@tpschneid The *music* makes it abundantly clear that the curtain is rising.
@radioplug Just because several people do things in a particular way doesn't make it right. Humming is more difficult than vocalising, which is why performers often do the same thing at the end of Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5. When you hear it done properly it adds greatly to the music. How can you do 'a fine job with the humming part' by not humming?
@In my experience of accompanying Ives songs, it is quite clear where he intends the performer to declaim, and where he puts words in for the benefit of the performer rather than the audience. I think that suggesting that Ives didn't really know what he was doing is supremely disrespectful. @radioplug No, there are many scores with text printed between the staves. But in this case, (and I speak only from memory) the word "Curtain!" is printed above the stave in square brackets.
I don't claim to be an expert on Ives, but I'm working on this song right now, and it would make no sense for "curtain" to be for the benefit of the performer. The idea of "Memories" is that the first song is sung by someone at the opera house while waiting for the show to begin, then the curtain rises and says "shhh, curtain!" The "rather sad" portion of the song is supposed to be what happens on the opera stage when the curtain arises. So the characters actually change within the piece.
@tpschneid13 Ives would just do things like that. Don't expect to make sense out of Ives music. If he wrote it, he probably intended it to happen. You have to remember that his profession was NOT composition.
Oh, did u speak with Ives about this? You must have since you are so passionate about what "spoil" these songs. Last I heard, singers are allowed to interpret music, if not everyone would sound the same. Maybe you should take your head out of the score and just listen, unless you are more interested in mechanical accuracy than beauty. He did not spoil this song nor did Susan Graham who interpreted it similarly. Since you know so much maybe you should post your “correct” version.
There are two issues of performance that spoil these songs, and most singers seem to be guilty of them. One of them is the screamed word CURTAIN, which in the score is clearly for the benefit of the performer, and not the audience. The other is the final melisma on the word 'humming', which should be on the 'm' rather than the 'u'. In other words, the singer should hum.
A shame, because apart from these issues the performances were excellent and, in the case of the last song, moving.
@SeladorCellardoor This is not the only song that has text printed below the original score. In every other song, this text is meant to be spoken - so for it to be against the norm here would just be odd.
I think Gerald does a fine job with the humming part. Most of my favorite interpretations do exactly what he did.
@tpschneid The *music* makes it abundantly clear that the curtain is rising.
@radioplug Just because several people do things in a particular way doesn't make it right. Humming is more difficult than vocalising, which is why performers often do the same thing at the end of Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5. When you hear it done properly it adds greatly to the music. How can you do 'a fine job with the humming part' by not humming?
SeladorCellardoor 11 months ago
@In my experience of accompanying Ives songs, it is quite clear where he intends the performer to declaim, and where he puts words in for the benefit of the performer rather than the audience. I think that suggesting that Ives didn't really know what he was doing is supremely disrespectful. @radioplug No, there are many scores with text printed between the staves. But in this case, (and I speak only from memory) the word "Curtain!" is printed above the stave in square brackets.
SeladorCellardoor 11 months ago
I don't claim to be an expert on Ives, but I'm working on this song right now, and it would make no sense for "curtain" to be for the benefit of the performer. The idea of "Memories" is that the first song is sung by someone at the opera house while waiting for the show to begin, then the curtain rises and says "shhh, curtain!" The "rather sad" portion of the song is supposed to be what happens on the opera stage when the curtain arises. So the characters actually change within the piece.
tpschneid13 1 year ago
@tpschneid13 Ives would just do things like that. Don't expect to make sense out of Ives music. If he wrote it, he probably intended it to happen. You have to remember that his profession was NOT composition.
radioplug14 11 months ago
Oh, did u speak with Ives about this? You must have since you are so passionate about what "spoil" these songs. Last I heard, singers are allowed to interpret music, if not everyone would sound the same. Maybe you should take your head out of the score and just listen, unless you are more interested in mechanical accuracy than beauty. He did not spoil this song nor did Susan Graham who interpreted it similarly. Since you know so much maybe you should post your “correct” version.
madinie 1 year ago
There are two issues of performance that spoil these songs, and most singers seem to be guilty of them. One of them is the screamed word CURTAIN, which in the score is clearly for the benefit of the performer, and not the audience. The other is the final melisma on the word 'humming', which should be on the 'm' rather than the 'u'. In other words, the singer should hum.
A shame, because apart from these issues the performances were excellent and, in the case of the last song, moving.
SeladorCellardoor 1 year ago
@SeladorCellardoor This is not the only song that has text printed below the original score. In every other song, this text is meant to be spoken - so for it to be against the norm here would just be odd.
I think Gerald does a fine job with the humming part. Most of my favorite interpretations do exactly what he did.
radioplug14 11 months ago