Hypnosis worked its magic... just like it did for Rachmaninov
RADIO star Georgia Mann believes that hypnosis could have helped her achieve the ambition of being an opera singer.
The BBC presenter made the admission in a new show about composer Sergei Rachmaninov, who used the technique to overcome writer’s block.
Georgia, who hosts Essential Classics on Radio 3, decided to try the method for herself, despite admitting she was “pretty cynical about the whole thing” and that hypnosis “always seemed a bit daft”.
Rachmaninov took the plunge in 1900 after enduring terrible reviews for his first symphony.
He visited a hypnotist, Dr Nikolai Dahl, in Moscow to try to overcome two years of writer’s block.
The composer reported “laying there half-asleep” while Dahl said phrases such as, “You will begin to write” and “It will be excellent”.
The therapy worked, with Rachmaninov creating arguably his greatest work, Piano Concerto No2, which would be used as the theme to the film Brief Encounter along with the successful pop song, All By Myself, sung by Celine Dion as well as Eric Carmen.
As part of the documentary, Georgia visited Dr Stella Nkenke invienna, a “medical hypnotist” to undergo the same experience.
Georgia said: “She hypnotised my right hand which, even as I’m saying it, sounds ridiculous. But I did find my hand rising up in the air when she told me there was a helium balloon attached to it!”
She continued: “To my mind, literally, I couldn’t believe it was happening and I still can’t believe what happened, except that it was recorded and you can actually hear it in the programme.
“And what she was explaining is that what hypnosis is about tapping into some inner world in our mind, because none of us fully comprehend just what our brain can do.”
Georgia wished she had found hypnosis years ago when she wanted to be an opera singer but was overcome by nerves.
She said: “Part of it was that I didn’t quite have the nerves of steel that it requires.
“I was so terror-struck a lot of the time and I think hypnosis would have helped me. Never mind, 20 years too late!”
Hypnotising Rachmaninov, BBC Radio 3, tonight, 7.45pm