Reading in the Dark - A Performer's Encounter with Emily Dickinson and her American Musical Interpreters: (The 1st International HARP Conference, Royal Northern College of Music, UK)

    Research output: Contribution to conferenceOtherpeer-review

    Abstract

    At first glance it may appear that the lyric qualities of Emily Dickinson’s poetry are more amenable to musical treatment than the complex, and sometimes hidden, narratives which underpin her work. Whilst the rendition of singular states of feeling, is a hallmark of many of the musical interpretations of Dickinson’s work, many of the musical settings of her poetry and correspondence also track a complex relationship to the evolving narratives within the texts themselves. Settings which appear to diverge from the surface meaning of the texts often do so in an attempt to express deeper emotional and psychological dramas, dramas which are embedded at a layer of experience to which words may not provide adequate access. This body of research was born out of my desire, as a professional vocal accompanist and coach, to explore and promote the art of song preparation and performance as a viable means of expressing the veiled emotional contours rooted in Emily Dickinson’s poetry and letters. By means of live performance, analysis, and critical reflection this practice-led project investigates both the musical embodiment of these contours and the specifics of narrative development within selected musical examples. In particular it focuses on Dickinson’s assumption of the role of musician, composer and performer, the way in which the interaction between these ‘players’ in her drama of self is reflected and expressed in musical terms and how both composer, performer and, ultimately, audience are inspired to practise “reading in the dark”.
    Original languageEnglish
    Publication statusIn preparation - 29 Jun 2018
    EventHARP (Hub for Artistic Research in Performance): 1st International Conference on Artistic Research in Performance - Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, United Kingdom
    Duration: 28 Jun 201829 Jun 2018
    https://www.rncm.ac.uk/research/research-centres-rncm/harp/

    Conference

    ConferenceHARP (Hub for Artistic Research in Performance)
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    CityManchester
    Period28/06/1829/06/18
    Internet address

    Keywords

    • music
    • poetry
    • cultural theory
    • performance aesthetics

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Reading in the Dark - A Performer's Encounter with Emily Dickinson and her American Musical Interpreters: (The 1st International HARP Conference, Royal Northern College of Music, UK)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this