Now, one of the "hot topics" in opera today is that everyone has to "act" now. Whenever anyone says this I immediately dismiss them as moronic and ignorant to the richness of opera history. I mused on this point before that opera and entertainment in general have become so visual that we turn off our ears. This is why I frequently close my eyes when going to a concert or at the opera. It is not because I am trying to say "Oh. My. Gawd. Everyone look how DEEP I am. I am feeling it SO much. Look how artistic I am!" For me opera is still very much an aural art. If a singer cannot move me through the music alone, then I am not interested. What I am saying is that when we talk about how singers have to "act" in opera nowadays, we are trying to superimpose classical acting methods, many of which are based on spontaneity, reality, and a feeling of 'being in the moment, with acting that is initiated through the music, which, unless it is some sort of improvised performance, has to be established technically, rehearsed, and planned. Of course, there is spontaneity and reality alive in such things but singing Blanche in Andre Previn's operatic adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire is very different from playing Blanche in the original A Streetcar Named Desire of Tennesse Williams. When an actor is given the text of a play, they of course must do textual, dramatic, and character analyses and learn the script by rote, but after they experiment with intention, gesture, staging, et cetera in rehearsal.
Here is the difference: When a singer receives a score all of that is laid out for them by the composer. It is up to the singer to study that score and bring nuances out. The character analysis comes from a study of the libretto as it is related to you through the music. There is a fine line between "okay, I have learned the music. Give me a cookie!!!" and "I have studied this music (structure, dyanmics, rhythmic and melodic nuance, orchestration, et cetera), I have studied the text as it relates to the music, and this is how I think they work together." And there are as many possibilities in this type of acting than there are when you are given a dramatic script not set to music, it just takes a lot more effort to bring it out.
Another difference is that with the singer 75% of the acting is communicated through the voice. I really want to emphasize that I do not mean a "beautiful" voice. Beauty has nothing to do with it. Life isn't beautiful all the time, life's situations that are reflected in drama and comedy are not beautiful all the time, therefore the voice should not and cannot be beautiful all the time. All the intention and energy of that moment has to be filtered through the voice and through the music with genuine feeling. This is when opera, art song, and musical theatre are most powerful, when the expression is genuine. This goes back to my original point. People say "Oh, opera singers just stand there and do nothing!" While sometimes this is unfortunately true, it is often an issue with the listener. I give you the example of Carlo Bergonzi heard in this performance singing an aria from Verdi's Luisa Miller at 72. He stands still almost the entire time, but just close your eyes and listen to how he is singing, how he fuses the intention of the text and the music and sucks you into his world:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NQniGmtiy4
No one sings like this anymore. And he was 72!
Now, how does this relate to Scotto? Besides Callas, I believe that Scotto is the greatest operatic actress of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, she is almost totally forgot or misunderstood by many young singers. Her voice, in her later career, is not the most gorgeous but she knows how to command the stage as the character through the music. Every gesture that she makes comes from the music. Every word and note is fused with meaning. Nothing is lost. What is marvelous about this is that in her singing and gesture the music is enhanced. Please observe everything:
Il Tabarro (This is how to act in opera, people. Watch this constantly, and come back to it often!) Also Moldoveanu is a GORGEOUS Romanian, and what a fabulous voice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2AHbz2siHA
Compare this to a 2007 production of Il Tabarro from the Met. You know, 27 or so years later when opera was all about "acting." "Nowadays, opera singers have to act!" Yeah, is there ANY of that in here? Not at all. Hint: Technical imprecision = terrible singing, terrible acting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkHHDKF9nj0
Don Carlo. With Moldoveanu again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=hcPOV_tZE1E&feature=related
More Don Carlo! More perfection!
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=lkw4dIRhFuU&feature=related
Luisa Miller. This entire DVD brings me to tears consistently.
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4853746922177403319
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb_3lVWgkIA
What is fabulous to notice is how Scotto colors her voice for different aspects of Luisa's character. In "Tu puniscimi" there is more bite to her sound as she rails against God, but when she addresses her father right before her death, it is a sliver of gorgeous sound! FEARLESS!!!
Otello.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjtKkulTLPw
And, now, just listen!
La Sonnambula. This is bel canto with life as it was meant to be sung!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxfwR6q6zws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2OEGSUKIvo
Madame Butterfly. Scotto pretty much owned this role for all of her career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8S068auyMo
I am anxious to hear any and all of your comments.
ONE WORD OF CAUTION: Scotto, like all great artists, must be appreciated. You don't have to like her, but be cautioned that Scotto is not someone that you listen to in the background and say "oh, I like her!" Her interpretations challenge you to be an intellectually active listener. You may not like what she does, but there is nothing worse than saying "Oh, I don't like her" without examining her choices first. :-D
I'm at work so I can't watch the youtube videos yet, but I do feel strongly on this topic. I agree with you completely on that the acting originates in how you SING the music. No question. But I also agree with the people who say that acting is important right now. Sadly, we're here to cater to our audience, not fulfill our own creative impulses and act the way we WANT to act. At the Classical Singer Convention I went to a class on singers acting in opera and it has to ALL be outward, based on subtext. That's what they're interested in seeing so sadly we have to be good at providing that. However combine the two and you have yourself some lovin opera joy. Scotto is amazing and an amazing role model in every aspect. I guess I feel that bringing that "SHOWY" acting to the table is something that is required right now in order to succeed or as they said at the convention, "If you can't act, choose another career right now. This is #1"
ReplyDeleteThe thing about Scotto is that she does both. I do feel, however, that her outward and physical acting stem from her knowledge of the music. You can close your eyes and hear everything she's expressing, but you open them again and find a whole new aspect to her artistry. No, it isn't the most beautiful voice, but she pulls you in, and she uses the voice that she has to color the music in a way that almost no one else does now.
ReplyDeleteAlso I love love love Bergonzi, and I'm so happy you showed this. It's insane how good he sounded at that age. I don't think it's possible for anyone now.
And I've recently become obsessed with Moldoveanu.
Careful with casting aside those who want to see acting. Remember me three months ago? You changed me. Dont call them ignorant, HELP THEM (us) realize their (our) folly, like you did for me. Also, you're a teacher now, so this all must be done subtly, without demeaning students or damaging any self esteem. Teach them to understand music. Ma piano, steven.
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