Radio Play / Podcast
Objects & Apparitions
https://m.soundcloud.com/laure-meloy
Wintering
3. Maggie Smith on the mutual reflection of poetry:
I am in need of music
Episode 3: I am in need of music
Elizabeth faces a crisis.
Elizabeth Bishop: Brigitte Baden-Rennie, Laure Meloy, Gráinne Gillis
Narrator: Laure Meloy
Incidental music: Laure Meloy, soprano and Christopher Gould, pianist
Third instalment: interview – Brigitte Baden-Rennie, Gráinne Gillis, Paula M. Kimper
Selections from interviews for episodes 1, 2, and 4 that were too good to leave on the cutting-room floor.
Countermelody
Countermelody is a podcast on great singers and great singing with the American countertenor, coach, teacher, and writer Daniel Gundlach. As he writes: ‘In today’s world where misunderstanding and hostility increasingly are the order of the day, I remain daily grateful for the miracle of the human voice raised in song. At its best, the singing voice is unmatched in conveying unvarnished truth, honesty, transparency, and sincerity.’
There are myriad wonderful episodes of this podcast, but start with the following:
The Shampoo
Bishop travels to Brazil, and meets Lota de Macedo Soares, subsequently embarking on a volatile 15-year relationship.
Elizabeth Bishop and Narrator: Laure Meloy.
Script: Laure Meloy and Brigitte Baden-Rennie
Original settings of Bishop’s poetry: Paula M. Kimper
Incidental music: Laure Meloy, soprano and Christopher Gould, pianist
Second instalment: interview – Paula M. Kimper
Laure chats with Paula M. Kimper, composer of the One Art song set – Casabianca, The Shampoo, Objects & Apparitions, and One Art.
Paula is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and has been active in New York City for over 35 years as a composer of opera, theater, dance, film and song. Her entire catalogue of scores was acquired by the Loeb Music Library of Harvard University.
Ms. Kimper’s first opera, Patience & Sarah, premiered in Lincoln Center Festival ’98. The Captivation of Eunice Williams, commissioned by the PVMA of Deerfield, MA, premiered in July 2004, and was most recently performed in Skopje, Macedonia. The Bridge of San Luis Rey, based on Thornton Wilder’s novel, was seen at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA in 2007. Ms. Kimper’s latest opera TRUTH, An American Opera about Sojourner Truth, premiered in February 2012 at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA. The chamber version, performed by Paula Kimper Ensemble, appeared in the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival, and in 2014 at Riverside Theatre inside Historic Riverside Church. “Here is a Place” was commissioned by OPERA America for “The OPERA America Songbook” to commemorate the 2012 opening of the National Opera Center in New York City. ONE ART was commissioned by soprano Laure Meloy who stars in the one-woman opera/cabaret based on Elizabeth Bishop’s life and poetry.
Kimper has received commissions from American Opera Projects, Amy Pivar Dances, Downtown Music Productions, Richard Daniels, Femme Lunatique Productions, New York Festival of Song, Old Deerfield Productions, OPERA America, The Phoenix Concerts, The Walt Whitman Project and others.
Paula Kimper Ensemble is a participant in the New York Opera Alliance (NYOA) and Paula has served as director of the Executive Committee of NYOA. She was one of five inaugural participants in the Columbia University Community Scholars Program (2013-16).
Incidental music heard during this interview is from: Kimper’s recording Flight of the Harmonic Messenger; and from the duet from Patience & Sarah, ‘I want to live’, with Lori Phillips and Elaine Valby, included on the Lesbian American Composers compilation CD, 1998.
Poetry Parlour
Anna Robinson, host of Poetry Parlour, was born and lives in London, where she teaches at University of East London. Her work has appeared in several journals and anthologies, including Poetry London, Magma, Brittle Star, the Reater, In The Company of Poets (Hearing Eye 2003) and Oxford Poets 2007 (Oxford/Carcanet). Her website can be found at: http://www.annarobinsonpoetry.co.uk/about-me.php
Casabianca
Episode 1: Casabianca
Elizabeth Bishop introduces herself, telling us about her childhood, education, and early career.
Elizabeth Bishop: Brigitte Baden-Rennie
Narrator: Laure Meloy
Incidental music: Laure Meloy, soprano and Christopher Gould, pianist
First instalment: interview – Brigitte Baden-Rennie
Laure chats with Brigitte, who not only performs as Elizabeth Bishop for the ‘Casabiana’ episode, but was one of the original co-authors of the One Art monodrama/cabaret/opera, premiered in 2016.
Brigitte Baden-Rennie brings a wealth of experience in multiple arts disciplines gained over the past 35 years. Performer, writer, programmer and director, with a particular passion for narrative cabaret. Brigitte’s company, The Mosaic Cat, was established in 2012 with the aim of creating, programming and nurturing the art of story telling as well as collaborating on local community events.
Brigitte lives in both the UK and Australia.
Objects & Apparitions: the art of being Elizabeth Bishop
If you have followed the progress of our previous project, One Art, then the next phase, Objects & Apparitions will be familiar territory. If not – fear not – you can still enjoy this interpretation of Elizabeth Bishop’s life story without going back through the previous work.
One Art, the cabaret/opera monodrama, featured one performer portraying Elizabeth Bishop, reading her poetry and correspondence, and singing original settings of her poetry by composer Paula Kimper (you can read about the process of creating this piece here and here, if you are so inclined.)
Objects & Apparitions: the art of being Elizabeth Bishop, takes this concept and divides the role of Bishop among several performers, adding a narrator, sound effects, and incidental music in a recorded, podcast/radio drama format. The introduction of many ‘Elizabeths’ rather than one, highlights the universal nature of Bishop’s poetry and biography, as well as reflecting her own feelings of alienation; our performers have transnational connections and experiences, having moved countries, continents, multiple times and possessing multiple citizenships. Each of us is Elizabeth Bishop, and Elizabeth Bishop is all of us.
The podcast will begin on 25 January 2022, with interviews, episodes, and guest episodes released every fortnight.
Review of Tête à Tête performance:
‘An extraordinary performance, gripping for Meloy’s freshness and nuance, as if the whole thing were unscripted.’ The Stage
Performances of ONE ART throughout the 2018/2019 season:
August 27/18, 2018 – Chicago Pride Arts Center
September 26, 2018 – Tenby Arts Festival
April 1, 2019 – Folkestone Women’s Forum
April 27, 2019 – Music at York Street
July 27, 2019 – Tête à Tête: the Opera Festival
POW! Festival 2018:
ONE ART North American Premiere:
Copy of programme: ONE ART programme 2017 copy-2
6 Questions interview:
Interview about ONE ART in the Sybaritic Singer:
Sybaritic Singer interview for ONE ART (in PDF form)
Launch and premiere on 21 October 2016
Here is some feedback from the audience:
‘The whole evening was wonderful from the canapés and fizz to the stunning a capella performance of One Art…The CD is amazing!’
‘Thank you so much for a brilliant evening – utterly compelling and spellbinding.’
‘I did enjoy One Art & am listening to the Debussy songs at the moment: they’re lovely, and you’ve got a great accompanist.’
‘Spellbinding solo performance by Laure Meloy tonight in Canterbury – songs, poems and letters by Elizabeth Bishop set by Paula M Kimper. It was a privilege to be there.’
‘A thoughtful and engaging performance by @lameloy. Excited to listen to my new CD #ONEART’
One Art is ready to Launch!
Life affirming poetry by Elizabeth Bishop, set to music by Paula Kimper, performed by soprano Laure Meloy.
The launch of an art song recording, and the World Premiere of the song set One Art, is presented in a unique opera/cabaret performance illustrating the life and loves of poet Elizabeth Bishop. Please join us for this one-of-a-kind event, and celebrate One Art!
Friday, 21 October 2016, 7:30 p.m.
Conquest House Gallery – Canterbury Festival Umbrella Programme
17 Palace Street, Canterbury CT1 2DZ
Box office: 01227 472953
£13 advance, £15 at the door
A co-production of Femme Lunatique Productions & The Mosaic Cat
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We used crowdfunding site Indiegogo to back the recording portion of the One Art project. Thank you to everyone who contributed, whether through Indegogo, in person, or in kind.
This page lists our wonderful donors on the Wall of Eternal Gratitude!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/one-art–2/x/13302452#/
The Wall of Eternal Gratitude
Thanks to the following backers:
Anna-Louise Taylor
Griselda Cann Mussett
Christine Poulton
Timothy Caldwell
Lina Saavedra
Glen London
Rob O’Brien
Richard Artingstoll
Nathalie Banaigs
Brigitte Baden-Rennie
Anonymous
Patricia Mahoney
Jamie Moore
Alison Robertson
Laurel Townend
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Laure Meloy, soprano 