If you have nothing to say, why speak?
If you have nothing to express, why sing?
If you are empty of content will your art reflect your interior?
Garcia has his opinion about the above questions and the arguments that they may generate in modern think tanks.
The pathetic accent is the expression added to the melody. “The great law of the arts,” Mr. Cousin has said, “is expression; every work of art which does not express an idea, means nothing.” Garcia Part 2 Page 138
His thoughts on the matter he further supports with the rest of the paragraph which follows:
The artist would seek vainly to have an effect on the souls of his listeners, if he did not appear himself to be vitally affected by the emotion which he would communicate to others; for it is especially through sympathy that the emotions are transmitted. One understands then that the artist produces on us only the emotions analogous to those which he feels himself; consequently there results for him the obligation to enliven, and to elevate his thoughts. Garcia Part 2 Page 138
Although I hate to quibble about words, I have to point out that there were think tank members theorizing in Garcia’s day about SYMPATHY. I am not a believer in these theories any more than Garcia proves himself to be if his practical advice is allowed to testify strongly. I’m most interested in what we can imagine would be the sonic results of anyone following Garcia’s advice.
“The singer, in order to familiarize himself with the accents of the emotion and prepare himself to apply them authoritatively, should perfect his own sensitivity and analyze his feelings. He will begin by abandoning himself to the impressions to which each interesting subject gives rise; then he will submit them to an attentive examination, in order to learn to use them appropriately and with restraint [avea mesure].” Garcia Part 2 Page 139
1. THE EMOTIONS AND THE FEELINGS
Garcia gives a lot of detail for several programs that he recommends as profitable for bringing feelings and emotions into the performance of a singer. This is my condensed list that I pull out of his text: Click Here!
2. THE ANALYSIS
You have now crossed the Rubicon. This is a big list and a big change of direction. Garcia is even going to tell us to use noises he has up to this point excluded from consideration, and now we get the whole truth. Almost anything goes if it gets the interpretive job done.
