A Voice of Inspiration
Mr. Cosmo recently emailed me a wonderful video and I thought would make for a good blog post, so I'm sharing it with all of you.
In his email to me he wrote "This is Franco Corelli, one of my favorite singers. I think he truly went right to the heart of the music." Corelli is performing "Addio alla madre" from Pietro Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana.
This was my first time hearing this opera and Corelli's performance, and I am truly happy to have encountered such wonderful music.
The first thing that struck me when I watched the video was how bold and passionate it was, yet so incredibly detailed, delicate, and full of expression. I was immediately drawn in by how Corelli’s performance had been carefully thought out down to the smallest element. He connected the emotion from the very end of each phrase to the next note without a hint of detachment from the role. This made me realize how thoroughly he understood the music, the lyrics, and the need to commit himself to all aspects of the performance.
I looked up the phrase Cavalleria Rusticana and learned that it means "rustic chivalry," and is a masterpiece of the kind of opera known as verismo or realism (from the Italian word vero, meaning ‘true’). It is characterized by the intense emotional expression that uses music to powerfully convey great intensity and emotion. Corelli truly captures this high level of passion and emotion in his singing, which makes this short video even more fascinating as a kind of study of interpretation.
As a pianist, one often looks only to works for the piano in order to gain inspiration. However, I learned a great deal from watching and listening to Corelli, and discovering the elements he put into his singing and acting to create this stirring and vibrant performance. It was also good for me to realize that different forms of art can help to create ideas that can work for other instruments, as well as other artistic forms like painting and sculpture. Artistry is everywhere. So is inspiration for our own work. All we need to do is to look and listen.
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