Close Encounters

I caught some of the Met’s Elixir of Love broadcast on the BBC Radio 3 yesterday (Yes, I’m back in the U.K. after a lovely, but short trip back to the States). Listening reminded me of my geeky high school years where I spent each Saturday faithfully listening to the Met broadcasts. It’s really a wonderful way to hear a large amount of opera and the intermission features are often quite informative and enjoyable. I was also reminded of the often close miking the Met uses for these broadcasts which can make even the best singers sound shrill and wobbly. I suppose in a cavern like the Met, there is not much choice in where the mics can be placed where orchestra and singers are picked up clearly. This relates to what Anne Midgette wrote in the Times a few days ago about how seating location can affect one’s perception of a concert. I fully agree with this hypothesis, though as a musician I occasionally like sitting very close to see the inner workings of a performance. I once saw a performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto (the two hand one) from the very front and enjoyed hearing the soloist breathe, sing and physicalize the phrases. It’s true I missed some of the orchestra/solo balance, but it was great to see this artist work. Similarly, I learned a great deal about singing from an up-close-and-personal performance of the B-Minor Mass a few years back. I could hear how each soloist made small adjustments to shape Bach’s difficult phrases. There are others I could relate, but the basic idea that the hall and where you sit in it have a large affect on performance perception.

On another note, I recently acquired a DVD of Fischer-Dieskau and Brendel performing Winterreise in 1979. It includes a bonus feature of the two of them rehearsing for the performance (Unfortunately, I’ve not had time to watch this part yet). If you have any interest in seeing two magnificent artists at work, I suggest you buy this. Immediately. To see Fischer-Dieskau in performance mode is worth the price alone for those of us who came of age after the Fischer-Dieskau era. Not only is the performance sung beautifully, but it is also acted in quite a realized manner, with subtle facial expressions adding layers of depth to the music. Truly a revelation.