The Turntablism classical music takeover continues
The DJ world will never forget the day that Turntablism arrived at the very heart of classical music at no lesser arena than the Royal Albert Hall and no less an event as the BBC PROMS. Composer Gabriel Prokofiev’s ambitious venture to compose a Concerto for turntable and orchestra based around his grandfather Sege’s Swan Lake, was potentially going to rock the foundations of classical music. The surprise he had hidden up his sleeve was to feature a turntable devoid of Run DMC riffs and Public Enemy loops. The records the DJ would use would be recordings of the composition and orchestra he would be working with. Switch had the wherewithal, the guts, the musicianship and the imagination to become the DJ who would stand or fall with the 170 piece National Youth Orchestra watched by an ensemble of Prom cameras and 7000 classical music lovers who’s curiosity was being stretched to the max. But whilst the traditional Turntablist fan would not feast regularly on a diet of what Switch and Prokofiev delivered that magic night, they would all stand to applaud that what they witnessed was ground breaking, historic and a DJ event as high in ambition and creativity as anything before. At last the scratch had conquered it’s previously unconquerable audience.
But did it lay a path to future Concerto adventures? The answer now seems yes!
Gabrielle Prokofiev takes up the story…
Words: Tony Prince
How did this new project come about?
“A friend had given the CD of my Concerto for Turntables to Cathy Marston the Director of the Bern Ballet and she really liked it and decided that it would work well in a ballet of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.”
What was your first reaction to this suggestion?
“To be honest, I was quite doubtful about the combination of the Overture and incidental music of Mendelssohn and had never thought that my Turntable Concerto could be set to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
What happened next?
“Despite my scepticism I thought I’d give it a try – as I was keen to work with Cathy and the chance to be involved in a full length narrative ballet has been a long-term ambition of mine (and even better if it’s performed by Bern Ballet & Bern Symphony). So with much curiosity and uncertainty, I went to a meeting with Cathy at RADA and after they had read through the Scenario as Cathy played back all the music on her laptop, I began to get very excited at the concept. Somehow against my better judgement, in the setting of Mendelssohn and Shakespeare my Turntable Concerto did make sense as music for Midsummer Nights Dream.”
Why do you think it worked for the turntable sequences?
“It was really clever sounding even more than ever like the twisted upside-down classical music that the piece requires and perfect music for the crazy dream that the fairies create in the centre of the play. The Turntables (manipulating recorded sounds of a real orchestra) can then represent the way that Puck and Oberon manipulate the real lives of the lovers. I was smiling with surprise! And really shocked again by how much context can change one’s perception of music. I also discovered that I actually liked Mendelssohn much more than I had anticipated; I’d never really given his music that much time – always found it ‘too classical’; like a romanticised, light re-hash of Mozart; but I was wrong.”
Give us a brief overall impression so that our DJs and hip-hop fans might grab the bait for ballet.
“I took the theme from Mendelssohn’s humorous ‘Dance of the Rustics’, to create a lesbian love scene between Titania and Bottom (who is female in Winternachtstraum): Bottom’s famous theme is at first slowed-down by 16 times and sustained to provide the harmonic basis for a sensual opening. Then later Mendelssohn’s famous Donkey ‘squeak’ is used but in an even more explicit way; as the climactic scream of Bottom as she and Titania manage to release their long pent-up passions together. It’s a very dynamic production. Cathy’s choreography is quite sophisticated and very sensual. The whole ballet takes place on a derelict fairground, guarded by the fairies, with the Mechanicals as yellow-hatted demolition men. Bottom, ends up with a fair-ground horse’s head on her and a rather phallic tail.”
Who is your selected DJ for this project in Bern, Switzerland?
“Martin Baumgartner is the chosen DJ, a local Swiss DJ performing the Solo Turntablist part, and doing an exceptional job – super tight and funky (which is a mean feat when you have to keep it locked to both Orchestra and Ballet dancers). His tuning on the pitch-controlled melodic solo is the best I’ve heard. And of course the Bern Symphony, conducted by the brilliant Dorian ‘genau’ Keilhack (with 4 extra percussionists) are doing a great job. Martin was previously more into the experimental turntablist scene and build up his skills especially for the ballet. You should come to Bern and watch him!”
What would your famous granddaddy have said at you adventures into new classic music using the turntable?
“This not the first time that the names Mendelssohn and Prokofiev have been put side by side. My grandfather Sergei Prokofiev’s second wife was actually called Mira Mendelssohn. I’m sure he, as an originator himself, would applaud anything I do to establish new ground in classical music.”
Tell us a little about the Bern Ballet.
“Bern is definitely worth a long weekend visit. Not only is there the Bern Ballet, but in 1 hour you can get up into the Alps. I managed to go right to the top of the Schilhorn and have a drink in the rotating Piz Gloria restaurant (of James Bond & Blofeld fame!). There was even the obligatory Bollywood film-shoot happening on the mountain top for a new Tamil movie.”
