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From:  "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date:  Sun Jun 9, 2002  12:15 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] opera acting

Dear Vocalisters:

In the process of attempting to define some of the differences
between acting for non music theatre and acting for opera or
music-theatre I have used the example of an actor preparing a
monologue. In the preparation the actor makes decisions about the
tempo of the speech, the pitch of the voice, the timing of the
gestures, the pauses, the amount of stage used, etc. All of these
decisions or choices must be made by the actor based on the text he
is uttering. If his choices are appropriate he has been true to the
text, if they are delivered with skill he displays his knowledge of
his craft, and if they are original and inventive he becomes an actor
of originality.

Now, if that same text is set to music by a composer of merit and
must be sung, all, or most, of the actor's decisions are made by the
composer. The actor can no longer decided the tempo or tempo
variations, the pitch of the voice, the timing of the gestures, the
pauses and, because the timing of the music must be considered, even
the amount of stage to be used. An actor who displays all of the
attributes mentioned in the previous non-music-theatre example now
must acquire other skills or greatly modify existing skills because
the music has co-opted or greatly limited the choices left to the
actor in non-music-theatre.

It is necessary for the singing actor to acquire skills that are
specific to the demands of both the text and the music and since
music, by its nature, more definitely controls time (including
pauses) and pitch and tonal color etc. music becomes a stronger
dramatic element than the choices normally available to the
non-music-theatre actor. Only when the singer-actor addresses these
needs does acting for music-theatre become effective, emotionally
"natural" in appearance and appropriate for the medium.


--
Lloyd W. Hanson





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