Singing madness: three performative analyses of the “mad scene” from Lucia di Lammermoor
- Authors: Le Kay, Jo-Nette
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Mental illness in music , Bel canto , Donizetti, Gaetano, 1797-1848. Lucia di Lammermoor. Dolce suono , Coloratura soprano , Embellishment (Vocal music) , Performativity
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425377 , vital:72234
- Description: This study describes three internationally recognised sopranos and their presentations of character psychology on stage, during their performances of the famous “mad scene” from Gaetano Donizetti’s opera Lucia di Lammermoor. These sopranos are Joan Sutherland, Mariella Devia, and Lisette Oropesa. I use Margaret Kartomi’s (2014) model of performativity to interpret the “madness” depicted by the three selected sopranos, as based on my interpretations of commercially released audio-visual recordings of their performances in the role of Lucia. Through analysing these performances with the help of Kartomi’s performativity model (which focuses on persona, emotion-and intersubjectivity, and reception), my research determines – with speculative interpretation, and within the reasonable limits of standard psychiatric frameworks – which mental illnesses the sopranos can be understood to have portrayed in their interpretations of the role of Lucia. The study’s goal is not to make an accurate mental health diagnosis of someone’s portrayal of a fictional character. (Considering the fact that one cannot make accurate mental health diagnoses for people who do not exist.) Rather, my focus is to discover which dramatic and possibly musical characteristics are utilised to perform this fictional character and give expressive content to her “madness”. The concept of “madness” and its psychological characterisation during performance thus becomes the framework from which to interpret and understand vocal and acting techniques related to opera in general and to bel canto more specifically. My research findings are that the three performers use facial expressions, different aspects of using the voice through bel canto singing, and body movements as a way of expression. Bel canto characteristics include coloratura embellishments, fioritura, melismas, messa di voce, squillo and chiaroscuro. The sopranos also show musical and dramatic elements in how they respond to the flute or glass harmonica during the ‘Mad Scene’ – which counts as the personae expressed by the performers. These personae are further applied in the emotional and intersubjectivity and the reception aspects of Kartomi’s performativity model. In the emotional and intersubjectivity aspect, the chorus and other characters singing on stage are read as emphasising the reaction of society on the mentally dysfunctional behaviour enacted by the sopranos. In the reception aspect, reviewers are used to filling in for audience members. I read their reactions as contributing factors in forming an understanding of the interpretations of the “mad scene” performed by the three sopranos. My reading of the three interpretations of the “mad scene” goes further by subjectively interpreting how these sopranos approximate different states of mental collapse. These readings include approximations of psychosis such as mania, dissociative personality disorder, and paranoid schizophrenic behaviour. Always, though, these mental health behaviours are identified as approximations to better understand vocal and acting techniques. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Authors: Le Kay, Jo-Nette
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Mental illness in music , Bel canto , Donizetti, Gaetano, 1797-1848. Lucia di Lammermoor. Dolce suono , Coloratura soprano , Embellishment (Vocal music) , Performativity
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425377 , vital:72234
- Description: This study describes three internationally recognised sopranos and their presentations of character psychology on stage, during their performances of the famous “mad scene” from Gaetano Donizetti’s opera Lucia di Lammermoor. These sopranos are Joan Sutherland, Mariella Devia, and Lisette Oropesa. I use Margaret Kartomi’s (2014) model of performativity to interpret the “madness” depicted by the three selected sopranos, as based on my interpretations of commercially released audio-visual recordings of their performances in the role of Lucia. Through analysing these performances with the help of Kartomi’s performativity model (which focuses on persona, emotion-and intersubjectivity, and reception), my research determines – with speculative interpretation, and within the reasonable limits of standard psychiatric frameworks – which mental illnesses the sopranos can be understood to have portrayed in their interpretations of the role of Lucia. The study’s goal is not to make an accurate mental health diagnosis of someone’s portrayal of a fictional character. (Considering the fact that one cannot make accurate mental health diagnoses for people who do not exist.) Rather, my focus is to discover which dramatic and possibly musical characteristics are utilised to perform this fictional character and give expressive content to her “madness”. The concept of “madness” and its psychological characterisation during performance thus becomes the framework from which to interpret and understand vocal and acting techniques related to opera in general and to bel canto more specifically. My research findings are that the three performers use facial expressions, different aspects of using the voice through bel canto singing, and body movements as a way of expression. Bel canto characteristics include coloratura embellishments, fioritura, melismas, messa di voce, squillo and chiaroscuro. The sopranos also show musical and dramatic elements in how they respond to the flute or glass harmonica during the ‘Mad Scene’ – which counts as the personae expressed by the performers. These personae are further applied in the emotional and intersubjectivity and the reception aspects of Kartomi’s performativity model. In the emotional and intersubjectivity aspect, the chorus and other characters singing on stage are read as emphasising the reaction of society on the mentally dysfunctional behaviour enacted by the sopranos. In the reception aspect, reviewers are used to filling in for audience members. I read their reactions as contributing factors in forming an understanding of the interpretations of the “mad scene” performed by the three sopranos. My reading of the three interpretations of the “mad scene” goes further by subjectively interpreting how these sopranos approximate different states of mental collapse. These readings include approximations of psychosis such as mania, dissociative personality disorder, and paranoid schizophrenic behaviour. Always, though, these mental health behaviours are identified as approximations to better understand vocal and acting techniques. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2023
- Full Text:
Composition portfolio
- Authors: Lemmer, Elizabeth Kate
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Composition (Music) , Music South Africa , COVID-19 (Disease) and the arts , Emotions in music , Violin music Scores , String quartets Scores , Chamber music Scores
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text , sheet music
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232624 , vital:50008
- Description: In this portfolio I reflect on issues Covid-19 has brought to our communities and the possibilities of creating a brighter future. My music reflects the struggle that most people have faced in the last two years, the emotions and the conspiracies surrounding the experience, and the effect of solitude. In a time such as this it is almost inevitable that the music being composed is connected to the struggle in society at large. For ma composition is a journal of the heart. The pandemic has created a situation where most are out of touch with each other, have lost all previous routine and structure, where relationships are broken due to lack of personal contact, and almost everyone has unwillingly (or unwittingly) been thrust into self-reflection. Every day sees a new struggle to squeeze in all those pre-pandemic ideals so that some normalcy can be obtained, but this is not a time to be looking back. It’s a time to understand what we are going through, build new joy and excitement for this different life and learn to live the best we can with the opportunities we are given. There has not been a more important time to foster some form of connection with friends and family, and to be as strong and supportive as possible. The portfolio begins with a solo violin piece, Unwelcome Solitude, which exemplifies the loneliness and sadness during the various lockdowns over the last two years, with hints of the past and the difficulties in trying to resurrect pre-Covid-19 times. There are some unusual expressive markings to add to the descriptive effect within the piece. This is followed by The Pandemic, two serialism works: Panic and Pain scored for a string quartet. Both of these pieces apply a flexible use of serialism to emphasize out the emotional aspects of the music, and quite simply; the panic and the pain caused by Covid-19 and the country’s response to the pandemic as a whole. Finally there is a three movement chamber piece titled A Storm Series which quite literally represents the series of events that occur from the upcoming to the closure of a typical Highveld storm. Further than this, these pieces represent the series of events that occurred in South Africa from the first rumour of the Covid-19 virus starting to circle around the world, through the various lockdowns and progression of events in our country and abroad. The final movement of this series, Re-awakening, ends on a positive note representing the rainbow at the end of the storm, and the positive outlook for South Africa to keep persevering through the pandemic. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Authors: Lemmer, Elizabeth Kate
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Composition (Music) , Music South Africa , COVID-19 (Disease) and the arts , Emotions in music , Violin music Scores , String quartets Scores , Chamber music Scores
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text , sheet music
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232624 , vital:50008
- Description: In this portfolio I reflect on issues Covid-19 has brought to our communities and the possibilities of creating a brighter future. My music reflects the struggle that most people have faced in the last two years, the emotions and the conspiracies surrounding the experience, and the effect of solitude. In a time such as this it is almost inevitable that the music being composed is connected to the struggle in society at large. For ma composition is a journal of the heart. The pandemic has created a situation where most are out of touch with each other, have lost all previous routine and structure, where relationships are broken due to lack of personal contact, and almost everyone has unwillingly (or unwittingly) been thrust into self-reflection. Every day sees a new struggle to squeeze in all those pre-pandemic ideals so that some normalcy can be obtained, but this is not a time to be looking back. It’s a time to understand what we are going through, build new joy and excitement for this different life and learn to live the best we can with the opportunities we are given. There has not been a more important time to foster some form of connection with friends and family, and to be as strong and supportive as possible. The portfolio begins with a solo violin piece, Unwelcome Solitude, which exemplifies the loneliness and sadness during the various lockdowns over the last two years, with hints of the past and the difficulties in trying to resurrect pre-Covid-19 times. There are some unusual expressive markings to add to the descriptive effect within the piece. This is followed by The Pandemic, two serialism works: Panic and Pain scored for a string quartet. Both of these pieces apply a flexible use of serialism to emphasize out the emotional aspects of the music, and quite simply; the panic and the pain caused by Covid-19 and the country’s response to the pandemic as a whole. Finally there is a three movement chamber piece titled A Storm Series which quite literally represents the series of events that occur from the upcoming to the closure of a typical Highveld storm. Further than this, these pieces represent the series of events that occurred in South Africa from the first rumour of the Covid-19 virus starting to circle around the world, through the various lockdowns and progression of events in our country and abroad. The final movement of this series, Re-awakening, ends on a positive note representing the rainbow at the end of the storm, and the positive outlook for South Africa to keep persevering through the pandemic. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2022
- Full Text:
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