Friday, April 16, 2004
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LEITMOTIF
Been reading Phil Goulding's A Ticket to the Opera in preparation for tomorrow night's COC performance of Wagner's Die Walküre. He offers up a number of tips on how Wagner neophytes might approach wrapping their heads around the mythology of Der Ring des Nibelungen. There are seven available options, including The Spineless Option [do nothing], The Easy Option [listen in advance but don't analyze], The Flawed Option [attend a performance or listen to a recording with no advance preparation], The Leitmotif Detective Option [study in advance the at least 140 leitmotifs present in the Ring], The Couch Option [try to figure out what Wagner 'is really saying'], and The Little Engine That Could Option [read, study, and listen until you think you get it, and then do it all over again, because it's likely that you don't really get it]. Of all of these, I think my approach, sadly, will be The Easy Option, though I will try to get in some studying in tonight. I think I can, I think I can...
Been reading Phil Goulding's A Ticket to the Opera in preparation for tomorrow night's COC performance of Wagner's Die Walküre. He offers up a number of tips on how Wagner neophytes might approach wrapping their heads around the mythology of Der Ring des Nibelungen. There are seven available options, including The Spineless Option [do nothing], The Easy Option [listen in advance but don't analyze], The Flawed Option [attend a performance or listen to a recording with no advance preparation], The Leitmotif Detective Option [study in advance the at least 140 leitmotifs present in the Ring], The Couch Option [try to figure out what Wagner 'is really saying'], and The Little Engine That Could Option [read, study, and listen until you think you get it, and then do it all over again, because it's likely that you don't really get it]. Of all of these, I think my approach, sadly, will be The Easy Option, though I will try to get in some studying in tonight. I think I can, I think I can...
Comments:
Post a Comment
