Annelien Van Wauwe
Clarinettist
There’s a very interesting disc of Brahms Clarinet Sonatas, recorded by the clarinettist Lorenzo Coppola and pianist Andreas Staier, which I really enjoyed. Staier plays on a very old Steinway and Coppola uses copies of Romantic clarinets that are completely different from modern instruments. I like it because it is so unlike what I am used to, in terms of the sound, the phrasing and techniques such as the exotic fingerings and how one blows into the instrument.
When I am at home, I really like to listen to fado, particularly when performed by brilliant singers such as Amália Rodrigues and Cristina Branco. I love the atmosphere of it, the sound of the guitars, the Portuguese language
and the voices – usually female – which have something very strong, dramatic and often sad about them. Cristina Branco has quite a youthful, almost virgin-like voice, whereas Amália Rodrigues is quite the opposite, as her voice sounds quite mature.
There must be something about Portuguese that really gets to me, as I am also a fan of bossa nova, and in particular the songs of João Gilberto. This is the best music ever to relax to – just to listen to, though, as I don’t dance bossa nova – and there’s also something timeless to it. I’ve not yet been to Brazil, but maybe it’s something that I ought to do!
And also… I’ve been reading Marshal Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication, as it is something I am very interested in. It is all about a method of communicating with people in a way that isn’t aggressive, and having empathy with them too. As someone who is both a performer and a teacher myself, I think it is important for me to know how to talk to people in a positive way rather than a negative one.
Annelien Van Wauwe plays Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in
Prom 50 (19 August) The Royal Albert Hall
Large building, Kensington
I am the proud owner of the second largest pipe organ in the UK, with 9,999 pipes in total. The composer Saintsaëns, no less, was among the first to play this vast instrument, and so it is always a pleasure to host his ‘Organ’ Symphony No. 3. Nothing beats the feeling of the low pedal in the second movement sending a rumble around my stalls, boxes
Soprano Malin Byström is a dream, a singer I would go anywhere to hear
and circle… except, of course, that mighty C major chord that greets the entry of the finale.
Another composer I feel particularly close to is Wagner, who graced me with his presence when he conducted an eightconcert Grand Wagner Festival in 1877. Appropriately, his music has featured more regularly than any other composer’s in the 123year history of the Proms. And who could ever forget the glorious summer of 2013, when Daniel Barenboim conducted all four operas of the German’s Ring cycle in the space of one Proms week? I certainly won’t.
In 1967 The Beatles ensured that they would be forever regarded as the world’s greatest ever pop group when they chose to include me in their song ‘A Day in the Life’. The Fab Four’s command of mathematics was spot on, too, as I can confirm that it does indeed take 4,000 holes to fill the Albert Hall. They don’t necessarily have to come from Blackburn, Lancashire, however, or in fact be rather small.
And also… Unsurprisingly, my graceful curves and beautiful brickwork have enticed many a film director over the years. These include, most famously, Alfred Hitchcock, who made me the star of his 1965 movie The Man Who Knew Too Much, which culminates of a performance of Arthur Benjamin’s Storm Clouds cantata. I won’t go spoiling the plot, but has there ever been a more iconic cymbal clash in movie history? The Royal Albert Hall welcomes you all to the BBC Proms from 14 July to 8 September