 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kim L.
Date: 2002-06-12 22:56
Hi, everybody!
My name is Kim and I am a 22 year old musician from CT. I enjoy listening to all sorts of music and play for fun. I have a few questions for you. Last night, I was watching Il Nabucco, by Verdi and would like to know what conductor's expect singers to do when they're on stage. Do you expect them to be looking down at the conductor, or straight out into the audience?
Also, I will be going on a study abroad trip to Europe next week and would like to know if it is okay to leave my R-13 at home. Will it crack in a month of not playing or will it be better if I bring it with me?
Thanks for your help in advance,
Kim L.
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Author: Mindy
Date: 2002-06-12 23:45
It shouldn't crack if you keep it at home. I mean if you take it with you.... will you be playing it then?? If you are able to play it when you are gone then I would bring it with me just to play it. Have fun in Europe though! I wish I could go again....
Mindy
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Author: Ashley
Date: 2002-06-13 00:13
This post doesn't answer any of your questions, but I was watching Nabucco last night on PBS as well. They certainly are amazing at the Met!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-06-13 00:21
"...They certainly are amazing at the Met!..."
World class soloists, choristers, set designers, choreographers, costumers, musicians, conductor, etc...
Would you expect less?...GBK
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Author: Gnomon
Date: 2002-06-13 07:23
Singers may look at each other or out towards the audience, but they should always be able to see the conductor's beat out of the corner of their eye.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-06-13 14:47
Kim -
When you started playing in junior high band, you learned to look at the music and also watch the conductor out of the top of your field of vision. As you got better and more familiar with a particular piece of music, you learned to look half at the conductor and half at the music. If you have the good fortune to see a rerun on PBS of a feature showing George Szell rehearsing the Cleveland Orchestra, you'll see constant eye contact between him and the players, who knew the music so well that they just had to keep it in a corner of their vision to remind them what the notes were.
Opera singers memorize their parts, but they split their attention between the drama of the story line, the person they're singing to, the audience and the conductor. There's a built-in conflict between participating in the story -- singing to someone else on stage -- and singing to the audience. The mix is anything but easy.
Also, singers are notorious, as Anna Russell says, for having "resonance where your brains ought to be." Many singers don't understand the language they're singing in (and are, in effect, singing nonsense syllables); many singers don't read music too well; and many singers take "liberties" with the music, because that's what a Big Star does. The situation, far too often, is "Houston, we have a problem."
Thus, in opera, there's a special person just to avoid these problems and keep the performance on track -- the prompter, who maintains eye contact with the singer, conducts in sweeping gestures, and mouths and sings the words. If you sit too close to the front, you can hear the prompter as much as you hear the singer.
This is maybe a little to cynical. Opera is not like instrumental music. It's about outsize emotions. Contrary to what the Met Opera ads say, opera is not about Civilization. It's about overwhelming love, hatred and vengeance. To a great extent, the singers express this, and the conductor follows.
Your R-13 won't suffer by sitting in its case for a couple of months, but it would be nice if you could practice over the summer. Take it along. Since it was made abroad, you should take proof of purchase in the US with you to avoid possible imposition of duty on re-entry. If you have a Noblet or something equivalent, that would be just as good to take along to keep yourself in shape.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2002-06-13 14:50
Whenever I travel, I always take my clarinets in anticipation of finding a local ensemble to "sit in" with. Great way to meet people, play different music and keep that embouchure in shape. Caution--if you are flying, you may take your clarinet as "carry on" luggage but pack your reed knife and any other "pointy" objects that could be considered dangerous (screw drivers, spring tool, etc) in your checked baggage. Leaving your clarinet at home, however, should be safe and crack-free--but not as much fun as taking it with you.
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Author: Kim L.
Date: 2002-06-13 18:22
Hi, everybody!
Thank you for your wonderful comments. I will take everything into account before I travel and in future endeavours.
Kim L.
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2002-06-13 19:46
I tried watching Nabucco but I fell asleep during Act II. I wish I could tape off my @$#^&$ satellite dish.
IMHO, being an opera singer must be the toughest job in music. They have to memorize a whole opera (they're looong), often in a foreign language and, while wearing enormous costumes, be able to stand in front of a large number of people and fill up the whole hall (and act a little- some singers are better actors than others). I don't blame them if they mangle a rhythm here or there; it just means the conductor and musicians have to be very attentive.
Ken- I saw James Levine conduct at Carnegie Hall in February and he sang along while conducting Beethoven (I was sitting second row extreme left- bad acoustics, good view). Maybe it's a habit of conductors who do a lot of opera.
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Author: natalie
Date: 2002-06-15 10:50
WELL,
I wouldn't leave mine at home. Have you read all those reports about stolen clarinets while people are on tour. My advise would be to take it. I mean it wouldn't be aburden.
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Author: DLE
Date: 2002-06-15 14:45
Oh Ken, you've got to me this time. I happen to sing tenor voice as well as play clarinet and piano these days...
As a singer I always make it a point to understand EVERY SINGLE WORD of a foreign language, and its pronunciation. (This can cause problems if it is one of Bartok's operas...:)) I don't like the idea of prompters - they get it wrong half the time anyway. As for 'liberties' - this is a key part of musical expression, but then you should know that anyway, so I shall stop right there.
Most opera is about love, vengeance, glory, tragedy, betrayal, lust -- you name it, all those primal emotions. However, in my studies of the oratorio/opera works of Handel recently, I have discovered that the emotional level of his music is at its highest when the scene is about music itself (See 'Alexander's Feast). Second to that is either death, resurrection, God or any other religiously connected issues. (See 'Messiah'). THEN it is love, etc. etc.
As for 'resonance' - this is up to the discretion of the singer in my opinion, and in no way affects their brain. (Kill Anna Russell, kill, kill)
Anyhow, happy Smiles to all.
Take your clarinet, or leave it? - Think which you would feel more guilty about if you didn't or did, and your question shall be answered.
DLE.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-06-17 14:44
DLE -
I'm a (choral) tenor, too, and I've even sung a bit of Bartok in Hungarian.
Have you sung Isreal in Egypt? There's more excitement in the description of the plagues than in the rest of Handel's oratorios combined. Tympani (with wood sticks) when the hailstones fall and great balls of fire roll along across the ground. And then the horse and his rider are thrown into the Red Sea, accompanied by added trombones (or at least sackbutts). What a noise!
A couple of essential books about opera: "Great Operatic Disasters" and "Opera Singers and Other Wild Beasts" plus, of course, Anna Russell's panorama of The Ring.
Ken Shaw
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Author: DLE
Date: 2002-06-20 21:57
Hmmm. Yeah okay, maybe I was being 'extremely' general on my opera descriptions of emotion.. (?) There's alot more to opera than just Handel, I was just using him as a simple example (As usual).
As far as the books are concerned, I've heard of "Opera singers and other wild beasts" before, but will check out the first one. As for Anna Russell herself... (Language refrained)
Have a great time singing and clarineting...
DLE.
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