Caroline Leisegang: My Body of Preludes

3^rd Album for SA’s most Promising Classical Composers.

Friday, 2 August, saw the release of a brand new album by Caroline Leisegang, one of the youngest classical composers in South African history and winner of the iTunes ‘Best of 2015’ Award for Best Classical Album. Her third official offering, My Body of Preludes, comes after the release of her debut album Øyeblikk in 2015, and sophomore album Simple Circles in 2016.

My Body of Preludes was written in 2017 over a period of 15 months, and recorded in June 2018 at High Sea Studios in Johannesburg. The album was produced by Jacques Du Plessis and mastered by Jacob Van der Westhuizen. Caroline mostly kept with her signature use of triplets and simple time signatures in this body of music. By using her established sound, she added different elements like strings which also acts as a bridge to her next work of music, which will be for string orchestra.

A prelude, in the Romantic sense of history, is a piece of music that can stand entirely on its own and it’s much like a person. Her intention with this album hasn’t been to capture people in music, but rather to have a conversation with them. Inspired by a line in a song which adequately captures the meaning of the album, ‘When a human strokes your skin, that is when you let them in”, Caroline aptly decided to call the album My Body of Preludes.

Since the release of her debut offering four years ago, Caroline has begun to write more simply, openly and explore her capabilities. “I’m not entirely sure of the extent of my capabilities yet, but I see my composing as a baby that reaches it’s milestones. Every musical work, for me, is like taking a first step, saying my first word, pushing my own boundaries and what I understand about myself.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve released any music, so there’s a bit of trepidation in putting something new out there again. While I feel proud and confident in what I’ve made – it’s always nerve wracking to wait and hear how it is received. Fans can expect something new. Something that will become their own just as Øyeblikk intended. It’s something I’d like to become part of their body as well, not just my own.”