7
June 8, 1922
MUSICAL COURIER
THE TECHNIC OF INTERPRETATION
recompose a song. If it is so bad as that, do not waste time over it !
Legitimate Effects.
Every vocal effect should be studied and weighed from the standpoint of its appropriateness. Nothing is more stupid than the absolutely uncalled for and unwarranted use of the mezza-voce or the sustained high note, without due regard to its fitness. Such effects have their legitimate place and use, and should not be employed simply because they sound well or “show off the voice.”
There are effects to be gained by anticipating an entrance or a climax, or by retarding the same, but they should never be used arbitrarily. There are no effects more necessary to the technic of the singer than those gained by correct use of tone color. Its application is dictated, of course, by the text of the song, but the color of the tone or voice should be the reflex of the mental picture created by the context, apart altogether from the vowel sounds of the word, or words, which are sung That is to say, the tone color should be consistently light or dark according to the spirit or meaning of the text, independent of the vowels which form the basis of the words. I here are, of course, places where the composer has counted upon the effect to be produced by the color of the syllables sung. Such is the case in Gluck’s air from ״Les Pelenns de la Mecque,” where he employs the syllables cla, clé, cli, cio, doux, to represent the lapping of the peaceful streamlet against its flower-bedecked banks.
Facial grimace and bodily contortion must be sedulously avoided, but a mobile face and an expressive attitude of the body is the outward sign of the mental picture, and varying expressions should follow each other as naturally and uncon-stramedly as in conversation.
The white or open tone has in it always the effect of climax, be it sung pianissimo or fortissimo; and when volume is added to a tone or phrase, which, commencing dark or sombie, gradually passes to the white or open sound the effect can be electrifying.
These few hints or suggestions could be multiplied considerably, since each different style of composition calls for its individual treatment, but the scope of the present article was only intended to call attention to the fact emphasized in the beginning, that, before the text of a song is considered, there is much to be studied; and that the technic of interpretation can be acquired, or at least greatly developed, by study.
The artist whose rendition is built up architecturally may soar to inspired heights under favorable conditions of mental and physical well being and the inspiration of a receptive and appreciative audience, but no matter how unfavorable might be the conditions for the inspiration of his muse, his performance will never fall below the plane of high artistic worth on which it was conceived if that conception and inspiration has been seized and held fast by means of the technic of interpretation.
hand, Bachs Passion According to St. John,” produced as the annual Easter offering by the Choral Society, and Beethoven’s “Christus am Oelberge,” given by the Palestrina Chorus and the Philharmonic Orchestra under Stefan Kerner, found eager response. The Beethoven work has not been heard in Budapest for eighty-five years.
Three Hungarian Fiddlers Visit Home.
Of our world-roaming violin virtuosos, who, of course, spend most of their time in other countries, three happened to meet here at the same time. Of these Telmanyi, sufficiently known in America by now, had the greatest success. He has the rare gift of infusing new life into old works, so that one feels as though one is 'being introduced to them for the first time. Just as some time ago he created a sen-sation in Vienna with Mendelssohn’s violin concerto, so this time he let us rediscover Spohr’s “Gesangsszene” ’through him. One of the choicest treats of the season was a sonata evening by him and Dohnanyi.
Joseph Szigeti, who has been away from home some ten years, during which he has achieved an international reputation, has by no means been forgotten by the connoisseurs of Budapest, but the great public must be recaptured—an easy task if Szigeti would come a little oftener than he does. He made his deepest impression with the Brahms concerto which he played under Abranyi’s baton.
Stefi Geyer, the third of the triumvirate, had already reintroduced herself with the Goldmark concerto last autumn, which she played with the poetry that is characteristic of her This time she played the concertino of her husband Walter Schulthess, whose sonata she also included in her program. She earned great admiration for herself, though she could not arouse any considerable interest in these works.
Of foreign violinists Carl Flesch—also a native of Hungary, by the way—gave a second recital, in which he proved anew his superior style and tone with Nardini and Reger solo sonatas and his brilliant virtuosity with the concerto of Ernst.
Swedish Ballet Visits Budapest.
Three evenings of the Swedish Ballet in Budapest should not remain unmentioned, since they brought us some interesting novelties. Although many remembered the celebrated Russians, and averred their superiority in a purely choreographic sense, they had to recognize that in such things as Debussy’s “Boite a joujoux,” Ingelbrecht’s “El Greco” and in their own national pieces the Swedes offered something new and unique. Unfortunately the performances had to be given in a theater not adapted for music, so that especially Ingelbrecht’s interesting and richly orchestrated piece had t0 Suffer■	ZOLTÁN KODALY.
Chamber Music Party in Denver
The fifteenth Chamber Music Party was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Gano, of Denver, Colo on Sunday afternoon, May 28, at which time a program was rendered by the Denver String Quartet. Numbers by Beethoven, Glazounoff, Tschaikowsky, Debussy, Haydn and Borodin were performed,
By George Fergusson
Copyrighted, 1922, by The Musical Courier Company.
is but the building up towards a culminating point or climax, io this everything is subservient, if we could avoid the mistakes of an anti-climax. If the text of the song is in verse form, it will be found that each verse has its musical, as well as literary, climax or central point of interest. By climax I do not mean a high note or a forte passage, for the contrary may just as well be the case, but each climax serves to build up, and is subsidiary to, the one great moment of the composition.
Accompanist Rarely at Fault.
Each phrase, in its turn, must be considered in its relation to the whole. During the development of the phrase, there should be no dragging of the movement, unless a retard or stentato has been indicated by the composer, or for a special reason or effect demanded by consideration of the text. The outline of the phrase should be clearly marked, and this can best be secured by moving steadily "to the head of the musical phrase, which will or should be upon the pregnant word—or syllable of the word—of the text. From this point onward the tempo may be modified, if so required, to bring out more clearly the meaning of the text, without marring the musical form or outline, but any modification during the development of the phrase, unless as explained before, usually destroys the sense of the rhythmic flow.
Herein lies the explanation of the difficulty which some singers and students have with their accompanists. The singer’s intention should be conveyed to the accompanist on that part of the phrase which" I call its development. If this is not clearly indicated, there will be a lack of harmony and understanding between the two, and the result will be a sense of "pushing” or “pulling” on the part of both. The accompanist is, however, rarely the one at fault.
A^ musical phrase which is repeated should always receive a different treatment with each repetition, just as, in a spoken sentence, the reiteration would be marked with some variation, no matter how slight, of tone or accent. Musical phrases bear to each other the same relationship which exists between sentences in speech. One phrase should not be ended and another begun as if there were no connection in thought^ between them. The connection is there. Search until it is found!
Following a crescendo of power or intensity, the singer should not (and cannot, if he feels what he expresses) allow the tone suddenly to drop to a quality of indifference. The waves of passion which have risen to great heights cannot suddenly cease, but the ground swell of subsiding passion must be felt and shown in the succeeding passages, even though the tone may be reduced to pianissimo.
In studying a song, the composers’ intention is the first thing to be considered. This intention is sometimes indicated elaborately. Where this is not the case, only a true musical rendition can give the composer’s meaning. Do not
JOSEF STRANSKY HEADS GUEST
CONDUCTORS AT BUDAPEST
Season Extended by Special Philharmonic Series—Novelties Introduced by Young Composers—Three Hungarian Fiddlers Visit Home—Swedish Ballet in Budapest
Budapest, May 15.—A series of special concerts given by the Budapest Philharmonic Society after the regular subscription series was completed in March has given the season a new lease of life. In these concerts a large section of the public which is automatically excluded from the enjoyment of orchestral music by the limitations of space has now had its turn. The subscription concerts were sold out to the last seat, not by virtue of any extraordinary programs, of course. Beethoven’s “Ninth” or a perfectly normal program quietly fluctuating between Beethoven and Tschaikowsky are quite sufficient for the unstilled music hunger of our populace, even if the “novavum rerum cupidi” come off empty handed.
Variety was provided on the other hand by guest conductors. Of these Josef Stransky, unknown here, aroused the chief interest. He had a fine success, notwithstanding his conception of Beethoven, which deviates considerably from the local traditions. He reached the pinnacle of his triumph, however, with Strauss’ “Tod und Verklarung” and Berlioz’s “Rakoczy March,” and divided the honors with Erno Dohnanyi, who played the Schumann piano concerto in his unique and unsurpassable manner. Other recent guest conductors included Bernhard Tittel, in whom one learned to know a thoroughly healthy musical, nature without great distinguishing marks, and Carl Loewe, who has for years been admired here as much as in his own Vienna.
Novelties, Old and New.
Two young conductors, Stefan Strasser and Wilhelm Komor, tried to present—at least within the limitations of a chamber orchestra—some newer or at least rarer things. The former gave an excellent performance of Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater” with two Viennese singers, Gertrude Foer-stel and Emmy Heim, also the great quartet fugue of Beethoven in his own arrangement for string orchestra, which, though debatable, brings out many details better than the original. His colleague, Komor, in three chamber orchestra concerts, brought, besides Lully, Rameau and Mozart, a charming symphony by Dittersdorf, as well as Ra-baud’s “Eclogue” and Strauss’ “Bourgeois Gentilhomme,” carefully prepared and with great success.
Children’s Crusade Fails to Please.
A novelty for Budapest, too, was Pierne’s “Croisade des Enfants,” conducted by Anton Fleischer and performed by the augmented student’s chorus and orchestra of the State music school “Nemzeti Zenede.” Though the performance was far better than the earlier attempt of this institute to produce Mahler’s third symphony, the work failed to find favor either with the public or the press. On the other
THERE is perhaps no subject dealing with the art of singing of which it is so difficult to write clearly and concisely as that which comes under the head of interpretation.
Interpretation, or the power to interpret, is generally considered to be a gift which one either does or does not possess, and therewith the subject is closed; or the suggestions which writers give are of so vague and indefinite a character as to be of little practical value to the student.
Those who realize their shortcomings in this direction usually go to some teacher or artist whose reputation for interpretation attracts them. They copy or imitate (as far as their vocal technic will permit) the interpretation of certain songs, but such interpretation lacks individuality, and fundamentally nothing has been learned.
There is a general impression with regard to song interpretation that the text is the first and last thing to be considered, as one writer recently stated. 'The text is certainly of the utmost importance, but I do not intend at this time to consider the matter of text so much as those things concerning interpretation which come before consideration of the text.
Occasionally there appear in our midst singers who, by sheer overplus of psychological gifts, arouse and astonish a blasé public through the power of their interpretations. To them text is everything. These brilliant apparitions do not, however, found any school, because their art is purely individual—as much as the color of their eyes or the expression of their features—and they vanish like meteoric bodies, leaving no trace of their passage other than the memory of their personal achievement. They may have imitators, and they may awaken a dormant talent in some student, but their chief merit lies in arousing the perception of the student in general to the value of an emotional rendition of the text.
The first idea of the average vocal student is to learn.to sing. Interpretation, in the real sense of the word, is not thought of, the general feeling on the matter being that the power to interpret is something which will be there to be called upon as soon as the voice is “placed.” The student possesses sentiment or an appreciation of sentiment, and this means for him the ability to interpret.
The Technic or Interpretation.
The idea that there is a technic of interpretation that can be studied and acquired, like the technic of any other branch of the art, is, I think, rarely understood or appreciated. The technic of interpretation should, as a matter of fact, begin with the first exercise, and continue to develop with each succeeding exercise and vocalise to the first song, and so on to the end, so that when the vocal study is completed (if such a time ever really arrives in the life of the true artist) the interpretative art of the singer will have arrived at a like stage of completion or development. I have always enjoyed the story told of one of the well known artists of the Berlin Royal Opera, who, two years after his retirement on pension at the age of sixty-two, in conversation with a younger colleague, remarked enthusiastically that if he were to return to the stage again he would “show them something.”
Many students are possessed with a fear that a too close application to the study of the technic of their art will result in a corresponding loss of their genius of inspiration. Since this quality cannot be acquired, it stands to reason that it cannot be lost. The more perfect the technical resources the more transparent becomes the soul of the artist, who is thus enabled to express naturally every shade of thought or emotion, awakened by music and text.
The art of the interpretative singer consists of his ability to reproduce at will, with absolute sincerity, the moods and passions expressed in the music and text. To do this, he must feel those varying moods and passions, or his performance will lack the sincerity demanded. Herein lies the value of a real technic, by means of which he can arrest and analyze those moods or sensations which come like an inspiration, at moments, when reading or studying a new composition. Such sensations come at times like a flash, a momentary, fleeting vision, and unless seized upon by the artistic mind, are gone, sometimes not to return. The true artist records such impressions instantly, and mentally notes the accompanying expression of joy, sorrow, anger, or of any of the varying human emotions. If his technic be that of which I am writing, he recalls the expression or gesture each and every time that he would repeat the passage. A look or gesture which is the visible expression of an idea, is reflected instantaneously upon the sensitive psychology of an artist, and those first sensations recur with the reality and sincerity of an immediate inspiration, achieving a corresponding effect upon himself, upon the work reproduced, and upon his listeners.
Since the average vocal student, unfortunately, has rarely • had a thorough musical training before beginning the study of singing, he or she must be taught the rules of musical accent, rhythm, phrasing, and the value of notes. The beauty of a musical phrase can be distorted by wrong accent, by a neglect of the real value of notes, or by bad phrasing, no matter how well the text may be declaimed.
What Godowsky Said.
A song should be musically analyzed before it is sung.
I am sure that much of the difficulty of memorizing would disappear with a broader understanding on the part of the student along the lines of musical analysis. I have never forgotten the reply which Godowsky once made in my presence, to an inquiry on the part of another guest, as to his mode of procedure in memorizing: “When I understand a composition, I know it.” Such a statement from such an artist is illuminating. It is, of course, undeniably true that the average vocal teacher has little time at his disposal for the development of this phase of the student’s work, but I hope that the day will come when in each community the teachers will be sufficiently united to form and support classes for the general education of students, of which the pupils of all the teachers can take advantage, irrespective of methods of voice production.
In analyzing a song, it will be found that there is a succession of musical ideas, each of which, important in itself,