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UtoPiaWilliams (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
I love Yvonne Kenny's version of the Facade. Those who don't believe it should ever be sung, should give it a listen. William Walton knew what he was doing - remember that he collaborated closely with Edith Sitwell. It's no mistake that what becomes the vocal line in this piece was there all along - even when someone was initially reciting over it. He obviously meant it to be sung at some point. I am performing the cycle in recital this fall. I believe all three to be wonderful pieces of music.
UtoPiaWilliams (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
LadyFuchsia,
I totally agree on all your points. Those who are claiming this should only ever be recited are clearly mistaken and obviously being misled by this particular performance. It is clear that the instrumentation and arrangement of THIS version cry out for recitation, NOT a soprano voice. It sounds as though she can't find pitch in some areas due to the bouncing tessitura which, btw, is not to be found in such an exaggerated way in the piano/soprano version (which is awesome!)
ladyfuchsia (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Finally, this band did a fantastic job of performing this band arrangement of Walton's, and I only wish that it had been
recited so that the band could truly shine. Deathstix, your performance was great.
Your soprano's, however, was not. It really should have been recited, as it was intended. The solo song should never be confused with the band arrangement. They're two very separate pieces.
ladyfuchsia (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
The solo version of the song can be found in a 1932 arrangement called "Three Songs from Facade". It has been recorded by numerous fantastic sopranos, including Yvonne Kenny (the best version, by far), Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and Felicity Lott.
I have to say that, personally, listening to this lady "singing" along to the band arrangement is fascinating, but fascinatingly bad. The band arrangement was never intended to be sung. Or if it was, and I don't know that version yet... Not like that! ;-)
ladyfuchsia (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Walton set "Facade" in a variety of ways, with a number of revisions. This particular arrangement for band should be performed by a reciter, not sung. The band illustrates the music, and the reciter illustrates the poetry. So this performance here is just... interesting. Walton did, however, set "Foxtrot" as a solo song for soprano and piano, renamed "Old Sir Faulk", which works brilliantly. Unfortunately there aren't any good versions on YouTube for you listen to... but trust me. It's awesome.
VladtheEmailer (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
That's all well and good, but I have to agree with GMC1985GMC. I think these sung versions of Facade are absolutely horrible, especially when sung with this style of classical singing. It ruins the music and the character of the words. Thanks for posting though, it was interesting to hear them.
VladtheEmailer (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
I think that these vocal arrangements of Facade, especially with this style of singing, absolutely do not sound good! I believe that they destroy the essence of the words and the music. They were never intended to be sung. The performers are excellent, but that doesn't matter. They were intended to be recited. I also disagree with the Edith Sitwell description of her stagefright. That was not the reason she was behind a screen. It was part of the "facade!"
losttango (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Edith Sitwell's original performance was indeed spoken as I understand it, in her flat in Moscow Road W2. She had such crippling stage-fright she recited the poems from behind a screen, through a megaphone. I've always wanted to see a recreation of that performance. A shame this isn't it. But the main problem here is the sound quality on the clip, I think, renders the whole thing a bit of a mess.
Morged (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
The recitation of poetry is very musical in itself. There are nuances, lifts and falls created by rhythms in the lines, pauses, the speed of some words and the spread of others; harmonies created by sounds and rhymes, and discords too. I think what gmc1985gmc was trying to say was that the poems just sound better recited. Some stuff isn't improved by being set to music, and just because it's tough exam material doesn't mean it's more of an artistic triumph than the original.
lordcello (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
The music is great not much for the voice it is a scramble but i think it is awesome!! |
