This sunday I am singing this tenor aria and this tenor alto duet from Bach’s Magnificat.
Part of my process when preparing a piece is to look to how other professionals interpret it. Ian Bostridge, the man in the video, happens to be the one I try to emulate most often as we both have similar lyric qualities. I’m curious to know how other singers prepare their pieces. Do you JUST look at the music and learn it? Or do you also listen to recordings and watch other performers as I so often do in my preparation? My only reservation about doing this is that I will inhibit myself from creating my own artistic expression of the piece. That I am, in effect, limiting my artistic potential in a way.
Is there a distinct line between copying another person and simply using them for inspiration and possibly technique? Furthermore, how much artistic license should a singer or any musical artist take when performing a piece? I believe intrepreting music in different ways should always be made. It is what keeps the art form alive and what makes every performance unique and interesting. But to what extent?
