Finding my tempo

As I mentioned in a previous post, it’s taking me awhile to find my tempo on these Brahms songs. This morning I listened to Elly Ameling and was reminded just how much of the choice about tempo is determined by the kind of voice the singer has. I listened to several songs that are also on the Glenda Maurice CD I’ve been listening to. You couldn’t find two different voices, in size, color, and the way they move through the line, but I loved the performances of both women. In fact, I could listen to these two CDs all day every day.

I had the privilege of studying with Glenda Maurice. She is an artist and a magnificent teacher of the artistry of singing. Glenda is a mezzo, and in her prime, could sing a 20 minute phrase without running out of breath. OK, I am exaggerating…slightly. Honestly, her recordings of some of these Brahms songs are the slowest I have heard. However, she never loses that forward motion and movement though the line. The other thing I love and that I’m going to make my students listen to is how the vowels are always lifted. There is never a low placed or heavy vowel.

Elly Ameling uses a similar approach to the vowel placement. Everything sounds free and lifted. I have never heard Elly perform live, but I did have the wonderful opportunity of watching her give masterclasses on two separate occasions. I remember how impressed I was with her poise and presence. I also remember her stopping a student to comment on how beautiful something was (it may have even been something the pianist did). How often does that happen? Elly Ameling is a soprano with a smaller and lighter, but absolutely gorgeous voice. I would not have expected to see some of these songs on one of her recordings since I typically hear them from voices more like Glenda’s, but that doesn’t stop her from creating beautiful music. She takes a faster tempo, but never compromises the integrity of what the composer intended. And she’s wonderfully expressive.

I’m neither a Glenda, nor an Elly, and think that I will actually find my tempo somewhere between the two. I love technology and the fact that I can learn from performances that I never had the chance to hear live. Now I just need to find a way to limit my spending on itunes.



I just found a quote from Elly Ameling that totally ties in with this post. Sorry I can't give a detailed reference. My copy is a copy of an article by Robert Jacobson that was retyped. My guess is that it was in the NATS Journal many years ago.



"There is a big difference between a big sound and a carrying sound. If through coloring you make a great impression to the last seat in the house, it's as impressive as a thunderous sound. If after you hear a large voice there comes a pure, fine-colored voice, it is something special. And it's the beginning of the end for a singer like me to try stretching the voice. I try to sing only music suited to me, and there is so much I can do justice to and create. I am her in the world to make music of the great composers--as a serving task to them--not 'here I am in my glittering dress', and so on. The first thing is re-create the sound of the composer. That's my philosophy: to be a serving task. "



If you want to listen to the recordings I've been listening to, you can find them on itunes. The Elly Ameling CD is titled "Songs by Brahms" and the Glenda Maurice CD is "Songs by Brahms, R. Strauss, Mahler".