Having brought John Dowland to the masses with his album Songs from the Labyrinth, Sting takes another shot at presenting classical music to a wider audience which has developed the infuriating habit of not taking any notice of it. In this live performance, Sting portrays the passionate and tragically short-lived Robert Schumann by reading from his letters, while his wife Trudie Styler enacts the role of Robert’s spouse Clara Schumann (formerly Wieck).
In between, selections from the Schumanns' music are played by an ensemble comprising cellist Natalie Clein, pianists Iain Burnside and Natasha Paremski, violinist Sergej Krylov and singers Simon Keenlyside and Rebecca Evans. “I think it’s a great ‘in’ for people who don’t normally listen to classical music,” says Sting.Twin Spirits was devised as a fundraiser for a variety of charities, including the Royal Opera House, so we probably have to forgive its overtones of highbrow schlock. However, our task is not made easier by Derek Jacobi’s performance as narrator. Ensconced on a throne and dressed like a Victorian philanthropist, Sir Del is at his fruitiest and most orotund. Fans of Frasier may be reminded of his guest performance as Jackson Hedley, the world’s most preposterous Shakespearean actor.
However, although Sting has suffered his share of critical brickbats, here he keeps a straight bat and delivers his readings with a mixture of wry humour and quiet sincerity. Trudie sometimes lurches into over-emoting luvviedom, but then again, she was a member of the RSC back in the day, which is how the RSC’s John Caird was recruited to direct the project. And it can’t be denied that the saga of the Schumanns’ doomed greatest-love-of-all is a powerful tear-jerker.
“There are moments in the story that make me very fearful,” Styler admits. “The idea of losing my husband confronts me when I look at Sting as Robert. There are a few moments in the script where Robert and Clara are having a good time, so I try to make the most of them, just as I do in my own life.”
At 90 minutes, Twin Spirits cries out for some editing scissors, but perseverance is rewarded by the quality of the musical performances. Simon Keenlyside brings thunderous conviction to his musical portrayal of Robert Schumann, and the quartet performance of Traumerei, which marks the composer’s solitary and miserable death, feels lonelier than a coyote's howl.
Surprisingly, the second disc of additional features contains some of the best bits, especially Caird’s conversations with the participants. All the musicians offer useful insights into the music, with Iain Burnside contributing shrewd remarks about the way Robert Schumann’s music demands active intervention from the performer to bring it to life. When Caird introduces musicologist Daniel Gallagher to supply commentary on the Schumanns’ life and work, he’s so fascinating that that even Sting and Trudie find themselves spontaneously quizzing him.
Despite all this, if you really want to explore the Schumanns’ work, you might consider buying a selection of CDs and playing them a lot.
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