by Alexandra Mrozowska
— Senior Columnist —
What’s the secret of projects based around creating Rock and Metal operas – the likes of Avantasia or Ayreon – being so popular these days… ? Well, obviously the amount of talent involved is one of the most precise answers to that question, and a few well-known names from the realm of Rock and Metal don’t hurt too.
But if we try to see past the music, it’s the stories they tell that we enjoy discovering with each consecutive album being released. One of the most unique stories illustrated with Rock music is Foreign: The Symphony of the Wandering Jew, one that takes you on a journey through time and space.
It revisits a myth of the Jewish man who refused to give Jesus water on the way to the crucifixion and for that – and his mockery – was punished with immortality. Foreign follows the character wandering through the centuries and meeting a variety of historical figures, the tale being told with a little help of a cast of renowned guest musicians.
For the second part of the planned trilogy, it’s the likes of Leo Margarit (Pain of Salvation, Epysode), Mike LePond (Symphony X, Silent Assassins), Zak Stevens (Circle II Circle, Savatage, TSO), Andy Kuntz (Vanden Plas), Tom Englund (Evergrey) or Amanda Lehmann (Steve Hackett Band) on board. However, there would have been no Foreign if it hadn’t been for its mastermind Ivan Jacquin. We caught up with Ivan to find out more about the project and the guests involved in it – but most of all, to discuss the story of the Wandering Jew itself…
Hardrock Haven: As it’s actually the second part of the Foreign: The Symphony of the Wandering Jew that’s coming out soon, let’s start from the very beginning. Where did the idea for this project come from in the first place?
Ivan Jacquin: I’ve been playing piano since I was 7. When I was a teenager and started music composition, I always had the idea of composing a great piece of music in my mind – a sort of Rock opera with plenty of artists and musical moods coming from different sides of the Earth. However, I didn’t find the story to tell at this time. Later, when I read the book by Jean d’Ormesson called History of the Wandering Jew” – and I read it four times! – I was so interested in this myth about the man cursed with immortality by Jesus that I began to read other books talking about this same topic. Ahasver by Stephan Heim, Isaac Laquedem by Alexandre Dumas, Le passant de Prague by Guillaume Apollinaire, Le Juif Errant by Eugene Sue, and so on… That was it, I had found an amazing story to rearrange for my music.
Hardrock Haven: The first part of Foreign was released in 2014, which gives us six-year span between this and its follow-up. Was it due to how time-consuming the process for it is, or some other projects that happened in the meantime?
Ivan Jacquin: It’s due to lots of things. Many well-known artists take part in the project now, so the budget is not the same as for the first record. I play on keyboards and perform vocals with other bands and projects, I have a permanent job to pay the bills, and it took that long to record all the musicians and vocalists because I often did it by myself in my own recording studio and the search of a label has been very long too.
Hardrock Haven: Many reviewers point out to the fact that the story behind Foreign is actually the most important component of it. What kind of message, if any, did you want to convey by choosing to present what happened to the Wandering Jew?
Ivan Jacquin: I don’t create or play music to give a message of any kind. That’s not my goal at all. The source of the Wandering Jew is a medieval myth which appeared in the 14th century in Germany, and it has to be understood as a legend, a fantastic tale, and it can be taken as a reflection, a philosophical thinking about immortality and its good and bad sides.
Hardrock Haven: You sing the parts of the Wandering Jew on both albums. Is it a personal challenge of sorts to personate this particular figure? What kind of emotions does it evoke?
Ivan Jacquin: I sing the vocal parts of the main character because I know the story very well and in parallel with the music, I wrote two novels which are the mirrors of both albums – I’m really inside. So, I tried to put many emotions in my voice and in my way of singing for each song I sing. I feel the pain, love and happiness when thinking about this cursed wanderer.
Hardrock Haven: On Foreign: The Symphony of the Wandering Jew Part II, the character in question travels through space and time, the background being important historical events and figures. Was the choice of these particular events and figures that appear in the story subjected to come concept – is there a link between them?
Ivan Jacquin: The choice was very hard to make and I decided to talk about characters who interested me. But when you read the lyrics, I sometimes introduced some changes to some particular periods and events. I wanted to speak about crusades and the terrifying Salah ad-Din, I wanted to talk with Mozart and François Ier, you will also discover that Christopher Columbus and Shakespeare were really not the same as they are described in books and history. Although I looked for real historical transcriptions, I enjoyed changing a little bit both with things and beings. It was more difficult to do than the Part I, because in this first part lots of characters had been invented by myself. Therefore, I had more freedom to tell the first story.
Hardrock Haven: Are you personally interested in history and religion, or is it more about showing some universal truths about a human kind, history being only a filter of sorts?
Ivan Jacquin: Remember that it’s only music and tales. The hero, who is basically Jewish in the original myth, could have been a Christian, Orthodox, Muslim or even a Swedish atheist or an Irish Protestant. It’s not so important as it seems. Personally, I am interested in tales and history of the world, but I am not a believer. As I say in “Yerushalaïm” song, I have no God, I’m just an agnostic person who has questions in my mind.
Hardrock Haven: Time is very important a theme for Foreign. What do you think the story shows about its passing and our relation to it?
Ivan Jacquin: I think time is the most difficult thing to understand for our little human minds. It’s the only thing, alongside death, that we cannot change, or delete, or travel through, or slow down. Every mineral or animal on earth is a slave of time… If you really think of this destiny, you might feel as an awesome vertigo. That’s why I wanted to talk about this never-ending running time and eternity in my music.
Hardrock Haven: Would you like to travel in time yourself, back and forth?
Ivan Jacquin: Oh yeah, I’d like to do it so much! To see how life was in particular moments in time, to meet ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, Mayas and Incas, some particular men and women who put their mark on history, and see what the future will bring to mankind… even if it seems to be darker and darker every day. And maybe personally see the man I really was many years ago and maybe change myself and things that I could have made better…
Hardrock Haven: If you could meet just one person from history, who would it be and why?
Ivan Jacquin: What a hard question! If I was being humorous, I would say, Jesus Christ, if he really existed. Only to ask him, “What the hell are you doing? Shut up and carry on being a carpenter! Forget your weird words and your prophecies and leave the world alone…” (laughs) But seriously, I would have definitely loved to meet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is one of the most talented geniuses who travelled the world so far. I think his music is so deep that it can touch every heart and soul and I guess he would have created so many more other masterpieces if his life had been longer… As I say in the song “Symphonic Caress”, I think he had always music in his head, too much music, all day and all night… and it could have been the reason of his self-destruction and his sweet craziness, as with most of artists in fact.
Hardrock Haven: Absolutely agree. Although it’s this “craziness” you speak of that makes artists so special indeed… Anyway, speaking in terms of music, there’s a certain Oriental/Middle Eastern vibe to the music of Foreign. Is it only because of the kind of musical illustration that the story required, or are you inspired by such traditional music as an artist?
Ivan Jacquin: It’s for the concept and the story of course, but I’m interested by many music styles and “folklores”. As you can hear on both Foreign albums, lots of different moods are involved in the project, not only Oriental sounding.
Hardrock Haven: Foreign also features some unusual instruments like hammered dulcimer, duduk or hurdy-gurdy. Where did the idea of using them come from?
Ivan Jacquin: It’s again because of the universal mood of the concept. Ahasverus/Isaac Laquedem travels though time and space and meets different cultures and countries, and I had the opportunity to record these instruments. Duduk is played by myself. I try to perform by using this incredible object little by little since years now. Hammered dulcimer has a medieval sound and as on Part I, this is Olivier Goyet, a friend of mine, who plays it there. Talking about hurdy-gurdy – sounding medieval too – I discovered Gregory Jolivet on Facebook and his electric hurdy-gurdy pleased me very much. I asked him to play some odd notes in an “Eternity Part III” song. I really enjoy making different things in one project.
Hardrock Haven: Variety is the spice of life! So what genres are you inspired by the most, and how do you think it translates into Foreign?
Ivan Jacquin: First of all, I’m a Heavy Metal addict since I was 11. I grew up with the NWOBHM and the birth of such great bands as Metallica, Megadeth, Maiden, W.A.S.P., Savatage, Helloween, Anthrax, Slayer, Warlock, Running Wild, Steve Vai… My musical tastes have involved through the years with Progressive Rock, music of the Seventies, bands like Gong, Magma, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, brilliant Symphonic stuff such as Kansas, Genesis and Yes, and Classical music and Jazz too. Especially that the latter two belong to my personal culture – I play these styles, Classical and Jazz piano, for over 40 years now. I’m also interested in world music and medieval tunes – and even electro modern sounds – so I think you will find a part of all these musical atmospheres in what I create.
Hardrock Haven: Several artists featured on the first album returned to the project again. Was it easy to get them back on board, especially that it’s been six years since Part I?
Ivan Jacquin: Yes, very easy because they are very good friends of mine. We all lived through a fantastic human adventure for the first album and we really lived through this awesome project together. Emotions and enthusiasm were still the same when I asked them to come back to play in Part II.
Hardrock Haven: When looking for an artist to take part in Foreign, what are the qualities you find the most important to consider?
Ivan Jacquin: I think you have to be a good musician first – that is, not a virtuoso with lots of technique and velocity, but with a great experience of your instrument or your voice, and all the emotions and feelings you can put in your way of playing or singing… Of course you have to be modest about your talent, and a bit crazy in your head, as me… (laughs)
Hardrock Haven: We wouldn’t have been there if we hadn’t been all a bit crazy… And is there an artist or artists you’d like to see in Foreign in the future?
Ivan Jacquin: So many… Can I shout it out loud about the artists I would love to work with? So I dare to mention a few names: Peter Gabriel, Steve Walsh from Kansas, Bruce Dickinson, Marcela Bovio, Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil, Floor and Irene Jansen, Anneke van Giersbergen, Steve Hogarth from Marillion, Amy Lee from Evanescence, and some great lyrical vocalists as Catherine Trottmann for example…
Hardrock Haven: Fingers crossed for at least some of them joining the project! And speaking of the future, I hope the Part Two which ends with the Industrial Revolution, is not the last one. Can you imagine Foreign becoming a futuristic project with the Wandering Jew actually continuing his quest in what you’d imagine the future of mankind to be?
Ivan Jacquin: Foreign is a trilogy, so next part will be the last one and will be released in several years. I don’t have much material to begin to create the follow-up, and really hard work for Part II has taken so much time in my life that I will slow down the process now. Nevertheless, the story will carry on from about 1850 to nowadays, and as you say maybe some things will happen further in time… who knows ? (laughs)
Hardrock Haven: What are your plans concerning the future of the project?
Ivan Jacquin: I hope lots of talented artists will take part in this mad adventure, I’d love to work with other people whose music I love, and I’d love to have all the symphonic and orchestral scores recorded by a real big orchestra. But I will take my time. The story is not really written yet and I have too little musical material to begin. See you in 2026? (laughs)
Hardrock Haven: Better late than never! Have you ever thought of putting this project live on stage? Do you think it’s possible in the future?
Ivan Jacquin: Everything is possible. It would be a dream come true if I could put all this work into a giant show, but to be honest, it seems to be very hard to make. I’m afraid it would end up being a musical comedy – a little vintage stuff as Jesus Christ Superstar or Rocky Horror Show – and I don’t want that. So I don’t think about it for the moment.
Hardrock Haven: I believe the first part of Foreign was actually released independently whereas this one comes out via Pride & Joy Music. Do you think it will help the project get more recognition and reach more of an audience?
Ivan Jacquin: Without any doubt! It’s a great thing to have the support of Pride & Joy and I am very grateful to collaborate with them. And I see these days it helps to sell a little more the first album again. The music of Foreign will be known in so many countries now and I already notice that the interest is increasing very quickly. I am very happy.
Hardrock Haven: Are there any other projects you’re currently up to?
Ivan Jacquin: Currently, I have two bands in which I am a singer and a keyboard player. Amonya is an “acoustic rock cabaret” trio and we are working for the fourth Psychanoia album, which will be released hopefully in 2021 – a Progressive Metal/Rock piece of music. You can find information about these bands on Facebook and in the Internet in general. I have been also thinking about a solo album, maybe with some vocal duets with artists I’d love to work with, and several collaborations with friends. I am also the new keyboard player of a French Prog Rock band called Magnesis and we are waiting for the end of COVID lockdown period to work again.
Hardrock Haven: Is there anything you’d like to add in the end?
Ivan Jacquin: Thank you very much for your interest about Foreign, Alexandra, and especially for all these interesting questions. I hope many people will enjoy discovering my music, and will travel through waves of time with the story of Isaac Laquedem, the Wandering Jew. Stay healthy and metal!
Photo credits (both): François Laurent – Bénédicte Bigot