Tribute To A Beautiful Lady by Dario Poli

Spain has been fortunate for British artist, author and composer Dario Poli, known to his contemporaries as the “Renaissance man.” For it was here that he found the inspiration to originate and produce one of his finest musical achievements “Lady X and The Power of Destiny” in a creative collaboration with Puerto Banus’s living legend Patrick Lloyd Hulme.

The musical drama, originally composed as a celebration of England’s favourite princess, based on the late Diana Princess of Wales. For the composers  it became a long mystical and spiritual journey, an exploration of Diana’s enigmatic character, her emotions, her motivations, and her fascination with the phenomenon of love. Their meticulous research into every facet of her life has resulted in a work, which has great profundity and truth to life, while acknowledging the gaiety and brilliance of a beautiful, if flawed aristocrat.

The project tells of Diana’s rise and fall, her golden yet tragic plight, in a sensitive and heartfelt piece of work that will stand the test of time, much as the light of her life will transcend the generations. Two men started a project, inspired by the muse, a project that tragically turned into a mission for the truth – to capture the innocence of her life and a light that was lost but never to be forgotten.
It was first registered in Marbella with S.G.A.E before her death; a tragedy, which galvanized the composers into re-writing almost the entire work and then re-registering the work in Malaga. The financial backers brought in by Dario, were fascinated by the quality of the music and story line, supported the composers enthusiasm and ideas, and the work was then legally constituted in Holland and Ireland.

With this funding the two men approached one of Britain’s leading musical professionals, the renowned musical director – David Redston – who, after studiously appraising their story, agreed to work with them on the project and conducted the orchestra and directed the numerous superb vocalists on the recording.

The musical drama was recorded by a symphony orchestra, opera singers and  including some singers from Riverdance at the famed Westland Studio Dublin.  These complex recordings and rehearsals, were directed by David Redston  following intensive rehearsals at RTE studios Dublin. It was produced by Richard Pine on the 11 September 2000, with Dario and Patrick in close attendance as advisors overseeing the work. It was engineered by Bob Somerville and was later mixed by David Redston and Bob Sommerville. Richard Pine: http://www.durrell-school-corfu.org/pine.htm

It is a powerful and imaginative, two-act fictional musical drama of a total 2 hrs 45 minutes duration, specifically produced by its creators, to explore the tumultuous life of Lady X, a beautiful aristocrat and her entangled loves. Drawing into focus the esoteric factor X, the irresistible power of destiny and its mysterious design, that inexorably acts throughout her life.

The drama intricately woven around her, expresses a gamut of emotions, containing a haunting sense of tragic premonition, which unfolds, as the complexity of her life and charisma is explored and skilfully brought to life, by the innovative story; the sensitive and incisive power of the music, words and musical arrangements.

The musical effect simply carries the songs from the hearts and minds of Dario Poli and Patrick Lloyd Hulme, into the heart and soul of the listener. The result of the collaboration between Dario and Patrick, David Redston, the orchestra and the vocalists is truly mesmerizing and can confidently be described as ‘touching and very beautiful’

Richard Pine wrote “…. the recording demonstrates…its emotional appeal, the immediate catchiness of its rhythms and lyrics,and the richness of the orchestral texture.” … “The jewel at the heart of the musical remains that what it had been from the outset, …a celebration of her life, beauty and demeanour.”

He continued on the CD cover of Diana  – “ The musical differs from other productions in its truth to life, its deep appreciation of the circumstances which combined to bring the aristocratic girl, Lady Diana Spencer, to the point where she became Diana, Princess of Wales, and beyond it to the divorce court, to disillusion and death. The unique selling proposition of the composers is its powerful combination of singable tunes and a haunting sense of premonition.

Dario wrote; the moral of their story is simply that, “what we say and do to other people effects and shapes their lives, whether for good or bad. Therefore, each individual has his or her own personal responsibility to manage their actions towards others”. This becomes very clear in the final moments of the Opera.

A Honeymoon Weekend for Pipe Organ Lovers: Two Great Dedications, March 26-27

Vienna’s Oldest Pipe Organ Rises Again

Built 43 years before Johann Sebastian Bach was born, the Franciscan church’s 1642 Wöckherl organ is the oldest organ in Vienna. The Baroque instrument had survived years of intense international conflict–from the Thirty Years’ War through World War II–only to fade into silence.

Following a restoration costing 1.3 million euros, the organ will sound again tomorrow morning. The head of the Franciscan order, Auxiliary Bishop Franz Lackner, will direct the special 10:00 service to return the Wöckherl to its rightful position as a cornerstone of the city’s musical life.

The Wöckherl is notable not only for its beautiful sound and exceptional longevity, but for its distinctive ornamental design and sumptuous surroundings. Although the Franciscan church has a Renaissance exterior, its interior is unmistakably Baroque. There is, accordingly, something of a time-travel fantasy involved in hearing the nearly 500-year-old organ now. Because it still stands in the building for which it was constructed, the Wöckherl presents an opportunity to hear Baroque music on a Baroque instrument in a Baroque interior–as a Baroque audience would have heard it! This provides an extraordinary opportunity for historians, artists, and music lovers alike.

There will be three additional presentations concerning the organ beginning at 11:30, March 26. A lavish

ly illustrated 76-page guide will be available. Weekly Friday concerts at 3:00 p.m. have also been announced, in recognition of the role of this historic instrument in the artistic community.

Funding for the restoration was supplied by the Franciscans, the Archdiocese of Vienna, the City of Vienna, and the Federal Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture.

More events involving Vienna’s exceptional pipe organs will be available in the future at www.orgelmusik-wien.at.

March 26: 10:00 Dedication Mass for the Franciscan Church’s Wöckherl Organ/11:30 Organ Presentations

Musikverein’s 200th Anniversary Celebrated with Organ Dedication

Organist and composer Martin Haselböck has praised the instrument as the “Ferrari of organs”…

On Saturday, March 26, the new organ of the Musikverein will be inaugurated in an 11:00 concert featuring Martin Haselböck, Peter Planyavsky, Ludger Lohmann, Gillian Weir, and Olivier Latry. The concert is part of the festivities surrounding the 200^th anniversary of the Musikverein itself. The familiar golden façade of the pipes will not be the most beautiful thing in the house that day. Thanks to the long-term 1.8 million-euro organ renovation, the sound of the organ will finally outshine its visual beauty.

The Vorarlberg company Rieger has worked on the organ since last September. Organ pipes are designed for the space in which they are installed and must be heard in the space to be voiced accurately, so months were required to place and prepare the 6,138 new pipes. (The organ also retains the 33 front pipes from the Ladegast organ premiered by Anton Bruckner in 1872.) With the smallest pipe of a 3.5-millimeter diameter and the largest at a length of ten meters, tremendous care and accuracy were required.

Organ design presents unique challenges for the player, as well as the builder. This is the fourth Musikverein organ and its specifications were the work of an international organ committee. It has four manuals, eighty-six registers, and a mobile console. With the electronic sensibilities of an Android phone and the artistry of centuries of organ-building, Rieger sought to create an instrument worthy of the Musikverein’s famous acoustics while meeting the committee’s requests. Because organ performance has historically been at the mercy of period practice and instrumentation, organists have often been challenged by instruments which—on the basis of being required to do everything—did nothing well. Rather than an historic animal with an authentic Baroque or Romantic pedigree, performers often find themselves facing a “mutt from every village” (to paraphrase Peter Planyavsky) when they sit down to play. This has not been the case with this unusual instrument. New compositions were commissioned by the Musikverein even as the organ was under construction: Planyavsky’s May 16 premiere will be one of them.

The 1.8 million euro renovation was funded by Peter Puehringer and the Musikverein. In cooperation with the Federal Heritage Office, the installation also included restoration of the visual surroundings to their original conditions. Thus, the new organ provides not only a feast for the ears, but for the eyes as well.

The March 26 dedication concert will be presented live on “Radio Stephansdom” at 7:30 p.m., and will be followed by other concerts and presentations on Sunday, March 27, at 11:00 and 7:30 p.m. For further information on these inaugural concerts and ticket information, please check http://www.musikverein.at

Karen Bentley

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