I had a terrific day yesterday playing for Sally's Masterclass at 22 Mansfield Street. Working on different opera ensembles an arias the workshop finished with a concert where the Guildhall singers showed all they had learnt during the sessions. 

It was fantastic to be there during the process and see the results in the performance. Besides, Sally took the time during the show to explain to a curious audience what we had been up to during the sessions, which I imagine can be quite an eye opener at times! At least, it brings a little bit of insight into our work process. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and playing in Bob Boas' instrument was also very nice! Fantastic Steinway sourrounded by beautiful pictures in the "concert room".. incomparable setting!

And what is the "skating" about in the title? 

Well, I spent the last days in Geisingen watching the World Freestyle Slalom Championship, and I have found regained drive, motivation and learning techniques from watching and talking to different skaters. Sometimes it is easy to forget the "athlete" side of us as musicians, but we need that side in order to master our instruments technically! I've found that by sharing problems and practice techniques in our respective fields, I have not only learned more about skating, but have come back with new thoughts to include in my practice routine and practice/performance mentality!

(And I have skated quite a lot today.. and my legs can already tell the difference..)

Night!
Maite

Ps. Congratulations to all Team GB skaters, all of them were fantastic! 

I have been worse than bad in the last month in relation to the blog! 

However I think that the photos and videos show that it has been (and still is!) a very busy and exciting time! From Spain to Austria, always with a foot in London, I have been playing, conducting and learning as much as I can! 

The time in Graz was vibrant and it was such an occasion to conduct for Kammerphilarmonie Graz and Orpheus Sinfonia. However, it was equally exciting to come home and record Bulería with LondonCreative Ensemeble. The recording session was very intense, but we all were very happy after! The official video and audio will come very shortly, and I will post it on here. For now, the video that I have uploaded (and it's sound) is from my own camara! :) 

I also had fantastic opportunity to spend some time watching Il Trittico at ROH, and there have been (very) few moments in my life as inspiring and invigorating than seeing Antonio Pappano rehearse! The level of energy, commitment and musicianship goes beyond anything that I have experienced before. A true lesson for life. And the music was superb! I think that these pieces are just genius! Funnily enough, it looks like I will be playing Gianni Schichi in March with Fulham opera, something I'm now more than looking forward too!

Right, haven't written in months, but I'm not going to overdue it now either! :) Hopefully, there is a very exciting project that is coming slowly to light, and I will be posting you very soon about it! Fingers crossed!

Night, 
Maite

Xabier and I are starting the Music festival in Gernika, next Saturday 2July at 20.30 in the St Peter's Church in Lumo. I can't wait for it! The programme is fantastic, full of colour! 

Our recital opens with Poulenc's Sonata (I love it from the first note to the last; but the second movement; one can't emphasize it enough, is just GRAND! and the spark of the third is so full of life!)

We will continue with an arrangement of Guridi's Amorosa. The original is written for piano solo, but combining these both instruments, one gets an extra richness of shades and fluidity that enhances the beauty of this Basque jewel. Next in the programe is Undine. A very romantic piece, full of lyricisn and drama: Reinecke based his Sonata on de la Motte Fouque's novel with the same title, where the water spirit Undine marries a knight in order to have a soul. 

Following this we move to the other side of the world and encounter Piazzolla. Nightclub 1960 (from Histoire du Tango) takes us to another sound world, where it's all about the rythm and feeling. And finally, to conclude the recital, we turn to the atmospheric composition of Jules Mouquet, La flûte de Pan. 

As I begun saying earlier, it is a fantastic tailored programe! (All thanks to Xabier!) And we will enjoy it from the first to the last note. 

See you there?
M.

Some links: 
Press Press

There are so many things going on at the moment, that I find it very hard to be specific and concentrate in one at the time! However I will try to do a brief!

Tenorissimi 'en route' was a big success last Saturday. We had a fantastic and very supportive audience in Bramley and we were delighted to be there. ( I will upload the pictures when I get them). The little adventure/anecdote was that the bflat4 of the keyboard 'broke' and sounded 'special' ... Quite unfortunate since one of my solo interludes, Onazes is written in B flat minor!! :) We all accepted with good humour and the concert finished with a full chuch singing Funiculi with all the required umpf! 

I had the pleasure to work first time with Achim Holub on the Sunday and it was a truly inspiring class for me. We worked on Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, which is some of the best 22 minutes of music written in the entire repertoire. I love the darkness, the shades ... it's Caravaggio! Or that is how I feel it. I will conduct and record it 10th July, so having the possibility to work it with him beforehand was really helpful! 

And finally yesterday I had my first official crossover moment playing for a newly created show Diva's in Development. Completely out of my comfort zone with musical numbers, but absolutely hilarious and inspiring to work with both Clare Presland and Jessica Pidsley. The performance was absolutely upbeat-paced, creative and fresh and I felt proud of what they had managed to write and what they achieved on stage! 

Next stop, Thursday in Clapham! Unfortunately Alba Bosch is ill, but Natalie Perez has kindly agreed to sing instead! Rehearsing first time tomorrow! 

And it looks like is bed time now!

Buenas noches!

Just when I was considering closing my facebook account, one of my friends posted the link to one of the best and most useful blogs I have ever seen.
 
And here I am, contributimg to the difussion of this fantasticly tailored website and blog. I have already suscribed! I hope you find it as interesting and helpful as I do! http://www.bulletproofmusician.com

M.

The concert at St Leonard's Church in Stroud was yesterday! Together with Kezia Bienek and Alex Garziglia, we performed a variety of Italian songs (Rossini, Verdi and Puccini) and arias (Mozart, Puccini), together with German songs and Operatic duets. Oh! And Carmen's Seguidilla! The concert was absolutely fun and after Emma Watkinson had to cancel her performance of Voi che sapete, (from Le Nozze di Figaro), the one who writes this lines jumped out of the piano stool, and accompanied by Alex Garziglia, sang the aria in front of a very warm audience.

Obviously this is now a very special memory of the concert for me, but apart from this anecdotal circumstance, highlights for me were the Verdi and Puccini songs performed with Kezia, and Strauss' Morgen played with Alex. I can't really articulate with words the feeling you get when you are thoroughly connected with a singer through the performance of a song, but the sensation is so full and rich when it happens! Absolutely wonderful!

It was a pity to end the night with massively delayed trains back to London... But things happen- as my best friend always reminds me. And despite really really late, I went to bed with a broad smile on my face! To the music!

M.

Voices... A great part of my career is based on listening to the voice. I just realised I won't hear her voice again.

We are never really prepared to let the ones we love go. 

Goian bego, Amama.
Maite

Another week that starts!!! 

Yesterday we began the rehearsals for two of the coming up concerts! First rehearsals are always interesting ones, specially when you haven't met your partners before. There is always a lot going on in the practice room during a first session. I find it always fascinating. Different musicians each of us with different personalities, ideas, backgrounds.. all sorts, and we have to focus all of it together and deliver it out  as one! I think is great! 

Have a nice Monday- and a nice week!
M.

A week ago I finally took the time to start running this website and decided to open a blog again. All throughout this week ideas on possible posts have been bubbling in my head non stop, though I had to face an unresolved question in the first place- the unresolved question: Why did I stop writing a year ago? 

There is the usual procrastination aspect to it. I'll catch up tomorrow- I'll do it over the weekend. But there was something else! I arrived to a point where I simply didn't want to write in English any more! I felt that I was lacking the the spontaneity and the xxx – the something that t is so difficult to obtain in any but your mother tongue! (Not to mention the typos-anxiety that Shakespeare's language causes in Cervantes' language users … ) 

On the other hand going back to writing in Spanish seemed to neglect the cultural immersion that I was (and I am) living since I moved to London and I can't deny that- despite all the above mentioned- the English language posses an immediacy and a straightforwardness that I find not only idiosyncratic, but mesmerizing. So here we are!

If I have chosen the language issue to start this first post, is not -only- to be apologetic about having stopped writing online! But it seemed terribly ad hoc now that we are rehearsing Iolanta -in Russian- at GSMD. For the first time in my career I'm playing and opera that I don't understand- I don't understand it's language! And it makes a big difference- unfortunately! I have been always a defender of the purity of the operatic text (in its vast meaning of both libretto and music), despite all the modern trend to translate them, specially in this country. However, now that I am experiencing what it feels not being able to understand the words in my own skin, I have a completely different perspective to it.

 Not that I'm turning my back to the pro original language side of the coin, or not yet, but I don't see the question as clear as I thought it was. On the other hand, and I'm cutting this post short, (there is time to come back to the matter later), truth is there is fortunately no need to feel black and white about it, since we have the privileged option in this country not to have either/or but both !

And with this positive reconciliation I head towards my Iolanta-in Russian-rehearsal call!

Good morning!