Katia and Marielle Labèque

I love interior design, and I love classical music, and I especially love when they intersect as perfectly as with the Labèque sisters.  Katia and Marielle Labèque are arguably the world's best piano duo - they are incredibly dramatic and regularly astound their audiences with their expressive and imaginative performances.  They are actually performing in Toronto NEXT THURSDAY (not tomorrow - oops) and I am so, so sad to be missing it.  If you can possibly swing it, you should really, really go - I think it is going to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime concerts.  Sigh.

These gals seem so cool.  Besides performing the usual Ravel, Satie, Prokofiev, and Mozart, they have also formed a group called the Minimalist Dream House that explores contemporary music from John Cage and Steve Reich to Sonic Youth and Radiohead. They've played with Sting and Herbie Hancock and Madonna is their buddy.  And they have one of the most beautiful and unique homes and recording studios I have ever seen.

The sisters bought the first two floors of a Renaissance palace in Tuscany and collaborated with Antiques dealer and designer Axel Vervoordt to create this gorgeous home that somehow manages to be sumptuous and minimal at the same time.  That amazing purple sofa came from Vervoordt's Home Collection, and the various treasures are from his antiques and art objects gallery and store.

The faded panels in Marielle's bedroom were found under layers of paint and the ceiling is original as well.  The mood and texture of this room is contrasted by Katia's serene space below, although the railing were made by Vervoordt from metal pieces originally used to hold up the roof of the Louvre.

Other modern amenities are hidden away throughout the house: the kitchen appliances are tucked beneath these 17th-century doors, and the rich green silk curtain in the living room hides a state-of-the-art stereo system.

This home is so up my alley!  If you are wondering where the pianos are (like I was), they are at the world-class recording studio they crafted out of a 1920's nursing-school in Rome.  Here the spare but textured space has a more industrial feel, perfectly suited to all the cables and electronic equipment.  My favourite thing in the space, the huge stone sphere, is not an adornment from an ancient Italian ruin, as I had assumed, but rather one of a set of nine orbs carved by Thai monks that would have surrounded a temple to "absorb and diffuse cosmic power." Amazing.

I love the inlaid panels placed above the pianos in the this space and the one pictured at the beginning - even the acoustic requirement add to the overall aesthetic. Katia has a great quote in the AD article: “Axel is the only person we know who treats space the same way we read a musical score—exploring new areas of feeling while holding on to the rhythm.”

If you are interested, there is a great interview on the Architectural Digest site of the Lebèque's collaboration and friendship with Axel Vervoordt. Below I'll include a mesmerizing Minimalist Dream House performance of Radiohead's Pyramid Song.  (I chose not to include the video of Madonna taking her dancers and crew to visit the Labèques - Madge's patronizing and affected voice makes me crazy.)

Lastly, if you can make it, I implore you to go see them for me next Thursday night, August 1, at Koerner Hall in Toronto (7:30 pm, torontosummermusic.org)!

MINIMALIST DREAM HOUSE _ Radiohead "Pyramid Song" from Meloni Mitchell on Vimeo.

Fantastic Frank sells houses like nobody else.

OK, maybe somebody else out there sells houses this way.  If so, please contact me, because you are undoubtedly awesome. Fantastic Frank is a real estate agency out of Stockholm that styles and photographs its listings in completely unorthodox ways.  Seriously, I have never seen a bathroom countertop covered in fake teeth on mls.

For this particular flat, they decided to have a rock concert in the living room.  And we're not talking fake/hire-some-people-to-look-like-they're-rocking-out staging (which would in itself be pretty damn cool).  We're talking Peter Bjorn and John, going to town, complete with smoke machine.

I love the graveyard of Coke cans on the kitchen table.  Has a boring, run-of-the-mill apartment ever seemed so AWESOME?  It is sold, BTW.

Photos via Ideas To Steal cause I couldn't find them again on the Fantastic Frank site...

I heart The Black Keys

This video made me super happy this morning.  Thanks to Veronika for originally posting it.  Turn it up and dance!

Georg Bohle Piano Table

As some of you know, I played piano for 17 years and ended up with a degree in music.  Sadly my last year at university sort of soured me on it a bit, and when I moved to Toronto the year I graduated, I simply didn't have the money or especially the room for a piano.  So it has now been (*gasp!*) 14 years since I have played.  Holy moly.  Now that Will is almost 4, which is when I started, I am trying to figure out how to fit one in my house.  I think we will end up with a keyboard (or a ukulele), but if I win the lottery we will get this one instead - the Piano Table by George Bohle.  It serves as an oak dining table until one section is opened to reveal an electric keyboard.  It is so beautifully done, I can't get over it.  "WANT" doesn't even cover it...

via FreshHome

Petition to Protect Arts Funding in Toronto

City Hall in Toronto is currently considering cutting funding to the City's major arts organizations (there is a Star article here).  I am completely biased (since I used to work in the arts and have music and museum studies degrees), but I think that the arts are what make Toronto vibrant, progressive, and attractive to tourists and economic investment.  I have signed THIS PETITION and urge you to consider doing the same.   What is your take on municipal funding for the arts?

Art is the stored honey of the human soul.  

~Theodore Dreiser

When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work.  I told her I worked at the college - that my job was to teach people how to draw.  She stared at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?"  

~Howard Ikemoto

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit.  

~John Updike

Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.  

~John Lubbock

A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.  

~Albert Camus

The question of common sense is always what is it good for? - a question which would abolish the rose and be answered triumphantly by the cabbage.  

~James Russell Lowell

Man will begin to recover the moment he takes art as seriously as physics, chemistry or money.  

~Ernst Levy

Poster from the National Campaign for the Arts in UK.

Music I Like: Patrick Watson

Rachel from Black*Eiffel and I have pretty much identical taste in music and I always get so excited when i see her Music Monday post waiting in my reader.  A few weeks ago she posted "To Build A Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra and I loved it immediately.  It is perfectly haunting and emotional, and therefore has of course been used on a bunch of TV shows, including the ultimate heart-ripper-outer Grey's Anatomy.  But I just couldn't get that voice out of my head, and it turns it belongs to Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson.  His songs are just beautiful - most of them simple piano or guitar and voice, but so broad and expansive, and so expressive.   A few of them remind me of Tom Waits, a few of Radiohead, but they are definitely all his own.  Here are some of my favourites, including his appearance with The Cinematic Orchestra - let me know what you think.




Photo: http://www.nielsvinck.nl/patrick-watson

Music I Like: Aidan Knight

I think I first heard Victoria-native Aidan Knight at an amazing vintage store in Kelowna (Frock - it is so, so good. I never leave empty-handed.) I downloaded his album Versicolour immediately and it is one of my go-to albums.  Mellow and folky, but so original and smart, it is full of those songs that seem to be the perfect soundtrack to whatever you are doing.  Suddenly washing the dishes slows down, the room is lit with flickering sunlight, and you realize that this simple moment is actually epic and life is pretty damn amazing... know what I mean?  His song The Sun does this to me every time.  You can download his songs from his website and see some of his more produced videos, but I wanted to show you these live videos - having listened so much to his album I can't help but love the fresh and sprawling take on his songs.

The Sun


Jasper with Dan Mangan - I have to admit that I feel a little patriotic as I watch them singing in the Rockies with their parkas and toques... :)


Aidan Knight - Giants of the Forest - Episode Five from Amazing Factory Productions Inc. on Vimeo.

Music I like: Mahler 5

Although I have worked for orchestras for the last ten years, I don't usually include classical music here. Perhaps because it was 'work', it didn't seem to fit on my hobby blog, or maybe I assumed that many readers would be uninterested in the subject.  I do try to keep my "Objects of Admiration" bite-sized: a quick break from the day-to-day, a taste of something beautiful or creative amidst the bland sameness you see everywhere.  However, today's entry is definitely more substantial meal!



I went to see the Toronto Symphony Orchestra perform Mahler Symphony 5 last night, along with a superb performance by Joshua Bell of Bruch's Violin Concerto.  Mr. Bell was incredible, as always, but for me the night was stolen by a performance of Mahler's 5th symphony, the likes of which I had never heard before.  At the risk of sounding like a cheesy music reviewer, I will tell you in all honesty that it was huge, it was gut-wrenching, it was tragic, it was tender, it was triumphant.  The symphony's Adagio has been used in the film Death in Venice, and for the funerals of Leonard Bernstein and Robert Kennedy, but Maestro Oundjian told us last night that it was actually written as a love letter to Mahler's wife, Alma.  He also explained that Mahler brought a colour and sound out of the orchestra in a way that has never been accomplished by any other composer. "Mahler is to symphonic music what Shakespeare is to the theatre" were Oundjian's first words on stage.  Conductor Herbert von Karajan apparently agreed, having once said that when one hears Mahler's Fifth, “you forget that time has passed. 

A great performance of the Fifth is a transforming experience. 

The fantastic finale almost forces you to hold your breath.”

That certainly held true for me.  I am attaching some clips here from You Tube because it is impossible to describe the music without hearing it, but even these are a pale shadow of a live performance.  There is some inexplicable magic involved in being present when this music rushes out from the stage; watching the musicians pour their souls into their music, the sweating brows of the brass, the intense concentration and emotion on every face, and the almost rapturous expression on the conductor.  You can't help but be swept into this moment, and feel that you are involved in something magical that is being created in this very instant, never to be experienced this way again.  It doesn't happen every time, but it sure did for me last night.

Pretty mushy words, no?  I have made a career out of trying to describe the magic of a live music experience, and have never been satisfied with the results.  I think it might just be impossible to articulate.  But I urge you to put a live orchestral performance on your bucket list, you won't regret it.

For those of you in Toronto, who happen to be without plans for Saturday, the TSO is going to perform this masterpiece one more time, at a special Late Night performance which starts at 10:30 pm.  You can bring your drinks in to the hall, and afterwards meet and mingle with musicians and the conductor at an audience-wise party, featuring the music of Toronto's Paisley Jura.  I really, really think it is a one-of-a-kind experience!  And since I got me some connections...if you enter the code "FRIENDS" you can get your tickets for $22.50.  If you go, let me know what you thought.  And if you feel like, maybe leave a comment on your favourite classical music experience?  I would love to hear them.

My birthday with Adele

On Wednesday, I somehow realized that Adele was playing in Toronto that night - how could I have missed that?  I thought I would casually ask one of my ticketing "connections" if they knew of any last minute tickets being released to this sold-out show, on the off chance that I could snag a ticket and go.  I thought it would be a nice birthday gift to myself!  Well somehow this amazing lady worked a miracle and got me an AMAZING seat.  Even better, my colleagues all pitched in and covered the cost of the ticket as a birthday gift....and then the sun came out after weeks of rain.  True story.  I left work and got a beautiful manicure (Essie - Clam Bake), had a beer and some food by myself on a patio (first patio of the season!), and then walked down to an amazing concert.  It was the best solo birthday date ever! 

 

 

I took a few blurry photos and some video, but I will spare you most of it.  Instead, I leave you with the following link to give you an idea of how incredible this girl is.  Goosebumps!

Yo-Yo Ma and Lil Buck

I found this incredibly moving - it's like Lil Buck is floating on sound...  And kudos to Mr. Ma for continuously exploring the boundaries of music and performance!  I can't wait to see him in 2012 with the TSO.  What do you think?

From YouTube:
The other day, I was lucky enough to be at an event to bring the arts back into schools and got to see an amazing collaboration between Yo-Yo Ma and a young dancer in LA, Lil Buck. Someone who knows Yo-Yo Ma had seen Lil Buck on YouTube and put them together. The dancing is Lil Buck's own creation and unlike anything I've seen. Hope you enjoy. --Spike Jonze

Thanks for the link David!

Music I Like: Kimbra

Kimbra - "Plain Gold Ring" (Live at Sing Sing Studios) from Forum5 Recordings on Vimeo.

I found this video thanks to a link from Kate, and holy ga-MOLY I was blown away.  Of course, this is an amazing song, but this girl Kimbra sings the hell out of it.  What a voice - what a performer!  Her back-up ensemble is dynamite, and the videography is really well done.  The rest of her stuff is a bit poppy for my taste, but I would definitely go see her if she came to town.  She is from New Zealand and is... wait for it... 20 years old.  Sigh.

Music I like: James Blake

'K, I am not sure how you guys are going to like this, but I am in an odd kind of mood this evening, and the soundtrack for my mind is played to perfection by James Blake.  You have probably heard his cover of Feist's Limit To Your Love, but his other stuff is just awesome too.  His voice is crazy good, but the best part of his sound to me is the spaces.  The music has these amazing, vaguely unsettling silences that keep you engaged.  His songs are like the perfect minimalist room, where the only things that are there are the things that need to be there, and they are made all the more beautiful by the space around them.  (Told you I was in a weird mood...)  And man oh man, if you only listen to one - make it his live accoustic Joni Mitchell cover A Case of You (one of my all-time favourite songs) at the bottom.

Zurich Chamber Orchestra

The zurich chamber orchestra has some amazing advertising - thanks for Michael and David for passing it along!  Although, I am not sure what an orchestra would play for babies...Mozart?...or what musicians would really want to play for a hall of squealing, squirming, and not-very-attentive babies and parents...  But the poster sure is cute and clever.

Having already posted about their advertising here, I had to do a search for what other interesting concepts they had come up with.  Looks like they excel at non-traditional orchestra advertising - or their agency Euro RSCG World does.

Flash Messiah

This is so awesome.   Chorus Niagara, with the help of director Robert Coopera, shocked the diners* at the Seaway Mall foodcourt in Welland Ontario with a stealth performance of Handel's Halleluja Chorus.  It could be the remnants of the food poisoning I suffered today, but it gave me chills!  Thank you John Terauds for posting this.  I wonder if it is too late to organize this for our upcoming TSO Messiah?


*Does one "dine" at a food court?

Music I like: Ramona Falls

I love the sound of the band (sorry - "indie rock project") Ramona Falls - named after a waterfall in Oregon and not a clumsy girl named Ramona.  However, I think I might like their videos even more!  The first one below is especially cool.  They have such a nifty vibe - check out their site to hear their streamed album.  

November

Don't mean to get all gloomy on you, but this is pretty much how November makes me feel...
"November has tied me
To an old dead tree
Get word to April
To rescue me..." (Tom Waits)

The Hubster cranks this tune without fail every November 1st - today was no exception. :)  I used to hate it, but now the sound of that saw at the beginning makes me smile.

We have a soft spot for Tom in our house - the following was the 'first dance' song at our wedding, and I include it here in case you think Tom is nothing but weird, gloomy, wackadoodle music (which 80% of it is...).  This one is the perfect wedding dance song - simple, heartfelt, and blessedly short - oh, and completely true!  xo

Music I like: Rosie and Me

I was accused of being CHIPPER this morning - can believe that??  I think it might be because I was watching this cute video (before I got to work OF COURSE) by another awesome new-to-me band I now love via Black*Eiffel.  Rosie and Me is this group from southern Brazil with a fun, folky sound.  I enjoy.  You might too.  But careful - it might make you chipper.



Some more lovely sounds from Rosie and Me:

Music I like: Audra Mae

The Hubster has been watching Sons of Anarchy, and introduced me to this song sung by Audra Mae.  You may recognize it as having been sung by Rod Stewart - no wait, keep reading! - but it was originally penned by Bob Dylan.  Three seconds in and I was ready to pledge my undying love to Audra Mae.  The more I heard by her, the more I ADORE her.  Listen to the first of these clips, and I defy you not to have every last arm hair standing on end.

Dolly's Little Sparrow has never sounded so intensely heartbreaking.

This is pretty much exactly what I sound like when I sing...

Her voice is incredible.  Check out her myspace page for more of her music with better sound.

Mmmmmm......beeeeeeeeer...........

This. Is. Brilliant.  Or maybe I am just a big ol' music geek who loves beer.  (Or maybe both?)  But seriously, have you ever noticed that after consuming a certain amount of beer, you start to feel 'in tune'* with your music-making skills? (That, and speak French fluently...) I can only imagine the jam sessions that would result after a few of these 6-packs.  Each bottle shows notes on a scale with a corresponding mark up the side - simply drink the beer down to that level and blow across the top to sound the note.  Should you be a little too... thristy, the empty bottle can be played as a washboard with the cap thanks to the bumps on the side, and the box can be turned upside down and played as a tuned percussion instrument.  Musical genius ensues.

Sadly, they are no longer in production, which is too bad because I also love Pale Ale.  But if you wanted to help with production and distribution, I am sure they would love to hear from you.  (Found here.)
*That's for you David.

Music I like: Coeur de Pirate

Some fun music for you on this sunny Tuesday, care of Quebecois cutie Coeur de Pirate, aka Beatrice Martin.  At 21, this girl has crazy confidence, a fabulous voice, and obviously knows how to rock the tattoos.  In 2009, CBC Radio 3 gave her song Comme des Enfants a Bucky award for Best Reason to Learn French, but I don't think you need to understand to love her songs.  She does some fabulous covers of Umbrella and I Kissed a Girl on YouTube too... I hope these put a spring in your step today!