A Vocalist's Dilemma

This Saturday I will be performing my graduate recital. I have been practicing for months and hardly feel ready to performing such amazing works as the video posted above (Fauré's "L'Horizon Chimerique" sung by the performer it was dedicated to, Charles Panzéra). One of the things that constantly flusters me, however, is the import I put on conveying the beauty of the music to the audience. I find myself constantly stressing over the slightest thing and causing myself to have memory slips and second-guessing what I know to be true because of things I think are getting in the way of the performance.

Truth be told, I have completely fallen in love with all of the repertoire in this recital. From four arias by Scarlatti, to four Lieder by Mozart, Fauré's "L'Horizon Chimerique", and three of the four pieces from John Corigliano's "The Cloisters", there is not a piece I love more than any other. The task of a musician is to take what is written on the page and make it useful to the audience. One of my professors used the analogy of a recipe: The music on the page is a recipe to which we add spices, colors, flavors, and a place setting, even a paired wine, in order for the recipient to enjoy it all the more. If a singer gets onstage and sings what is written, that is music, but it is not necessarily art. Art is understanding what the composer is trying to say and conveying that to the audience in a skilled, compelling, and relatable way.

Now, there are many obstacles that can come between a musician and his/her intended audience. The hall may be below par (though this is not the case for me on Saturday), the accompaniment may be less than stellar (again, not my worry), there may even be weather that keeps the audience from attending. Most of these are out of the performer's control, however, if your accompaniment is below par, I would suggest researching new options for next time. The greatest obstacle I have come across in my time as a singer is language. Many of my friends and acquaintances who are not of an operatic ethos find classical vocal music dull because they cannot understand what the singer is saying. There a few ways I combat this: 1) Translations in the program notes! Now you know exactly what I'm saying because I translated my songs word-for-word and changed word order in my translations but rarely. 2) Acting! I work hard to find ways to act out my songs so, even if you do not understand the words, the audience can understand my emotions and what I am trying to say. 3) Post-recital conversations! I love to have audience members come up to me and question me about my music. I do this because I love to discuss it and learn about it, so ask me questions. Feel free to pry anecdotes and subtleties of text out of me. You won't have to work too hard.

While there are many things I could say about performing, I shall leave it at this: Don't just live in your music, thrive in your music. Convey your thoughts to the audience by experiencing the music with them. Think about your performance from their eyes and express what you are thinking in a way they can understand.

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Musical insult of the week:

"Listening to the Fifth Symphony of Ralph Vaughan Williams is like staring at a cow for 45 minutes." - Aaron Copland

Prologue

Here I stand at the start of a new journey. I am finishing my penultimate semester of my masters program and am looking ahead to the prospect of travel and entrance into the grand opera stage. I am a young baritone with great aspirations.

I will be posting on this blog weekly, chronicling my travels, tribulations, and triumphs as I enter the world of classical music. Stay in touch to hear the latest news about upcoming performances and appearances, as well as the production of my World Debut Album and application to doctoral programs. Feel free to leave comments and I will reply whenever I can.

Allonsy!