In my experience, memorization works best when you don't get uptight about
it. If you have the time to just keep practicing the music and repeating the
text until they sink in naturally, that's probably the best method.
Get in the habit of getting away from the music as quickly as possible. Give
yourself little "tests" in the safety of your practice room or your teacher's
studio early in the learning process. You may be surprised at how much you've
retained--and it will make that first performance without music much less
unnerving.
It has always helped me to write out the text longhand. Typing helps too, but
is not as effective for some reason. If you keep the text with you throughout
the day, you can practice it in your head from time to time, and pull out the
paper if you get stuck or need to check to see whether or not you were
correct.
Karen is quite correct to point out that memorizing meanings is much easier
than memorizing sounds, so I also recommend that you do a word-for-word
translation as early as possible in the learning process.
It will also help you to know as much as possible about the plot and the
character who sings the aria. It may help to block the scene for yourself,
providing an imaginary setting, costume, the appropriate gestures, etc. that
will give the words a dramatic context that you can relate to.
In repetitious arias, it can be very helpful to understand the musical
structure of the aria as well--it will help to give you "landmarks" to
remember where you are.
Sometimes, you may have to devise your own "tricks." For example, I recently
had to learn the Mother's aria from Amahl very quickly. She gets off on a
rant, wondering what "rich people know," and there are four phrases that are
somewhat similar and not necessarily in any logical order (eg chronological,
or of increasing importance, etc)"
"Do they know how to roast sweet corn on the fire?
How to fill a courtyard with doves?
Do they know how to milk a clover fed goat?
How to spice hot wine on cold winter nights?"
I noticed that each of the phrases has a word that begins with "c"--corn,
courtyard, clover, cold. So I memorized those four words in order. That was
enough to "remind" me as to what came next.
Another technique is to speak the text, line by line, always including the
first word of the next phrase, which acts as a "link" in your memory. If you
can remember the first word, the rest of the phrase will almost always come
to you.
Last but not least, learn to really love everything that you sing--even if
it's something difficult or unappealing that was assigned to you. If you
don't like a piece of music, there will be a natural resistance or hesitance
to really get involved with it--and this can have a negative impact on your
ability to memorize and also to perform at your best.
That ought to be enough to get you started--hope it helps!
Judy
|
