InnerChamber
Composer-in-Residence Marek Norman joins INNERchamber Artistic Director Andrew Chung to discuss the upcoming INNERchamber production,
Dracula: A Chamber Musical.
AC: This will be your 3rd year as the composer-in-residence for INNERchamber. Looking forward to Dracula, this is definitely our most ambitious project yet, wouldn’t you agree?
MN: Yes indeed, the concert presentation of Dracula: A Chamber Musical will certainly be the ensemble’s most adventurous undertaking to date. Thus far, my work with INNERchamber has involved two newly-commissioned pieces. The first, A Day Like No Other (for seven musicians and actor), was an entirely original work. The second, Suite Wanderlust (for Piano, Violin, Cello and Dancers) featured a re-envisioned arrangement/orchestration of themes from my score for Wanderlust (a musical play written in collaboration with Morris Panych).
The Dracula concert will present a work that was created in 1997/98 by Richard Ouzounian (book, lyrics) and myself - though this incarnation will sound considerably different as I have augmented the original orchestration by adding a rich and powerful barrage of percussion.
AC: Dracula: A Chamber Musical (D:ACM) has been produced previously, but how is this INNERchamber presentation unique?
MN: All previous productions of D:ACM were large theatrical endeavours, with all the bells and whistles. INNERchamber’s concert version at Knox Presbyterian Church will be a simpler, more streamlined telling of Bram Stoker’s classic tale - though this is certainly not to suggest that it won’t feature its own spectacle, terror … or romance.
AC: As with all INNERchamber events, a large part of the joy is in the rehearsal process. However, mounting a musical, even in concert, is a huge undertaking. Can you take us through how many rehearsals will be involved to bring us to October 30th?
MN: Most works of this size and nature will structure rehearsals wherein the music is taught en masse, and usually within a relatively brief window of time. However, due to the fact that our seven cast members all maintain busy careers, with exceedingly hectic schedules, we’ve had no option but to work at odd hours over a period of many weeks, and usually in the form of individual coachings. These particular time constraints have also impacted on our orchestra to a great degree. In fact, our initial Full Company gathering will be the all-important Sitzprobe, which is traditionally scheduled much closer to public performance.
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Director, Marti Maraden, will work her special magic with a single-day staging rehearsal. A Herculean feat, believe me.Most companies would despair if afforded such limited amounts of rehearsal, but this intrepid group of artists has embraced the challenge, doing it all with style, invention and great good humour.
AC: Whether you realize it or not, the handwritten (!) musical scores that the musicians and singers are working from are becoming the stuff of legend - for the beauty of the penmanship and the character of the composer that comes through. It is such a different experience to be working from music that is not computer generated. Can you share how this process evolved for you?
MN: Well, my friend, you’ve managed to make me blush. Thank you for such very kind words. During my years residing in New York City I was fortunate enough to study at the famed Juilliard School (Extension Division). One of my professors was Arnold Arnstein, long-considered the preeminent music copyist in America. His course in Manuscript Preparation was a favourite amongst my many studies, and Maestro Arnstein instilled in his students the greatest passion and respect for hand-copied scores. His work was superb, as was his genius for teaching. Any compliments that come my way should, in all fairness, be directed towards the one and only Arnold Arnstein.
*With regards to computer generated programs such as Finale or Sibelius - these are wonderful (highly-sophisticated) tools that, in the right hands, can be exceptionally elegant and attractive. It has long been suggested that I should walk the digital path - but, honestly, I’d so miss the meditative process of transcribing music by hand. It’s a source of personal joy - pure and simple.
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AC: The wonderful photographer Irene Miller has been documenting the rehearsal process of D:ACM. What has that been like to have somebody with Irene’s skill involved in the rehearsal space?
MN: Agreed! Irene Miller is a “wonderful photographer”, and I have long admired her artistry. Irene’s photographic documentation of the entire rehearsal process is proving a great blessing - but her presence at our sessions is so discreet that we’re often shocked to see the results of her work. With footsteps as silent as her camera, Irene captures the most unusual moments throughout our work - whimsical, intimate, intense … human.
AC: We have such an incredible cast lined up, all of whom are bringing such a terrific level of commitment and a spirit of generosity to the project. Even I would like to know, how did this happen?!
MN: Absolutely! Our cast, orchestra, and entire production team is an embarrassment of riches. To a person, they’ve afforded this project their time, focus, and unconditional support - not to mention undeniable artistry and expertise.
We are so fortunate to live in a community that is rich with talent, but also one that is ever ready to encourage and support each other’s initiatives. This is one of the many reasons my wife (Barbara Barsky) and I chose to make Stratford our home.
With regards to our company and their ongoing commitment to this project … well, the material demands such emotional extremes from the actors and musicians, and that is always so alluring for theatre artists. Whatever the reasons might be … we are blessed!
AC: Can you share what the music ensemble consists of for this production? Is it the kind of piece that would lend itself to a larger orchestral sound?
MN: Hmmm … the short answer would be “yes”. The question of orchestral augmentation has been raised a number of times over the years. However, I was so very intrigued, upon first reading Bram Stoker’s classic tale, to find that the novel was decidedly intimate in nature - truly, a chamber expression. In order to honour that stylistic integrity, I set about trying to create grand motifs which could be supported by a rather modest complement of musicians. This singular challenge led me to choosing the following instrumentation: Piano, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola and Cello … and now, for this special INNERchamber concert, the addition of various percussion instruments.
AC: This will be the first time that our main series of INNERchamber concerts has left Factory163. What guided that decision to stage this at Knox Presbyterian Church?
MN: Factory163 is INNERchamber’s spiritual home - and audiences love the space for its woody warmth. The concerts there offer such fine balance and clarity - but, whenever the material demands amplification (as is the case with D:ACM), the effect is too often uneven. Also, as our project features a cast of seven plus six musicians, the company’s performance footprint would eat up a goodly portion of the audience seating space.
Knox Presbyterian Church is Stratford’s ideal venue for D:ACM. It offers substantial audience seating, excellent sightlines, aesthetic grandeur and appropriate surroundings for a story with gothic overtones.
AC: There are going to be so many highlights to look forward to in D:ACM. Having worked with the singers through September and October, can you whet the appetite of our audience with a couple of personal highlights that they can look forward to on October 30?
MN: At the risk of indiscretion, I can tell you that our cast has been investing every ounce of dramatic expression available. The arch nature of Stoker’s novel often requires a no holds barred approach to their performances. One can see glimpses of these moments in Irene Miller’s wonderful photo documentation - but, for the full effect, only the LIVE concert presentation will reveal all.
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