Van Gogh Comes Alive During Capitol Records Session
Published in Overture Vol. 85 February 2006, No. 10
On Jan. 13, 2006 at Capitol Records Studio B, one of America's greatest legendary recording studios, Tom Harriman conducted a string session featuring L.A. Chamber Orchestra's assistant concert master Teresa Stanislav and L.A. Phil's former first cello member Andrew Shulman.
The project, "Van Gogh by Vaneck," featuring Netherlands artist Diederick Vaneck, is an unusual musical endeavor. Tom's partner, lyricist Pamela Phillips Oland, described how the project – which is officially sanctioned by the venerable Van Gogh Museum of Amsterdam – brings 12 of the artist's paintings to life through 12 songs.
According to Oland, the album is not an overview, retrospective or "loving look at" Van Gogh's work, life and times; Vaneck actually sings as Vincent van Gogh – expressing the turmoil, drama and passions of his life through the lyrics. The paintings upon which the songs are based are chosen as a chronology of his life; each song is inspired by the contents of a painting, as if the painting were a result of the truths and trials of Vincent van Gogh's life at that time. Some of the paintings represented are "The Sunflowers," "Yellow House," and his last painting, "Wheatfield with Crows."
On the Private Sound Records label, in "ArtPop," a new genre created for this project by Harriman and Oland and their company TOPA Productions; international release will begin in April of this year.