Emma Shapplin
Encyclopedia
Emma Shapplin is a French operatic coloratura soprano
.
. When she was 18, singer Jean-Patrick Capdevielle convinced her to return to taking classical lessons so as to improve her singing technique. She discovered that although rock had given her more artistic freedom and hedonistic lifestyle than classical music, it was still not enough for her, so she decided to create her own style. This became a combination of archaic opera and modern trance
and/or pop music. Shapplin and Capdevielle subsequently worked together on her first release, Carmine Meo, written by Capdevielle.
Although Shapplin was raised speaking French, and sings some of her songs in that language, most of the songs on Carmine Meo were translated from the French in which Capdevielle wrote them in into Latin
and old Italian
, in which Shapplin sang them. On her second release, Etterna, she decided to perform in baroque (17th-century) Italian
. She did so because, according to her, "It's a language that sings naturally"; and because this is closer to the modern Italian language she used in some of her first classical singing lessons, while the older Italian "lends itself more to poetry, to dreaming, and to drama too". In particular, she used the spelling "Etterna" for the album and track title because this is the way Dante
wrote, rather than the modern Italian "Eterna". She occasionally performs one of her hit songs, La Notte Etterna, in Spanish (as La Noche Eterna). Her single "Discovering Yourself" is in English. Shapplin has co-operated with Greek
singer George Dalaras
and she visits Greece almost every year for concerts in Athens
' ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus
.
Shapplin was relatively unknown in the United States until composer Graeme Revell
used her voice on his score for the movie Red Planet
. They later collaborated on her second album Etterna
, with Revell producing all of her songs.
, released late 2009. In line with Shapplin’s experimental and cross-genre style, Macadam Flower
combines electro-pop, rock, synth-pop, a touch of opera and classical influences (marked in particular by JS Bach and Debussy), emphasizing sensuality, poetry and drama.
Shapplin composed and wrote Macadam Flower
herself, employing three languages (English, French and ancient Italian). Shapplin calls it “a new soundscape for the sensory experience.”
The album is centered around a solitary fictional character, Maddalena Kean; a young woman residing in the metropolis of her childhood who is herself the macadam flower. The album tells the young woman's story through a collection of diverse melodies, lyrics, languages and musical arrangements, all of which Shapplin chose to express the varying moods of the character. As a modern figure, the young woman is the embodiment of an array of musical styles: electro-pop and soft rock together with classical styles borrowed from Claude Debussy, Jean-Sebastian Bach and popular melodies of Okinawa. Relying also on her passion for poetry, Shapplin said: “I wanted this album to be like a little bubble of softness and smoothness and to sometimes have a bit of the darker emotions with a different approach toward sensuality.”
The live DVD of “The Macadam Flower Tour” was released in spring 2011.
Emma Shapplin's biography Emma Shapplin's discography Emma Shapplin's album reviews
Coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...
.
Biography
Emma Shapplin, neoclassical artist author, composer, and producer, started her music career in classical music but then moved to hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. When she was 18, singer Jean-Patrick Capdevielle convinced her to return to taking classical lessons so as to improve her singing technique. She discovered that although rock had given her more artistic freedom and hedonistic lifestyle than classical music, it was still not enough for her, so she decided to create her own style. This became a combination of archaic opera and modern trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
and/or pop music. Shapplin and Capdevielle subsequently worked together on her first release, Carmine Meo, written by Capdevielle.
Although Shapplin was raised speaking French, and sings some of her songs in that language, most of the songs on Carmine Meo were translated from the French in which Capdevielle wrote them in into Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and old Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, in which Shapplin sang them. On her second release, Etterna, she decided to perform in baroque (17th-century) Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. She did so because, according to her, "It's a language that sings naturally"; and because this is closer to the modern Italian language she used in some of her first classical singing lessons, while the older Italian "lends itself more to poetry, to dreaming, and to drama too". In particular, she used the spelling "Etterna" for the album and track title because this is the way Dante
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
wrote, rather than the modern Italian "Eterna". She occasionally performs one of her hit songs, La Notte Etterna, in Spanish (as La Noche Eterna). Her single "Discovering Yourself" is in English. Shapplin has co-operated with Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
singer George Dalaras
George Dalaras
George Dalaras , also possibly spelled as Yorgos or Giorgos Dalaras, is a Greek singer. He is of international fame and has recently been selected as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. He was born in Nea Kokinia, Piraeus. His father was Loukas Daralas, a singer of rebetiko.-Early...
and she visits Greece almost every year for concerts in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
' ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla...
.
Shapplin was relatively unknown in the United States until composer Graeme Revell
Graeme Revell
Graeme Revell is a New Zealand film score composer.Revell attended Auckland Grammar School, where he finished his final year in 7A...
used her voice on his score for the movie Red Planet
Red Planet (film)
Red Planet is a 2000 Technicolor science fiction film directed by Antony Hoffman, starring Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss. It was released on November 10, 2000.-Plot:...
. They later collaborated on her second album Etterna
Etterna
-Charts:...
, with Revell producing all of her songs.
Career
Emma most recently wrote and composed the album Macadam FlowerMacadam Flower
-Charts:-Release history:-Macadam Flower Tour:#November 5, 2009- Haifa, Israel#November 7, 2009- Tel Aviv, Israel#January 30, 2010- Xanthi, Greece#February 14, 2010- Kanyon Shopping Mall, Istanbul#March 6, 2010- Athens Concert Hall...
, released late 2009. In line with Shapplin’s experimental and cross-genre style, Macadam Flower
Macadam Flower
-Charts:-Release history:-Macadam Flower Tour:#November 5, 2009- Haifa, Israel#November 7, 2009- Tel Aviv, Israel#January 30, 2010- Xanthi, Greece#February 14, 2010- Kanyon Shopping Mall, Istanbul#March 6, 2010- Athens Concert Hall...
combines electro-pop, rock, synth-pop, a touch of opera and classical influences (marked in particular by JS Bach and Debussy), emphasizing sensuality, poetry and drama.
Shapplin composed and wrote Macadam Flower
Macadam Flower
-Charts:-Release history:-Macadam Flower Tour:#November 5, 2009- Haifa, Israel#November 7, 2009- Tel Aviv, Israel#January 30, 2010- Xanthi, Greece#February 14, 2010- Kanyon Shopping Mall, Istanbul#March 6, 2010- Athens Concert Hall...
herself, employing three languages (English, French and ancient Italian). Shapplin calls it “a new soundscape for the sensory experience.”
The album is centered around a solitary fictional character, Maddalena Kean; a young woman residing in the metropolis of her childhood who is herself the macadam flower. The album tells the young woman's story through a collection of diverse melodies, lyrics, languages and musical arrangements, all of which Shapplin chose to express the varying moods of the character. As a modern figure, the young woman is the embodiment of an array of musical styles: electro-pop and soft rock together with classical styles borrowed from Claude Debussy, Jean-Sebastian Bach and popular melodies of Okinawa. Relying also on her passion for poetry, Shapplin said: “I wanted this album to be like a little bubble of softness and smoothness and to sometimes have a bit of the darker emotions with a different approach toward sensuality.”
The live DVD of “The Macadam Flower Tour” was released in spring 2011.
Albums
- Carmine MeoCarmine Meo- Bonus tracks :- Charts :...
(1997, Pendragon RecordsPendragon RecordsPendragon Records was a short-lived American industrial and electronic music record label that was founded in 1997 by Irish expatriate Colm O'Connor. The label was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pendragon released a total of 25 albums from artists based in the United States, Canada, and...
/EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - EtternaEtterna-Charts:...
(2002, Ark 21 RecordsArk 21 RecordsArk 21 Records is a record label established by Miles Copeland & Stewart Copeland. The record label is based out of Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California.-Artists:* Ragheb Alamah* Beats Antique* The Badlees* Farrah* Faudel* The Human League* Hakim...
/Universal Music GroupUniversal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
) - Macadam FlowerMacadam Flower-Charts:-Release history:-Macadam Flower Tour:#November 5, 2009- Haifa, Israel#November 7, 2009- Tel Aviv, Israel#January 30, 2010- Xanthi, Greece#February 14, 2010- Kanyon Shopping Mall, Istanbul#March 6, 2010- Athens Concert Hall...
(2009, Nimue Music/Universal Music GroupUniversal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
/Sony Music).
Other releases
- Discovering YourselfDiscovering YourselfAsk for It is an EP from French soprano Emma Shapplin. The songs on the EP were later included on re-issues of Shapplin's album Carmine Meo....
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, 1999, Coeur De Lion) - Spente le Stelle (Opera Trance) - The Remixes - Part One (Remix albumRemix albumA remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
, 2000, Radikal RecordsRadikal RecordsRadikal Records is a Teaneck, New Jersey based record label started in 1992. They release various electronic music, some pop music, and some compilation albums. Many of their artists and releases are licensed from Europe to be re-released to the American market. Radikal Records sells their releases...
) - The Concert in CaesareaThe Concert in CaesareaLe Concert de Caesaria is the first live album and DVD by singer Emma Shapplin. It is a recording of Shapplin's first concert in Israel, a concert held in the ancient city of Caesaria in 1999. The album was written, composed and produced by Jean-Patrick Capdevielle.-Track listing:#Vedi, Maria.....
(live DVD/CD, 2003, Pendragon RecordsPendragon RecordsPendragon Records was a short-lived American industrial and electronic music record label that was founded in 1997 by Irish expatriate Colm O'Connor. The label was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pendragon released a total of 25 albums from artists based in the United States, Canada, and...
/EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - The Macadam Flower Tour - live concert in Athens DVD (June 2011)
External links
Emma Shapplin's biography Emma Shapplin's discography Emma Shapplin's album reviews