'The Perfection of Talent': The Cello as Chordal Accompanist in Simple Recitative, 1750 - 1850.

这个项目将重新评估大提琴手在十八世纪简单宣叙调中的作用（现在被轻蔑地称为“塞科”）。目前，无论是听现代或时期的乐器，我们习惯于一个“一刀切”的方法，磨练到一个经济的完美，键盘重复教独奏家宣叙调，并在这样做，学会陪伴他们准确和不显眼。大提琴手可能会在后期的排练中加入，这已经成为古典宣叙调的规范，但仍然被认为是一种不必要的奢侈。这种态度导致了大提琴演奏者的演奏，如果他演奏的话，他演奏得含糊不清，“安全”，没有增加任何影响和表达的话。历史现实赋予了大提琴家更大的作用，正如几篇大提琴论文所证明的那样，这些论文指导如何“实现”（和声）低音，以便为歌手提供最大的帮助。有时，大提琴教师指导如何与键盘手一起和声，但从其他论文和欧洲音乐中心的作家那里也可以清楚地看到，在歌剧中根本没有键盘。此外，古典时期最著名的大提琴演奏家罗伯特·林德利（Robert Lindley）被认为是与低音提琴演奏家多梅尼科·德拉戈内蒂（Domenico Dragonetti）合作的一半。我从来没有参加过或听过任何古典歌剧的演出，其中低音提琴被用于宣叙调，尽管音乐学早已接受低音提琴作为古典通奏组曲的正常组成部分。目前的实践使宣叙调流畅，但干燥，更糟糕的是，缺乏和谐的清晰度。一些大提琴手开始探索我们的伴奏角色，但由于缺乏时间进行广泛的研究和实验，我们的努力受到了阻碍。大提琴家们除了“跟着沿着"大键琴之外，几乎没有其他的演奏记录。有些大提琴家因为没有同事的配合，或者因为录制的声音把观众带离歌剧院太远，以至于不可能在音乐家之间实现任何现实的平衡。为了解决这个问题，我将研究历史上的大提琴演奏实践，对于声音和键盘，以及十八和十九世纪的理论家和评论家的工作。与此同时，我将成为流利的许多不同风格的大提琴伴奏，因为我可以找到证据，把我的新技能和研究到我的工作与键盘手，贝司手和歌手，以实验不同的乐器和技术的组合。将这些实验成果转移到舞台上的计划已经在古典歌剧公司的艺术总监和通拉诺同事的帮助下形成，该公司是一个专门从事古典歌剧历史乐器表演的独特团体。作为该集团的首席大提琴手，我有机会以其他大提琴手无法做到的方式将我的研究带到舞台上，因为他们受到客座导演和通奏同事之间利益冲突的约束，并且受到时间限制。此外，作为古音乐学院和早期歌剧团的首席大提琴手，以及启蒙时代管弦乐团的定期客座首席，我将在其他几个乐团的节目允许的情况下，将这些经验带到我的工作中。我将通过两种方式与其他通奏乐器演奏家和大提琴家分享我的经验。首先，我将在音乐学院、大学和暑期住宿班（从南安普顿大学、皇家威尔士音乐与戏剧学院和达廷顿国际暑期学校开始）的大提琴课堂上做示范演讲，其次，我将在歌剧院指导连续奏练习（从英国国家歌剧院开始，那里的新音乐总监爱德华·加德纳已经邀请我指导连续奏组）。

This project will reappraise the role of the cellist in eighteenth-century simple recitative (now pejoratively termed 'secco'). Currently, whether hearing modern or period instruments, we are used to a 'one size fits all' approach, honed to an economical perfection whereby keyboard repetiteur teaches recitative to soloists and, in doing so, learns to accompany them precisely and unobtrusively. A cellist may be added at later stage rehearsals, as has become the norm for classical recitative, but is still considered an inessential luxury. This attitude has led to performances in which the cellist, if he plays at all, plays inarticulately and 'safely', adding nothing to the affect and expression of the words. The historical reality gave a far greater role to cellists, as testified by several cello treatises which instruct in how to 'realise' (harmonise) the bass so as to provide most help to the singer. Sometimes cello pedagogues instructed how to harmonise in conjunction with keyboardists, but it is also clear from other treatises and from writers touring European music centres that there were times and places where there was simply no keyboard in the opera at all. Further, the most famous cello accompanist of the classical period, Robert Lindley, was known as half of a partnership with the double bass player Domenico Dragonetti. I have never yet taken part in, or heard, a performance of any classical opera in which the double bass is used in recitative, and this despite the fact that musicology has long since accepted the double bass as a normal part of the classical continuo group. Current practice renders recitatives fluent but dry and, worse, lacking harmonic clarity. Some cellists are beginning to explore our accompanying roles, but our efforts are hampered by lack of time for wide-ranging research and experimentation. Recorded examples of cellists doing any more than 'play along' with the harpsichord are few, and those that there are suffer because the cellist's role is not complemented by his colleagues, or because the recorded sound takes the audience so far from the opera house as to make any attempt at realistic balance between the musicians impossible.In order to resolve this, I will research historical practices using treatises for cello, for voice and for keyboard, as well as the work of eighteenth and nineteenth-century theorists and reviewers. At the same time, I will become fluent in as many different styles of cello accompaniment as I can find evidence for, bringing my new skills and research into my work with keyboardists, bassists and singers to experiment with different combinations of instruments and techniques. Plans to transfer the results of these experiments to the stage are already taking shape with the artistic director and continuo colleagues of The Classical Opera Company, a unique group specialising in the performance of classical opera on historical instruments. As principal cellist with the group I have the opportunity to take my research to the stage in a way that other cellists cannot, as they are bound by the conflicting interests of guest directors and continuo colleagues, and by time constraints. Further, as principal cellist with the Academy of Ancient Music, The Early Opera Company and a regular guest principal with The Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment, I will bring this experience to my work with several other orchestras when their programmes allow.I will share my experience with other continuo players and cellists in two ways. Firstly, I will give lecture demonstrations to cello classes at music colleges, universities and residential summer courses (starting at Southampton University, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Dartington International Summer School), and secondly I will coach continuo practice at opera houses (starting at English National Opera, where theinvitation to coach the continuo group has already come from new musical director Edward Gardner).