Rusulka's 120th Premiere Anniversary this week

The opera Rusalka, written by Antonin Dvorak, is celebrating the 120th year anniversary of its world premiere, which took place on the 31st March 1901. So I thought I'd discuss the famous and most beautiful aria in it, namely, Song to the Moon, which is unusually written in 3/8 time. (Most arias are written in 3/4 or 2/4 time.) I wanted to record it because it was my Czech grandmother's favourite aria, so it has personal significance for me. 

Learning Song to the Moon:

I have been learning this aria for a few years now, refining my approach to it. At first, I was using the sheet music I bought in Prague. Later I found an original copy of the opera, including this aria for voice and orchestra, and compared the two in case any later editing had taken place in my modern copy. So, before even beginning to thoroughly learn an aria or song, I have to go back and find the original score. This can take time and is laborious. The changes can be small e.g. glissandos or major such as a key signature change. And, of course, the composer and lyricist/librettist must have died 70 years ago and, hopefully, the family or publisher has not extended the time limit beyond 70 years, as is the case with Puccini.

Libretto:

The lyrics are especially important in Song to the Moon because the whole opera began in 1899 with only the libretto that Kvapil wrote which, in his memoirs he states, he based on the fairy tales of the famous Czech woman writer, Bozena Nemcova and the Czech poet, Erben. He was generally very inspired by Erben. Kvapil had trouble finding a composer for his libretto until Dvorak agreed to set Kvapil's liberetto to music in 1900. Dvorak shared Kvapil's interest in Erben and Slavic folklore and was so passionate about the concept for the opera, he wrote the music in a few months. When checking if an aria or song fits the 70 year rule it's important to check the librettist too. In this case, Kvapil didn't die until 1950, so this meant I had to wait until January last year to record it.

The Drama Behind the Aria and Character:

Rusalka is a water sprite based on Slavic mythology. This character informed my interpretation of the aria, as well as the structure of the score. I wanted to create the atmosphere of an unearthly sprite by bringing out the lighter phrases which require a narrow vibrato and vocal agility (not a slow, heavy operatic style using a wide vibrato and sliding between notes). This lighter operatic style, I think, becomes essential for staying in tempo and bringing out the folk music style, decorative notes and passages in the score, e.g. the quick triplets, octave jumps, tempo shifts and accidental notes. For me, this is especially important because I don't have an orchestra accompanying me. To sing in a typical operatic voice would ruin the atmosphere and distort the sound quality of my recording. So both my arrangements of the aria (a Cappella; wind instrument on keyboard) build on the simplicity of the folk legend and folk music setting/inspiration for the opera. 

I always start by studying the character and role behind the arias. Hence, my first stage is to look at the role and character as an actress, before marking out the score e.g. key signature, breaths, noting semitones/octaves, phrasing, colouring, expression, sound, speed, notation, diction, and learning the aria as a singer. 

Language of the Opera:

I sing the aria in its original language, Czech. Czech words have many consonants compared with Italian which tends to have more vowels. This impacts on singers and their technique. Singers usually prefer vowel-based languages when singing because it assists their mouth in making shapes that are conducive to projection and resonance. Hence, the tendency for operas to be sung in Italian. 

Thus, it is important to know how to physically adjust to different languages to maintain good singing technique and protect your voice from injury. I have always sung in many languages since childhood, including languages I don't speak fluently eg  Japanese. I was a small child when I would enjoy singing along to the Japanese section of John Denver's 'Flower that Shattered the Stone'. I learnt it off by heart phonetically and I have always been good at learning accents and pronunciation in foreign languages. So it was an easy step for me to become a multilingual singer. Nevertheless, having Czech roots and heritage means I've heard Czech all my life and I'm used to speaking it. So, luckily, I don't have the same linguistic hurdles with this aria as non-Czech singers. This is not surprising because Czech is a very difficult language. However, it comes naturally to me and I don't have pronunciation problems. Nevertheless, I went over the lyrics with my mother to get her opinion on whether I was expressing the Czech language authentically enough, complete with the right emphases and intonation.

Singing on One Note: Approaching the Climax of an Aria:

This occurs on the last page before the climax of the song and the glorious top B flat which you hold as long as possible but still ensuring you don't tail off at the end. You need enough puff to drive through the next 4 notes. The first 2 go down in tones to A flat followed by G flat. Then jumping down an octave for the final two notes. That's a very demanding finish to an aria!

The one note you sing on for 4 bars is D flat (or middle C sharp). Although usually sung, I decided to go for a semi-spoken, actress-style of singing these bars. My aim was to create a spooky/slightly sinister atmosphere. We are after all in the land of folk legend. Rusalka isn't a human being. It's easier for the listener to hear the words if they are articulated clearly in this way. It is  also a way of signalling the climax to follow where Rusalka begs the moon not to stop shining otherwise her lover won't find his way back to her.

In my second version of this aria, which is on SoundCloud, I use the keyboard (ie my physical instrument, not a computerized digital imitation) at this point to create an eerie quality to the overall ambience. The keyboard stays in the background as the music reaches its climax symbolised by the top B flat. 

My first version is on my YouTube channel and is recorded a Capella in a recital style because I can be both heard and seen:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MxITgvwOrGE

Therefore, it's slightly more formal than the SoundCloud version which is only for listeners which is why I felt the need for a more atmospheric ambience hence, the keyboard:

https://m.soundcloud.com/libakaucky/song-to-the-moon?in=%2Flibakaucky%2Fsets%2Farias-and-classical-songs 

Recording Song to the Moon:

Both recordings were done as a completely live performance: in one take, without any technical mastering to polish it up. I wanted to give the listener the same experience, as far as possible, of a raw, intimate, stripped-back style. This quiet, innovative, mininal accompaniment style of arranging songs is more common in pop/rock/indie music than it is in classical music but I've cross-applied it to arias and like the musical effect it creates. It produces the atmosphere of an intimate concert or small, private gig, where the listener is meant to feel like I am singing just to them, as though I'm standing in their lounge. This style is particularly suited to this aria where Rusalka is the only one on stage, the moon is shining, and she misses her true love. It's poignant, sad, haunting yet lyrical. 

Producing:

As the producer of my album, this is a recording style I consciously adopted and sought to create throughout the album. It influenced everything from arrangements, vocal performance, instrument choices to the technical side of the recording approach which leaves everything in a simplistic style. I want the listener to believe I am Rusalka and hear my innermost thoughts, feelings and fears.

I did not do any mastering of the tracks in the making of this aria, or the other tracks, which can be heard on both my pop and classical albums. I took the production side of my music and recordings somewhat for granted, seeing it as mostly just a necessity. It was only last month when attending an online music event held by SoundCloud that I learnt how so few women (and non-binary people) produce music. And out of those who do, even less see themselves as, or call themselves, music producers. It was then that I suddenly realised I am one of these women who is wearing the hat of a music producer but without perceiving myself as one or acknowledging that side of my musical journey, process and practice. 

The women and non-binary speakers were inspiring and encouraging. They wanted to empower us to own and appreciate what we do! It was an eye opener, and has really helped me to analyse the process I undertake and be more aware of all the different, distinctive hats I'm wearing when I record my music! No wonder it can be quite an exhausting process!