Joanna Goodale

In September 2021 pianist Joanna Goodale returned to Brel with new programme Melodies of Intimacy.

Born into a British-Turkish family, Joanna Goodale is a French-Swiss pianist with an eclectic and creative identity, opening up the classical repertoire to traditional world music and to her own comprovisations. Her first concept-album Bach in a Circle, uniting Bach’s music with her own arrangements of Sufi chants (Turkey / Iran) was released in June 2019 with Label Paraty and with the support of the Fondation Tempo, the Fondation Engelberts, the Swiss Radio RTS Espace 2.

Graduate of a Master of Arts in Piano (Geneva) and a Master of Arts in Anthropology (London), Joanna Goodale is regularly invited to perform in Switzerland, in France, in Germany, in Turkey, in Spain and benefits of the advice of internationally renowned pianists such as Alice Ader, Alain Kremski, Cedric Pescia, Menahem Pressler and Anne Queffélec.

www.joannagoodale.com

Schubert and Chopin had in common the gift of composing melodies which, through their depth and grace, have marked European history and culture. A little further towards the East, in Armenia, can be found melodic gems collected by Komitas and Gurdjieff (beginning of 20th century) that Joanna wished to put in dialogue with Chopin, Schubert and Turkish melodies which she arranges for piano. Songs from the soul whispering to our hearts the joys and the sorrows of the human condition, while being enchanted by the transcendental beauty of Music.

Schubert et Chopin ont eu en commun ce don de composer des mélodies qui ont, par leur profondeur et leur grâce, marqué l'histoire et la culture européenne. Un peu plus loin vers l'Est, à la frontière avec l'Orient, se trouve l'Arménie qui recèle des bijoux mélodiques recueillis par Komitas et Gurdjieff (début 20e), et que Joanna Goodale a souhaité mettre en dialogue avec Chopin, Schubert et des mélodies de Turquie, qu'elle arrange elle-même au piano. Des chants de l'âme qui murmurent à nos Coeurs les joies et les peines de la condition humaine, en s'émerveillant de la beauté transcendante de la Musique.

Concert at Brel (Sunday 5 September 2021)

Claude Debussy:

Pagodes (Estampes); Reflets dans l’eau (Images)

Frédéric Chopin: 

Mazurkas: Op 68 no2; Op 30 no2; Op 63 no3

Miniatures d'Arménie & de Turquie:

Arménie; Shoushiki, Yerangi (Komitas); Sayyid Dance 23, Song of the Fisherwomen, Sayyid Dance 26 (Gurdjieff) Turquie: Haktan inen şerbeti, Kus Dili (Goodale)

Franz Schubert:

Impromptus Op 90: No 2 in A Flat Major; No 3 in B Flat Major; No 4 in F Minor

Ständchen (arr. Liszt)

Moment musical Op 94 No 3 in F Minor

Joanna Goodale gave her 2nd autumn concert at Brel in September 2020.

Debussy, Satie and Improvisations

Concert at Brel (13 September 2020)

Debussy:

Cathédrale engloutie - Préludes

Jardins sous la pluie - Estampes

The snow is dancing - Children’s Corner

Reflets dans l’eau - Images I

Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut - Images II

Clair de Lune - Suite bergamasque

Satie:

Gnossiennes, Pièces froides  (sélection)

Improvisations:

These improvisations, played at the same time on the piano, with gongs and Tibetan bowls will be interspersed between Debussy’s works like open windows on the sounds of Asia which have so influenced his music.

Joanna Goodale’s first concert was held at Brel in September 2019.

Bach meets Sufis

With a personal and bold insight, Joanna Goodale unveils unsuspected links between the Sufi East and the Baroque West. Indeed, the works of Bach and the whirling dervishes' music are both characterized by an expression of deep faith, a quest to represent the cosmic order, and a use of repetitive cyclic patterns. As well as interpreting J-S Bach’s works, Joanna Goodale revisits his music with rhythms from the Middle-East and arranges sufi chants from Turkey and Iran with mechanical effects, recalling the sounds of these countries’ traditional instruments.

Bach / Busoni -  Chaconne in D minor bwv 1004

Goodale - After Bismillah

Bach / Siloti - Prelude in B minor BWV 855a

Eren / Goodale - Güldür Gül

Bach - Prelude & Fugue n.10 in E minor BWV 855

Goodale - Balkan Bach

Goodale - After Yavaran Masem

Bach - Fantaisie & Fugue in C minor BWV 906

Bach / Busoni - Chorale Prelude ‘Ich Ruf’ Zu Dir, Herr’ BV B 27

Bach - Prelude & Fugue n.6 in D minor BWV 851

Goodale - Sufi Chaconne

Marcello / Bach - Adagio BWV 974

Bach / Kempff - Siciliano BWV 1031

Nazeri / Goodale - Man Che Danam

Welsh National Opera

In May 2014 we had a visit from the Bel Canto syndicate of Welsh National Opera supporters organised by John Ward.  The 20 strong group stayed at a local hotel but spent the days at Brel participating in a series of lectures and workshops led by Dr Francesco Izzo  Professor of music at the University of Southampton, his wife Dr Valeria di Lucca and WNO's resident dramaturg, Sophie Rashbrook.  The two day event ended with a presentation by tenor Barry Banks on ornamentation and virtuosity in Bel Canto opera and a short recital by Barry accompanied by Francesco.