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Music Notes: Voices of Shekhina, Four Illuminations
By
David Amos
This is a
subject that has fascinated the listening public and terrorized some performers
ever since the first times that people had to face other people and sing, speak,
dance, or play an instrument. There have been countless books and articles
written on stage fright and how to combat it.
But,
just as it is with fear of flying, it affects some people and not others. And
there isn’t a clear-cut rule as to who is stricken with it and who is not.
One
can safely say that most performers have felt it at some phase of their lives.
Some become physically ill from it, some never adjust to it, and others have to
quit performing because of its overwhelming effect on their health.
But,
it would be incorrect to say that stage fright strikes only those who should not
be on a stage in the first place. Quite the contrary. Vladimir Horowitz, who has
been called by many “the greatest pianist of the 20th century,”
suffered from uncontrollable terror and hysteria in the early and middle part of
his triumphant career. His pre-concert antics and post-concert depressions were
legendary.
A private music teacher with whom I studied in my early years was for a long
time a member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, playing under Arturo Toscanini. He
told me that before Horowitz had to walk on stage to start his part of the
program, he had to be forcibly carried by two strong men to the entrance by the
curtain, screaming, begging and kicking, and practically tossed on stage, where
he composed himself and played some unforgettably beautiful recitals and
concerts.
This
can also be interpreted that Horowitz knew he had a reputation of excellence to
uphold, and was always anxious that he might disappoint his public.
Most
of us who have been “on the spot” are not affected so dramatically. But what
some may call “stage fright,” others may define as “the excitement and
desire to go in front of the public and get started.”
Naturally, extreme stage fright may cloud the mind, provoke memory slips, and
rob the player and the audience of what could be a much better performance. This
is why a teacher told me a long time ago that “in order to play the
performance at 100%, it is important during the practices to achieve 120%!”
I
used to have a bit of anxiety before a concert, but do not anymore. It has
evolved more into anticipation, and a desire to make the music happen. I
actually feel that I get better during concerts and recording sessions than
during practices, simply because I focus more intensely on what has to be
accomplished. It is a simple matter of concentrating on the task at hand in
order to make the most out of the music, and to give the other musicians, the
composer, the soloist, and the listening public the best possible
interpretation.
There is always that ultimate, terrible fear of blanking out, “getting
lost,” and due to tension, simply forgetting where you are in the music.
During the 1930s a famous violinist was performing a recital at Carnegie Hall,
his accompanist none other than Sergei Rachmaninoff. In the middle of a
movement, the violinist lost his place. In quiet panic, he turned to the pianist
and whispered, “Where are we?” to which Rachmaninoff simply answered,
“Carnegie Hall!”
It
is so much a matter of mindset, of having confidence in oneself. I remember a
pianist who was so nervous about her upcoming recital that she spent the two
weeks before the concert telling everyone she knew that “wait, and you will
see that I will have memory slips during my recital.” And for the two weeks
after the program, she told the same people, “I told you that I would have
memory slips during my recital.” Self fulfilling prophesies, as it is said.
Another
nameless pianist was so upset before his recital that he had one too many
alcoholic drinks, hopefully to calm himself down. He stepped on stage, faced the
public, and took his initial bow in response to the applause. He fell head first
into the orchestra pit!
* *
*
The
San Diego State University Opera Theatre will present a gala concert of operatic
arias from works spanning the breadth of operatic history — from some of the
earliest operas written to some of the most recent — plus selections from the
greatest and most beloved operas of all time, all sung in their original
language. Performances will be held on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday,
Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Smith Recital Hall in the Music Building on campus.
Tickets are $10 general admission and $5 for students and seniors.
Seventeen
young singers at various points in their musical training will be featured. They
range from students at the undergraduate level, to graduate level and artist
diploma candidates. For information call 619-594-2878 or 619-594- 6060. Parking
information is available at the website, www.music.sdsu.edu