Troverdig opera : en aksjonsstudie om bruk av method acting i sang

Abstract

Opera combines two major art forms. Music and theater. To sing opera requires many years of singing lessons and dedicated training of the vocal instrument. Actor training rarely get the same focus and the ability of organic and believable acting can often be neglected. There are many different methods and directions in acting technique. Konstantin Stanislavskij was the first to systematize a fundamental actor training. Many different directions and methods are developed based on his thoughts and ideas. One of these directions is Method Acting. I have conducted an action research where I have used Method Acting in song. I have tried to answer the following questions: What challenges do I face using Method Acting in song and how do I overcome them? What does Method Acting add to my practice? Working with Method Acting has added a systematic thoroughness to the work of getting the acting and singing to function as a unit. The tools for analysing text gave me a deeper understanding of the lyrics and greater insight into the character. Relaxation and concentration exercises enabled me to think more clearly and gave me greater access to my own creativity. The exercises reduced performance anxiety and nervousness. Musical focus is a barrier to getting deep into sensory work, but it works well when impulses are established in a slow pace and the exercises are effective in opening the senses and arouse feelings. I found that the exercises of substitution and personalization had to be given less focus during concert, because it required to much concentration capacity. The findings show that the musical and textual work should be done in parallel all the way, but that it is sung without text so that music and text do not affect each other in the initial stage. The most striking finding of the study shows that access to true emotions supported and liberated the voice in such a way that song technical challenges were reduced. Keywords: Method Acting, Acting Technique, opera, interpretation, Menotti, ”The Medium”