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| REVIEWS | BY JONATHAN ALLEN |
 Evgenia ‘Génia’ Chudinovich |
A flautist can pocket their instrument and stroll down to the social whirl of the local orchestra. The amateur pianist is anchored by a tonne of wood and strings to the living room, occasionally dragging friends and family in to sit in quiet politeness on the sofa. This is where the piano club aims to help. It is similar in many ways to the recently burgeoning phenomenon of reading groups – like-minded people who would otherwise have no way of meeting each other can come together and exchange ideas and find duet partners. The club, which will meet every other Sunday at Markson Music Centre, in Fortess Road, Kentish Town, will also provide plenty of opportunity to perform in public no matter how unsure you are of your ability. Each session is overseen by the centre’s artistic director, Génia (plain old Evgenia Chudinovich before adopting her stage name). A virtuoso pianist, she took her first lesson at the age four from her great-grandmother, Ukrainian pianist Regina Horowitz (sister of Vladimir), and continues to perform and record alongside her teaching work. It was as a student at the Guildhall College of Music that she came up with the idea for a club. The first session took place on Sunday and was, says Génia, “a dream come true”. Players of all abilities came along to chat and perform on a “beautiful” German-built grand piano, from students still stumbling through their early grades to a concert pianist two weeks away from a recital in Japan of one of Scriabin’s more fearsome sonatas. There was also several piano teachers. “We talk about the philosophy behind the music, and the psychology driving composers – things you don’t get in normal music lessons,” says Génia. “I might suggest a topic to get things started, but it depends very much on what the group brings along to perform.” For instance, the Scriabin prompted a discussion on the composer’s deep belief in mysticism. One member later complained they had problems memorising pieces and tips from the rest of the group came thick and fast. Génia believes it is not enough to simply practise at home, perhaps with a weekly visit to a teacher. “A piece can only be considered learnt when you give your first public performance of it,” she says and stresses that perfection is not expected – “it’s really about the process of coming to understand the music”. Almost as important is the opportunity to hear others play. Génia isn’t aware of any other such piano clubs, but hopes they will become increasingly common. “Above all it’s a very sociable and informal place. The emphasis might not be on education, but you can still learn a lot.” Players of all ability are welcome at the next session, which takes place on June 13 between 3pm and 5pm at Markson Music Centre, in Fortess Road, NW5. For information call 020 7485 2042. Preview – Manifest Destiny THE US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has already sparked a play – Gillian Slovo’s Honour Bound to Defend Freedom, currently playing at Kilburn’s Tricycle Theatre and the latest example of so-called documentary theatre. Far more unusual is a new opera by Keith Burstein entitled Manifest Destiny, which is set in Camp Delta. It receives its first full performance this month, also at the Tricycle. Burstein can only think of a handful of operas that have even come close to exploring contemporary events – Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and a couple of works by John Adams. The opera is driven by the rift that appears between a Jewish composer Daniel and a Palestinian writer Leila as the latter is drawn towards terrorism. Leila finds herself in Guantanamo Bay after her besotted co-terrorist Mohammed betrays her to the US authorities rather than let her kill herself as a suicide bomber. It is her secretly written libretto, smuggled back to Daniel, that becomes the opera we see. Burstein describes the libretto as a “hymn to peace”. The scenes of torture that ultimately lead to her death in the camp were written in 2003, before the Iraq invasion and the slew of evidence of abuse at US detention centres in Iraq came to light. “It’s uncanny how we’ve anticipated events,” says Burstein, “Back then we were merely speculating. It’s become more real as time goes by.” The part of Leila was especially fascinating to write. “We started from the assumption that these people are not necessarily mad or bad,” he says. “Before Leila becomes a terrorist she was just a well-educated person in a professional job, just like you or me. “What are the circumstances that convert someone like that into a killer?” n Manifest Destiny will be performed on Sunday June 27 at 7.30pm at the Tricycle Theatre. Tickets are £18 (£3, with £15 donation to the Guantanamo Human Rights Commission). Call 020 7328 1000 for more information. Listings Thursday 3 DANIEL Hyde (organ) plays Bach, Mendelssohn, Mozart and Franck. St John’s, Smith Square, SW1. 020 7222 1061. £5. 1pm. THE Monk Project play Thelonious Monk. Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park, N6. 020 8348 8716. £8, concs £6. 8.30pm. Friday 4 Saturday 5 Sunday 6 Monday 7 Tuesday 8 Wednesday 9 Thursday 10 |
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