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 more worthy than the other; they both form part of a balanced musical diet. However, there is generally an overemphasis on normative music-making among orchestral musicians.

The pragmatism and normative music-making of the American orchestra have honest roots. When we’re required to put on multiple concerts a month on no more than 4 rehearsals each, focusing on putting out fires is sometimes the only way to make it happen. Dearth of musical imagination is a logical outcome of the economics of running an orchestra in a culture where music is treated as a commodity instead of as a defining feature of humanity, and where artists are forced to live on the brink. Perfectionism is an evolutionarily favorable trait in this musical ecosystem – if you can play sufficiently close to “perfect”, you’re more likely to survive as a musician long enough to teach the next generation of young musicians. When positive and normative music-making are out of balance in this way, disaster ensues, and the art suffers. Many musicians on stage are preoccupied with bare execution of the ink on the page, and there is little attention given to the performative relationship between musician and audience. Another outcome is overreliance on automatic behaviors. This leads to flat, lifeless performances, as mentioned in the Watson. Any positive action or extra-daily techniques undertaken are on an individual basis in between rehearsing the ink, instead of informing the operation of the orchestra at large.

            In dance (or at least the modern Duncan-esque dance we studied in this course), ensemble work has a strikingly different tenor. The premium placed on inside-out expression in this dance tradition gives rise to more positive creative experiences, in the sense elaborated above. Classical musicians are rarely if ever asked to compose or improvise, especially not in large ensemble situations, whereas improvisation is a cornerstone of the Odin’s creative process. Though some of the same musical problems still exist, chamber music is closer to this experience. In a smaller ensemble setting, each performer can exert a greater influence on the performative product the group is working towards. There is more latitude to propose ways for the group to embody the music, or manipulations to the flow to better affect the audience.

            The physical training described by Watson is utterly alien to the majority of ensemble work I’ve experienced in my musical career. The idea of an orchestra spending time simultaneously and individually exploring expressive possibilities and extra-daily techniques, despite how much good it would probably do, has as much realism to me as the idea of Miami freezing over. Barba’s emphasis on creative process is antithetical to the outcome-oriented attitude of the average orchestra. Likewise, Grotowski’s performer-centric ethos in which the introspective work of the actor is central to theater as an art form is antithetical to the prevalent idea in classical music that the musician is merely a channeling vessel for the genius of the composer. In the same way that Barba’s research into nonwestern theatrical forms revolutionized the Odin, musicians stand to benefit from exposure to theatrical and dance concepts.