Actually BB had a televised masterclass from Covent Garden recently. The one she gave on Lieder she did quite categorically say that all lieder singing was about sex. I think she said to one of the singers "I'm going to talk about sex a lot. "
Colin
----- Original Message ----- From: <sopran@a...> From: <sopran@a...> From: <sopran@a...> To: <vocalist-temporary@egroups.com> To: <vocalist-temporary@egroups.com> Sent: 16 January 2001 15:46 Subject: Re: [vocalist] 'All music is about sex' and other quotes from Barbara Bonney's lessons for amateur singers
> While in some respects I think that it's unfair to comment on a few remarks > taken out of context, I think that perhaps what Ms. Bonney meant to say is > that all singing has a sexual component. Obviously, it's not all about sex, > but we are such sexual animals and that fact influences so much of how we > experience and respond to the world. I also believe that sex is so primal a > force that it energizes singing, adds a dimension of excitement to the > voice--even in music that is not, in and of itself, sexual. The comment > reminds me of advice from Maria Callas--"you must make love to the music." > > Oddly, though, I do not consider Ms. Bonney's singing (at least in art song > literature) to be very highly sexual. I've only heard her live once, at > Carnegie Hall when she sang Schumann's Frauenliebe und leben, Barber's Hermit > Songs and some Britten and some Scandanavian songs, with Schumann's Mondnacht > (a favorite of mine) and Morgen by Strauss as encores. > > To my ears, her voice fully blossomed only in the Scandanavian songs, when it > took on a wonderful full and vibrant golden qualilty that was quite stunning. > The rest of the singing (particularly the German) I found to be oddly > constricted and what may have been intended as virginal seemed downright > sexless. There were also strange tempo choices (An meinem herzen was taken at > a frenetic gallop that would have made any infant spit up immediately). She > may be very different in operatic repertoire. I heard her Nannetta on the > radio and thought it was lovely. But I've not heard much from this singer > that I would consider highly charged sexually. Just my opinion! > > Judy > > > > >
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