Pavarotti's Diction: Why It Matters So

To read Opera Chic's tribute to Luciano Pavarotti scroll down or click here

Reactions in the world of opera and politics are here.

Among the many great advantages that come from the suffering -- and financial expense -- of having studied Italian for more than a year Opera Chic can count one very important thing: she is now able to figure out a singers' diction in Italian opera singing. And, frankly, the more OC learned Italian, the more she realized what every native speaker who loves opera realized long ago: that most singers' Italian diction is quite horrible. Even if the singers are, funnily enough, Italian.

Because obviously music trumps everything, and if you're a singer you're always so tempted -- even if you know better -- to shave a little "t" here, speed down a "r" there, to keep that darn linea di canto going smoothly.

The result, of course, is that you lose the meaning of the text. It just doesn't come across anymore (even recitativi, out of lack of study or out of laziness, are often unfathomable).

This is one of the reasons why Pavarotti is so magic: because the more you learn Italian the more you realize that he's, basically, singing with perfect, natural diction and pronounciation. He's not even reading -- he's acting with his voice as if this weren't teatro musicale, but a simple play.

Only, he's doing it while singing. At that monster volume of his.

This makes Pavarotti's singing, I always explain to my fellow non-Italians, even more astounding: because he sings as if the words are just there, naturally, and you don't lose one consonant, and the meaning is all there, even if you don't know the libretto, and even if you don't have any idea of the story you're watching develop itself on stage.

Because, you know, opera was meant for the stage and people had to, like, figure out what happened because it was all new stuff, repertorio didn't really exist.

Pavarotti -- often slammed as an intellectual lightweight, I mean, a baker's son who once taught elementary school and chose to dress loudly to the very end, that so doesn't fly with the academics -- remembers us that most important fact: this is musical theatre we're talking about, it's life, and love, and death, and text -- its meaning -- is as important as the notes you're hearing.

Another lesson from the maestro.

Comments

[fignaz]

Like you, OC, I consider this one of the glories of Big Luciano's art. If you knew Italian, there was no need for a libretto or titles: You heard every word clearly enunciated & with proper dramatic emphasis & color. And the words always dictated how he chose to bend the music. This has always been a hallmark of the Italian style & one often taken for granted. If singers were to follow his example in any way, I would hope it would be in this now neglected aspect of the art of singing opera.

[Maguy]

Dear O.C ,directly I heard tne news on FR.MUS (Lionel Esparza's two hours from7to 9AM) I dashed to read your tribute which I knew would be so true and moving .But reading your last sentence here is too much, because it is the basic truth , what it is all about - you can follow the words on his lips- on close-ups and understand everything as you said. All I really want to listen to now is 'Caruso' .A very big hug to you O,C,so long Luciano ....

[MattNYC]

I've noticed that same phenomenon. A singer is ALWAYS more difficult to understand in their own language, mostly because it's easy to be sloppy and revert to idiomatic pronunciation instead of something more universal.

It's why Americans are so well regarded around the world in opera. So much is not in English that they spend enormous amounts of time on diction and language skills. With their teachers and coaches, they literally have to dissect each word and phrase of most of the pieces they prepare. They're that much more specific and for an international audience that much easier to understand.

[Steffen Gliese]

Wise and true words - but, indeed, this has been an aspect of Italian opera, which has developed in the last 10 years. Listen to Mariella Devia or Patricia Ciofi! - clear as a bell, most often.
It is an amazing shift. I recently read an old essay by musicologist Paul Robinson about how unimportant the libretto is. But most of the problems he addresses have been succesfully dealt with since. Much owes to the example of Pavarotti.