Frederiksen will present a selection of English lute songs in his performance, titled “Fire Passion.” He says the program he has prepared features lyrics woven with the theme of fire because “love poetry without images of fire … seems almost impossible to imagine.”
In a recent interview with Today’s Zaman, Frederiksen said he was sure he would be able to establish good communication with audiences in Turkey. “I am sure we will understand each other, and I look forward to making music and making new friends in Turkey,” Frederiksen said.
What inspired you to start studying music?
I think I experienced the power of music when I was very young. My parents were both very musical, playing piano and singing, although neither was a professional musician. They communicated their love and enjoyment of music to me. My first instrument was and is the voice. It is the only one that can communicate text and notes together to form a complete whole, and it is the most direct form of expression.
What attracts you most to Baroque music?
I was attracted to early music, including especially the Renaissance and Baroque a long time ago. In the Renaissance, the voice was the king of instruments. There is so much wonderful vocal music from Europe, and I am still discovering new things. The art of composition reached new heights in the Renaissance, not to mention Medieval music. The pieces for voice range from incredibly complex and beautiful vocal polyphony by composers such as Orlando di Lasso and Cipriano de Rore to ballads and solo pieces. The solo pieces were often accompanied by the lute. As I got more into the repertoire and as I played guitar already, it was a natural step to the lute.
Around 1600 was an incredibly dynamic period in the history of Western music. We use this date as the beginning of Baroque, and what concerns me and the program I will present most is the way solo song developed away from a contrapuntal to a more simplified but theatrical style. Opera developed at this time out of theatrical presentations with music, and the leading composer was [Claudio] Monteverdi.
I suppose what attracted me most at the beginning about early music were ballads and storytelling. But my interest grew, and now I love ballads still and the creative process of developing interpretations of songs which may not have been performed for over 400 years. But I also love so many other aspects of the music. The opportunity to ornament and to bring something of one’s own remains important to me.
Who are some of the other composers whose work you most enjoy performing?
When I am not singing John Dowland and Thomas Campion songs, I love performing [George Frideric] Handel. In November I had a great time singing Handel’s “Joshua” [oratorio] in Munich; my role was Caleb. But I also love Mozart and have Sarastro from the “Magic Flute” and Osmin from “Entführung” [aus dem Serail/The Abduction from the Seraglio] in my repertoire.
Aside from classical music, what other music inspires you?
I like many kinds of music -- appropriate to the occasion. I respond often to excellent interpreters. I have been moved by the songs of Johnny Cash or Tom Waits, but also U2. I used to substitute for a bass that had formed a group that sang the close harmony of the Comedian Harmonists, from the 1920s and ‘30s, and also did programs with Kurt Weill or cowboy music. Kurt Weill said, “I don’t believe in classical and pop music; there is only good music and bad music.”
What are your goals for the future as an artist?
I am always looking ahead to the next projects. I have a very exciting project that I hope to record in the near future combining elements of 1970s folk/rock music with the Gregorian Requiem mass and songs of the Renaissance English songwriters -- I even wrote one song myself for that program. Such things keep me active creatively. However, I also love guesting with great people around Europe.
Do you prefer to perform music in a concert setting or in a studio? How does the environment affect your performance?
I love the interaction with an audience. There is nothing like performing live. When one records, the challenge is to keep the freshness and energy -- to try to capture moments that are not too careful or sound too “rehearsed.” In our business, we have to work toward perfection, and I do strive to play and sing the correct notes at the correct time, but at the moment, when I am in front of people, I am also responsible to communicate. That is the challenge and the joy.
What countries have you most enjoyed performing in? Do you notice large differences between audiences in different countries?
I cannot say. Every place is special, and there is no country I have gone to where I thought, “I don’t ever want to perform there again!” People love music often in very “far away” places, and I have enjoyed performing where people hear with fresh ears. Sometimes in the big cities like New York City, where I lived for 15 years, people are so saturated with noise tension that it is more difficult. On the other hand, in exactly those cities, there are always people who appreciate what it is that you are doing. In every country, I feel responsible as a performer to reach out, over language, to the individuals who have come to listen. People want to have an experience when they come to hear music.
Is this your first performance in Turkey? What are your impressions of the country?
This will be my first performance and first time in Turkey! I am very excited. I have spoken to many people about your beautiful country and am looking forward to being there.
What can your audience expect from your performance here?
Well, one thing I do that is unusual is that I accompany myself on the lute. Fifty years ago, the lute was almost completely dead, but these days there are quite a few people who play well. However, there are not many who are attempting to accompany themselves. To me it was natural; the moment I picked it up, I wanted to sing with it. But the technical demands are great, and it took time to develop my skills.
The second thing that the audience will hear is a true bass voice singing to the lute. I am a low bass, but I also have a voice that can move around. Perhaps people will hear warmness in my singing. I hope so. I have made a special program that weaves the image of fire through the lyrics of the songs. Love poetry without images of fire -- its burning, warming, light-giving qualities, for instance -- seems almost impossible to imagine.
I think music is a universal language. I am sure we will understand each other, and I look forward to making music and making new friends in Turkey.
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