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What makes a performance authentic?
By “authenticity,” I mean honesty, heartfelt expression, and respecting the composer’s wishes at all times.
The opposite, which I find unacceptable, is allowing our own quirks to trump the composer’s notated guidelines, and pasting something false on top of the notes. When that happens, the performer ignores the composer and becomes mired in his/her own importance.
One event some time ago got me thinking about authenticity. Just before Christmas, Jean Ritchie threw a party. Many of her singer friends were invited, as was the Norman Luboff Choir. (Jean’s son Jon Pickow, a wonderful tenor, invited the choir. I shall be forever grateful.)
During the festivities, the guests took seats along the walls of a very large room. Then, in turn, each shared a song!
Every style, it seemed, was offered. There was an early American song followed by a Shaker tune, then an Irish folk song, an Appalachian ballade, an old English carol, a Scottish folk song… everything.
I was in awe, speechless. The singers were so honest, uninhibited, authentic, and absolutely sang securely in each style. None had learned how to do that in school.
Every ornament and flourish was right on, as might be learned in school. But here there was nothing in the way! The style wasn’t imposed upon the music, it was the music.
I felt like an imposter, to tell the truth. Everyone was so good!
Can classical performers be authentic? After all, they learn music from the printed score.
There have been concerts from time to time that, for me and others I spoke to, didn’t make the cut. These were major concerts presented on large series in major venues:
- a Brahms lieder recital at Tanglewood ~ “der” and “und” (and every other syllable) always super-expressive, no sentences in evidence. All the tempi were way too sloooooooooow. The other two vocal fellows and I left at intermission.
- a piano recital at UMass ~ the soloist had been “finding himself,” strolling the beach for two years. He felt called upon to impose very slow tempi on Schubert. Extremely boring. If you’re 1/2 everyone else’s tempo, what does that tell you? (He probably hadn’t heard anyone else play for two years!)
- piano recitals where the soloist looks to the ceiling. For what? Inspiration from the plaster? Self-indulgent, distracting, unnecessary.
- gyrating performers ~ see previous description. Is all that movement intended to show how “into” it you are?
- a cello recital where “rubato” meant “do whatever you want” with no rhythmic structure.
These classical musicians and styles are, to me, authentic:
- Jacqueline Du Pré
- Dinu Lipatti
- Joseph Fuchs
- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson ~ click to watch “Ich habe genug” on YouTube. Yes, that’s a hospital gown she’s wearing on stage!
- Béla Bartók
- Zoltan Kodaly
- Olivier Messiaen
- Russian liturgical music
- Gospel
- Soul
- some Country & Western
Of course there are others. This is meant to facilitate thought, not provide a definitive list.
Please watch this brief video of Pete Seeger and Jean Ritchie. This is a terrific example of authenticity. Honesty, heartfelt expression, nothing in the way, nothing quirky imposed upon the music or the listener. Direct communication.
Odetta was authentic in everything she sang. She earned a music degree, later saying that “it was a nice little exercise, but it has nothing to do with my life.” Give her a listen.
“This Little Light of Mine” was a favorite of hers.
Electrifying! Makes me cry.
Odetta ~ Jericho (old) Talk about power!
Listen to the way she uses her voice to provide rhythm!
Libby Maxey said:
I just ran across an email I sent an ex-boyfriend in which I was reviewing a symphony concert at Cornell in 2001. It is so appropriate to this topic, I have to share! You’ll love it:
The Grieg piano concerto was beautiful– the intro to the second movement brought tears to my eyes immediately– but the soloist needed help. He was one of those 18-year-old Chinese prodigies, and his performance was absolutely flawless, but his theatrics were nauseating. Somewhere along the way, somebody must have told him that he would have to fight the stigmatizing label of Technical Genius With No Soul; perhaps that same well-intentioned person suggested that he do so by performing charades of electrocution at the keyboard. Perhaps his gestures might have been more effective if I hadn’t been sitting in the sixth row, but as it was, I got tired of listening to him exhale dramatically and watching him pitch back from the piano in slow motion at the ends of his phrases. The concerto may have been romantic, rhapsodic, etc., but one must draw a line between emotive playing and artificial seizures of passion.
The offending soloist was, you may not be surprised to hear, Lang Lang, whom I had not yet heard of at the time.
GretchensPianos said:
Hi Libby!
Hysterical!
It is also possible that he has always done exactly that. Do you suppose no one told him to stop?
Thanks for the great story! You save your emails for a while, yes? 😉
BTW, you do know about the Monty Python Hospital for Bad Acting….
Gretchen
Elaine Fine said:
Pete Seeger has been creating “authenticity” for the entirety of his musical life, and he has done it in a way that has never compromised his musical integrity. With him it has always been about a mixture of the traditional music that he made (and still makes) popular along with his desire to “be” that music and make connections with people. Even as a very old man with very little voice, he still means every word he sings.
Charlatans abound in every musical arena. I find it happens when said charlatan puts his or her performance and image in a more important place than the music itself and the idea of sharing the essence of the music with an audience (or even a friend).
So many performances of all kinds of music (not just the classical kind) are “all about me,” with a movable me. (Movable mi–heh heh–just thought of that).
Gail Fischler said:
Some time ago I asked my students to comment on Bill Cosby’s advice, “Don’t play the moment- find the honesty in the moment.” Some of their answers are in this blog post. http://pianoaddict.com/2010/05/momentous-playing/
mark niemela said:
Hi, Gretchen, I’d say AMEN to all you said, but then the cadence would be plagal, not authentic. (GROANS) SUGG: Have the posting “scrollable” so one can look@it + comment as one reads. More later…
Gail Fischler said:
Theatrics are not only obnoxious, they are dangerous to the performer’s wellness.
mark niemela said:
continuation… When R Serkin played in NY towards the end of his career, a critic commented on his daringly slow tempo for the First Brahms Cto. For great writing on fidelity to the printed page: Leinsdorf, The Composer’s Advocate and Gunther Schuller – The Compleat Conductor. (about orchestral fidelity, not pianistic, of course)
GretchensPianos said:
Hi Elaine!
Berry punny! 😉
Your comments reminded me of something. I heard William Warfield in a solo recital near the end of his life. He had basically no range any more, but held the audience in the palm of his hand.
Thanks for commenting!
Gretchen
GretchensPianos said:
Hi Mark!
Great suggestion! (post-groan…) How is that done?
Gretchen
GretchensPianos said:
True. Maybe that’s why some of them stop that nonsense.
GretchensPianos said:
Fantastic, Gail! Thanks so much for the link.
Your students’ insights into what is needed to perform well are amazingly perceptive.
The one comment that struck me most was about playing the emotions of the piece, not one’s own emotions at any given time. (What if you’re playing a scherzo when you’re having a bad day?)
I hope many people will read your post ~ and your wonderful blog!
Gretchen
GretchensPianos said:
Thanks, Mark! Great references to check out.
Andrei said:
I think I might write a response about this topic on my blog in the next few days (if I have time!) – I’ll post it if I do – but here’s something I wrote this summer that somewhat deals with this: http://www.andreistrizek.com/blog/2010/7/12/is-lady-gaga-wrong.html
You should definitely check out Nicolas Cook’s book “A Very Short Introduction to Music.” He examines this topic very well and talks about the difference in authenticity that classical musicians expect versus that which pop musicians expect. A summary I wrote of his first chapter, dealing mostly with this topic compared to the rest of the book, is:
“Music is a multiplicity of activities and experiences that are making traditional, handed-down thoughts on music outdated. Music matters to us for many different reasons. It can represent national identity, youth culture, cultural context, and much more. In today’s society, what you listen to can help determine who you are. We have several ideas and assumptions on music that we need to revise. Classical music accepts the work/piece as the “music,” rather than the performer (except in rare cases). In popular traditions, the idea of “music” is based more on the performer rather than the piece itself. In both traditions we value the idea of personal vision. Authenticity is important in music, and the concept of authenticity doesn’t differ greatly between Western art music and the popular tradition. We value innovation over tradition, creation over reproduction, and personal expression over the marketplace. The idea of music being “works” reflects the industrial society economy: production leads to distribution leads to consumption. Our assumptions about music are built in to our language, making them seem natural. They are actually human constructs that can and should be dissected to encompass the diversity of our modern world.”
Also, Richard Taruskin talks about this a lot related to performance practice, especially that of “early” music ensembles. Check out “The Danger of Music.”
Great topic, great ideas (as usual!) and great artist suggestions!!
GretchensPianos said:
Hi Andrei!
This is quite a comment! Thanks so much for taking the time.
I will look at your post tonight after the concert at Hampshire, and also Nicolas Cook’s book. Richard Taruskin sounds very interesting, too.
And of course I appreciate the compliments. 🙂
Take care,
Gretchen