parterre box

82 comments

• CerquettiFarrell says:

  But of course she was! An extremely talented person, Verrett is one of those people that would have excelled in almost everything she would have taken, because of that fire inside, that generosity and willingness to forage deep within the soul and go into extremes to find the dramatic truth.

  I think this rehearsal clip is so frustrating because the movie as a movie never exposes the inner life of the characters and their fraught relationship in an illuminating or dynamic way. But this short rehearsal snippet, without lighting, scenery or clothes, is so much more riveting and really takes us into the drama, as Shakespeare and Verdi envisaged. And the actual camera movement (or lack of it) is spot on. It is a great moment of high art, thankfully captured for eternity .

  on September 12, 2009 at 6:40 PM
• kashania says:

  CerquettiFarrell: Thanks for all those clips, but especially the rehearsal of Macbetto. I love it when she asks “How do I get from there to here” or words to that effect. So many singers gesture dramatically without having explored the motivation for each gesture — even ones who give very committed performances. The gestures often become decoration to underscore the drama of the music. But when a singer really approaches the role as an actor (which admitelly not all singers can do because they may not have much talent for acting), then the physical movements can go beyond just punctuating the drama of the music. They can be just as crucial to the expression of the drama as the singing.

  on September 12, 2009 at 7:08 PM