Twin Spirits is a dramatised concert for actors and musicians. It tells the story, in words and music, of the love affair and marriage of Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck.
The spoken material is largely drawn from Robert and Clara’s letters and diaries with a narrator filling in the gaps in the story. The music is drawn from Robert’s piano music, chamber music and songs, from Clara’s songs and piano concerto and from two complementary works by Chopin and Mozart.
Twin Spirits has been performed on six different occasions in various locations in England and the US – and always in aid of charities of one sort or another.
Production photographs for the June 2010 production of Twin Spirits in New York can be seen here.
Twin Spirits was performed at the Mark Taper Forum at the Music Center, Los Angeles on 15th February 2011.
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 12 June 2005
Twin Spirits was written as a fund-raising gala event in support of the Royal Opera House Educational Programme.
The first performance took place on the forestage of the main house before an invited audience who sat on the stage with the empty auditorium serving as a backdrop behind the assembled players.
Written and Directed by John Caird
Design Consultant – John Napier
Technical Director – Geoff Wheel
Costumes – Corrine Jones-Ward
Hair and Make-up – Claudia Stolze
Producing Assistant – Caroline Dalziel
Translations by John Chichester & Ray Ockenden
Produced by June Chichester
Narrator – Ian McKellen
Robert Schumann in Words – Sting
Robert Schumann in Song – Simon Keenlyside
Violin – Vasko Vassilev
Piano – Iain Burnside
Clara Schumann in Words – Trudie Styler
Clara Schumann in Song – Rebecca Evans
Cello – Nina Kotova
Piano – Pamela Nicholson
New Victory Theatre, Broadway, 27th March 2006
This, the third performance of Twin Spirits, was in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and Classical Action: Performing Arts Against Aids.
Written and Directed by John Caird
Set designed by Ray Klausen
Lighting by Howell Binkley
Production Supervisor – Nathan Hurlin
Music Supervisor – Charles Hamlen
Produced by June Chichester & Ariadne Villarreal
Narrator – Jonathan Pryce
Robert Schumann in Words – Sting
Robert Schumann in Song – Thomas Meglioranza
Violin – Joshuah Bell
Piano – Jeremy Denk
Clara Schumann in Words – Trudie Styler
Clara Schumann in Song – Lisa Saffer
Cello – Alisa Weilerstein
Piano – Natasha Paremski
Windsor Castle, 28th June 2006
The second performance of Twin Spirits was in the Waterloo Room at Windsor Castle in the presence of HRH, the Prince of Wales, in aid of the ROH Educational programme and the Soil Association.
Written and Directed by John Caird
Produced by June Chichester
Narrator – Ian McKellen
Robert Schumann in Words – Sting
Robert Schumann in Song – Simon Keenlyside
Violin – Valeriy Sokolov
Piano – Iain Burnside
Clara Schumann in Words – Trudie Styler
Clara Schumann in Song – Rebecca Evans
Cello – Natalie Clein
Piano – Natasha Paremski
Salisbury Cathedral, 18 November 2006
The fourth performance of Twin Spirits was in aid of the Salisbury Cathedral Choral Foundation.
Written and Directed by John Caird
Produced by June Chichester
Narrator – Charles Dance
Robert Schumann in Words – Sting
Robert Schumann in Song – Simon Keenlyside
Violin – Valeriy Sokolov
Piano – Gary Matthewman
Clara Schumann in Words – Trudie Styler
Clara Schumann in Song – Rebecca Evans
Cello – Natalie Clein
Piano – Natasha Paremski
Royal Opera House, 19th & 20th December 2007
For these, the fifth and sixth performances of Twin Spirits, one of the ROH’s main rehearsal rooms was converted into a studio and the live performances were recorded for DVD in front of an invited audience.
For a full account of the stage and DVD creative teams, click here.
Written and Directed by John Caird
Produced by June Chichester
Narrator – Derek Jacobi
Robert Schumann in Words – Sting
Robert Schumann in Song – Simon Keenlyside
Violin – Sergey Krilov
Piano – Iain Burnside
Clara Schumann in Words – Trudie Styler
Clara Schumann in Song – Rebecca Evans
Cello – Natalie Clein
Piano – Natasha Paremski
Lincoln Center, New York, 30th June, 2010
The seventh performance of Twin Spirits was produced by Culture Project at the Allen Room, part of the Rose Theatre, Lincoln Centre complex in Manhattan. The performance was attended by Mayor Bloomberg who spoke at the end of the show. The proceeds were in aid of the charity Music Unites.
For Culture Project
Artistic Director - Allan Buchmann
Director of Productions – Jayashri Wyatt
Written and Directed by John Caird
Executive Producer – June Chichester
Narrator – David Strathairn
Robert Schumann in Words – Sting
Robert Schumann in Song – Nathan Gunn
Violin – Joshuah Bell
Piano – Jeremy Denk
Clara Schumann in Words – Trudie Styler
Clara Schumann in Song – Camille Zamora
Cello – Nina Kotova
Piano – Natasha Paremski
