Benjamin Appl – Favourite Things

Benjamin Appl is a multi-award winning German baritone renowned for his international concert performances and song recitals. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and other top performance venues over the last few years and recently appeared on the BBC in a televised film of Schubert’s A Winter Journey which was filmed in the Swiss Alps. The film is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. 

These are a few of Benjamin Appl’s favourite things…

Volkswagen Beetle

Due to my profession, I feel like I spend a huge amount of my time researching, booking transport and travelling from one concert hall to the next. I often have to prioritise speed as time can be tight, and pressure is high. A few years ago, I bought an old Volkswagen Beetle: a beautiful red convertible from 1974 which I love to drive around the beautiful Bavarian landscapes with mountains, lakes and castles. Driving my little car relieves all the stress I typically experience whilst travelling for work, and it calms me in a wonderful way. Also, when the roof is open, I get the feeling that I can appreciate the surrounding nature so much more. The car is usually very reliable, but I once took a very elegant lady from Toronto with me for a day trip which ended rather differently than planned when the v-belt tore to pieces… But I think it was quite an entertaining day, in the end. We laughed a lot!

iPads

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for my iPad. In the past, I always shlepped various heavy music scores from around the world in my suitcase. However, over the last few years, I have managed to scan most of my music so that everything is now stored on this tiny, wondrous machine. It makes it so easy to send off the scores to my pianists when I am learning new programmes and I also use it for all my admin work or for watching a film or series in my hotel rooms before concerts. I rarely turn on the TV in hotels these days, as this device manages to provide every kind of entertainment that technology can offer us.

Having said all that, I must say that I still use physical books and printed scores to learn my music by heart. The additional use of my other senses such as the touch and smell of the music somehow makes it faster and easier to learn.

Christmas

Growing up in a Catholic family in Bavaria shaped my ideal image of Christmas in an important way, and for me, this time of the year is the most special. I have so many unforgettable memories from years gone by. Weeks before Christmas Day, my entire family prepares everything for a perfect celebration. Over more than 40 years, my parents have built up a wonderful collection of nativity scenes from all over the world, which take a few days to assemble and display over the entire house. Of course, stollen and Christmas cookies cannot be forgotten during this festive time and a huge Christmas tree with real candles. On Christmas Eve, the entire family (now with the welcome addition of five nieces and a nephew) comes together, and we have Bavarian sausages, sauerkraut, pretzels and Bavarian beer together. Heaven! What makes it extra special is the quality time with family and an atmosphere without any stress or tension. To me, these days evoke the happy memories that I collected from my childhood. And who doesn’t want to stay a child forever?

Saunas

As I check into a new hotel, I am excited to find the sauna. I love the feeling there: it doesn’t just clean the body but also frees my mind from all the thoughts I have. Sometimes I think my brain is like Victoria Station, with hundreds of trains arriving and departing all the time. Going to a sauna always helps me keep the body flexible and without pain from all the travelling, and I always feel better and more centred the next morning. The best thing to do, is to go out of the sauna in wintertime and dive immediately into the snow outside.

Music

I know it sounds a little predictable to mention music when I am a professional singer, but I really love what I do, and music is one of the most important parts of my life. It transforms me. When I feel tired or that perhaps a cold is around the corner, I just sing and feel so much better afterwards. I still cannot understand that many people (particularly politicians!) are not aware of the power of music. Music has been, and continues to be, used in multiple types of therapy, and improves mental health and wellbeing in people of all ages. There are countless empirical studies that show the positive impact of music on younger generations as they grow and study all subjects at school. I believe it sharpens the mind and shapes our personalities in a unique way and helps us to focus and to absorb information in all spheres, including in subjects such as maths and languages. If we would like to make a big difference in society, we must focus on the impact of music and support it as much as possible. I am grateful every day that I am lucky enough to be a singer and through that, get to experience happiness on a deep level.

Enjoyed Benjamin Appl’s favourites? Explore last week’s Favourite Things here.