BOLCOM, William
Cabaret Songs (A. Weinstein) for medium voice and piano
Song of Black Max
Helen Donath, guest professor
Laia Falcón, student
Madalit Lamazares, accompanying pianist
After the performance, Professor Donath reviews the text with the student. They recite it together to improve her pronunciation in English, also seeking the most appropriate phrasing for the text based on the music. The student should support these words from below, not from the throat but from below the chest, without losing breath. This song requires precision in the lyrics, saying them very clearly, making sure they are understood, and changing the intonation depending on each moment (she gives the example of “West Side Story” by L. Bernstein).
The professor insists that the voice should not be pushed; it should be aided by breathing so that it comes out easily, starting from the spoken recitation and adding the notes. This piece is cabaret, it is a very particular style and has to be sung much more closed than in the lied or opera. The use of air is very important.
Helen Donath points out which words should be highlighted more depending on what is being said, such as “Black”. The multiple changes of color and dramatization are also important: possibility of pronouncing each of the times “Black Max” is said differently, gesture of taking off the hat when the song mentions it, more clipped articulation in more joking or jazzy moments, sobs or moments of pain when the text requires it, broad smile with the word “smile”, etc. It has multiple possibilities, she can sing it as she feels it in each moment, but the important thing is to never lose breath and tell the story so that the public understands it well and connects with those emotions.
In addition, as she sings the song, Donath corrects the pronunciation and placement of the voice (and of the tongue), especially in certain vowels. Regarding the dramatization, the professor emphasizes saying each word differently “artists, charlatans, vaudevillians, men of mathematics, acrobatics”… to describe them according to their connotation.
Language: English
