How many times have you heard me
say it: “You don’t lighten up as you go up.”
In other words – “stay down!”
Down is where it’s at. Unless
you’re going down; then of course I want you to stay up. Am I ever satisfied? It’s all about the balance of power as you
know. It’s about making sure the
mechanism maintains some sort of equilibrium.
It’s like a counter balance or Newton’s 3rd law. I have found two good video examples of this
idea – to wit – Sarah Connolly and Ben Luxon singing Mahler’s “Wenn mein
Schatz Hochzeit macht” from The Wayfarer Songs.
They both have to make large leaps to softer notes and sing low to high
and high to low in phrases. Yet notice
how the heft, for lack of a better word, of their voices stays the same. Their voices don’t get lighter as they get
higher or softer nor darker as they get lower or louder. There are different colors used but the
balance remains the same. They are
connected. They are down. They are in their body and under their
tone. Do you hear it? Can you tell?
What do perceive they’re doing?
Incidentally, notice how relaxed Ben is and read about this concert below the video. Crazy.
Both videos include the whole song cycle and you should want to hear the whole thing but I'm just talking about the first song.
Incidentally, notice how relaxed Ben is and read about this concert below the video. Crazy.
Both videos include the whole song cycle and you should want to hear the whole thing but I'm just talking about the first song.
Sarah Connolly
Benjamin Luxon
Score:
Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht
Wenn
mein Schatz Hochzeit macht,
Fröhliche
Hochzeit macht,
Hab'
ich meinen traurigen Tag!
Geh'
ich in mein Kämmerlein,
Dunkles
Kämmerlein,
Weine,
wein' um meinen Schatz,
Um
meinen lieben Schatz!
Blümlein
blau! Verdorre nicht!
Vöglein
süß! Du singst auf grüner Heide.
Ach,
wie ist die Welt so schön!
Ziküth!
Ziküth!
Singet
nicht! Blühet nicht!
Lenz
ist ja vorbei!
Alles
Singen ist nun aus.
Des
Abends, wenn ich schlafen geh',
Denk'
ich an mein Leide.
An
mein Leide!
When my darling has her wedding‑day
When
my darling has her wedding-day,
her
joyous wedding-day,
I
will have my day of mourning!
I
will go to my little room,
my
dark little room,
and
weep, weep for my darling,
for
my dear darling!
Blue
flower! Do not wither!
Sweet
little bird - you sing on the green heath!
Alas,
how can the world be so fair?
Chirp!
Chirp!
Do
not sing; do not bloom!
Spring
is over.
All
singing must now be done.
At
night when I go to sleep,
I
think of my sorrow,
of
my sorrow!
