Opera and Theatre - Book Report/Review Example

The first part focuses on physical exercises designed to release tension. Clark champions movements such as yoga and t'ai chi that increase energy flow and prevent the singer from developing unnecessary tensions, and he emphasizes natural movements and connection to one's body. He also suggests that the performer focus on external representation of his or her emotions: rather than suggest that it is necessary for the singer to truly feel the expression that he or she is attempting to convey, he instead asserts that the singer should create a "controlled mask" that can be taken on and off at will, and that will eventually lead to genuine emotion (Clark 17).

The second part of the books opens with an extremely helpful glossary of stage terms that includes both common phrases such as "fourth-wall" and somewhat more obscure ones such as "practical" (Clark 43); the third part deals with performance issues, with the aim of preparing singers for various problems that can arise onstage. Again, the focus is on spontaneity and expressivity, with exercises such as "attitude cards" suggested for helping to bring a performance to life (Clark 85). Clark is clearly aiming for breadth rather than depth, and in that sense the book largely does what it sets out to accomplish.

It covers virtually every area of the lyric stage, from warm-ups to what to stage lighting, and gives an excellent overview of the entire process of creating an operatic production. Written in an easy, accessible style, Clark's explanations are simple without being simplistic, and they neither condescend to nor overwhelm the reader. In particular, the descriptions of exercises such as the "pendulum-swing" (Clark 6) come off as practical and easy to apply. On the flipside because the explanations are kept so short, there is little room for in-depth explanations or engaging narrative.

The history section, for example, provides only cursory explanations about behavior in certain time periods: the only information given about the medieval period, for example, is a brief explanation about social class and superstition (49). There is, incredibly enough, no mention of the church or how its influence would have impacted the lives of characters in operas such as Tristan und Isolde! In addition, the author fails to make distinctions between countries, instead lumping all of Europe into one mass.

For an American singer unfamiliar with European history or customs, this is a rather spectacular oversight. The author also neglects to mention some very basic European cultural norms that are often overlooked in American productions. It is extremely common to see women in American production greet each other with a single kiss on the cheek, when virtually any Europeans, regardless of era, would automatically kiss each other on both cheeks! Although Deer and Dal Vera's Acting in Musical Theatre also provides an overview of the process of bringing a character alive onstage, its focus is on American Musical Theater, and it therefore is less relevant to operatic performance.

In the section on paraphrasing a song, for example, Fantine's "I dreamed a dream" from Les Miserables is cited (Deer and Dal Vera 176) rather than "giunse alfin il momento", and pressing practical issues for opera singers, such as trying not to