Watch a Young Carrie Fisher Audition for Star Wars
Anna Netrebko & Roberto Alagna “Va, je t’ai pardonné” Romeo et Juliette
Ben Mendelsohn on His ‘Rogue One’ Villain
Being in a film the size of Rogue One is quite a change for Mendelsohn, who admits he had a lot of trouble finding work in America earlier in his career. He says, “They came to me after Animal Kingdom — well, they sort of did. There was a bit of a lull until I got in a one-two punch with The Place Beyond the Pines and Killing Them Softly, and then they really came along. But I also had been coming here for about 20 years, trying to get something going on, and I could not get arrested, as they say.”
However, now that Mendelsohn is getting his work outside of his native country, he has to develop accents to portray non-Australian characters. But he welcomes the challenge, and says, “Ultimately, I’m really glad that I haven’t been able to. I believe that having to work on it more has made me better at what I do. Having to spend a lot of time making sure I’m not taking people out of Bloodline or film stuff, you need to put the work in. That has real benefits.”
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Hazel Scott on 2 Grand Pianos
Interview: Sunny Li, Pianist
Who or what inspired you to take up the piano and pursue a career in music?
I was fortunate to be born into an artistic family that opened the door for me to explore music when I was very young. While both my parents were not in the music business, my dad had a strong passion for classical music. He exposed me to the grace and magnificence of classical music as early as I can remember. I began to love classical music under his influence and wanted to carry his passion forward. I started learning piano at the age of four and had my first public performance at age of six, by then piano has become an integral part of my life.
Who or what were the most important influences on your musical life and career?
I had the privilege to be tutored by some of the most skilled and talented pianists in my budding career. Every one of them had taught me different aspects in mastering the piano, notably for techniques, discipline and emotion.
In my years in Royal Academy of Music, I studied under Professor Carole Presland. Under her rigorous tutorage, I was able to build a solid foundation in piano works and her relentless pursuit of perfection imparted to me. She had vastly increased my exposures to various composers and repertoires, laying paths for me to explore the immense universe of classical music. Her passion for music still inspires me deeply today that I always set higher targets for myself and only achieve the best that I can be.
Professor Paul Janes coached me during my Masters of Performance studies in Royal Northern College of Music. He is very meticulous and trained me to focus on the small, intrinsic parts of a play. As such, I refined my piano techniques enormously under his guidance. At the same time, he helped me to develop my interpretation and control in higher forms of classical music. This allowed me to inject my emotions into details during performances, thereby representing classical music in my very own style.
I was honored to be coached by Deniz Gelenbe for my Artist diploma: she helped me to refine my style. Critically, she opened my eyes to look at each piece of performance in an art form more than a demonstration. I am also very grateful for all the opportunities that she presented to me to achieve further in my performance career.
Last but not least, Professor Gabriele Bolducci inspired me deeply with his passion and showed me the dedication and romantic side of music. He taught me to strike the perfect balance between control and spontaneous during a performance, as well as to comprehend music deeply from within the heart.
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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Tutus
You see professional ballet dancers wearing them onstage. And this, you already know: they are beautiful, glittery, ethereal, like moving pieces of art. But like all things ballet, the illusion created supersedes the reality. Things are not as they seem in the magical world of tutus.
1) They’re expensive. A teenaged, pre-professional dancer entering a competition might pay $1000 for one. The average professional tutu costs around $2,000.
2) Dancers don’t wear tutus in ballet class. Sorry, little girls. Had to get that bad news out of the way first.
3) They’re difficult and time-consuming to make. Even when made by a professional, they can take up to three weeks, or between forty and sixty hours, to construct.
4) The tutu itself is just the poofy skirt. The bodice is usually sewn into the basque; there is an upper basque and a lower basque. A practice tutu is just the lower basque.
5) They can’t be washed. Well, certainly not between performances.
6) They aren’t particularly comfortable. We’re not talking a stretchy, Lycra kind of material.
7) They use a ton of material. Each tutu requires roughly 100 yards of tulle, a type of net fabric.
8) There are half a dozen types. Here are the main ones: Romantic (longer, diaphanous, covers knees; think Giselle and Les Sylphides); pancake (or classic), and powder puff.
9) A bodice has two or three rows of hooks and bars down the back so that the costume can fit more than one dancer.
10) Cleaning the costume with vodka? Of course! A fun fact I learned while researching this post: vodka acts like Febreze to get rid of body odor in fabric, without that fake, perfumey smell.
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George Michael & Luciano Pavarotti “Don’t let the sun go down on me”