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Coaching Cate Blanchett
When Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett needed coaching for her role in Tár, she turned to conductor and RCM Opera Studio teacher Natalie Murray Beale.
Natalie tells Upbeat about working with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, her role in shaping the film’s soundtrack and her own journey to becoming a conductor.
Natalie Murray Beale had no idea that she would pursue a career in conducting when she first embarked on her musical training.
‘The decision to become a conductor did not spring from the idea, but from the doing,’ she recalls. After training as a pianist, Natalie joined the music staff of Welsh National Opera, working with singers and the orchestra daily. Eventually, she was encouraged to step onto the podium – and has never looked back. ‘I have never stopped being intrigued by the craft, complexity and mystery of conducting,’ she explains.
It’s this craft that takes centre stage in the 2022 film Tár, directed by Todd Field and starring Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett as fearsome fictional conductor Lydia Tár. Natalie acted as advisor to Cate Blanchett, working closely with her to create a distinctive and authentic performance.
A CAREER IN CONDUCTING
Natalie’s own conducting style is the result of many different influences. Soon after embarking on her conducting work, she was awarded a scholarship by the London Symphony Chorus, learning from conductors
such as Mariss Jansons and Sir Colin Davis. ‘I spent a great deal of time in rehearsals with the London Symphony Orchestra,’ she says. After several years as an Assistant Conductor at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen then agreed to become her mentor. ‘I worked with him for several years, taking over from him when required. From there I led my own work, conducting opera, concerts and for film.’
She brings this variety to her work at the Royal College of Music as a member of the Opera Studio staff. ‘I might be working one-to-one with vocal students in preparation for an opera production or honing their specific repertoire. I also lead a module for Masters pianists in playing orchestral scores and working towards a career in opera.’
One RCM project that was particularly meaningful for Natalie was conducting a programme of new operas by composition students. ‘From hearing the composers and librettists pitch their ideas, to having their vision fully realised on stage accompanied by fantastic scenography, I remember very clearly the spirit of the performance and the commitment and passion of the singers and musicians.’
SHAPING THE SOUNDTRACK
It was during the production of A New Dark Age at the Royal Opera House in 2020 – during which she became the ninth woman to ever conduct on the main stage – that Natalie became involved in Tár. She and Cate Blanchett are friends, and Natalie invited her to see the show. ‘Being such a tumultuous year Cate miraculously was in the UK. She spoke to me shortly afterwards about Tár and asked if I could help her with the role.’
Renowned for her method acting, Cate Blanchett was immersed in her preparation for Tár – for which she also learned German from scratch. ‘Cate is a great intellectual, a curious person and a masterful performer. She is someone who always shows up and who wants to learn – everything. No stone unturned!’ says Natalie.
The film was released in the US in 2022, and garnered much critical acclaim, receiving six Academy Award nominations, and with Cate Blanchett winning the 2023 BAFTA for Best Actress. Yet the film also received its share of criticism for Lydia Tár’s manipulative character and her shocking fall from grace.
What is striking about Tár is the use of music, with its lengthy live sequences filmed with the Dresden Philharmonic. ‘There is around 25 minutes of live music in the movie, which is very rare,’ explains Natalie. Lydia Tár is shown leading rehearsals for Mahler’s Symphony no 5 as well as the Elgar Cello Concerto.
‘I was very involved in the selection of the Mahler and Elgar excerpts in close discussion with Cate and the director Todd Field,’ Natalie says. ‘Todd called me up when he was editing and said, “Natalie, it’s so good I want to use all of it.” That was incredible to hear.
‘[Todd] was so excited about shooting the orchestra scenes, and I find it very moving how he captured the beauty and discipline of music-making.’
CREATING A CONDUCTOR
Portraying this expertise with someone who’d never conducted before – incorporating not only technical elements but the character’s personal journey – presented a great challenge for Natalie as a teacher.
‘The conducting had to be authentic, and it couldn’t be a standardised or romantic view of a conductor, or we could have easily fallen into caricature. We began with questions – Who am I talking to? Where are they? What do they need from me? What am I trying to express?’
‘We discussed when she might use a baton, or not. When she might choose to stand or sit. What impression Lydia Tár wants to make in her first rehearsal with the orchestra,’ Natalie recalls. ‘You never see her conduct a performance in the film, and yet we wanted to hint at what that performance might look like.’
And while Natalie’s approach to teaching the technical elements was the same as with her other students, contributing to building a fictional character was a learning experience.
‘It was extremely valuable to explore the subtext with Cate, and what is behind the notes. We musicians can be inclined to be rather literal, which is a particular skill, but also a weakness,’ she says. ‘Working with Cate reminded me of the importance of physical freedom, spontaneity and to continue to change and not become set in one’s ways.’
LOOKING AHEAD
Working on Tár also served as an important reminder that women are still the minority on the podium. ‘During the process we discussed many, many great conductors together – Haitink, Gergiev, Bernstein to name just a few. It was shocking though to realise, even today, how few women have had the opportunity to conduct a professional audio or video recording of Mahler’s Symphony no 5.’
Does Natalie have any advice for women pursuing a career in conducting? ‘Learn from others but don’t copy. Study, interrogate, and think about what your offer is, what you want to say. The answer might be very simple. Connect with people, even if that seems difficult at first and you are the only woman in the room – by the way, this will probably happen.’
In the months following the release of Tár, Natalie has been in New Zealand conducting a production of Così fan tutte for New Zealand Opera and has been involved in more film work. ‘I’m thrilled to be engrossed in more great stories,’ she says. Natalie also appears on the Tár concept album conducting excerpts from Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra.
From opera to Hollywood, if there’s anything that Natalie’s varied work has shown, it’s that a musical career can bring many possibilities. ‘Go into your work to discover the kind of conductor you are or want to be. The answers are always in the work itself,’ she advises. ‘Be yourself and bring your most diligent, intelligent and expressive self to the podium.’
And her learnings from Tár are significant. ‘Stay curious, and remember, there is never one way to do things.’
