Rachmoninoff's Vespers make considerable use, as one might expect, of the word alliluya. The manner in which the word is set serves to illustrate the same principles I raved about in my previous post: an awareness of the text, its shape, and its relationship to the musical line inevitably yields a deeper engagement with the music itself.
The Vespers are essentially unmetered. Barlines and subdivisions thereof abound, yet their particulars differ from one moment to the next. The barlines tell us about the musical feeling, and specifically how one beat leads to the next. The first beat of any "measure" or subdivision is typically temporally larger than its neighbors, so it feels like a strong beat, while the tail beat (or beats in the case of a triple grouping) leads.
"Alliluya", which is sung al-li-lu-i-a, frequently sits with the first two syllables on weak (read: leading, moving) beats, and with the third syllable "lu" on a strong beat. That is not an accident.
Furthermore, the final syllables i-a may vary in their setting within a rhythmic grouping, but the word is a phrase unto itself, typically comprising a single-word sentence. This alone tells us that syllable i, as the penultimate syllable, leads to a, and that a should be unstressed as the final note in a musical grouping.
By placing this word so frequently in this manner, Rachmoninoff gives as extremely clear direction. The word tells us how to sing the rhythmic grouping. The rhythmic grouping tells us how to sing the word. On the various occasions when the setting differs, an awareness of this makes the offset rhythm more energizing.
For me, focusing on these little details of this little word brings out all the legato, moving linear singing I have to give. Which is not as much as I might like, but is hopefully always getting better.
Now, if Rachmaninoff had truly understood the meaning of the word "alleluya," perhaps he would have stressed it differently. In thinking of its meaning, it is actually the "iya" that is most important, since the word translates to something like "praise be to ya" (as in yaweh, or God) But that would just sound weird.
ReplyDeleteBest of all, this gently leads us ultimately to a special place we often desire and want- greater understanding and acceptance to life's mysteries.best books on meditation
ReplyDelete