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Why the Araia "Kennst du das land" has come to mean so much to me.
Artists often record pieces without appraising listeners of what a song may mean to them. This oversight usually occurs because of production demands that preclude verbal descriptions of what a given song may mean to an artist. Producing a polished CD or video is considerable, and producers are reluctant to spend their precious dollars on verbal tributes that can be made by recording artists during a concert. Once in the studio, artists are expected to record their music as quickly and efficiently. Reminiscing about the composition of a particular song is discouraged. Fortunately, the recording of this specific song did require the use of an expensive recording studio. When I recorded the piece, I had no neurotic producer hanging over my shoulder. I am therefore free to reflect on what the relatively unknown aria "kennst du das land." Those unfamiliar with opera are unlikely to recognize the piece. I first became familiar with the Aria after attending a performance of "Little Woman." An original operatic work, the production allowed me to hear a breath-taking musical score and the Aria "Kennst du das Land". I became determined to master the Aria in question. My years of training had provided me with the technical tools needed to sing a variety of styles, but I had always reframed from singing pieces written in German. The sheer beauty of the piece overwhelmed my reservation and set to work on it with passion and zeal. The experience has been transformative, allowing me to connect with a part of my German heritage that had always felt peripheral. Having to master German required that I steep myself in a language that members of the Hurst family line had practiced for generations. Learning "Kennst du das land" became a transformative experience, allowing me to reintegrate a disowned aspect of my family heritage. I am not the first, or only, singer to have had such an experience. Singing is an inherently personal process. Few performers become successful by relying solely upon their technical prowess. Acclaim rarely occurs unless a performer has found a way to merge technique and emotional resonance. For this singer at least, mastering the complexities of the Aria Kennst du das land became an example of such a process. It is why this previously unfamiliar piece now feels profoundly connected to my body and soul.
By frederick Hurst6 years ago in Beat
Barbershop Music
"No, I can't do it, I can't sing." That is a phrase that irks me every time. Every. Single. Time. In reality, there is a small percentage that actually can't sing, and it's usually due to physical damage. That part of the population I'll exclude from this.
By Armando Villa-Ignacio6 years ago in Beat
My Own Piano Man
I used to live in this apartment with these huge floor-to-ceiling windows, so I could see everyone on the street, and the building across the street, and best of all I had a perfect view of the horizon. At night I used to pull up a chair right up to the cold pane so my knees just brushed the glass. I’d pull out the book Frankenstein and turn off all the lights, so that I could read my book to the light of the sunset. I used to think of it as a ritual, a lullaby for me, and for the sun. I always enjoyed the experience of reading during the sunset, and that I had these moments to myself and nobody could take them from me.
By Lake Starr7 years ago in Beat
