The music of Michael Nyman is extremely familiar to anyone that spent time at the Art House in the ’80s and ’90s. His music helped define the cinema of Peter Greenaway. The director had Nyman’s music score The Falls, The Draughtsman’s Contract, A Zed and Two Noughts, Drowning By Numbers, The Cook The Thief His Wife And Her Lover & Prospero’s Books. Nyman’s music has an unmistakable swirl to the sound. He composed for other films and other filmmakers. His most notable success was Jane Campion’s The Piano. Even though the film received numerous Oscar nominations including Best Picture and winning for Best Actress (Holly Hunter), Supporting Actress (Anna Pacquin) and Original Script (Jane Campion), Nyman’s soundtrack was completely ignored by the composers’ branch. The album went triple platinum, so a lot of people liked it.
Nyman didn’t exclusively work in film. He composed and performed his own work for concert halls. At the beginning of the ’90s, Nyman crossed path with German singer Ute Lemper. She sang the final song on the soundtrack for Prospero’s Books. Afterward they entered the studio to record The Michael Nyman Songbook album. The music was Nyman, but the lyrics were taken by the writings of Paul Celan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, William Shakespeare and Arthur Rimbaud.
While I’m not sure if Nyman, Ute Lemper and the Michael Nyman Band went on a major tour; they did perform a concert at Hamburg Germany’s Musikhalle on 4 February 4, 1992. This show was recorded and featured on this Blu-ray. The label went all out on the production. Instead of just a video shoot, the producers brought in 35mm film cameras and Volker Schlöndorff, the director of The Tin Drum and The Handmaid’s Tale.
The concert opens with the band rehearsing “Miranda” from Prospero’s Books which turns into the actual performance from the concert. Ute Lemper steps out from the curtain to deliver “A Letter and a Riddle” from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and “L’orgie parisienne ou Paris se repeuple” from Arthur Rimbaud. The rest of the concert is Six Celan Songs based on the poetry of Paul Celan. Even though Celan was a Romanian and eventually lived in France after World War II, the poet wrote in German. Lemper brings a sense of grace to his words.
By shooting the concert in 35mm, Schlöndorff gave Ute Lemper an angelic glow on stage. Nyman conducts and plays the piano without overshadowing his singer’s presence. There are cutaways to other films such as Alain Resnais’s Night and Fog to illustrate Celan’s words. Even with the imagery from beyond the stage, the focus remains on the performance. Schlöndorff doesn’t mess with the music. Ute Lemper’s singing is front in center.
The release is part of the celebration of Michael Nyman’s 80th Birthday (also Volker Schlöndorff recently turned 85). The Michael Nyman Songbook is a truly a fabulous gift capturing a beautiful night in Hamburg when Nyman, Lemper and Schlöndorff collaborated.
There is also a DVD release.
The Video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfer was made off the 35mm film so there’s a richness to concert image. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 Stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 to make Nyman’s swirl encircle your surround sound. There are no subtitles.
No bonus features.
Monarda Music presents The Micheal Nyman Songbook. Directed by Volker Schlöndorff. Starring Michael Nyman and Ute Lemper. Running Time: 54 minutes. Released Date: June 7, 2024.
