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James Rhodes – no tails or dickie bow |
Pianist with a passion to save the classics
James Rhodes tells Dan Carrier about his mission to rejuvenate audiences for classical music
BLUE rinses, move to one side, or get ready to rock: the days of classical music being the sole domain of older people is over.
Pianist James Rhodes, who last night (Wednesday) gave the first solo classical music recital ever held at the Chalk Farm’s Roundhouse, is on a mission. He wants to “save” classical music from dwindling, ageing audiences and introduce the great composers to new fans.
“Classical composers were the rock stars of their age,” says James, 33.
“Bach fathered 21 children. Mozart was a hell raiser. Beethoven was a such a rebel that, to accommodate him, special rules were brought in so he would continue to perform at court.
“And their music is not boring, or staid. It is absolutely thrilling and my job is make sure people have access to those thrills. The music itself is, of course, not in question – it has been around for hundreds of years and there is a good reason for that. The problem is making it relevant. My mission is to get teenagers, to get people in their 20s and 30s, to buy classical music – and to come to a concert to hear music they would never normally see live.”
James believes classical music has “redemptive” qualities – he turned to playing the piano after a period in his life where he self-harmed, drank heavily and dabbled in drugs.
“Music has redemptive powers,” he says.
“I have found that out myself.”
He believes the audience is out there, pointing out that Classic FM, with its focus on classics that are part of a popular cultural lexicon, has a massive audience share.
“Many people think to themselves that they would like to know more about classical music, but simply do not know where to start,” he says. “The big problem is before you walk through the door to a concert, the whole thing is seen as elitist. It is full of people with blue rinses and smells vaguely of urine. This can be very off-putting for people who want to simply come along and have a nice time.
“It means concert audiences are dwindling and this has to be stopped.”
James approaches his recitals in a more laid-back way, drawing inspiration from the likes of self-proclaimed punk violinist Nigel Kennedy. There is no tails and dickie bow – James wears his jeans and trainers and employs some pre-tune banter with the audience, telling the story behind the piece he is about to play and putting its composition into a historical context.
“I try to think of it as playing for friends,” he admits. And he does not think he is in any way misinterpreting the works of the great composers.
He argues that when Bach, Beethoven and Mozart composed, they did not think their music would become intrinsically linked with such traditions as the respectfully hushed concert room and strait-laced performers suffering for their art. But James won’t compromise on quality.
“What I don’t do is make it accessibly by being low brow,” he states firmly.
“You can make a lot of money out of doing ‘cross over’ music – stuff people have heard on TV adverts.”
And while James is on a one-man mission to bring classical music to new ears, he implores education chiefs to take classical music more seriously when it comes to the curriculum.
“We have a responsibility to generate passion in children, and teach all sorts of music. But despite the facts, despite the immense contribution teaching classical music can make to young people’s lives, it is way down on the list,” he says.
“It is a question of will. In China, there are tens of millions of pianists – the government has taken the appreciation of music as seriously as it does other topics and acknowledges the benefits music
lessons have on other subjects.
“We need to wean children away from a life of Nintendos and PlayStations, and help them gain an appreciation which will last a lifetime.”
And by playing classical piano in a venue that hosted in the 1960s and 1970s such stars as Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones, and was the venue for Acid House raves in the 1980s and 1990s and featured Bob Dylan just last week, James has taken another step on his mission to bring classical music to a generation who he fears have let it pass them by.
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Your comments:
The Lenkiewicz exhibition is stunning from the remarkable St Eustace sculpture to the drawings featuring unicorns, tigers and Elvis! The skeletons and skulls were my particular favourite along with the octopus drowning the Titanic. The surroundings are fabulous; the Pite architecture lends itself so well to the mood. I admit I have a particular fondness for
the building having worked there for 26 years.
J. Trend-Hill
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