Interpretation in Song

"This last one is a really a classic of the singing world, and it’s not about opera in particular. It was written in 1912 and for the next 70 odd years it was absolutely required reading for any singer. And there’s never been a book like it – no other book that has ever got anywhere near to being as good as this one. He says some very interesting things, such as: “Interpretation is essentially individual, individuality is a singer’s greatest asset. Every song in the world is his property to do as he likes with, and that’s his great responsibility.” People have forgotten that particular point of view. Since the record player and the CD have become available, singers have tended to listen too much to other singers, and, in the process, lose their individuality. In my view, this book really ought to be revived, and every singer read it very, very thoroughly. He can seem a bit pompous and pretentious from time to time, but what he says is absolute gold dust. He also uses quite a number of examples; he takes some well-known Schubert and Brahms songs to pieces, with incredible detail, and it’s that attention to detail that is so fascinating and so important. It’s very easy to think that singing is just about singing; but it’s not. The essence of singing is paying a great deal of attention to the tiny detail; and that’s what this book has to offer. Like finding a moment to take a little bit of an extra long breath, which has the effect of emphasizing what comes next, or drawing attention to what has just passed, or anticipating a conclusion, where to put little bits of emphasis, how to pick out the odd word in a particular way."