Cover versions of The Juliet Letters
- Jack of All Parades
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Re: 'Katarzyna Groniec , Listy Julii' - Juliet Letters in Polish
I enjoyed that, expecially the arrangements and the pitch of her voice- had a very Brechtian sound to it. Thank you for sharing.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: 'Katarzyna Groniec , Listy Julii' - Juliet Letters in Polish
You’re welcome.
A couple of the songs are a bit vocally over-wrought for my taste, but that comes from her acting background and the way she decided to approach the songs.
There are quite a few excellent renditions though, so it’s well worth buying.
A couple of the songs are a bit vocally over-wrought for my taste, but that comes from her acting background and the way she decided to approach the songs.
There are quite a few excellent renditions though, so it’s well worth buying.
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Then you don't know what you've missed
Re: 'Katarzyna Groniec , Listy Julii' - Juliet Letters in Polish
http://www.indystar.com/article/2009112 ... rtain-Call
Church concert series
Arts at All Saints, the public concert series at the Episcopal Church of All Saints, 1559 Central Ave., will open at 5 p.m. Sunday with an organ recital by Mason Copeland.
The Indiana University student won the 2009 Young Artists Competition of the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
The series continues Jan. 17 with pianist Ann O'Bryan and the Alexander String Quartet playing the Schumann Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44, and the premiere of a quintet by Jason Overall, the church's organist-choirmaster.
On Feb. 14, tenor Steven Stolen and the Alexander String Quartet will perform "The Juliet Letters," a song cycle by Elvis Costello.
On Feb. 26, Echoing Air, an Indianapolis ensemble specializing in music by Henry Purcell, will present a selection of the baroque English composer's sacred and secular works.
On May 2, the All Saints Choir will perform music composed in the past decade.
All concerts are free and start at 5 p.m., with the exception of the Feb. 26 concert (7 p.m.). For more information, call (317) 635-2538.
-- Jay Harvey
http://www.allsaintsindy.org/
Church concert series
Arts at All Saints, the public concert series at the Episcopal Church of All Saints, 1559 Central Ave., will open at 5 p.m. Sunday with an organ recital by Mason Copeland.
The Indiana University student won the 2009 Young Artists Competition of the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
The series continues Jan. 17 with pianist Ann O'Bryan and the Alexander String Quartet playing the Schumann Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44, and the premiere of a quintet by Jason Overall, the church's organist-choirmaster.
On Feb. 14, tenor Steven Stolen and the Alexander String Quartet will perform "The Juliet Letters," a song cycle by Elvis Costello.
On Feb. 26, Echoing Air, an Indianapolis ensemble specializing in music by Henry Purcell, will present a selection of the baroque English composer's sacred and secular works.
On May 2, the All Saints Choir will perform music composed in the past decade.
All concerts are free and start at 5 p.m., with the exception of the Feb. 26 concert (7 p.m.). For more information, call (317) 635-2538.
-- Jay Harvey
http://www.allsaintsindy.org/
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- Posts: 2228
- Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 2:20 pm
- Location: Poland
Re: 'Katarzyna Groniec , Listy Julii' - Juliet Letters in Polish
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Then you don't know what you've missed
Re: 'Katarzyna Groniec , Listy Julii' - Juliet Letters in Polish
http://www.fearnomusic.org/concerts/2009-10/8
Friday, January 29, 2010
8:00 PM
The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Ave
Portland, OR 97201-3304
(503) 222-2031
$20 general admission; $15 Seniors; $5 students. Children under 13, free.
About the concert
* Golijov — “Mariel” for Marimba and cello
* Dutilleux — “ainsi la nuit” string quartet
* Lou Harrison — “Grand Duo” for violin and piano
* Elvis Costello — selections from "The Juliet Letters”
Guest artists
* Timothy Nishimoto, singer
* Stephen Marc Beaudoin
Friday, January 29, 2010
8:00 PM
The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Ave
Portland, OR 97201-3304
(503) 222-2031
$20 general admission; $15 Seniors; $5 students. Children under 13, free.
About the concert
* Golijov — “Mariel” for Marimba and cello
* Dutilleux — “ainsi la nuit” string quartet
* Lou Harrison — “Grand Duo” for violin and piano
* Elvis Costello — selections from "The Juliet Letters”
Guest artists
* Timothy Nishimoto, singer
* Stephen Marc Beaudoin
Re: Juliet Letters performance, Portland, OR. Jan. 29 '10
http://brodskyquartet.blogspot.com/2010 ... hoven.html
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Posted by Brodsky Quartet
Had forgotten what a great hall Eindhoven is. Bit odd-looking but superb acoustic. It was bloomin' freezing there.
Oh, while we were there we met a quartet and singer who are about to do something in the region of 22 concerts in Holland of a theatrical version of the Juliet Letters ..... more of that anon.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Posted by Brodsky Quartet
Had forgotten what a great hall Eindhoven is. Bit odd-looking but superb acoustic. It was bloomin' freezing there.
Oh, while we were there we met a quartet and singer who are about to do something in the region of 22 concerts in Holland of a theatrical version of the Juliet Letters ..... more of that anon.
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Re: Juliet Letters performance, Portland, OR. Jan. 29 '10
In the Netherlands musicians Jeroen Phaff and the Juliet Quartet are making a tour in the theaters with a translation of The Juliet Letters.
http://www.lievejulia.com/
http://www.echo.nl/hg-hg/uitgaan/ingezo ... eve.julia/ (contains You Tube video)
http://www.lievejulia.com/
http://www.echo.nl/hg-hg/uitgaan/ingezo ... eve.julia/ (contains You Tube video)
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
Re: Jeroen Phaff/ Juliet Quartet , 'Juliet Letters' tour 201
Wat: Lieve Julia
Wie: Jeroen Phaff & Het Juliet Quartet
Wanneer: 26 februari 2010 (try-out)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1reVkM9 ... re=related
Wie: Jeroen Phaff & Het Juliet Quartet
Wanneer: 26 februari 2010 (try-out)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1reVkM9 ... re=related
-
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- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:49 am
- Location: Belgium
Re: Jeroen Phaff/ Juliet Quartet , 'Juliet Letters' tour 201
A performance in Sweden: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CjnVGjD_kE
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
Re: Jeroen Phaff/ Juliet Quartet , 'Juliet Letters' tour 201
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainm ... z0uba46PPq
July 24, 2010
(extract)
At 1 p.m. today on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the 2010 Ottawa Chamber Music Festival officially opens with a free concert by the Gryphon Trio and mezzo-soprano Patricia O'Callaghan performing songs and tangos from the Americas.
Between that show and the Aug. 7 closing concert by the Tokyo String Quartet, the festival will present more than 90 concerts and other events involving hundreds of musicians. The festival, programmed by Toronto cellist Roman Borys and his Gryphon Trio colleagues, will present music ranging from Haydn to Elvis Costello.
Sarah Nematallah, violinist, Cecilia String Quartet
What she's playing: The quartet's concerts include a July 31 10:30 p.m. performance of Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters with soprano Kerry-Anne Kutz; an Aug. 3 noon performance of a new piece by Ottawa composer Kelly-Marie Murphy for quartet and clarinet ("not to be missed," she says) and a concert Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. including music by Beethoven, Dvorak and Wolf.
July 24, 2010
(extract)
At 1 p.m. today on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the 2010 Ottawa Chamber Music Festival officially opens with a free concert by the Gryphon Trio and mezzo-soprano Patricia O'Callaghan performing songs and tangos from the Americas.
Between that show and the Aug. 7 closing concert by the Tokyo String Quartet, the festival will present more than 90 concerts and other events involving hundreds of musicians. The festival, programmed by Toronto cellist Roman Borys and his Gryphon Trio colleagues, will present music ranging from Haydn to Elvis Costello.
Sarah Nematallah, violinist, Cecilia String Quartet
What she's playing: The quartet's concerts include a July 31 10:30 p.m. performance of Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters with soprano Kerry-Anne Kutz; an Aug. 3 noon performance of a new piece by Ottawa composer Kelly-Marie Murphy for quartet and clarinet ("not to be missed," she says) and a concert Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. including music by Beethoven, Dvorak and Wolf.
Re: The Juliet Letters/ Kerry-Anne Kutz, Ottawa, July 31 '10
http://www.indystar.com/article/2011012 ... ar.com%7Cp
Jan. 20, 2011
When Indiana Repertory Theatre Managing Director Steven Stolen decided to spend an evening with 150 of his friends last weekend, he ended up grossing more than $23,000 in donations for one of his favorite causes.
The money generated from Stolen's annual fundraiser, "An Evening With My Friends," helps support his Meridian Song Project, a series of free concerts at Trinity Episcopal Church featuring Stolen's vocals.
The popular series is in its 14th season. Its next concert is Jan. 30, when Stolen will perform singer-songwriter Elvis Costello's "The Juliet Letters" with a string quartet.
http://www.trinitychurchindy.org/event/ ... g-project/
A Music @ Trinity concert: Meridian Song Project
Sunday, Jan 30, 2011, 4:00pm
Join Steven Stolen for a unique opportunity to hear the music of popular icon Elvis Costello in Juliet Letters. A most eclectic piece blends classical and popular idioms with string accompaniment in the uniquely beautiful setting of Trinity Church.
Trinity Episcopal Church
3243 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis IN 46208-4677
Telephone (317) 926-1346
Fax (317) 921-3364
e-mail inquiries: kdean@TrinityChurchIndy.org
Jan. 20, 2011
When Indiana Repertory Theatre Managing Director Steven Stolen decided to spend an evening with 150 of his friends last weekend, he ended up grossing more than $23,000 in donations for one of his favorite causes.
The money generated from Stolen's annual fundraiser, "An Evening With My Friends," helps support his Meridian Song Project, a series of free concerts at Trinity Episcopal Church featuring Stolen's vocals.
The popular series is in its 14th season. Its next concert is Jan. 30, when Stolen will perform singer-songwriter Elvis Costello's "The Juliet Letters" with a string quartet.
http://www.trinitychurchindy.org/event/ ... g-project/
A Music @ Trinity concert: Meridian Song Project
Sunday, Jan 30, 2011, 4:00pm
Join Steven Stolen for a unique opportunity to hear the music of popular icon Elvis Costello in Juliet Letters. A most eclectic piece blends classical and popular idioms with string accompaniment in the uniquely beautiful setting of Trinity Church.
Trinity Episcopal Church
3243 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis IN 46208-4677
Telephone (317) 926-1346
Fax (317) 921-3364
e-mail inquiries: kdean@TrinityChurchIndy.org
- Jack of All Parades
- Posts: 5716
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:31 am
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Re: Steven Stolen/ The Juliet Letters, Indianapolis, Jan. 30
John, if I lived in the area would definitely make an effort to see this. Thank you for sharing.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
Re: Steven Stolen/ The Juliet Letters, Indianapolis, Jan. 30
http://blog.irtlive.com/2011/01/28/stev ... d-balance/
28.Jan.2011
(extract)
Stolen is ecstatic about working with the Indianapolis-based Alexander String Quartet to present the immensely challenging Juliet Letters, created by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello that premiered in 1993 with the classically trained Brodsky Quartet. The cycle of twenty songs of an imaginary set of letters to Juliet Capulet blends classical and popular with string accompaniment.
Stolen feels he’s sharing a special part of himself. “While this was not written specifically for me, it is a work for someone like me, fitting into my voice and soul. It is a gift to present it in the warmth of Trinity.
“This is part of what I feel grounds us, what keeps us in balance and keeps us going. It’s telling our stories, connecting with each other on a personal level.”
28.Jan.2011
(extract)
Stolen is ecstatic about working with the Indianapolis-based Alexander String Quartet to present the immensely challenging Juliet Letters, created by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello that premiered in 1993 with the classically trained Brodsky Quartet. The cycle of twenty songs of an imaginary set of letters to Juliet Capulet blends classical and popular with string accompaniment.
Stolen feels he’s sharing a special part of himself. “While this was not written specifically for me, it is a work for someone like me, fitting into my voice and soul. It is a gift to present it in the warmth of Trinity.
“This is part of what I feel grounds us, what keeps us in balance and keeps us going. It’s telling our stories, connecting with each other on a personal level.”
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- Location: Belgium
Re: Steven Stolen/ The Juliet Letters, Indianapolis, Jan. 30
The Juliet Letters will be performed again: http://www.fearnomusic.org/concerts/2010-11/20
Upcoming Concert:
The Juliet Letters
Map
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
8:00 PM
Aladdin Theatre
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland, OR 97202
Tickets will go on sale in March
.
Upcoming Concert:
The Juliet Letters
Map
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
8:00 PM
Aladdin Theatre
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland, OR 97202
Tickets will go on sale in March
.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
Re: The Juliet Letters, Portland, Or, April 12 '11
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F004 ... rcatid=203
FEAR NO MUSIC PRESENTS ELVIS COSTELLO'S "THE JULIET LETTERS"
Aladdin Theater
Portland, OR
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 08:00 PM
FEAR NO MUSIC PRESENTS ELVIS COSTELLO'S "THE JULIET LETTERS"
Aladdin Theater
Portland, OR
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 08:00 PM
Re: The Juliet Letters, Portland, Or, April 12 '11
From the original sleeve note ; the reference to Cait was dropped from note with the Rhino re-issue.
Costello wrote of the work: "Well, if it sounds like the start of a tall story I suppose it is. My wife, Cait, pointed out the tiny newspaper item about a Veronese academic who had taken on the task of replying to letters addressed to 'Juliet Capulet.
http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/i ... _cost.html
Fear No Music plays Elvis Costello songs in 'The Juliet Letters'
Thursday, April 07, 2011
By David Stabler, The Oregonian
On Tuesday, Fear No Music, a new music ensemble, and four local singers perform 20 songs written by Brit songwriter Elvis Costello and the Brodsky String Quartet, based on an imaginary correspondence between a Veronese academic and Shakespeare's heroine, Juliet Capulet.
Costello wrote of the work: "Well, if it sounds like the start of a tall story I suppose it is. My wife, Cait, pointed out the tiny newspaper item about a Veronese academic who had taken on the task of replying to letters addressed to 'Juliet Capulet.' This apparently continued for a number of years, until some gentlemen of the press exposed this secret correspondence. Quite how he came by these letters in the first place remains unclear. We can only make a guess as to their content. After all, these people were writing to an imaginary woman, and a dead imaginary woman at that. Perhaps they were simply scholarly enquiries, or letters of sympathy from others disappointed in love, or even a plea from somebody forced into an unhappy arranged marriage. Whatever was contained in those letters and their replies, the idea of this correspondence provided our initial inspiration."
Fear No Music, which usually plays in churches and other small venues, took a risk with this concert by booking the bigger Aladdin Theater.
Says Paloma Griffin, who plays violin with the group, "We felt we needed to get out of church and into a more relaxed environment. The Someday Lounge, Holocene, etc. would have been more appropriate, considering our typical audience size, but before I even looked at those places, I talked to my friend Tom Sessa, General Manager of the Aladdin. Tom is a classical percussionist who plays a lot with the Oregon Symphony and Portland Opera orchestras. He really wants to see more cutting-edge classical music performed at the Aladdin, so he took a chance with Fear no Music. Having performed at the Aladdin with Pink Martini back in the early 2000's, I knew what a magical place the Aladdin is (if the walls could talk!). I always enjoy concerts there so much, as it has such an intimate, neighborly feel. So I encouraged FNM to go for it.
The four singers joining Fear No Music are Holcombe Waller, Leah Yorkston, Stephen Beaudoin and Angela Niederloh.
8 p.m. Tuesday, Aladdin Theater, 3017 S.E. Milwaukie Ave.; $28-$30, aladdin-theater.com or 503-234-9694.
- Man out of Time
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Re: Juliet Letters re-make by Polish actress / singer
Katarzyna has been touring Listy Julii, in her native Poland this year. She has one show still to play ( on 6 June). Details of the tour are here:invisible Pole wrote:Polish actress / singer Katarzyna Groniec, has just released Listy Julii, which is simply a re-make of Juliet Letters.
Different sequence of songs and arrangements are done for saxophone, trombone, French horn, tuba, clarinet, piano, bass guitar and drums.
So far it's getting very good reviews.
http://koncertyyy.pl/koncerty/Katarzyna+Groniec/
The concert will consist of, among others Elvis Costello song from the album "The Juliet Letters" in the Polish translation of Catherine Groniec.
Catherine Groniec - Vocals
Luke Damrych - piano
Robert Szydlo - acoustic bass guitar
Sobolak Luke - drums
Interesting that she is touring with something more like a jazz trio, than a string quartet. Is this in keeping with the recorded version of the album?
MOOT
Re: The Juliet Letters, Portland, Or, April 12 '11
http://w2.suttoncourtenay.co.uk/?p=1604
The Abbey
Sutton Courtenay
June 2011
01235 847401
www.theabbey.uk.com
email: admin@theabbey.uk.com
Summer Music at the Abbey
With the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Music at the Abbey will host a gathering of exceptional young musicians from Austria, England and around the world.
26th June: Chamber music concert featuring Adrian Brendel, Manuel Hofer and others
29th June: Drew Sarich and the Dead Poet Quartet perform Elvis Costello’s “The Juliet Letters”
Programmes to be confirmed; please see our website for latest information
Both concerts begin at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 per concert, or £20 for both. Under-16s half price.
The Abbey
Sutton Courtenay
June 2011
01235 847401
www.theabbey.uk.com
email: admin@theabbey.uk.com
Summer Music at the Abbey
With the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Music at the Abbey will host a gathering of exceptional young musicians from Austria, England and around the world.
26th June: Chamber music concert featuring Adrian Brendel, Manuel Hofer and others
29th June: Drew Sarich and the Dead Poet Quartet perform Elvis Costello’s “The Juliet Letters”
Programmes to be confirmed; please see our website for latest information
Both concerts begin at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 per concert, or £20 for both. Under-16s half price.
- Man out of Time
- Posts: 1846
- Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:15 am
- Location: just off the coast of Europe
- Contact:
Re: The Juliet Letters,Sutton Courtenay. June 29 '11
There is a separate Drew Sarich and the Dead Poet Quartet thread here: http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... f=2&t=8898
I am quite tempted to go to this - anyone else?
MOOT
I am quite tempted to go to this - anyone else?
MOOT
Re: The Juliet Letters,Sutton Courtenay. June 29 '11
Sorry Nick, forgot that! I'd be tempted to go except I'll be in Hungary at the time.
Re: The Juliet Letters,Sutton Courtenay. June 29 '11
Jon Boden of Bellowhead posts -
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=ccf ... 8c587e045a
(extract)
I'm also going to be performing Elvis Costello's wonderful Juliet Letters with the Sacconi Quartet at Bristol Old Vic on July 30th as part of their Proms and I'll also be premiering a new piece (based on the ballad Little Musgrave) commissioned for the Benjamin Britten centenary at Snape Maltings on Aug 11th.
http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/bristol ... tml#juliet
THE JULIET LETTERS
By Elvis Costello
Performed by Jon Boden and Sacconi Quartet
A night of heart-on-sleeve emotion and musical reinvention, flushed with the rich timbre of Jon Boden, lead singer of turbo-folk heroes Bellowhead. He joins Bristol Old Vic Associate Artists Sacconi Quartet to perform Elvis Costello's immortal Shakespearean song cycle.
Tue 30 Jul
Theatre
10pm
£5-£15
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=ccf ... 8c587e045a
(extract)
I'm also going to be performing Elvis Costello's wonderful Juliet Letters with the Sacconi Quartet at Bristol Old Vic on July 30th as part of their Proms and I'll also be premiering a new piece (based on the ballad Little Musgrave) commissioned for the Benjamin Britten centenary at Snape Maltings on Aug 11th.
http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/bristol ... tml#juliet
THE JULIET LETTERS
By Elvis Costello
Performed by Jon Boden and Sacconi Quartet
A night of heart-on-sleeve emotion and musical reinvention, flushed with the rich timbre of Jon Boden, lead singer of turbo-folk heroes Bellowhead. He joins Bristol Old Vic Associate Artists Sacconi Quartet to perform Elvis Costello's immortal Shakespearean song cycle.
Tue 30 Jul
Theatre
10pm
£5-£15
Re: Jon Boden & Sacconi Quartet do The Juliet Letters, July
This just got linked on Elvis' site, something that hasn't happened with other productions.
- Man out of Time
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- Contact:
Amaryllis Uitterli & Melinos Quartet do The Juliet Letters
There is a review by Jon Turney of the Jon Boden show in Bristol here. It reads:
The Juliet Letters, Old Vic 30 July
A small venture into unknown territory here. I’d never heard Elvis Costello’s collaboration with the Brodsky quartet, but a late night prom in the Bristol Old Vic’s wonderfully enterprising series presented the same material performed by Bellowhead singer Jon Boden and resident string ensemble the Sacconi Quartet.
The results were spectacular. Costello’s songs – a set loosely related to each other and, more loosely still, to Juliet – are all good and quite a few were superbly memorable. You Take My Life in Your Hands, Unrepeatable, Sad Burlesque and The Birds will Still be Singing (once recorded by Norma Waterson) stood out from a large collection.
The quartet, although busy with other things most of the week, did a great job on the Brodsky’s arrangements. But the real focus of the evening was Boden. This was a virtuoso exhibition, in a good way – harnessing impressive technique in the service of the songs. Memorising such a large body of lyrics/music for what I think was a one-off show was pretty impressive, too, but that was nothing compared with the way he conveyed the songs to a rapt audience. Unmiked, as far as I could tell, every word was crystal clear and the voice made the old Theatre ring. It was a great setting for these somewhat theatrical songs in any case, and the man made the most of it. No histrionics, just strong material artfully delivered. Folk singer meet string quartet was always going to be different. But this felt like the best kind of musical adventure. An enthralling late evening show.
Separately, the wonderfully named Amaryllis Uitterli, Gène Bervoets and the Melinos Quartet also performed The Juliet Letters in Belgium earlier this year.
Amaryllis sings, the Melinos Quartet play (and paddle) and Gène narrates , although what he narrates is not clear. Perhaps some explanatory notes in Dutch before each song?
They were at CC De Ploter, in Ternat on 7 February and before that at De Roma in Antwerp on 11 January.
There is a promotional video here in which the dialogue is in Dutch. There is also a radio interview (also in Dutch) to promote the show here. Read more (also in Dutch) on their management's website here: http://www.maandacht.be/juliet-letters No more performances are planned at the moment.
MOOT
The Juliet Letters, Old Vic 30 July
A small venture into unknown territory here. I’d never heard Elvis Costello’s collaboration with the Brodsky quartet, but a late night prom in the Bristol Old Vic’s wonderfully enterprising series presented the same material performed by Bellowhead singer Jon Boden and resident string ensemble the Sacconi Quartet.
The results were spectacular. Costello’s songs – a set loosely related to each other and, more loosely still, to Juliet – are all good and quite a few were superbly memorable. You Take My Life in Your Hands, Unrepeatable, Sad Burlesque and The Birds will Still be Singing (once recorded by Norma Waterson) stood out from a large collection.
The quartet, although busy with other things most of the week, did a great job on the Brodsky’s arrangements. But the real focus of the evening was Boden. This was a virtuoso exhibition, in a good way – harnessing impressive technique in the service of the songs. Memorising such a large body of lyrics/music for what I think was a one-off show was pretty impressive, too, but that was nothing compared with the way he conveyed the songs to a rapt audience. Unmiked, as far as I could tell, every word was crystal clear and the voice made the old Theatre ring. It was a great setting for these somewhat theatrical songs in any case, and the man made the most of it. No histrionics, just strong material artfully delivered. Folk singer meet string quartet was always going to be different. But this felt like the best kind of musical adventure. An enthralling late evening show.
Separately, the wonderfully named Amaryllis Uitterli, Gène Bervoets and the Melinos Quartet also performed The Juliet Letters in Belgium earlier this year.
Amaryllis sings, the Melinos Quartet play (and paddle) and Gène narrates , although what he narrates is not clear. Perhaps some explanatory notes in Dutch before each song?
They were at CC De Ploter, in Ternat on 7 February and before that at De Roma in Antwerp on 11 January.
There is a promotional video here in which the dialogue is in Dutch. There is also a radio interview (also in Dutch) to promote the show here. Read more (also in Dutch) on their management's website here: http://www.maandacht.be/juliet-letters No more performances are planned at the moment.
MOOT
Re: Jon Boden & Sacconi Quartet do The Juliet Letters, July
http://sandiegostory.com/elvis-costello ... r-at-last/
October 17, 2013
Elvis Costello and Felix Mendelssohn Together at Last
by Ken Herman
When the string quartet on stage is playing works by Felix Mendelssohn and Elvis Costello, you can be certain you’ve entered music’s crossover zone. Art of Élan, that plucky chamber music series run by Kate Hatmaker and Demarre McGill, opened its fall season at the San Diego Museum of Art on Tuesday (Oct. 15) with Mendelssohn’s Second String Quartet in A Minor and selections from Costello’s “The Juliet Letters,” the British rock star’s 1993 opus for string quartet and vocalist.
Now in its seventh season, Art of Élan has built a strong, loyal audience with a canny mixture of accessible new music and standard classical repertory. Take the British-American composer David Bruce, whose commissioned work “Night Parade” opened the San Diego Symphony’s fall season ten days ago. He may have been unfamiliar to most Symphony patrons, but he was old hat to Art of Élan audiences, who have heard several Bruce compositions in recent seasons.
While I have nothing but praise for McGill and Hatmaker’s success in attracting both audience and funding for their enterprise, a part of me longs for the adventure and deeper rewards of the programming San Diegans heard in the 1980s when the Arditti Quartet performed the likes of Kurtág, Ligeti, and Reynolds in visits to Mandeville Auditorium at UC San Diego. But in those days the university had deep pockets and could subsidize such artistic luxuries.
Costello’s “The Juliet Letters” came about in collaboration with another notable British string quartet, the Brodsky Quartet, and is a collection of imaginary letters written by Costello and members of Brodsky to Juliet Capulet, that literary fiction immortalized by Shakespeare. Of the 20 or so songs in “The Juliet Letters,” we heard only three on Tuesday, an amuse-bouche rather than a banquet of Costello.
Like much pop music and many classical Lieder, these songs proved emotionally direct and monochromatic. Costello’s vocal lines stayed in that narrow range pop singers find comfortable, and he does not linger over a thought. In each song, the text flew by quickly, and while the emotional impulse of each letter came into immediate focus, probing is not an adjective that fits these songs. The instrumental lines wove a spare but alluring texture, at times reminding me of Leos Janacek’s speech-like motivic writing. Violinists Wesley Precourt and Meri Englund, violist Chi-Yuan Chen, and cellist Yao Zhao formed the alert quartet that realized “The Juliet Letters,” and Ted Atkatz, trained as a percussionist, did the vocal honors. In his spoken introduction to the Costello pieces he easily persuaded us that he was passionate about these songs. His shallow vocal technique was not as persuasive.
October 17, 2013
Elvis Costello and Felix Mendelssohn Together at Last
by Ken Herman
When the string quartet on stage is playing works by Felix Mendelssohn and Elvis Costello, you can be certain you’ve entered music’s crossover zone. Art of Élan, that plucky chamber music series run by Kate Hatmaker and Demarre McGill, opened its fall season at the San Diego Museum of Art on Tuesday (Oct. 15) with Mendelssohn’s Second String Quartet in A Minor and selections from Costello’s “The Juliet Letters,” the British rock star’s 1993 opus for string quartet and vocalist.
Now in its seventh season, Art of Élan has built a strong, loyal audience with a canny mixture of accessible new music and standard classical repertory. Take the British-American composer David Bruce, whose commissioned work “Night Parade” opened the San Diego Symphony’s fall season ten days ago. He may have been unfamiliar to most Symphony patrons, but he was old hat to Art of Élan audiences, who have heard several Bruce compositions in recent seasons.
While I have nothing but praise for McGill and Hatmaker’s success in attracting both audience and funding for their enterprise, a part of me longs for the adventure and deeper rewards of the programming San Diegans heard in the 1980s when the Arditti Quartet performed the likes of Kurtág, Ligeti, and Reynolds in visits to Mandeville Auditorium at UC San Diego. But in those days the university had deep pockets and could subsidize such artistic luxuries.
Costello’s “The Juliet Letters” came about in collaboration with another notable British string quartet, the Brodsky Quartet, and is a collection of imaginary letters written by Costello and members of Brodsky to Juliet Capulet, that literary fiction immortalized by Shakespeare. Of the 20 or so songs in “The Juliet Letters,” we heard only three on Tuesday, an amuse-bouche rather than a banquet of Costello.
Like much pop music and many classical Lieder, these songs proved emotionally direct and monochromatic. Costello’s vocal lines stayed in that narrow range pop singers find comfortable, and he does not linger over a thought. In each song, the text flew by quickly, and while the emotional impulse of each letter came into immediate focus, probing is not an adjective that fits these songs. The instrumental lines wove a spare but alluring texture, at times reminding me of Leos Janacek’s speech-like motivic writing. Violinists Wesley Precourt and Meri Englund, violist Chi-Yuan Chen, and cellist Yao Zhao formed the alert quartet that realized “The Juliet Letters,” and Ted Atkatz, trained as a percussionist, did the vocal honors. In his spoken introduction to the Costello pieces he easily persuaded us that he was passionate about these songs. His shallow vocal technique was not as persuasive.