We've been on winter hiatus for several weeks now (I personally haven't done a lick of work since I got my Kindle), but we wanted to leave you with some holiday cheer. Following are three different versions of Funkadelic's "Dr. Funkenstein." Happy Holidays from Brian, John, and Tyler! We'll see you in January.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Homer and Kerman
I recently finished reading
Homer’s Illiaid, one of the oldest
works of literature. It’s long, and it’s at times amazingly bloody (perhaps
casting doubt on the stereotype that the Romans were the violent ones), but
it’s well worth reading. Part of this thrill comes from the experience of
reading a masterwork of Western culture, and part because it is nice to be able to say that I’ve read
it.
I had a translation by
Richard Lattimore, which included over 50 introductory pages that made the
reading experience far richer than it otherwise would have been. One of Lattimore’s points
was that, in order to fully understand the Illiad,
one must remember that the work originated as rhymed poetry meant to be
consumed aurally. If a reader keeps that in mind, and even can romanticize the
situation and put themselves in the mindset of listening to this long epic
recited by a professional storyteller over the course of many nights, one gets
a very different understanding of the dramatic function of the text. The text
does not *really* function as written prose, no matter how capable the
translation. In the same way that someone who reads a play must account for the
change in dramatic function from stage to page, the reader of the Iliiad will struggle if they do not take
into account the original function of the poem.
This manner of reading
dovetailed nicely with ideas in Kerman’s Opera
as Drama. Kerman’s main point is just that: that opera is inherently a
dramatic art form; however, the drama comes from the musical content, and not
from any combination of text, scenery, or stage action. Some of the
implications of this are obvious, but
some warrant follow-up, given some current operatic practices. I have
seen several operas that were, for various reasons (mostly logistical),
presented in semi-staged or concert versions. If Kerman’s idea holds water (and
I believe it does), these versions should be just as dramatic as fully staged
versions, if not more so, as the audience can focus exclusively on the music
(which bears most of the dramatic markers) without being distracted by on-stage
shenanigans. A corollary to this would be that listening to an opera with a
score is a more authentically musical experience, and hence, full of more drama
than watching an opera. This obviously is not Kerman’s point; he’s not in any
way advocating for concert versions to replace staged versions or anything of
that sort, but the implications are latent in his idea. I personally don’t believe
that the music of an opera functions effectively as an isolated concert piece;
however, I’ve seen several productions like this, and I’ve found it helpful to
study operas without viewing them. The main thing I try to remember is the
dramatic context of the notes that I’m staring at, and the fact that these
musical ideas are meant to be staged. Mentally returning the work to its
theatrical context usually serves to ground me, and aid in a more nuanced
understanding of the music.
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