Musical Memories 4
TobiasWhat is it that defines a star? Actress Arlene Dahl once remarked that it had nothing to do with what you said or did – and strangely it also had nothing to do with talent. Instead, the “star quality” was something everyone would notice once a particular person entered the room, like an aura, a “vibe” or a shiver. Classical musicians and “intellectual” journalism have always tried to defy her point of view. Rather, technical mastery, a razorsharp analytical mind, interpretative intelligence and – sigh – “feeling” (also referred to as “the touch”) were what differentiated a “genius” from a merely “gifted player”. Hence, Vanessa Mae was “bad”, because she wore sexy t-shirts and owed her position to her looks, while Hillary Hahn was “good”, because she was a “decent and hardworking” girl. Still, even the by now most legendary Classical performers were almost always pop idols as well – take Paganini or even (and slightly more contemporary) Maria Callas or Caruso. And about every young new face has willingly catered to the wishes of the tabloid industry – especially so in violin-land, where competition between the ladies is almost unbearable. “Serious music” may try to keep up its veneer of rationalism, but underneath the surface it is just as hungry for sensation. With this in mind: How on earth did Janine Jansen get this far?
Understanding this question will be easier, if you have a look at her interview for the Philharmonia Orchestra-Website, dating back to 2004. By this time, Jansen was already a famed name in the business, with two CDs under her belt and solidly sold-out concert tours all over the world. Even though one would not necessarily expect a diva or an egocentric Classical nerd, the totally unprepared nature of her answers and her almost naive charm are stunning (rather than cunning). Why, does she believe, is Bruch’s Violin Concerto so popular? Because “it’s just an unbelievable, beautiful piece”. How does she feel playing it? That’s “such a difficult question”. Would she like to do a 9 to 5 job sometime? “Erm... I have no idea”. She also happily admits not knowing too much about the rest of Bruch’s work and that there are “always difficult things which you have to keep on practising”. Instead of the usual bland PR-talk, we get a girl still unable to fully articulate herself with regards to the very foundations of her profession. Jan de Kruijff tried the same three years earlier and his conversation is much more fruitful – probably because he remains on the technical side of things, discussing a lot on the different instruments Janine has used (which no regular music listener will want to read about). This girl, which claims to be playing only from her emotions, seems to be unable to express them without using a bow.
Possibly she simply had no time to prepare for all of this attention - her rise to fame was like a storm indeed. It all started in a musical family, with her mother a singer, her father an organ-playing professor and her two brothers talented musicians as well. Chamber music would become her first love, rather than the huge concert halls, the symphonies and the overwhelming “wall of sound” of an entire orchestra. You can still hear that in her tone today: This almost intimate quality, which speaks to the listener less in a universal, but rather a direct and personal way. And in some of the quiet passages, she assumes an almost meditative voice, wonderously unadjusted and weightless. Her youth is not that of a prodigy – she does go to a regular school, even though she misses a few lessons because of her violin courses in slightly off Hilversum (close to Amsterdam). She manages to win a few competitions, quickly gets a first chance to perform with a professional orchestra and passes her studies with distinction. It is not until she hooks up with Frank Dodge of Spectrum Concerts, however, that things really start to take shape. Dodge has succesfuly launched a concert series of chamber music and modern compositions and is looking for fresh new faces to add to his artist roster. Jansen, with her unassuming manner and a preferance for the slightly “smaller-sized” repertoire is a natural choice. They will keep on working together until today and Spectrum serves as a basis for her further career. She makes her London debut in 2002 and shortly after, Decca releases her debut album, which is accompanied by a huge marketing campaign (and strong sales at least in her native Holland).
The album is not exactly spectacular on the surface. It features a few popular tunes (Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian), slightly leftfield pieces (“The lark ascending”) and a surprising stab at modern music (John Williams’ theme to “Schindler’s List”). Critics liked what they heard and were quick to put a stamp on this new product – “the girl with the pearly tone” was one of them – and to add her to the list of aspiring violinists, such as Hahn and Baiba Skride. Instead, this collection shows her to be in a totally different company and to belong to a different “school”. While Hahn has presented herself as a smart, intelligent and allround-talent and Baiba Skride as an analytical, amost harshly striking player, Jansen neither wants to push the limits of violin literature forward, nor open up a piece’s hidden trap doors. Instead, she polishes up its most elemental quality: Melody. And as if to sustain the thesis that it should be the task of every player to let his or her instrument approximate the humain voice, Jansen allows her violin to “sing” these melodies. It’s an almost oldfashioned approach – no, it’s not even an approach. Closest to her must be Joshua Bell, whom she played for years ago and who has remained a favourite (even though she refutes the notion of him being an “idol”). Just like him, Janine sees no evil in recording beautiful tracks just for the sake of their being beautiful. While one has come to expect an interpretation to be a dialogue with the work, she “makes it her own”. This may be “wrong” or unfaithful to the original in the eyes of many, it sure explains her appeal to those, who feel left in the cold by either too daring performances or performers unwilling to open themselves up in the process of playing.
The same kind of chuzpe can be found in Jasen’s second CD – another rendition of the “4 Seasons”. In the face of an already overcrowded market, this seemed like commercial suicide at the time. Still, her version is “reduced to the max”, up-front and personal as well as spacy and lush occasionaly. Terms like “relevance” suddenly seem silly. The album went on to sell 15.000 copies in the Netherlands, earning her a gold disc.
So how did Janine Jansen become a star? Probably by simply remaining the way she is. The pictures in the booklet of her “4 seasons” are a pure image-desaster, depicting her as a femme fatale, an etherial fairy, a dreamy girl and some more stereotypes – the record company must have been very nervous for this to be a success. But in her playing and in her interviews, she couldn’t lie, even if she wanted to. She will keep on stumbling for words, begging journalists not to inquire “why she likes something”, as well as playing the most beautiful melodies, regardless of current fashions or critics’ demands. In a way, that makes her the perfect anti-star, but she’s only the more interesting by this. Would anyone notice if she entered the room? Let’s answer this with another question: Does it matter?
Homepage: Janine Jansen
Homepage: Janine Jansen (old page)
Homepage: Janine Jansen at Harrison Parrott
Homepage: Janine Jansen at Spectrum Concerts
Homepage: Janine Jansen at Philharmonia
Homepage: Janine Jansen at Audio Muziek
Homepage: Janine Jansen at HKU
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2008-01-04