Monday January 30, 2012

Time with Alain Trudel: A Look at the Direction of Orchestra London

by Brian Hay

Introduction

On January 21, prior to the 'Dark Side of the Moon' show he was preparing for, I had a chance to sit down with Alain Trudel. He spoke at length about what he hoped to accomplish with Orchestra London. It was an interesting time that gave insights, spoken and unspoken, into why his tenure here will be a great one. There's no doubt he's leading but he treats people as colleagues working toward a shared goal. This article is the culmination of the time spent together and exchanges of information that took place over the week that followed.

Enjoy. I did …

The show Alain Trudel was preparing to conduct when we sat down provided a window into his thoughts about repertoire. He wanted to work on the performance of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' because he loves the work. In his words, "it's a classic". He also feels this way about a lot of the music found in the progressive rock era. Works by Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix and Emerson, Lake and Palmer are all among those which he feels are pivotal in the progression of music. Another reason he had for conducting this show was that he's a fan of Jeans 'n Classics. He loves the work they do in combining pop/ rock with the capabilities of a symphony orchestra, and the fact that orchestra London has been supporting the group since their very beginning.

Since both his parents where jazz musicians in the golden are of jazz in his native Montréal (his mother was a signer and father a drummer) this forms another pillar in his musical life. Besides the great ladies of jazz, some of his loves such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis are obvious ones. This season he met and played with legend and idol Herbie Hancock in Massey hall in Toronto. and found they had admired each other's work  for some time. He also enjoys the work of Alex Cuba (born Alexis Puentes) which fuses Latin and African influences with influences from funk, jazz and pop. Alex Cuba has already been signed for appearances on February 15th and 16th of 2013. Given the opportunity these are all musical forms he'd like to help find a home in the repertoire of orchestras. He'd also like to bring more of the works of Mahler and Strauss to the London stage but acknowledges that, as a responsible music director, he has to make sure that the organization can afford the extra musicians who would be needed. The players already there are more than up to handling their part though. The fact that Orchestra London is so flexible was undoubtedly a factor in his acceptance of the appointment here.

The orchestra's role in the city is one that goes beyond just playing music. They belong to the community as opposed to simply functioning within it. They should be accessible. He always is. Their part is to contribute what they can to the wellbeing within the area. One way is to raise funds for various charities. He also wants to involve young people as much as possible. The orchestra already does the 'Duffel Bag' shows which are exceptionally popular. He's the conductor of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and recently accepted the appointment as the Director of Musical Ensembles for UWO. As Music Director of Orchestra London he enjoys bringing in young artists, such as Marianne Fiset, who are already world class talents and on the cusp of brilliant careers. He's honest in admitting that even if the fees of established performers are often beyond the range of the Orchestra's budget there is something exceptional in scouting, and bringing to the public of OLC talented Canadian performers just on the verge of achieving that stature.

He cites music as a healing force for peoples' spiritual wellbeing. His wife, Christine, is an Intensive Care Nurse and experiences the suffering of terminally ill patients daily. She sees firsthand the benefits of anything that acts as a balm for this. Having been through some health problems in 2006, a stage four rare cancer, he understands that for the body to be well the mind and emotional framework must be as well. Music, to him, is something that's felt on level beyond simply listening. He cites Beethoven and Shostakovich as some of the most honest of the classical composers. What they were thinking when they wrote it can be shared with whoever wants find it. The perception that orchestral music is somehow elitist is all wrong.

For him this true whether they perform Haydn, Beethoven or Pink Floyd. He takes the role of his post beyond the norm. Music Directors normally give their orchestra ten weeks out of a season that lasts about twenty-eight. He tries to give fourteen to sixteen. He makes the pre-concert chats as accessible as possible and is careful to keep them both informative and entertaining. His rehearsals demand a lot from the musicians. He takes the extra time to backtrack through passages he feels could be played just a little better. He said as much when asked about it after the Pink Floyd show on Saturday night. "The orchestra aren't the only ones listening. If it's not right the audience will know because it won't feel right even if it sounds good. This is a masterwork!". The musicians embrace this level of caring and attention to detail and are thriving under it. The thunderous applause the show received says the audience is responding as well.

What's really going to mark his tenure though is the man himself. I was nervous about doing this because it's outside my box. He set me at ease quickly. He enjoys and invites interaction with people. His enthusiasm is contagious. When he says he'll take the time to speak with anyone he means it.

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