Woman of Culture

Over the years, Canadian pianist and composer Marc-André Hamelin has built a reputation as the pianist who can play anything - and he does so with verve and style. But, at heart, he is an artist who is deeply fascinated by the new. In this context, we talk about his experience as one of the first pianists in the West to be enthralled by the works of Alexander Scriabin: a cosmopolitan Russian composer who traveled widely, wrote poetry, and was fascinated by India. Scriabin's career was a remarkable story of continuous innovation. He died suddenly at 43 - just as he was on the cusp of new discoveries, composing new works extending into new musical territory that still remains largely unexplored. In episode 1 of this 2-part interview, Marc-André Hamelin talks about his early attraction to Scriabin, and the challenges of finding a way to explore his passion at a time when the composer was relatively little-known in the West. In the process, he also discusses his musical training, the music scene in Montreal where he grew up, his thoughts on piano competitions, and some of his favorite piano works. In episode 2, we will explore a unique aspect of pianist Marc-André Hamelin's background: his personal connection to Scriabin.  Early in his career, Marc had the privilege of meeting someone with close personal links to Scriabin: Madeleine La Liberté. Madeleine, herself a pianist, studied with, and later married, Alfred La Liberté, a great Canadian musician and pedagogue who was a close associate of Scriabin. La Liberté met Scriabin in New York. He quickly became a member of the composer's inner circle, working with him for extended periods during his sojourns in Western Europe. La Liberté would go on to make invaluable contributions to the  development of Canadian musical culture, and to the preservation of Scriabin's legacy, in Canada and beyond.  Marc-André speaks with typical grace and humility about his amazing connection with Scriabin, which situates him directly within the composer's own musical and humanistic lineage. Marc's discography includes the complete piano sonatas of Scriabin (recorded for Hyperion). His recent recital programs feature, at last, the work that first captivated him at 16: Scriabin's revolutionary Fourth Sonata, music of desire and its fulfillment, culminating, in the final movement, in an exuberant dance of cosmic delight. Music heard in Episode 1: Prokofieff, Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major op. 83, performed by Glenn Gould:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXoL60ipygo. Scriabin, Sonata No. 2, Sonata-Fantaisie, in G-sharp minor, Op. 19, performed by Ruth Laredo: https://youtu.be/dIxtP0aHWEQ?si=cShxfXNOlkEq8iy1 Scriabin, Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major, Op. 30, performed by Vladimir Sofronitsky: https://youtu.be/v5MFrX8yWhs?si=f3kHbny64ruNw6YF Scriabin, Opus 74, performed by Sviatoslav Richter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nf0_goimek Thomas de Hartmann, Symphonie-poème, Op.50 No.1 (1934): https://youtu.be/pC_HSFCuSxc?si=CfqQLLHxtH0U6Zbu Episode credits: Sound Engineer: Jóhann Vignir

In part 2 of this frank and refreshing discussion of art and AI with Ela Orleans, an audiovisual artist and composer, paradoxes abound. For Ela, AI is a creative tool that simultaneously enhances and diminishes her creative potential, a practical means of both fulfilling and subverting professional expectations, and a useful yet ironic weapon that she has added to her aresenal to help her fight against poverty, discrimination, and the continuing impact of a (post)colonial value system that affects artists and our world. Ultimately, Ela argues that a willingness to take responsibility for ourselves, as individuals and as a society, lies at the heart of resolving the conflicts between humans and AI. As she points out, the social, economic, and ecological problems of today have not been created by machines; but, if we fail to address the root causes of those problems, they are likely to lead us into further difficulties in the age of AI. Ela offers a candid  and thoughtful appraisal of what she sees as the the losses and possible gains from AI for artists like her, who hope to make their voices heard in a world that is hungry for new ideas - whether or not we know it. 

With the rise of AI, artists have found themselves in a profoundly altered landscape. Is AI destined to be an amazing new instrument of creativity or a new source of unfair exploitation - notably, at the hands of AI companies who have already used the work of artists widely, with neither credit nor compensation, for training AI systems? In this episode, I interview artist and academic Ela Orleans, a Polish composer and audiovisual artist who grew up in Communist Poland and currently lives in Paris. Ela is well known as an artist who works with digital technology. Less well known is the fact that she is also an expert on artists' copyright, having completed her PhD in this field at the University of Glasgow in 2022. Given her unusual background in art and artists' rights, Ela is uniquely well positioned to comment on her experiences with AI, and in this discussion, I found her to be refreshingly frank and open about what she thinks the future holds.   Please join us here for part 1 of this 2-part discussion on artists and AI.

Meet Ahalya, founder of design emporium Kanakavalli, and one of India's most distinguished and successful women entrepreneurs! In this interview, Ahalya takes us on a fascinating journey through the ancient towns and villages of South India, each with their temples and traditions, and many with their own, distinctive approaches to design, color, and cloth. Foremost among the notable sites of Indian textile heritage is Kanchipuram, in Tamil Nadu, home of South India's legendary silk, which is above all worn by women in a splendid traditional garment: the Kanjivaram sari. Ahalya discusses the weaver's craft and the continuing challenges of decolonization in an industry that was once a theatre of India's resistance to colonial rule and remains a potent symbol of her culture today. She draws particular attention to the importance of caring for weaver communities, so that they can continue to exercise their craft and pass on their specialized knowledge to future generations. In the exuberant tradition of weaving in India, as Ahalya explains, tradition and innovation go hand in hand.

September 11th, 2021, "Mahakavi Day," marked the death centenary of Indian national poet, C. Subramania Bharati (1882-1921). Bharati, the greatest Tamil writer of the 20th century, is a legendary figure. He was a multifaceted personality - leading to the interesting situation that, even today, the full extent of the poet's artistic and intellectual contributions is not known. Much remains to be discovered! This podcast episode deals with a lesser-known aspect of Bharati's creativity: the music that the poet composed for his own poems to be sung. While the words of Bharati's songs are well-known to the public, his melodies are not. When Indian classical musicians do sing his songs, they generally write their own melodies, or adapt them from versions popularized in the movies. I discuss Bharati's musical contributions with a star of South India's classical music scene, percussion maestro Suresh Vaidyanathan. Suresh plays a uniquely fascinating traditional instrument, the ghatam – a clay pot.  Links: Maestro Suresh's music teaching site, Ghatam Kulam, is available here. His interview and performance on ghatam with the Sandy Evans Trio was broadcast on Australian radio earlier this week, and is available here. Music Credits: Drums of India, Bickram Ghosh on Tabla and V. Suresh On Ghatam. Subscribe to Bickram Ghosh's YouTube channel.  

Alice Munro, a Canadian writer who is considered a modern master of the short story form, was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 2013. She was 82 years old at the time, a formidable presence in Canadian letters, as described by Guy in this interview, and only one of a handful of women to have received this award. Her death in May of 2024 was a major event in world literature. In July, however, her daughter published an article in the Toronto Star revealing that she had been abused by Munro's husband - and that Munro was complicit in the abuse. Since then, the literary world has been grappling with this revelation. What does Andrea Skinner's story tell us about the world we live in and how it needs to change? This interview was recorded before Ms. Skinner published her story - but Guy presciently raised the difficult question of what to do when, as he says, "bad people are good writers."

Guy Vanderhaeghe has been a distinguished presence on the Canadian writing scene since he published his debut work in 1984, the short story collection Man Descending, which won Canada's prestigious Governor-General's Award for Fiction. His latest book is the novel, August into Winter, published in 2021. But Guy is not only a writer: he is also a teacher who works regularly with aspiring writers. In part one of this colorful and richly detailed interview, Guy tells the inspiring story of his inexplicable passion for literature, the unusual background that he comes from in small-town Saskatchewan, how he sees the evolution of writing in the light of political and social change, and his insights on good writing for both writers and readers. He concludes on a darker note, turning to "cancel culture" and confronting the  question of how to deal with "good writers" who may be "bad people" - the subject of the next part of this fascinating interview.

The identity of the most famous poet in the history of the English language is surprisingly uncertain. Shakespeare's works have survived to the present day, in large part thanks to the efforts of his fellow dramatists to publish a collected edition of his plays. The First Folio, as it is known, has just celebrated its 400th anniversary. In the meantime, however, details of the Bard's life have gradually faded into the past  –  and, today, significant uncertainty surrounds his biography.  Given this situation, why are scholars so reluctant to delve into the past, and why should they fear potentially unmasking Shakespeare as we know him? Journalist and book critic Elizabeth Winkler has devoted a book to this subject. Not only does she ask who Shakespeare was, but, just as importantly, she wonders why asking this question is so controversial. This episode examines identity, history, and truth at a time when the rise of artificial intelligence brings a new urgency to these questions.

In 1787, Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard, met Agnes Maclehose, the woman who may have been the great love of his life. The two adopted pen names in a series of letters to each other - Sylvander and Clarinda - and Burns finally said his poetic farewell to Clarinda in a poem that remains a popular song today, "Ae Fond Kiss." But the letters turned up in court in 1804.  In part two of this interview with Scottish lawyer and historian Hector MacQueen, Hector explains the fascinating new legal doctrine which ultimately allowed the pursuers to succeed in restraining publication of the letters in Scotland. But the legal remedy came too late to keep the letters truly private. They were widely published in other countries, including Ireland and the United States, and in London. From 1820, as Hector notes, the letters were once again published in Scotland - "the matter of family scandal and shame" having "become one for family pride" with the spectacular growth of the poet's fame after his death.  Special music credits: With the kind permission of Karen Matheson, this episode features her rendition of "Ae Fond Kiss" with Robert Brady.

Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard, was perhaps as famous for his love affairs as for his extraordinary poetry. In 1787, he met the woman who may have been the great love of his life. Her name was Agnes Maclehose - and she was already married, though separated, ensuring that this liaison would be scandalous in all respects. The lovers adopted pen names to write to each other - Sylvander and Clarinda - and Burns finally said his poetic farewell to Clarinda in a poem that remains a popular song today, "Ae Fond Kiss." But the letters turned up in court in 1804. Burns had died; Clarinda was alive, and vulnerable, as ever, to scandal. Her uncle was among the judges hearing the matter. In part one of this interview with Scottish lawyer and historian, Hector MacQueen, Hector brings this passionate and dramatic story to life, explaining how he came to be fascinated by this timeless romance, and by the legal case that ultimately followed. Special music credits: With the kind permission of Karen Matheson, this episode features her rendition of "Ae Fond Kiss" with Robert Brady.

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915), an innovative and cosmopolitan pianist-composer from turn-of-the-century Russia, is a fascinating and mysterious figure. A close friend of Rachmaninoff, the two musicians studied together at the Moscow Conservatory, but Scriabin quickly discovered his own, distinctive path.  The composer drew his broad and eclectic literary, aesthetic, and philosophical ideas from many sources, but a deep interest in Indian philosophy was foremost among them. This is undoubtedly part of the reason why he is so misunderstood, and sometimes even denigrated today: he was inspired by ideas that are unfortunately inaccessible and even unknown to many in the West. As is apparent in this extraordinary commentary by Simon Nicholls, these reactions do a great injustice to the composer. With his colleague, Michael Pushkin, Simon has translated Scriabin's own writings into English for a new book, The Notebooks of Alexander Skryabin. To understand Scriabin, Simon exhorts us to turn to the composer's own words. They reveal, not only one of the great luminaries of our musical past, but also an artist with a profound and sincere desire to uplift his fellow human beings. Dare to be free, his music seems to say - dare to dream and think differently! An episode about a great composer and musician, and an inspiring non-conformist.  Special music credits: This episode features excerpts from Scriabin's second piano sonata ("Sonata-Fantasy," Opus 19), performed by Vladimir Sofronitsky.

The removal of cultural treasures from formerly colonized countries has become a major issue in the media, yet voices and perspectives from the countries most affected continue to be rarely heard.  This episode considers cultural heritage from the perspective of a country that has suffered profound cultural losses throughout the 20th century: Rwanda. Juvenal Nsengimana, a Rwandan lawyer and expert on cultural heritage, brings insight, honesty, and hope to the question of how his country, faced with the dual onslaughts of colonialsim and genocide, has made a priority of reconstructing its cultural past, hoping to lay the lasting foundation for a peaceful and prosperous future. 

Nearly a century after its removal, a totem pole that was stolen from the Nisga'a Nation of Canada's Pacific coast and sold to Scotland's National Museum was welcomed back to northern British Columbia in a moving homecoming ceremony last Fall. Far more than a cultural "object", the pole is described by the Nisga'a as "a chapter of the Peoples' cultural sovereignty" and "a living constitutional and visual record."  Noxs Ts'aawit (Dr. Amy Parent), a member of the nation and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Education and Governance at Simon Fraser University, comments that the pole has "a living spirit in it" and is "a relative. And so it's like bringing a family member home after being gone for almost 100 years." There is a growing awareness around the world that the appropriation of cultural artifacts was an integral part of the process of colonial domination. Is it time to recognize this profound experience of cultural loss as a form of trauma that needs to be healed? I explore this question with the help of Myrna McCallum, a Métis lawyer from the Canadian West who specializes in trauma-informed lawyering. Myrna also hosts her own podcast, The Trauma-Informed Lawyer. Photo credit:  Quinn Bender/Reuters

Pianist Glenn Gould is one of the most celebrated classical musicians of all time. A pioneering interpreter of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, he was also a brilliantly rebellious thinker, exploring philosophy and media, and contending that technology would ultimately make concerts obsolete by offering a more satisfying listening experience to audiences through recordings. He was prepared to put his revolutionary theories into practice, abandoning his own concert career at the age of 32 to focus on recording, and proving to the world that he truly was a musical artist like no other. Now, more than 40 years after his death, Glenn Gould has become an iconic figure, at least as well known for his good looks and personal eccentricities as his visionary musicianship. This episode focuses on the development of an artificial intelligence project that claims to be able to mimic Glenn Gould's piano playing, applying his pianistic "style" even to music that the pianist never performed or recorded during his lifetime. What are the creative, artistic, and ethical implications of such an innovation? ...Can artificial intelligence truly be creative? I explore these themes with Dr. Akira Maezawa of Yamaha, who helped to design the fascinating and fearsome technology that Yamaha calls "Dear Glenn."  Special music credits: This episode features brief excerpts from Glenn Gould's 1981 recording of the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach, made on a Yamaha piano in the last year of the pianist's life. 

This episode features an interview with Gro Nesjar, art historian and daughter of Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar, who pioneered "betograve," an innovative method of sculpting with concrete, and became Pablo Picasso's closest collaborator. Picasso and the much-younger Nesjar created more than 30 works together, in different locations around the world, over a period of 17 years.  In this episode, Gro talks about her experiences growing up with her father and Picasso, the relationship between these two unique artists, and her struggle to preserve the integrity of the murals created by her father and Picasso in Oslo after 2011's terrorist attack in the city. She also discusses her brilliant artistic mother and the difficult relationship between art, artists, and gender in Western culture – a situation that is slowly but surely changing.