I also have a BA in computer science so I hope I can contribute to the tech facet of the class as well.
1. The Rake's Progress, Act III, scene iii, Igor Stravinsky
This scene is a culmination of Tom Rakewell's dramatic arc through the opera in which he believes he is Adonis and searches madly for Venus. After realizing she is gone, he dies.
This example of Stravinsky's neoclassical work is especially compelling to me because it has a certain self-awareness. That, and I find the music of Stravinsky and many of his contemporaries in the mid 20th century to be absolutely stunning. This is repertoire which I am working on and hope to perform one day.
There is a production of this aria in which disembodied white masks (worn by the chorus) surround Tom as he sings this aria. alas I could not find a video of it, but it has an incredibly chilling effect.
2. Y-Portrait live performance
I will admit I had a hard time with this prompt because I was frankly not sure what kind of project I might be interested in doing for this class. However, the idea of collaborating with artists from various departments reminded me of this project a professor of mine put together in which different portraits at an exhibition were paired with live performances of all kinds. It is an interesting example of the ways in which different modes/genres/styles/mediums of art can be juxtaposed. I hope that the project I am a part of can showcase another such juxtaposition.
It's interesting and well done to choose Stravinsky in this context. Le Sacre was of course a revolutionary and highly inflammatory work which served as a protest to the music of the time. I think the well intentioned combination of music and visual serves to make the two more than the sum of their parts, and makes for an interesting performance.
ReplyDeleteI think self-awareness is so important in the type of work we will be working on this semester and I love that you emphasized that in the Stravinsky. And the combination of different music spanning dramas coming from distant spaces in the room is chilling in a way that was sort of unexpected for me. I was wondering just about your particular background, are you specifically interested in physical movement or voice or both?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your question! I suppose it is not so clear from the two examples I chose. My major is voice performance, though I also have a background in musical theater from my high school and undergrad days. I would say my studies are primarily focused on a career in opera, but I spend a lot of time spent with art song repertoire and concert/oratorio works too. Opera and Musical theater are both stage arts and certainly require movement, but I am not specifically a student of dance/physical movement.
DeleteI think my instinct to post the second video was inspired more by thinking about potential collaborations rather than what I myself might contribute.
I hope that clears things up!
I have always love the unapologetic drama and expressive nature of opera music, and the fact that it's always sharing a narrative. It might also be interesting to view opera in an abstract sense with new mediums. Speaking is very powerful, which is especially shown in that live performance in tandem with music and visual art. It's another great example of the intermixing of so many artistic expressions that reinforce each other when performed together.
ReplyDeleteThat second piece has me thinking so much. Love the use of set design, spoken word, singing, the works. I think the meaning that I naturally ascribed to it is very interesting and seems like it has a lot to do with a lack of empathy within the oppression of sexism and misogyny. Such good stuff. Would love to add motion capture to the mix to create that space of empathy for the audience and performer. Super exciting stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm so interested in what's happening at the edges of our vision in that second video, it definitely feels like a part of a larger collection of performances. That's something that I realize we should probably think of as a class too, since the order we perform will affect how some pieces are seen in comparison to others. The things she's talking about also feel very connected to protest, the way she approaches it is powerful.
ReplyDeleteThat stravinski piece is gorgeous. I'm definitely interested in learning more about that type of music and how it interacts with the "more well known" (rite) styles that I associate with his work (pounding rhythms, polychords, etc). The set design and spoken word aspects of your second video are really thought-provoking. Its affect is extremely powerful.
ReplyDeleteOpera has never clicked with me, but I would really like to challenge my world view in this class so working with classically trained vocalists would be interesting. I think this class could lend itself to really push the boundaries of modern classical. It would be super fruitful to add electronic processing as an instrument in classical performance, and especially interesting with vocalists.
ReplyDeleteI love the dancer's exploration with the wooden frame. Finding ways to interact with inanimate, tangible objects is something I've been interested in for awhile! I was also very drawn to the person standing with the red balloons. Makes me think of those balloons as an extension of this performer's body, like in a magical realism sense.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely ADORE Rake's Progress. I'm a big sucker for devil characters and tales about morality and sin. I'm a huge fan of playing on classic tropes and tragic endings. I love how the second piece opened up. I really enjoy slow, deliberate movements and statuesque poses in dance and her use of the prop.
ReplyDeleteOne of the real powers of opera is the way that music, movement, theatre (and all of its attendant elements–costume, lighting, etc.) work together to express the inner emotional/psychological workings of its characters. In that sense, so much contemporary music (popular and experimental) is indebted to opera, and I think we can learn a lot from it this semester as we potentially probe our own emotional responses to contemporary issues.
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