In a conversation with my wife Heather (herself a fine cellist), she shared a recent blog post of frequent OSO guest artist Alban Gerhardt, in which he bemoaned the lack of commercial success of a colleague who, he felt, was neglected because she was not an overly physically active performer. It’s an interesting observation, and it leads to a debate that has raged over much of the past two centuries over whether the role of the performer is to be of service to the music or that the music is a vehicle for their overt self-expression.
Compare the two cellists featured in the following videos:
I find just the use of the camera compelling. In the first video, there is a fixed camera position – you see the totality of the performance. There is little extraneous movement or facial expression – just the music being played. In the second video, it’s a handheld camera. Where’s the focus? Not on the music – it’s all about the facial expressions. What do they tell me about the music? Not much, except that Bach is profound. But didn’t I know that already?
Here’s another example:
Old school, for sure – but it’s all about the music – and what music is being made here! Extraordinary expression, precision and virtuosity – with nothing extraneous.
Performing this week with Pinchas Zukerman has reinforced my admiration for those performers who just stand (or sit) and deliver the goods without mugging for the audience. It’s all about the music, and though live musical performance is also a visual experience, it need not be advanced to the stage of silent movie acting.
8 replies on “emoting vs. emotion”
Amen! Also, some performers seem *always* to be moved by what they’re playing. At particular moments I can see it, but to do it always seems phony to me.
not sure you wanna share this post with lang-langerace!
Regarding the cellists, I don’t think the effect is all the fault of Ms. Weilerstein. It has to be shared with the videographer whose frequent shifting of view is quite distracting.
I think that if she were less overtly expressive with her face, the videographer may have chosen to limit his point of view. Photographers and videographers focus on where they think the public is going to want to look.
Interesting post, Charles. I think Zukerman’s bearing may have played a role in the Oregonian’s lukewarm review of Saturday’s performances, which focused on his allegedly detached style. I admired most everything about the performances but avoiding a lot of self expression can be risky for a performer. I must confess that there are times when my evaluation of a performance is affected to some degree by the visible evidence that a performer is fully engaged with the music. I like a happy medium, with a reasonable but not excessive amount of self expression. Too little physical activity can make the performer seem mechanical and disengaged. I thought Osbourne had an appropriate bearing at the piano during the Britten concerto. Nadia Salerno Sonnenberg can go a bit too far for me. Even Yo Yo Ma could be criticized for his style of playing the cello. It seems to me that I observed quite a bit of anguish as played the Shostakovich cello concerto a while back. I thought Alban Gerhardt let the music speak for itself without drawing excessive attention to himself. I would be interested in the thoughts of others.
Great post. I’m no pro but I find it hard to believe that being moved by a piece of music necessarily has to manifest itself in dramatic facial expressions, which can actually be rather distracting. I know which of the first two performances I prefer watching…
Great post Charles. I would just note that that clip didn’t reflect the entirety of Feuermann’s stage presence according to those who saw him live. When he played for the camera he was instructed to sit still, take off his glasses and stare at the camera. His live performances, we are told, were certainly not full of swaying and mugging, but also not quite as ‘deer in the headlights’ stiff as this film reflects.
That’s some fascinating information – thanks! Feuermann was an animal, though, regardless!