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From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Tue May 15, 2001  3:16 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Dr. Diane's fully-staged "Elijah"


My point was NOT that you shouldn't use facial expressions when singing
oratorio. If you reread my message I specifically said no MAJOR facial
expressions. There's a difference between the kinds of histrionic facial
expressions one uses in opera and the kind of suggestive but subtle facial
expressions one should use in sacred music. Again, it's a question of the
PURPOSE of the work. In the case of opera, the purpose is theatrical - so
conveying the emotion through one's body and face are not just valid but
imperative. In the case of sacred music, the purpose is NOT to draw
attention to or glorify the singer AS SINGER. It's for the singer to be a
vessel through which the message of the text, reinforced by the music, is
carried. If, to convey the message, it helps to use some moderate facial
expressions, certainly one must do so - it's ridiculous to sing "My heart
ever faithful" by Bach with a scowl, for example, or "He was Despised"
from MESSIAH with a big grin. But it's just as inappropriate to put on an
extremely agonized facial expression for the latter, which might be
perfectly appropriate if one were playing a suffering character in opera,
but which would be distracting in sacred performance, and worse would
inappropriately shift the focus from the message/music
to the singer.

KM
............................
NEIL SHICOFF, TENORE SUPREMO
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html

My Own Website
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ I sing hymns with my spirit, +
+ but I also sing hymns with my mind. +
+ - 1 Corinthians 14:15 +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
11905 Re: Dr. Diane's fully-staged "Elijah" John Link   Tue  5/15/2001   3 KB

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