I am that girl. Odds are, if I see a revival of a musical I will know most of – if not all of – the songs.
Sitting at West Side Story last night, I not only knew every lyric, but could hum all the musical interludes as well. (My beatbox-esque execution of “Mambo” while waiting for a cab after the performance was especially inspiring.) And since the West Side Story choreography CAN NEVER BE CHANGED thus trapping us in the late-1950s until the end of the known universe, I generally know the dance numbers as well.
Assuming Joe the Audience Member isn’t familiar with West Side Story to these embarrassing extremes, chances are he would be generally aware of various aspects of the musical anyway: it’s based on Romeo and Juliet, it’s about warring gangs, it takes place in New York City, the choreography involves snapping, and somehow, someday everyone has heard “Somewhere”, somewhere. And probably “Maria”, “I Feel Pretty” and “America” to boot.
Does knowing a work either intimately or remotely make for a more or less enjoyable performance experience than not knowing it at all? Or will we simply like what we’ll like, whether or not we’re already familiar with it?
My mom and I saw Rent in previews the day the original cast album was released. Consequently, we had not heard any of the music going in (we didn’t have internet at home at that point), though of course we knew the plot (La Boheme) and recognized strands of Roger’s one great song (“that doesn’t remind us of Musetta’s Waltz”) within the first 5 minutes of the show. I also saw Spring Awakening in previews, though thanks to the excellent A/V content on the show’s website had listened to a few of the songs and watched the “Bitch of Living” video. [As an aside, that album was the last physical CD I ever bought. I pre-ordered it on Amazon after seeing the show.] Spring Awakening is based on a play by the same name by Frank Wedekind which I had neither seen nor read before going to the musical version, but presumably one could have in addition to seeing/hearing the streaming web content. Those are two of my favorite musicals to this day, and I went in almost-cold.
[title of show] was the last musical I went into knowing not one note of the music. It was the same with Curtains before that. Both albums were available before I saw the shows, I just didn’t buy them, for no reasons in particular. Would I have enjoyed either show more if I knew the music? I loved [title of show], so bought the album a soon as I got home to my computer, and I was “meh” on Curtains, so never bought it.
But when a song comes on at a bar and you know it, the familiarity gives you a small buzz. Same with live performances by artists of any genre; you can’t not smile when a song you’ve heard and like begins from the stage. There is no doubt in my mind that the audience will be energized when the song “9 to 5” is performed in the musical 9 to 5. The role of Emile de Becque in South Pacific is nearly impossible to play because the actor in that part has to sell the most famous – if not the only universally-known – song in the entire work, “Some Enchanted Evening”, in the first scene of the musical. It’s all downhill from there familiar melody-wise.
And what if a song is so well-known as performed by one artist – Elaine Stritch singing “The Ladies Who Lunch” in Company, for example – that any other interpretation is doomed to disappoint? That was the miracle of Jennifer Hudson in the Dreamgirls movie; did not see it coming that someone could create a new touchstone version of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”. Even when bands play acoustic or solo shows and you think, “well that’s not what it sounds like”; is the thought, “and I like it better”, or are you too caught-up in it sounding different?
The two pieces I had heard before at the “downtown music” concert at Alice Tully on Tuesday were Julia Wolfe’s “Lick” and Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians”. Were those my two favorite performances of the evening because I had heard them before, or would they have been my favorites anyway? [David, yours was my third favorite I swear.] And if the answer is “because I had heard them before”, then what should presenters be doing to get the music that ticket holders are going to hear into their ears before the performance date?
this makes sense, as Aaron Copland said in “What to Listen for in Music” one of the desirable prerequisites for an enhanced appreciation of music (even at “first” hearing) is the possession of a musical memory. that way, one can follow the “discourse” and enjoy recurrence and variation. he was, and i am, referring to so-called classical music, but it probably holds true for most other genres too. we need repeated encounters with the same work for deeper enjoyment. the “consumer” model, of something made for just “once” is limited. works of lasting value, such as west side story, offer us new pleasure each time we renew our acquaintance . . . but i’m beginning to ramble . . .
Just had an experience related to this. The DVD of the movie “Yentl” was released finally last fall, and just bought it. I was doing housework while it was on, but was suddenly drawn to the screen when Copland’s music was playing. Perhaps just a measure, but it continued for awhile with me thinking, “Oh, don’t bring in a flute…ack, he did…” Come to think of it, same with some Copland-sounding places in “West Side Story” and some Stravinsky in other places. And don’t get me started on John Williams and Korngold. And Copland coped to being influenced by the soundtracks to the movie westerns.
Was just thinking this morning of a concert I attended with a composer friend, who happened to have the curse of perfect pitch. So while I was transported to the blissful gates of heaven, she was still wresting with the violinist’s of tune notes she heard at the beginning. It’s fun to share something you both enjoy, but what a bummer to have your friend in an angry mood. Wow, end of discussion…let’s forget we even went. Make my day… 🙁
from another point of the musical compass, this is a sort of conversation which also occurs often in folk music.