitacre, Nico Muhly

Not to forget, we, as Indonesian, also have our own classical artists who may flood your twitter timeline. Follow them, and see what they've done to 'fix' our national music taste (and image)

Ananda Sukarlan (Composer/Pianist), Addie MS (Conductor) Aning Katamsi ( Soprano), Eric Awuy (trumpetist), Rama Widi & Maya Hasan (Harpist), Batavia Madrigal Singers (Choir), EA Classic (Radio Program)

3. The Venues
Finds the concert details of your favorite classical acts from the most prestigious opera venues in the world

Royal Albert Hall (London)

The Carnigie Hall (NYC)

The Metropolitan Opera (NYC)

The Sydney Opera House (Sydney)

4. The Media
Classical music has now over-ruled the media too, mostly in UK. Follow them:

Magazines: Gramophone, MUSO, BBC Music, Classic FM (the mags)

Radio : Classic FM

Critics : Art Desk, ClassicalX
Charts: You can find in iTunes, Gramophone Mags, or Classic FM

Recording of The Week : Allesandro Striggio - Mass in 40 Parts (Album Sakral 40 Suara Masuk Tangga Lagu Pop)

Nyanyi dalam satu paduan suara dalam format SATB? sudah biasa.. Tapi bagaimana kalau dalam satu kelompok paduan suara itu terdiri dari 40 orang yang harus menyanyikan 40 bagian yang berbeda-beda untuk satu lagu. Penjelasan sederhananya: kita seperti mendengar satu lagu yang dinyanyikan 40 solois. Massive right?? 

Inilah yang dilakukan oleh kelompok paduan suara Inggris I Fagiolini yang direkam dalam album Allesandro Striggio - Mass in 40 Parts . Di bawah arahan sang director, Robert Hollingworth, mereka menyanyikan lagu-lagu misa untuk "40 suara" karya Alessandro Striggio yang digubahnya pada tahun 1560-an. Karyanya termasuk salah satu peninggalan abad Renaissance. Yang menariknya, karya ini sempat "hilang" selama beberapa 450 tahun, sebelum akhirnya ditemukan di Perancis oleh seorang musicologist Inggris. 

Untuk menambahkan nuansa Renaissance, Hollingworth mengikutsertakan alat-alat musik zaman Rennaisance, seperti viols, brass, lutes untuk mengiringi I Fagiolini bernyanyi. 

Masuk pop-chart

Hal yang gak disangka adalah semenjak dirilis Februari lalu, album bertemakan sacred-choral ini ternyata menembus tangga lagu pop di Inggris. Seperti yang diliput oleh Reuters, adalah sebuah hal yang jarang ditemui bagi album sakral untuk bersaing bersama Eminem, Rihanna atau Bon Jovi di tangga lagu pop (kecuali untuk album yang beraliran crossover). Well, berikut ini beberapa tanggapan media lainnya tentang album ini:

'Subtle and moving' - The Observer

'a powerfully affecting landscape' - The Independent

'Enough to test anyone's hi-fi equipment' - The Times

'40 voices hitting you beautifully left and right' - The Times

'Beautifully performed by I Fagiolini with soloists and countless continuo parts, the polychoral effects are striking ... a masterpiece.' - The Guardian

'Its impact in this premiere recording by the voices and period instruments of I Fagiolini under Robert Hollingworth is terrific ... Tallis, in a healthy show of one-upmanship, devised much trickier part-writing for Spem in alium, as anyone who has sung it will know, but the two works complement one another perfectly. ' - The Daily Telegraph

Rilis di Indonesia?

Selama berkililing di beberapa toko CD (di mal yang berbeda), saya sih belum pernah melihat album ini dipajang di rak mereka (baik import maupun rilisan Indonesia). Well, semoga saja Universal Music, khususnya UM Indonesia, mau berbaik hati merilisnya di sini. Kalau malas menuggu bisa langsung order online di Amazon, iTunes atau HMV UK

Album ini dibawah label Decca Classics (Universal Music)

Track Listing
1		Ecce beatam lucem (1561?/1568)
		Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno (by 1566)
2			Kyrie
3			Gloria
4			Credo
5			Sanctus
6			Benedictus
7			Agnus Dei I
8			Agnus Dei II
9	Vincenzo Galilei – Contrapunto Secondo di BM (1584)
	Alessandro Striggio
10		Fuggi, spene mia (1565)
11		O giovenil ardire (1568)
12		Altr’io che queste spighe (1570)
13		D’ogni gratia et d’amor (1567?/1571)
14		O de la bella Etruria (1560)
15		Caro dolce ben mio (1560)
16		Misero ohimè (1560)
17	Sarum plainchant – Spem in alium
18	Thomas Tallis – Spem in alium (1567-71)

Good Friday Playlist

Playlist di Jumat Agung kali ini:

Panis Angelicus (Cesar Frank) oleh Charlotte Church | album : Prelude, The Best of Charlotte Church
dalam bahasa Inggris lagu ini dikenal dengan judul 'The Angelic Bread' (Roti Surgawi), pas dengan momentum perjamuan kudus yang kerap dilaksanakan saat Jumat Agung.



Calvary/They Crucified My Lord  (Spiritual) oleh Kathleen Battle & Jessye Norman | album : The Spiritual Concert
Calvary atau golgota, ikon dari peristiwa penyaliban.

 Miserere (Allegri) oleh The Tallis Scholars |  album : Sacred Music in The Renaissance
"Miserere Mei Deus" atau "Kasihani Aku ya Tuhan..". Berdasarkan kitab Mazmur 51 dan beraliran renaissance polyphony digubah oleh  Allegri sekitar 1630an...

Agnus Dei (Barber) oleh All Angels | album : All Angels
Awalnya karya ini dibuat oleh Samuel Barber untuk string orchestra dengan judul Adagio For Strings.

Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) oleh Il Divo | album : The Promise
Salah satu karya pop yang menyertakan kata Hallelujah sebagai judul lagu.


Amazing Grace (Newton) oleh Lesley Garret | album : Amazing Grace




Ave Verum (Mozart) oleh King's College Choir | album : King's College Choir