Welcome! In this issue we scratch the surface of the fascinating connections between music and our other senses.
It was a real treat to speak with the one and only Joby Talbot at the end of August – having been a long time fan of his work, I was surprised, but delighted, that he agreed to chat. Joby chose to focus on his Christopher Wheeldon ballets: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; The Winter’s Tale; and Like Water for Chocolate – incredible multi-sensory works bursting with colour, drama and texture. He was very generous with his insights and experience, speaking in detail about the nature of his collaboration with Wheeldon, how it has developed over the years, and how they approach each ballet’s scenography at the start of each project. Other topics discussed include his collaboration with conductors, theatre amplification, orchestration, and the score’s complimentary architecture to the choreography, as well as wonderful anecdotes such as how the iconic tapping Mad Hatter came about.
The second feature is an article entitled ‘Where Sound and Scent Collide: Exploring the Connection between Fragrance and Music’. Having recently developed an interest in fragrance, in both a creative and therapeutic sense, I quickly noted many parallels in the field with the visual and performing arts. In this dive into their connection I focus on a few selected case studies: Wagner (the most well known composer associated with fragrance) and his use of rose oil for inspiration whilst composing; conductor Fabio Luisi’s own perfume line FLParfums; and L’Orchestre Parfum – an independent French perfume house that takes its inspiration from music from around the world. It now seems nonsensical to me that more of us don’t use scent to inspire us. If any of you use perfume to compose or study music, please let us know.
And finally, we have an interview for the Matter of Principals series with Sérgio Pirez, Principal Clarinettist of the London Symphony Orchestra. He recently left the position, but was still happy to speak about his work with the orchestra. Sérgio joined the LSO in 2019 and was made Principal Clarinet in 2023 (trials were elongated because of Covid). Our conversation was extremely varied. We discussed the woodwind section as a whole, and other topics such as the complexity of its tuning issues, time delays from the back of the orchestra, and what environmental factors make performing a lot trickier for him. He also educated me on circular breathing, Klezmer and Portuguese Fado music. I always relish hearing players discuss which composers they feel write best for their instrument, and which conductors they particularly favour, and why. This time, Sérgio’s answers have led me to some new music that I have continued to listen to and enjoy. Sérgio has left the international orchestra life for a more varied career in teaching, and solo, chamber, and orchestral performance.
Huge thanks to Joby and Sérgio for their company. I hope you enjoy the issue.
Dr Hannah Baxter