Vocalist.org archive


From:  John Link <johnlink@n...>
Date:  Mon Apr 15, 2002  11:16 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Do they sound like opera singers? [WAS: trading low notes for a higher tessitura?]

>On Sat, 13 Apr 2002, John Link wrote:
>
>> Peggy, thank you for your interest. My vocal quintet performs a
>> repertoire that spans a number of genres, classical, jazz, folk, and
>> bluegrass among them. For maximum contrast in a program we might
>> follow a Nocturne by Chopin with blues by Miles Davis. If we sound
>> like classical singers when singing Chopin and jazz singers when
>> singing Miles Davis, I think that we would sound foolish. My
> > intention is that we just sing the music without enacting compulsions
> > associated with genres.

and Karen Mercedes asked:

>Despite the fact that those "compulsions", as you term them, may well
>represent both the technical and stylistics conventions that the composers
>of the music would have expected the performers to follow?

Karen, I'm not quite sure how to answer, for two reasons. First, none
of the music in my vocal quintet repertoire is performed on the
instruments for which it was composed, since we sing instrumental
music. Second, it is difficult for me to identify compulsions in
singing except by reference to caricature of the genre, so I'm never
sure that the compulsions I have in mind are the same as those
imagined by someone else, especially composers that are no longer
living.

But let's ignore those difficulties and assume that my vocal quintet
was performing a composition written for voices. My intention would
still be to sing the music without enacting compulsions associated
with genre. My intention is to be true to the music, not to the
composer. A composer's intention to have his music performed
compulsively is not sufficient grounds for me to put on such a
performance. (I'm tempted to put forth my theory about how a composer
must be true to his compositions and not impose his will on them, but
I'll save that for another day.)

A third reason for my not quite knowing how to answer your question
is the fact that this discussion is all words and not music. So let
me refer to my performance with Raissa Dorff of "La Fille aux Cheveux
de Lin" http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/1181/1181373.html and say
that I think and hope that Debussy would approve, but if not then I'd
stick with my choices anyway unless he or someone else could convince
me that the music needed something else.

Respectfully,
John Link

http:/www.cdBaby.com/JohnLink
Check out my CDs:
http://www.cdBaby.com/JohnLink2 (John Link Sextet)
http://www.cdBaby.com/JohnLink (John Link Vocal Quintet)



emusic.com