"She spent 13 years studying at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris. William Christie invited her to work with his ensemble Les Arts Florissants, as a continuo player and musical assistant. On Christie's recommendation, she later worked as a coach, assistant and guest artist to Simon Rattle"
As I said - ace.
Right, so my introduction to this artist was through this clip of the Monteverdi madrigal, Ohime ch'io cado...not entirely sure how I found that but hey ho. As a bit of a baroque nut I was bound to like it, but Monteverdi really is awesome. Having studied a few of his pieces, I'm always taken aback by his ability to paint the words - especially in this piece with the tasty little bits of dissonance. The melody is gorgeous too, and the way it just sort of walks about and morphs so organically...like dreaming? Like when you dream, you create and experience at the same time, without even realising? It's a sort of vertical landscape that is created as it moves? It seems to me a bit like that, as abstract as that concept is.
Having looked at a few recordings of this piece on youtube, it shocked me a bit to see how negative the response was to this particular example (with Haim, Ciofi and Co.). It seemed to me that the sound was so much richer, texture-ly (is that a word?!) intricate and well...interesting. Ciofi, as well, brings a lot to this metaphorical Renaissance/Baroque table - spinning the melody nicely as well as brining a bit of character in - which, unfortunately, is so often overlooked in early music.
And then I saw it. In someone's 'all knowing' youtube comment. The word 'mannerisms'. It bothers me slightly that this word has such negative connotations. 'Renée Fleming isn't what she used to be - too many mannerisms now'...'Haim has such annoying mannerisms'...'I can't see past the mannerisms in this piece'. I mean...isn't interpretation itself a form of mannerism? We bring to the piece something that makes it our own - be it experience, a change in technique or vocal expression. Through the use of a mannerism here and there we can physically take the piece off the page, and turn it into something alive - taking it away from being simply static. If that Monteverdi clip is too full of mannerisms - then I LOVE mannerisms. Give me more!
The worst thing about 'mannerisms' is the fickle, fickle response to them. If those classical music big wigs are so against their 'mannerisms', then tell me - why is Cecilia Bartoli so successful and admired? She drops in mannerisms (brilliantly, may I add) all over the place in her interpretation to do exactly what I mentioned in the previous paragraph. No one sounds like Bartoli, and no one can interpret in the same way as her. Through mannerisms - be it machine-gun articulation, aspirated onsets, breathy tone, physical movement - Bartoli not only brings the music alive, but thrills her audiences. Incidentally, I'm off to see her on 5th Dec. at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham - and unsurprisingly I can't wait. LONG LIVE MANNERISMS!
ps. I want a viola da gamba...just thought you might like to know...
Thanks for your insights and introducing me to another two mesmerising performances. Ciofi's mannerisms are a bit distracting and without knowing what she's singing about it's difficult to comment on their relevance.
ReplyDeleteFor me, Bartoli is using her mannerisms to show her pleasure in the pyrotechnics that she is able to produce from her instrument. You see instrumental maestros doing the same thing so why shouldn't a vocalist? She is adding an extra dimension to her performance - and if you had that voice and the ability to do that stuff with it, you'd show off a bit too, wouldn't you?
Off to find out what a viola da gamba is.