Mike and Vocalisters:
I agree. The composer has only "narrowed the choices down,
considerably". But it is not simply a matter of having fewer choices
as an actor. In fact, that is not the difficulty the actor faces.
It is the fact that the choices are of a much different nature.
Timing is completely different. Word emphasis might be the same as
that which the actor would choose if the text were spoken but often
it is not. Most actors rebel quickly when confronted with the text
emphasis demanded by the composer. The nature of the demands on the
singer-actor transcends and exceeds those required for the singer or
the actor individually.
As for characterization, which is what you speak of when you define
different performances of particular characters, that is a different
problem. Most opera characters can be played in a great variety of
ways, sometimes in line with the traditional sometimes not.
Characterization or interpretation of the character played is the
"product" of the "process" which the actor goes through to determine
the "who" that is being played in accord with the general direction
of the play or music-theatre work.
The difficulty the singer-actor faces is the "how" of achieving this
characterization, not the characterization itself. The singer-actor
must achieve the unique skills that are required when the music
informs the text, especially in a music dominated theatre art form
such as opera.
As you say later in your post, sometimes the music distracts from the
drama, at least the drama as we would know it in a non-music-theatre
production. This defines a music-theatre work as a unique element of
the performing art which may or may not reflect the original
inspiring text in a manner authentic to its original text form.
Often characterization is the only element of training which the
singer-actor confronts in his/her preparation for a career in the
field. When this happens the performer must rely on a variety of
stock moves copied from other successful performers in music-theatre
or struggle to create his/her own skills without a knowledge of what
will "read" for the audience. This latter approach can work
successfully in non-music-theatre because the medium is closer to
what we experience in our regular interactions. But because
music-theatre is driven at least equally by the music as the text,
self created acting devices are less likely to appear "natural" and
emotionally effective. It is for this reason that special training
is necessary.
As has been said, singing is an art, acting is an art, but
singing-acting is not simply a combination of these two arts.
Singing-acting is a different and uniquely art which is a synthesis
of it two parents yet different from each.
--
Lloyd W. Hanson
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