Extraordinary Reflections
A Strikingly Different Tenor Nicholas Fenley In general, there is very little discussion of performative action as it pertains to Watson’s “Eastern and Western Influences on Performer Training at Eugenio Barba’s Odin Teatret” in the world of the working orchestral musician. I’ve theorized from my experience in this field that there are two main approaches to preparing a performance which I call positive and normative, respectively. Positive music-making engages the imagination and the inner ear; it is when we ask ourselves “what COULD this music be?” Normative music-making involves pragmatic problem-solving, and attending to flaws in the music; it is when we ask ourselves “what is wrong or lacking here?” Large-ensemble work is largely normative: correcting mistakes, making minor adjustments here and there informed by the score, and minimizing the chance of things falling apart come performance time. It is worth noting that neither of these approaches are...