David Coleman - Music Man of Kent
This footage is an ITV documentary that provides an intimate look at the early career of David Coleman, a distinguished musician, conductor and composer. The film showcases Coleman’s meticulous rehearsal techniques, his philosophy of music making and his collaborative approach with instrumentalists, singers and dancers, It was commissioned by the Director of Television South (TVS) Richard ‘Dick’ Triance, who had earlier contracted David to record the film of Giselle with Rudolf Nureyev at Elstree Studios. It is a ‘moment in time’ documentary made over a two-week period in 1984.
David is filmed conducting the Mozart Requiem with orchestra and chorus at London’s Southbank, the Kent Police Band in Maidstone and a Brass Ensemble in the TVS recording studio in Southampton. In various interviews he speaks of his values in bringing music to performance, from an emphasis on precision, clear communication and the creation of a general will among the artists, to the conductors’ responsibility to bring energy, inspiration and a defined interpretation. His is an essentially collaborative approach and he speaks of valuing the talents and expertise of orchestral players and how much the conductor can gain from acute listening and openness to their unexpected contributions enhancing performance.
One of his most notable collaborations over many years was with the legendary dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev. The documentary has rare footage from Elstree of the only film Rudolf Nureyev had made of his seminal interpretation of Albrecht in Giselle. In interviews filmed in the star’s dressing room at London’s Coliseum theatre during a break in rehearsals for Rudolf’s renowned London Nureyev Festival, they both discussed their respectful and creative partnership of dancer and conductor. David had flown in overnight from an engagement in Rio de Janeiro in order to join rehearsals for those performances. Nureyev speaks of his appreciation of David’s understanding of dance and of those crucial elements in rehearsal and in the immediacy of performance which he values so highly. He famously states that in many cases ‘outcome of the performance is in hands of conductor’. He appointed David Musical Director of his own company ‘Rudolf Nureyev and Friends’.
In this two week period David had also been filmed rehearsing a production of Benjamin Britten’s Noyes Fludde in its original conception with community groups and renowned opera singers, Elizabeth Bainbridge and Dennis Wicks. A technical fault made this impossible to include, and the crew were invited by John Field (the new Director of London Festival Ballet (ENB) to record, at short notice, part of a rehearsal of the iconic Swan Lake Pas de Deux. Here there are glimpses of the detail involved in the integration of the demands of dance, music and performers’ needs. David speaks of adapting conducting techniques to suit the needs of both mediums (merging**) and offers insight into his work of rehearsing with piano with the translation into the colour and weight of orchestral sound in his mind and ear.
The Principal Male Dancer in this rehearsal was Nicholas Johnson. Originally from the Royal Ballet, as Principal in London Festival Ballet, he created the role of Mercucio in Nureyev’s production Of Romeo and Juliet commissioned by Dame Beryl Grey. He shared with Nureyev a comic gift along side quicksilver qualities and indeed this role was created by Rudolf with the intention of dancing it himself instead of taking the principal role of Romeo.
The documentary also features David Coleman as composer. In the film of him conducting the Kent Police Band they had been playing his March for Brass Band. The extract in the recording studio was of a commission for the television series ‘An Englishman’s Home’ and we also view his introduction to ITV’s Writers on Writing. We also see David playing his composition Vermouth in a 4 hands piano duo with hugely gifted Michael ‘Bertie’ Bassett, Dame Beryl Grey’s LFB Principal Pianist and the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s ace percussionist Kevin Nutty on bongos.
David Coleman created a number of arrangements for four hands (Piano and Concert Organ) in partnership with Bertie Bassett for regional tours of the great balletic works in the 70s and 80s.
Over the following decades Maestro Coleman will go on to conduct in major opera houses and concert halls in Europe and around the globe, in Opera Galas, Symphony concerts, Ballet Galas, for television and recordings. He continues to be a prolific arranger and composer.
Credits
Presented by Jill Cochrane
Writers on writing
Principle Dancers at the Festival Ballet (English National Ballet)
Swan Lake Artistic Director – John Field
Research: Jean Orba
Dubbing Mixer: Tony Cunningham
Film Editor: Nick McPhee
Film Cameras:
Ken Brinsley
John Fish
Peter Hazle
John Mills
Geoff Mulligan
George Pellett
Film Sound:
Malcolm Berry
Simon Bishop
Graham Fitzgerald
Brian Ganger
Executive Producer:John Miller
Producer/Director: Richard Argent