Last night I went to the opera with my boyfriend. We saw one of my favourites, a production of Puccini's beautiful and heartwrenching 'Tosca', and we had a wonderful night! I have seen this opera a couple of times before in Covent Garden, London, and if I was to don my critical musician's hat and compare last night's production in little old Hannover with the Covent Garden production, of course, Hannover didn't really come close. However, watching the opera with my boyfriend - not a musician and it being his first ever opera - was such a nice and fun experience, that it really got me thinking about the pros of NOT being an expert.
In the past I have always attended performances and concerts with my musician friends; it makes sense as it is somthing we all love to do and have a huge interest in. I have become so used to coming out of the concert hall and discussing the performance we have just seen in absolute detail - disecting each note, movement, idea that was proposed by the performer. Maybe there is good in this; for music students to discuss music and musicians in this way CAN be very insightful... even if it does instigate a few passionate arguments!
But coming out of the opera last night, my boyfriend told me about the things that had surprised him about it, the things he didn't expect and found fascinating. He made some comments about the singers and the theatre of the production that, perhaps, might have been overlooked by a really critical eye. Moreover, I got such enjoyment from his enjoyment of the whole experience - especially as it was his first time to the opera. Everything from getting dressed up, people watching the other audience members, clapping for the conductor and soloists... it was all new and amazing, and I sort of feel that it's a shame that these feelings should get lost for professionals who are totally used to it.
I think of other career fields as well and how it might be the same. I know I find watching dancers absolutely incredible, or that I enjoy reading some particular books or watching some movies, but would the experts in those professions not get the same joy as I do from those things? Would they even look down at my choices as not being the 'real deal', in the same way that the 'Tosca' in Hannover didn't really match the Covent Garden 'Tosca'?
I would like to ask the question: does being an expert really matter, if you get so much joy from the thing itself anyway? When I talk to people who are not musicians but who love music, the emotions and happy feelings that music gives them radiates out of their faces, and I can honestly say that I don't often see that when talking to professional musicians about music!
So, today I am approaching my practice on Tchaikovsky as a non-expert, and I will see what that brings me. I don't want to forget about the important technical things - I know what I have to do with my vibrato, shifting, bow speed etc etc. but I want to feel the joy of the music, not as a serious music student, but of someone who has a real and simple love of it. Music, just music.
Labels: Thoughts
