When musician Andrew Ousley discovered an enchanting Crypt Chapel located beneath Harlem’s Church of the Intercession, the space was so inspiring, that Death of Classical was born. This intimate, candle-lit concert series celebrates and even glorifies Opera and Classical Music in general, so-called dying art forms. Now, Death of Classical is regularly putting on shows at quirky venues, including crypts, caves, and catacombs, and there is no end in sight.
I was lucky enough to attend one of the genuinely bewitching performances at the Crypt, a coming-to-life of composer Daniel Temkin’s new album, “COLORS,” part of The Crypt Sessions. I even got to meet Andrew at the pre-show wine and cheese reception! I had just taken a huge bite of a dangerously good chocolate chip cookie, and of course, at that moment, Andrew came over, introduced himself, and welcomed me like a proper host. We had a good laugh about it, and I must say, I was particularly impressed with his brooch – which was, in his words, quite literally the largest rhinestone skull broach available on Amazon.
Andrew also put me in touch with Dan himself, and I was able to pick his brain. Beauty News NYC‘s exclusive Q&A with Daniel Temkin covers his creative process, his experience with The Crypt Sessions, and what’s next for him on the horizon!
What inspired you to create “COLORS”?
I’ve been fortunate to work with artists and ensembles around the world, and I’ve been able to write a steady stream of new works each season for many years. I’ve been grateful for these opportunities, and it’s been special to share my music with audiences around the world. At the same time, though, I’ve been thinking about a wider listening audience outside of the concert hall with whom I want to engage, and I felt releasing a professional album could be a great step.
Can you walk us through your creative process in composing the pieces?
As I began looking over project ideas, I landed on a string of solo and chamber music commissions (solos, duos, and trios) I’d written between 2017 and 2020. The pieces didn’t share any single theme, but they were all bright, colorful, and singing. They made a nice set together, compared to some of my other larger, stand-alone, works. The next step was thinking about which players might be a good fit to record a specific piece, and this is where my project really began to find its focus. I thought it could be a unique idea for an album to feature a different set of players on every piece. And, when I looked at a draft list of players I hoped to work with, I realized we actually had a very beautiful and diverse international roster of players. “COLORS” seemed like a perfect title — it spoke to the sonic color in my music, and it spoke to the many identities of our players who all come together through music on this record.
Tell us about some memorable moments during the creation of the album!
The recording sessions themselves were often very memorable. We worked at Oktaven Studios, and their team (Ryan Streber, Charles Mueller, and Edwin Huet) is brilliant! Being in the studio, the players often took on a new sense of focus. You could feel their energy lock-in during the recordings. I remember watching Ayane Kozasa record “Unspoken”—the first piece we tracked—and it felt like a performance she was giving on a major concert stage.
It was just so engaging and musical. It was similar to Emi Ferguson and Ashley Jackson when they recorded “Together, We”. Emi and I had never worked together, and we hadn’t even rehearsed before the session. But she and Ashley came in and gave, hands down, one of the most musical and beautiful performances of a work I’ve ever had. The videos you see of those two pieces are the footage from the Oktaven studios, and the performances are riveting.
What unique qualities do you feel each artist brings to the project?
I was really asking myself: “Who is the right fit to play this piece?” Francisco Fullana and I had worked together on a number of other pieces, and I thought he would be a great voice for the first violin part on Time Capsule. He has recorded a lot of Baroque music, and my piece features an allusion to the Bach violin partitas. Then, it became a question of who would be a good fit with Francisco. The second violin part has these beautiful high melodies, and Francisco and I agreed that Alexi Kenney would have a great voice and counterpoint for Francisco’s tone and style. The two of them had incredible chemistry when we rehearsed.
Photo Credit: Steven Pisano
Similarly, when I asked Ashley who might be a good fit to pair on “Together, We,” she mentioned that she and Emi were playing a lot together, and they had great chemistry. And on and on — it was like this for every piece: there was sort of a good energy match between specific players and specific qualities that the piece itself might call for. In the end, we ended up with a true “all-star” cast, but that was never the goal. In truth, we were all drawn together through the music and through their integrity as performers.
Photo Credit: Steven Pisano
I’m truly grateful these artists all came together to support this project. It reflected a lot of belief and commitment on their part in my music. And I really feel that each artist’s voice shines through on the recordings. On “Corners of Light” you really hear clarinetist Stas Chernyshev bend and shape each phrase, on “Moments” you really hear harpist Ashley Jackson stretch and sing, on “Unspoken” you really hear violist Ayane Kozasa shade the colors of each line. Almost like great drama actors, each performer brought their own personality and voice into the sort of musical script I had written. And this is true throughout the album.
Photo Credit: Steven Pisano
How did the venue and its atmosphere influence the mood and reception of your compositions during the performances?
I think the Crypt Sessions was an especially good fit for my music. A lot of my work focuses on nuances of instrumental color — a harp pluck here, a string harmonic there, a breathy flute accent, and more. In the Church of the Intercession, you have this incredible acoustic environment with domed stone ceilings, and each musical gesture really glows in that space. My music also has an intimacy, and this is different than some contemporary music, which can be more cerebral, so I think at the Crypt Sessions, we really feel like we are coming together in an intimate listening experience. It was very special for me to be able to present my work there.
With “COLORS” now presented to audiences, what are your aspirations for future projects or collaborations, and how do you plan to build upon the success of this debut album? Are there any surprises or highlights you’re particularly excited about sharing with the audience?
These are great questions! I’m working on a second album now. It will feature a violin concerto called “Maksimal,” which is performed by Francisco Fullana (who is on “COLORS”), and also a string quartet called “Ocean’s Call,” which has been recorded by the Aizuri Quartet. I look forward to finishing that up and sharing it with the world! I also really enjoyed working with the film team of Four/Ten Media on the “COLORS” album. They shot videos for “Time Capsule” and “Moments,” and I hope to work with them again on projects related to my second album.
Stream COLORS, the album, HERE.
Learn more about the Death of Classical.
