The ‘Jamie Oliver of the grand piano’, memoirist and mental health campaigner talks about music, life and everything
BY BEN WEST
James Rhodes’ occupation as a globally successful classical concert pianist – despite having little formal musical training, and only focusing upon a musical career under a decade ago – is testament to his exceptional talent.
In 2010 he became the first classical musician to be signed by a major rock label, Warner Brothers. His first album shot to the top of the iTunes classical chart.
This is all despite a life plagued by depression, eating disorders, self harm, alcoholism, drug addiction, attempted suicide and admittance to psychiatric wards – triggered by being raped for five years from the age of six by a master at his prep school.
He harrowingly documented it in a book, Instrumental: a Memoir of Madness, Music and Medication, which the Mail on Sunday called ‘the publishing sensation of the year.’
Publication in 2015 was delayed after the Supreme Court lifted an injunction his first wife had sought, banning his autobiography, fearing their son, 12, could be psychologically harmed by the graphic detail. With its profound implications for free speech, Rhodes had been supported at the £2m trial by the likes of David Hare, Tom Stoppard, Stephen Fry and old school friend, Benedict Cumberbatch.
“It’s a book about love and about music,” says Rhodes, 42. “It’s a memoir, and talks about my life, some of which is wonderful, some painful. One of the best things for me is that I chose a Spotify music list to go with the book. They are pieces not usually chosen or heard – unlike those terrible box sets of the same old popular classics.”
January this year has seen the launch of a new equally emotionally candid book, Fire on All Sides, chronicling events and his mental state since publication of the last book, which cost him his second marriage.
I’m no classical music expert, but watching James Rhodes play, as I did when he visited Greenwich Theatre after publication of Instrumental, really is sensational. With a refreshing unpretentious style, he plays in all kinds of venues, not the usual ones frequented by those in the classical music world. Indeed, on 5 February he’s performing at the Soho Theatre, which is more known for its promotion of new plays and upcoming comedians than classical music.
He loves playing theatres: ”I’m horrified at the segregation of classical music, and indeed all music – you have classical concert halls, classical music shops.”
What makes a good concert, what ingredients are important for him as a performer?
“The music is the most important thing. My take is that most concerts stop at the concert and music and tend to forget the audience. But to me, introducing the pieces, talking about these guys’ lives, these composers – the original rock stars – what goes into writing the music, that sort of thing, is important too.”
I ask whether he listens to music other than classical and it’s a bit of a shock for him to divulge that at times he listens to Absolute Radio in the car. World-class classical musicians aren’t meant to listen to commercial pop radio: it’s like learning that Nelson Mandela was addicted to Countdown or Elvis Presley used a knitting machine on a daily basis.
I ask what gives more pleasure, playing or listening to music? He laughs.
“What a question! I can’t answer that – they’re different! It’s like asking a football player whether he’d prefer watching a great games, or playing five-a-side on a Saturday. They are different things. All I know is that playing and listening to music gives me goosebumps. I can escape.”
What is he most proud of? His musical ability? His standing up for free speech? His breaking down of taboos about discussing subjects like sexual abuse?
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been asked that. Out of everything, I’m most proud of my son, and any father I hope would say that. Professionally? I suppose being able to bring difficult subjects into the open. It’s not been particularly comfortable, but I have a semi-public profile to be able to talk about these things. I’ve literally had thousands of messages from people since Instrumental came out, some saying their son, husband or whatever has been through the same sort of things, and they’ve said thank you.” He pauses. “I am also proud that I survived all the legal stuff, the trial. It was an appalling 14 months.”
What is more important, to play music to the best of his ability, or to change the world with his writing?
“To play music to the best of my ability is the most important thing. Being of service to this music, that has carried me through.”
He’s almost always seen wearing trendy gear – indeed, the cover of his first album – entitled ‘Razor Blades, Little Pills & Big Pianos’ – looks more like something from an indie band than a classical pianist. He’s very unlike the stuffy middle-aged concert pianist stereotype. However, he almost explodes when I suggest he dresses trendily, a la Nigel Kennedy, and must therefore be reaching a younger audience.
“It’s irrelevant! I don’t think it’s vaguely important,” he says. “When did we think it important to wear fucking trendy trainers? I play in what I’m comfortable in.”
Even so, he has been dubbed the ‘Jamie Oliver of the grand piano’ because of his desire to bring classical music back to the masses, and indeed has said of the TV chef: “What he has done is to make cooking easy, accessible and fun. I can think of nothing better than doing the same for classical music.”
And in the same way Jamie Oliver has pressured the Government to increase standards for school meals, Rhodes has campaigned about the importance of music education in schools, most notably by producing the Channel 4 series Don’t Stop the Music.
Despite distractions like these, he’s also managed to release seven albums to date.
In the introduction of Instrumental he states that he hates himself. But doesn’t the fact that thousands of people greatly appreciate his musical ability and writing skills change that view of himself?
“It doesn’t,” he answers. “It’s lovely when people say nice things, but I don’t read reviews now, or follow sales on Amazon. It’s a dangerous game: there’ll be lots of 5-star reviews and one 3-star one, and I’ll focus in on the 3-star one, that’s how I’m built.”
For the record, virtually all Amazon reviews of both Rhodes’ recordings and book are 5-star, saying such glowing things as ’I have heard both pieces so many times it is hard to believe I could find anything new – but Rhodes found it’, or ‘it’s one of those rare recordings that one can listen to again and again and discover nuanced and interesting technical playing each time.’
Rhodes’ life has changed unrecognisably in recent years, and today he splits his life both in London and Madrid, dating Argentinian actress Michaela Breque, 28, who he met as a fan via Instagram.
As well as writing, performing and recording, he is also currently working on a film of Instrumental: I get the feeling we’re going to hear a lot more of James Rhodes for a long time to come.
Further information: jamesrhodes.tv
This article appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of Black + Green Magazine