tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578299036257565538.post5955621180625585372..comments2021-07-07T18:23:42.486+01:00Comments on Music and Melodrama: Melodrama on Stage, 13 March 2008Sarah Hibberdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05175427803148284081noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578299036257565538.post-21958075069099142542008-04-19T20:27:00.000+01:002008-04-19T20:27:00.000+01:00There were a lot of interesting points that were b...There were a lot of interesting points that were brought up over the 2-day workshop/presentation; especially that of the relationship between the music and the speech/movement. With regard to the 'hurry' question, I feel that it could be perfectly justified not to have frantic movement accompanying the music but to simply allow the music to 'speak' the character's thoughts for itself. If we look back to the days of silent film, frantic thoughts and gestures were not accompanied by music so I think that it could work equally well the other way round i.e.having 'hurry' music that isn't accompanied by frantic movement.<BR/><BR/>In relation to the role of the music within the melodrama: it became evident over the 2-day workshop that the relationship and communication between actor and musician was of great importance and an integral part to the smooth flow of the scene. Many of the actors felt that the music led the gesture but as the pianist, I beg to differ. On a number of occasions it became clear that it was imperative that I watched the actor intently and waited for my 'cue' before continuing with the next excerpt of music; especially if there was a gesture that we decided to 'play' silently; there was then a need for me to follow the actor's movements closely before proceeding. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative project and I look forward to hearing more about people's ideas in the future!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578299036257565538.post-59858324784492593712008-03-30T16:08:00.000+01:002008-03-30T16:08:00.000+01:00Many thanks. Yes, there has been some work on the ...Many thanks. Yes, there has been some work on the escape/rescue operas of the 1790s and early 1800s, and I think there is a clear (mutual) influence between opera and melodrama at that time (cf David Charlton, Michael Fend) that continues with the emergence of grand opera (in the 1820s and 30s).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578299036257565538.post-24264759493066305032008-03-30T16:06:00.000+01:002008-03-30T16:06:00.000+01:00I wonder if, in your research into opera's links w...I wonder if, in your research into opera's links with melodrama, you've encountered Basil Dean and his work on what he termed "escape opera". He certainly wrote on the subject. I haven't listened to recordings of Cherubini's operas, but I wonder whether there wasn't some sort of a connection between collapsing prisons, towers, etc. and loud hurried music. I have a photocopy of the piano score to Isaac Pocock's The Miller and His Men and have hired music students to play it for me. My recollection is that, as the burning powder train hurriedly burns toward the bandits' lair in Grindoff's mill, the music gets faster and faster and, eventually, louder and louder. There may have been some copying or borrowing from escape opera to achieve this effect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578299036257565538.post-56893007759805070552008-03-30T16:02:00.000+01:002008-03-30T16:02:00.000+01:00Many thanks for this. I know that we should not tr...Many thanks for this. I know that we should not try to generalise, and that practices varied both between theatres (and countries) and through the century. What was behind my question was really whether there was a precedent for 'hurry' music being internalised (ie not accompanied by physical movement) - in her book Smart suggests that such internalisation in the 1870s was an example of Wagner shaking off the shackles of melodrama, but my impression (though I don't know, which is why I pose the question) is that such internalisation was already there (on occasion) in melodrama, and perhaps in other operas, particularly in France. <BR/> <BR/>Part of my interest in this concerns the evolution of tableaux in French operas in the first half of the century, in which a type of 'hurry' music tends to be accompanied by different sorts of movement (individuals, crowds, scenic effects), and appears to be derived from melodrama. A good example is the conclusion of Meyerbeer's _Le Prophete_ (1849), which has much in common with Pixerecourt's _La Citerne_ (1809, I think): the (pantomime) activities of various groups of people as the building collapses around them is accompanied by 'hurry' music of a sort, but the whole effect is of a static 'moment'. I'm interested in exploring the nature of the relationship between opera and melodrama at this time, and the static/kinetic elements of such tableaux. From what you say, it seems that in _The Bells_ hurry music is not used at such moments - ie climax of the drama.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578299036257565538.post-33722093825141341352008-03-30T15:56:00.000+01:002008-03-30T15:56:00.000+01:00In response to your query about hurry music, i.e.,...In response to your query about hurry music, i.e., the circumstances in which it might be used. The first rule of thumb (a necessary generalisation) for all of this work is to avoid generalisations: when we speak of melodrama, we speak of the particular, rarely rules in general because what orchestras and conductors do from theatre to theatre is their own way of working. Thus, my reply, this time, is about The Bells (cf D. Mayer, _Henry Irving and "The Bells"_ (Manchester University Press 1982), which includes Irving's text, notes, and, crucially the score). If you look at the score in this book (or if you listen to the tape of The Bells narrated by Eric Jones Evans and accompanied by the Solent Symphonia), you'll hear hurries played for entrances (especially Mathias, act 1) which build, not so much to emotional climaxes as key moments. Music keys audience expectation and applause. My experience of hurry music is that it's used 1) at key moments, 2) in scene changes, 3) to cover action. None of these exclusively, all of these frequently but unpredictably.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578299036257565538.post-58025907203706387052008-03-30T11:11:00.000+01:002008-03-30T11:11:00.000+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com