Recently, Kochi was witness to a rare feat. The Playfords, a band that works with German folk tunes and dances, mesmerised the Kerala audience with several old tunes that transport one to a bygone era. With the music that made a population stand up and dance, church hyms from forgotten times, all mixed with modern elements and interpretations, The Playfords opened up a new world in front of Malayalis. The performance was even more special as they collaborated with veena artist Arunitha Mohan.
The Playfords is now on an India tour arranged by the Goethe Institut. With Björn Werner on vocals, Annegret Fischer (Anna) on recorders, Claudia Mende on baroque violin, Benjamin Dreßler on viola da gamba, Nora Thiele playing percussion, and Erik Warkenthin on baroque guitar, lute, and chitarrone, the ensemble is travelling with their peppy, dance tunes.
TNIE caught up with the band for a free-wheeling chat from their inception to their love for the old-world tunes and dances.
Excerpts:
How did The Playfords start?
Anna: It was 24 years ago. Eric and I studied at the music college in Weimar, Germany. And we were part of a project on early music on John Playford’s (17th century English publisher and composer) ‘The Dancing Master’. It had 500 old tunes. and we experimented with those tunes. Our first performance was in a castle. There, someone came asking whether they could book us for a performance. For that, we needed to have a band first (laughs). And that evening, we found the band, The Playfords. This combination of Eric, Benjamin, Nora, Bjorn, and me started playing together exactly 20 years ago.
And how would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
Bjorn: I would say we take traditional songs and old tunes, and make our own arrangements. We find the feeling of these tunes and try to adjust them to the contemporary times. Then, we combine the old music with the modern. The style is called early music and folk music. It’s like the music for dancing, celebrations and being happy. But we also like to arrange serious songs to relax and go deep within searching for the meaning. Ultimately, we like to mix different styles from different centuries and cultures. For example, now we have the opportunity to get into the Indian style of music and to find inspiration to create more.
Anna: Even in Germany it’s difficult to explain. Because people think we are classical musicians, but we are not. We call ourselves a band because we arrange and we improvise. So improvisation is a big part of our music. But people have to listen to us to get to know what we do.
Could you walk us through your creative process?
Anna: Well, sometimes it depends on the programme. Say an event for the ‘Thirty Years War’ of Germany (1618 to 1648). We will select music for that. And there was this big Luther Reformation jubilee — 500 years of the division of the church into Catholic and Protestant. So we made a programme on Luther (Martin Luther) songs. The process is we meet a lot, we try a lot, and we put some in the bin.
Bjorn: It’s chaotic. We don’t have a leader, so everyone can say what they want. And that’s a big problem (laughs). We discuss a lot, and sometimes we are only discussing. However, it’s a very creative way of finding a good solution.
How do you feel about performing in Kerala?
Bjorn: It’s very amazing to play our music in India because it’s a completely different area and culture. Here, I can’t sing like in Germany. We were at a dancing festival in Thiruvananthapuram, and I saw Indian dance (Bharatnatyam). It’s a combination of acting and dancing. And it was inspiring also for my singing. When I sing now, I always think about this dance.
Anna: Also, I wonder how Indian people will feel when they listen to our music. Because it’s a rare genre even in Europe. What we do is very niche — it’s a quite small scene. I sometimes think early music is more connected to pop, modern music than to classical music. So if you listen to a lot of pop music, I think you can find elements in the early music.
Benjamin: We started from Germany, where the weather was at minus 10 degrees. Here, it’s 35 degrees. And in our concert, we have some songs like ‘Alas’, or ‘Cold Winter’. What will Indian people imagine when we sing about the cold winter? We are a little bit unsure, but let’s see.
Are you planning to use Indian classical music in future?
Both are very different. Indian music has several elements and it’s a little difficult to match with the slow and old tunes that we use. However, it’s also easy to blend because both have string instruments. Here you have veena, a beautiful string instrument.
I have noticed you guys take inspiration from Renaissance music. If you could perform with any artist, who would it be?
Anna: I would say, Sting. I have liked him since I was young and he has also worked with early music, lute songs.
Bjorn: For me, it’s Günter Uecker or maybe Anselm Kiefer. They are German contemporary sculptors and painters.
Benjamin: I would like to play with Anushka Shankar, and there’s an artist who works with Sephardic music from Israel, so she too. I would also like to play together with Nora Jones and Diabelli, who is a composer. We can show the popular music from today is really ancient music. The base of today’s music is old music.
What’s the most unique or interesting way that you have experimented with old music?
Anna: There was a concert, where we played lute music with electric guitar. Nora played the harpsichord and synthesisers. We did a mixture of John Dowland, a very famous composer from England who lived in Copenhagen in the 17th century. We did some electric beats and bass with his music. So, I think that was the most innovative thing so far.
What was your most memorable or favourite performance?
Anna: Belarus, it was a very nice trip for us. We were invited by the Goethe Institute. Also, in Leipzig. There’s a famous concert hall where we played in the beginning. It was the town of Johann Sebastian Bach, and I think, the hall existed even during Bach’s time.
Then, we founded a little festival at our place in Weimar. It’s already in its 12th edition. We also have a little society that supports us. It is a big party with dance sessions, where a dance master instructs people on what to do. It’s very special for us.
If you could give advice to musicians who want to start into classical music, what advice would you give?
Bjorn: Play what you want. The most important thing is don’t play so much alone. Look for people to work together. Look around and be inspired while playing with other people. That’s very important. And find your own words, your own music. Find your special expressions.
Anna: I think improvisation is also important. Because when I play a little tune, I never play the same the second time. I always embellish, add something different or another feeling to it. The sheet music is not your God. Just go and change things.
From your collection, what are you playing in India?
Anna: Well, we have a mixture of our German songs. There are some early traditional songs, church songs, chorus from the Luther programme and the hymn of the Lutherans. We also have songs by Goethe because Goethe is somebody who lived in Weimar, our town. At home, we have never played Goethe, but we are doing it for India.
Bjorn: We are bringing our home country’s music. I thought if I heard an Indian musician in Germany, I would be happy if it was the original. So we decided to bring our own songs, our German music.