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

“才华的完美”：大提琴作为简单宣叙调中的和弦伴奏，1750 - 1850 年。

• 批准号: AH/G016003/1
• 负责人: Joseph Crouch
• 金额: $ 27.03万
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2009 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FG016003%2F1
• 关键词: Perfection; Talent; Cello; Chordal; Accompanist

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).

这个项目将重新评估大提琴演奏家在18世纪简单朗诵(现在被贬低地称为‘secco’)中的角色。目前，无论是听现代乐器还是听时代乐器，我们都习惯了一种‘一刀切’的方法，通过重复键盘教授独奏者背诵，并在这样做的过程中，学习准确而不引人注目地为他们伴奏，从而达到经济上的完美。大提琴演奏者可能会在后期的排练中加入，这已经成为古典朗诵的标准，但仍然被认为是一种不必要的奢侈品。这种态度导致了大提琴演奏者的表演，如果他真的演奏的话，演奏时口齿不清，而且“安全”，没有增加任何文字的影响和表达。历史现实赋予了大提琴演奏家更大的作用，几篇大提琴论文就证明了这一点，这些论文指导如何实现(和声)低音，从而为歌手提供最大的帮助。有时，大提琴教育家会指导如何与键盘手一起进行和声，但从其他论文和在欧洲音乐中心巡回演出的作家们也可以清楚地看到，在某些时候和地方，歌剧中根本没有键盘。此外，古典时期最著名的大提琴伴奏家罗伯特·林德利被认为是与低音提琴家多梅尼科·德拉戈内蒂合作的一半。我还从来没有参加过或听过任何古典歌剧的表演，其中在朗诵中使用低音提琴，尽管音乐学很早就接受低音提琴作为古典连续音组的正常部分。目前的做法使朗诵流畅但枯燥，更糟糕的是，缺乏和谐的清晰度。一些大提琴家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。大提琴演奏家和大键琴一起演奏的记录例子很少，而那些大提琴演奏家的例子很少，因为大提琴演奏者的角色没有得到他的同事的补充，或者因为录制的声音把观众带到离歌剧院太远的地方，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，我将使用大提琴、声音和键盘的论文以及18世纪和19世纪理论家和评论家的工作来研究历史实践。与此同时，我将尽可能流利地使用我能找到的各种不同风格的大提琴伴奏，将我的新技能和研究带入我与键盘手、贝斯手和歌手的工作中，尝试不同的乐器和技术组合。将这些实验的结果转移到舞台上的计划已经在与古典歌剧团的艺术总监和持续不断的同事们一起形成，古典歌剧团是一个专门用历史乐器表演古典歌剧的独特团体。作为乐队的首席大提琴演奏家，我有机会将我的研究带到舞台上，这是其他大提琴演奏家无法做到的，因为他们受到客座导演和连续演奏同事相互冲突的利益和时间限制的束缚。此外，作为古代音乐学院、早期歌剧团的首席大提琴演奏家和启蒙时代管弦乐团的定期客座首席，我会在其他几个乐团的节目允许的情况下，将这段经历带到我的工作中，我会通过两种方式与其他连续音演奏家和大提琴手分享我的经验。首先，我将在音乐学院、大学和暑期住宿课程(从南安普顿大学、皇家威尔士音乐与戏剧学院和达丁顿国际暑期学校开始)给大提琴课程做演讲演示，其次我将在歌剧院指导连续演奏(从英国国家歌剧院开始，那里的连续音乐组合的教练邀请已经来自新任音乐总监爱德华·加德纳)。