Vinyl or digital?
Both, for different reasons. We can access such a variety of styles and recordings thanks to digitalisation and that’s pretty fabulous! But the depth and richness of sound of a vinyl recording will always be better and more interesting and it’s no surprise that vinyl sales recently overtook digital sales. That said, live is my absolute favourite. Nothing can replace the experience of seeing and listening to live music. The emotions of actually sharing the time and space of someone (re)creating music are unique.
What was the first record or cd you bought?
I can’t really remember, but my piano teacher when I was five was Pascal Rogé and I remember listening again and again to his recordings of the Saint-Saëns piano concertos. I was so lucky to be taught by such an amazing artist, and feel very privileged to work and perform with him now.
What was the last piece of music you bought?
Jain’s album Zanaka. She’s a young pop/world songwriter with a wonderful and very personal sound world. My daughters keep me up to date with “non-classical” discoveries!
If you had time to learn a new instrument, what would it be?
The cello as it’s such a beautiful instrument. I can listen to Bach’s Cello Suites for hours and I find it a very spiritual experience. I guess it’s never too late – who knows? – my father just started learning the bagpipes!
Did you ever consider a career outside of music?
I wasn’t born into a family of musicians but music was always present and it’s a language that speaks to me sometimes more clearly than words. I don’t remember ever asking myself “what do I want to do when I grow up?” – it was obvious that music was my life.
What single thing would improve the format of the classical concert?
I don’t think the format of a classical concert is wrong in itself. I think our education system doesn’t encourage enough young people to go to concerts. It shouldn’t be complicated to go to a concert hall and listen to stunning music, it should be easy and natural. But often a preconceived idea of what a classical concert will be like is what stops people from making the first step.
If you had to pick one work to introduce someone to classical music, what would it be?
Puccini’s La bohème has everything: drama, love, passion, fun, a heartbreaking ending, beautiful arias, ensemble and lush orchestral writing. Puccini knows how to break our hearts and make us feel alive with intense emotions.
What is the most unusual place you’ve performed?
I performed at a private concert in the Imperial Theatre of the Forbidden City in Beijing and it was breathtaking! I couldn’t stop staring at everything, and to be able to walk around an empty Forbidden City was an experience I will never forget.
What’s been your most memorable live music experience as an audience member?
I remember vividly as a child being asked to page-turn for Pascal Rogé’s chamber music recordings and, although I was young and worried that my chair would squeak each time I had to get up and turn a page, I had the feeling I was witnessing something unique. But each time I get to sit in a theatre I’m like a child ready to be taken on an adventure.
What is the best new piece written in the past 50 years?
I’m fascinated by Messiaen, and his Saint François d’Assise is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. It’s six hours long but I’ve seen it three times and was overwhelmed each time. I find it mysterious and fascinating how one can be touched by art. Why is this piece of music, this painting, or this sculpture talking to your soul? There is something very humbling when you surrender to the emotion of a creation.
Which non-classical musician would you like to work with?
Woodkid. I love his work and the richness of his imagination. I really enjoy the way he mixes visual arts and music, using a great variety of instruments.
We’re giving you a time machine: what period, or moment in musical history, would you travel to and why?
Tricky question, but I would actually be curious to fast-forward to 2517 and see what the human imagination is up to!
Anne Sophie Duprels performs Poulenc’s La voix humaine with Pascal Rogé for Opera Holland Park at the Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, London on 22 March 2017. She returns to Opera Holland Park for Leoncavallo’s Zazá in July 2017.
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