Monthly Archives: September 2020

Some Considerations to Guide Listening and Discussion of Performances of Art Songs and Arias

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I wrote this brief document for my small group of private voice students at Westminster Choir College, fall 2020. It is shared here to help you focus ears/eyes/artistic lens for effective listening to performances of classical repertoire, although the considerations should help us in listening to multiple genres.

  1. Do the performers seem to engage in a cohesive way with the performance? Does it seem that their preparation was thorough and effectively carried out?
  2. Is there a sense of freshness, spontaneity, and commitment to this performance?
  3. Do the performers seem to be in sync with each other, re: musical and artistic intentions, moment-to-moment ensemble, etc.?
  4. Is basic musical and textual correctness secure enough not to be a distraction?
  5. Do the performers find originality in their artistic choices? (NB: originality is not limited to yet-unheard sounds or ideas. An original performance could possibly consist of combining interpretive choices that are borrowed from other performances.)
  6. Is there a healthy and creative balance between expressive/improvisational energy and stricture or respect for style and tradition?

Specific observations for the singer – how effective is she/he in these areas?

  1. Does the music seem securely learned? Describe how we know it’s secure: eyes, audible hesitation, apparent lack of full engagement, etc.
  2. Is text clearly delivered, re: diction choices, pronunciation, articulation?
  3. Does he/she seem confident in this performance? Are they truly prepared or simply trying to put the best foot forward and “wing it?”
  4. In addition to musical and textual faithfulness/correctness, do the following elements seem strong enough not to be a distraction? On the other hand, are they especially strong?
    1. Basic tone – evenness, brilliance, breath efficiency, spin/vibrato, audibility/projection
    2. Intonation
    3. Variety of intensity
    4. Expressive use of timbre/color
    5. Inflection of language, based on all four qualities of a musical tone: pitch/intonation, intensity, timbre, and duration
    6. Secure memorization
    7. Body usage that allows audience members to be confident and relaxed
    8. Relative ease of physical engagement
    9. Other?

Artistic Voice

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I wrote these words to a dear composer/friend, after having just heard one of his more recent compositions.

Hearing your performance of your music now and knowing your overall catalog as well as I do, distinctions between artistic voice, musical/textual language, and cliché come to mind. In essence, I’m going to write these few words about how composers, improvisers, and performers in general – how we use some of the same sounds, elements, and choices frequently (those musical elements and attitudes that make Mozart identifiable as himself, not as Haydn, etc.), without merely copying ourselves as though warming up leftovers for tonight’s dinner.

Your rhythmic textures, melodic and formal landscapes, and harmonic choices are uniquely yours, even though no singular element does not exist elsewhere. We all create in the context of everything we’ve heard and experienced previously, from others and from ourselves. The legitimate, essential teaching tool of copying the choices of others plays into the creative potential. As I often impress on my voice students, we explore sounds, attitudes, and expressive options by imitating great singers. The big caveat is that we don’t stop there; we find what is authentically our own through this kind of exploration.

Here the quote from Lee Hoiby comes to mind, that there’s still much to be said with triads (in your case, m/M 9th chords and others!).