Five questions with Mel
Our wonderful assistant MD, Mel Le Breuilly, is conducting her first full concert this month. Mel has been part of the APO family almost since the beginning, over twenty years ago, but ahead of the delightful programme of music by Alexander Borodin, Claude Debussy and Frederick Delius on Saturday 31st January, in her home town of Wokingham, we thought we’d get to know her even better!
What influences your musical personality and how does that translate into your approach to conducting?
“Words that spring to mind are energetic, analytical, expressive and actively involved (rather than passively listening). It’s kind of similar to my non-musical personality and definitely links to the type of music I like to play as a violinist and the programme that we’re playing in this concert. In terms of my conducting, it translates into an energetic approach and, really importantly, a positive mindset. In my experience as a violin teacher, if you tell someone they’re going to find something difficult, they’re going to find it difficult; if you tell them it’s really fun they’re going to be a lot more keen to put the hard work in to achieve the end result and enjoy the process.
“My analytical side comes through in that I really want to understand what we’re playing, why the composer made the choices they did, what the background to a piece is and what they’re trying to express – be that an emotion or an image or scene. I find that when rehearsing an orchestra, describing these things is much more effective than telling the players how to play their instruments – after all, they’re the experts in their instrument, but also this approach helps everyone get much more from the music.”
You’re doing amazing work as the Music Director of Reading Youth Orchestra (RYO). Some conductors say that orchestras vary in personality (without necessarily meaning one is better than the other). How would you describe RYO’s and APO’s personalities? How are they similar/different?
“Both orchestras have very friendly, lively and positive environments, but RYO needs a bit more crowd control – they’re very chatty! Another similarity is that members of both orchestras are really keen to learn which is really lovely – every day is a school day – and I think that’s because everyone loves the music so much. APO rehearsals are slightly faster-paced – it’s important to remember that the RYO players aren’t just learning the music; they’re learning how an orchestra works, some of the etiquette and useful tips and tricks – for example what’s useful to write in parts.”
What can the audience expect from this programme?
“It’s a particularly joyful programme – there’s a lot of music that’s full of life and excitement, and some bits are just plain fun! Other bits are by turns playful, mischievous, heroic and just…lovely! There’s so many beautiful solos from all across the orchestra. There’s also just loads of great tunes – perfect for anyone not so familiar with orchestral music. It’s a programme full of music to spark the imagination!”
How have rehearsals gone, so far?
“Really well! The first rehearsal was a good exploration as some of the music is well known, some not so much. It’s a lovely feeling when we all explore the stories behind the music together, everyone starts to get it and it clicks actually quite quickly. Then we start getting into detail as the rehearsals progress which takes a lot of concentration – but that doesn’t stop it being fun! It’s so lovely to see all the different personalities of the players coming out through their playing as we go through the process – I’ve loved it.”
You’ve conducted APO a few times now and this is your first full concert on the podium. How does conducting APO compare to playing in APO?
“It’s actually surprisingly similar. In both cases, I like to be prepared (I just like to be prepared for life in general!) but conducting has required a lot more preparation than I’ll usually have done before the first rehearsal. I needed to be a lot more up to speed with the music than I would if I were turning up with a violin in my hand, which isn’t to say I wouldn’t have practised beforehand – I just wouldn’t need to know quite so much about what the rest of the orchestra is doing.
“The rehearsals take a lot of concentration whether playing or conducting, but with conducting you’re in a much better position to hear the overall sound. And although there’s the same worry about making a mistake, there are different consequences. When playing, your mistake is audible; when conducting, your stick doesn’t make a sound but the consequences of making an error can be a bit more far reaching!
“But that’s the lovely thing about the supportive environment at APO – everyone’s in it together and you never feel ‘on the spot’. Before the first rehearsal, the idea of standing in front of this big group of people who I know really well was a little bit scary – but each of them is lovely and they give so much of themselves to the music – it’s a real privilege to conduct them.”