On Monday, March 8, 2021 at 5 p.m., Emeritus Professor of Music David Lawton will give a lecture via Zoom, entitled “Orchestral performance practices in early Verdi.” His presentation was originally intended for an international conference in Bilbao, Spain in November 2020, which had to be canceled because of the pandemic.
Prof. Lawton’s presentation actually has two parts. The first is a short essay about the importance of tempo modification as an expressive resource in performances of this repertory; the essay will be posted on line, and should be read before the lecture.
The second part, the lecture itself, will focus on two aspects of 19th century string playing that differ pointedly from today’s practices: the use of vibrato, and portamento. An accompanying Powerpoint presentation will offer excerpts from 19th-century violin and cello methods, as well as historical recordings from the first few years of the 20th century. In addition, from remote locations, Stony Brook graduate students Emre Engin, violin, and Miki Aoki, piano, have recorded a beautiful “Mélodie” from Charles de Bériot’s 1858 violin method, which will be played during the lecture.
The lecture should be of particular interest to string players and singers. It will last approximately one hour, and will be followed by a brief question and answer session.