Greta Bradman’s tribute to her heroes
InReview
Greta Bradman once struggled with the pressure that accompanied her famous name, but there’s no doubt the soprano has now found her own voice.
“I think I’ve done the hard yards and I’ve proved myself,” she told InDaily on the eve of today’s release of her latest album, My Hero.
Although the granddaughter of famous cricketer Donald Bradman spoke candidly on ABC TV’s Australian Story this week about the struggles she faced earlier in her life, these days she is in a much happier place.
Her musical career is soaring and the new recording of arias is a tribute to her heroes – including Sir Donald.
“I’m coming to the point where I can be a Bradman in my own right … where I can say I’m going to do some stuff and I’m going to honour him in a way that I think would be meaningful,” she says.
Alongside cricket, music – and especially the soprano voice – was Donald Bradman’s other love. He was a composer and pianist, and listening to the LPs in his collection as a little girl helped foster Greta’s own passion for music.
A number of the songs on My Hero – her first recording with the Decca Classics label – could be found in that collection, including Verdi’s Vanne, lasciami … D’amor sull’ali rosee (from Il Trovotore) and Bellini’s Casta Diva (from Norma).
“But another one which was in his collection that he just adored was I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls [from The Bohemian Girl] … that’s one of the songs on the album that fits into the lighter category.”
My Hero, named after an aria from the operetta The Chocolate Soldier, was recorded in London with conductor Richard Bonynge and the English Chamber Orchestra, of whom Sir Donald was also a fan.
But Greta’s paternal grandfather is not the only musical hero who inspired the album. It is also a tribute to Bonynge, her maternal grandfather Horace Young (who was an amateur opera singer), and other family members.
“For me, family is just everything and the people in my family who have had the most influence on my music are some of my heroes – my parents, my grandparents, people like Richard, soprani from the 20th century.
“I grew up listening to all of these amazing women and they absolutely influenced me.”
Bradman harboured dreams of a singing career from an early age. At just six, she wrote in an “autobiography” for school: “When I grow up, I want to be an incredible singer.”
And unlike many children that age, she didn’t mean a pop singer. She was envisioning a classical singer like her idols, such as Dame Joan Sutherland.
She studied a number of instruments at university and became a member of the Adelaide Chamber Singers, before launching a professional career mainly as a concert singer in 2010. Since then, she has won numerous awards, performed in concerts and operas in Australia, New Zealand and Britain, and released two previous solo albums.
Bonynge, who chose her to sing the title role in the Handel opera Rodelinda which he conducted in Melbourne last year, has described her voice as “the true old-fashioned bel canto sound – the sort we only dream of today”.
Bradman says working with him on My Hero was a delight, and she credits him with extending her potential through his passion, exacting standards and interpretation of the repertoire.
“What I really wanted for this album was something that represented what I do love and who I am as an artist. Something that reflects the repertoire that I love, the style I love to sing in and most often do sing in.
“It’s like a vocal adventure, singing that music – a way of getting to know your own voice. It’s almost like there’s a master-class contained in each aria.”
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response and how many people have written to me” – Greta Bradman on the response to her interviews on ABC TV’s Australian Story.
Despite her success, Bradman is the antithesis of the stereotypical diva. She reiterates how grateful she is for everything she has, including her family (she’s married now with two children of her own) and her musical career: “I’m really lucky to be able to sing.”
But life hasn’t always run smoothly. On Australian Story, she spoke about how she had cut her arms as a teenager following her parents’ separation, and later drank salt water in an attempt to harm her vocal chords when she felt under public pressure in her early singing career.
Although her relationship with her paternal grandfather and her passion for music are clearly entwined, she tells InDaily she was “deeply uncomfortable” that the documentary aired so close to her album release.
“Because it was a very personal story and it obviously had nothing to do with the album … the proximity [to the album’s release] was challenging because I want to separate the two.
“But in terms of the response, it’s just been really fantastic. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response and how many people have written to me.”
Bradman studied psychology alongside music at Adelaide University, and is currently finishing her masters in psychology. She works with young people and community organisations, including mentoring and performance coaching, and says this is why she felt compelled to share her personal experiences.
“I wanted to tell my story as a way of essentially saying that it’s out there,” she says.
“Everyone has a story and that’s okay; you can work through it. You can achieve your dreams, even if you’re in a really dark time right now – it’s achievable.”
While she has no intention of giving up her music career, she wants to use her psychology qualifications to continue helping others in the community. It’s the kind of work, she says, that was also important to her grandpa.
“I’m so energised by that and I don’t want to let it go.
Get InReview in your inbox – free each Saturday. Local arts and culture – covered.
Thanks for signing up to the InReview newsletter.
“I love to sing … but it’s also about feeding it back into my other passion, which is essentially people.”
Greta Bradman – My Hero is released today through Decca Classics (Australia). Bradman will be performing in From Broadway to La Scala – with Teddy Tahu Rhodes, David Hobson, Lisa McCune & the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – at Adelaide’s Festival Theatre on September 5. She will sing a soprano solo with the Adelaide Chamber Singers when they celebrate their 30th anniversary in November, and is also planning a regional tour later this year.
Support local arts journalism
Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia.
Donate Here
Comments
Show comments Hide comments