This chapter turns to the development of sound design as an inseparable partner of music composit... more This chapter turns to the development of sound design as an inseparable partner of music composition. As the tools and practices of creativity in sound design have undergone a process of transformation following the development of new technologies, so too, new listening practices and expectations of the immersive experience of theatre have emerged. Clearly such tools and practices don’t apply only to Shakespearean performance, and I refer to musicals as well as plays, but this chapter documents the changes in working practices and personnel resulting from the developing sound technologies available in the RSC theatres. The aim is to explore how the relationship between sound and music has altered since the middle of the twentieth century and what possibilities that creates.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This critical introduction to British musical theatre since 1950 is the first book to discuss its... more This critical introduction to British musical theatre since 1950 is the first book to discuss its post-war developments from the perspective of British – as opposed to American – popular culture. The genre is situated within the historical context of post-war British society in order to explore the range of forms through which significant sociocultural moments are represented. Introductory chapters analyse the way British musicals have responded to social change, the forms of popular theatre and music from which they have developed and their originality in elaborating new narrative strategies since the seventies. A key feature of the book is its close readings of twelve key works, from Salad Days (1954) and Oliver! (1960) to global smash hits such as Les Miserables (1985) and The Phantom of the Opera (1986) and beyond, including the latest critical and box-office success Matilda (2011). Also analysed are British favourites (Blood Brothers, 1983), cult shows (The Rocky Horror Show, 1...
Both performance art and some types of music theatre have developed from the same roots. Music th... more Both performance art and some types of music theatre have developed from the same roots. Music theatre is sometimes used as an umbrella term for a range of practices from musicals to opera, but the term also refers more specifically to combinations of music and spectacle in the second half of the twentieth century built on the same interdisciplinary experiments of the avant-garde that spawned performance art. What constitutes experimental music theatre varies both from work to work and from country to country and includes both ‘high’ and ‘popular’ music and performance. One might include the ‘concerts’ of Berio, the ‘opera’ of Glass and Wilson and the ‘physical theatre’ performances of La Fura dels Baus as well as sung narratives developed from nineteenth century opera or the ‘dance-percussion’ of Stomp. Most books about performance art in the late twentieth century, whether in Europe or America, refer to Laurie Anderson as a leading practitioner. Yet her performances are often fully staged concerts and her fame is at least partly attributable to her music and CDs. In the interdisciplinary performances of Laurie Anderson it is impossible to separate performance art and music theatre. What Goldberg tries to do in this book is ‘to present the full range of Anderson’s creativity, to fill in the connections between disciplines, and to show her evolution as an artist . . . it is in the spaces between media, and her sophisticated comprehension of those connections, where the richness of her art lies’ (p. 22). To a large extent Goldberg achieves this admirably, drawing the reader into an engagement with a philosophically engaging and technologically inventive body of work. The single, most disappointing gap in this otherwise excellent book is the absence of commentary or even description of the sound worlds of these works. Even though the CDs are the most available part of Anderson’s output, one might expect rather more comment in a book where many other aspects of her work, such as the videos, the body instruments and the inventions as well as the performances, are afforded separate sections. There is no sense of whether the sound world changes from work to work or even whether there is a unified sound world within works. Certainly it seems likely that those works with several musicians would produce a different timbre than those performed solo with technological support. The lyrics make reference to a range of literary sources. Does the music follow this lead? The performances contain circular structures with returning and interlocking threads. How does the music help or counteract the structure? Anderson is regarded as a crossover artist with a body of work in the pop world. It would seem appropriate, therefore, to explore the relationship of the rock/pop rhythms, the regular beat and the repetitive patterns drawn from the minimalist aesthetic to the philosophical ideas in the creation of a multi-layered experience. There is some insight into the creative process, however. The lyrics are written to a beat, the melody to the sentence structure and this sits over a solid, repetitive rhythmic construction that forms the base. It is apparent when reading the lyrics or listening to the music that the rhythmic patterning is integral to the structure of songs. The book is arranged by decade, identifying the main works and developments in Anderson’s career. During the 1970s Anderson was regarded as an innovator creating works characterised by an emphasis on the cerebral. During this period Anderson began exploring the use of technology in relation to performance and started designing and building new instruments. In the 1980s Goldberg regards Anderson as a leader who exhibited a fascination with the mass-media, not least because she led the way for ‘cross-over’ artists after signing an eightrecord deal with Warner Brothers Records following the surprise UK chart success of ‘O Superman’ in 1981. During this period she experimented with video, explored larger scale performance and created stage sets for which she developed body instruments, while the experimentation with new technology and instruments continued. The section on the 1990s is the shortest in the book and refers to Anderson’s increasing engagement as political commentator and her awareness of the world as
The research enquiry in this chapter explores two central questions: how the process of collabora... more The research enquiry in this chapter explores two central questions: how the process of collaboration that lasts at least a year influences the music heard on the opening night; and how composition changed over time, revealing developments in production practices, stylistic changes in taste and technological innovations. To address the first part of this enquiry I look in detail at notebooks, prompt copies and scores of a number of plays and periods, comparing some of the processes and strategies with those of the early modern period and Roland Settle’s 1957 description of how to compose for theatre. Then to address the second part I consider several treatments of a single text—Macbeth—that were created at intervals during the period from 1961 to 2015. This strategy is designed to highlight some of the key changes that affected the processes of composition and the aesthetics and functions of theatre music at the RSC.
Contents: Introduction Musical characterisation in HMS Pinafore and The Rocky Horror Show Encodin... more Contents: Introduction Musical characterisation in HMS Pinafore and The Rocky Horror Show Encoding the voice: Show Boat, Guys and Dolls, and musical theatre post-1960 Integration and distance in musical theatre: the case of Sweeney Todd Layers of representation and the creation of irony: Aufsteig und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, Merrily We Roll Along and The Last 5 Years Alternatives to linearity: Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Assassins Illusions of realism in West Side Story and actor-musician performances Experiencing live musical theatre performance: La Cage Aux Folles and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert I've heard that song before: the jukebox musical and entertainment in Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You Conclusion Bibliography Index.
This chapter turns to the development of sound design as an inseparable partner of music composit... more This chapter turns to the development of sound design as an inseparable partner of music composition. As the tools and practices of creativity in sound design have undergone a process of transformation following the development of new technologies, so too, new listening practices and expectations of the immersive experience of theatre have emerged. Clearly such tools and practices don’t apply only to Shakespearean performance, and I refer to musicals as well as plays, but this chapter documents the changes in working practices and personnel resulting from the developing sound technologies available in the RSC theatres. The aim is to explore how the relationship between sound and music has altered since the middle of the twentieth century and what possibilities that creates.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This critical introduction to British musical theatre since 1950 is the first book to discuss its... more This critical introduction to British musical theatre since 1950 is the first book to discuss its post-war developments from the perspective of British – as opposed to American – popular culture. The genre is situated within the historical context of post-war British society in order to explore the range of forms through which significant sociocultural moments are represented. Introductory chapters analyse the way British musicals have responded to social change, the forms of popular theatre and music from which they have developed and their originality in elaborating new narrative strategies since the seventies. A key feature of the book is its close readings of twelve key works, from Salad Days (1954) and Oliver! (1960) to global smash hits such as Les Miserables (1985) and The Phantom of the Opera (1986) and beyond, including the latest critical and box-office success Matilda (2011). Also analysed are British favourites (Blood Brothers, 1983), cult shows (The Rocky Horror Show, 1...
Both performance art and some types of music theatre have developed from the same roots. Music th... more Both performance art and some types of music theatre have developed from the same roots. Music theatre is sometimes used as an umbrella term for a range of practices from musicals to opera, but the term also refers more specifically to combinations of music and spectacle in the second half of the twentieth century built on the same interdisciplinary experiments of the avant-garde that spawned performance art. What constitutes experimental music theatre varies both from work to work and from country to country and includes both ‘high’ and ‘popular’ music and performance. One might include the ‘concerts’ of Berio, the ‘opera’ of Glass and Wilson and the ‘physical theatre’ performances of La Fura dels Baus as well as sung narratives developed from nineteenth century opera or the ‘dance-percussion’ of Stomp. Most books about performance art in the late twentieth century, whether in Europe or America, refer to Laurie Anderson as a leading practitioner. Yet her performances are often fully staged concerts and her fame is at least partly attributable to her music and CDs. In the interdisciplinary performances of Laurie Anderson it is impossible to separate performance art and music theatre. What Goldberg tries to do in this book is ‘to present the full range of Anderson’s creativity, to fill in the connections between disciplines, and to show her evolution as an artist . . . it is in the spaces between media, and her sophisticated comprehension of those connections, where the richness of her art lies’ (p. 22). To a large extent Goldberg achieves this admirably, drawing the reader into an engagement with a philosophically engaging and technologically inventive body of work. The single, most disappointing gap in this otherwise excellent book is the absence of commentary or even description of the sound worlds of these works. Even though the CDs are the most available part of Anderson’s output, one might expect rather more comment in a book where many other aspects of her work, such as the videos, the body instruments and the inventions as well as the performances, are afforded separate sections. There is no sense of whether the sound world changes from work to work or even whether there is a unified sound world within works. Certainly it seems likely that those works with several musicians would produce a different timbre than those performed solo with technological support. The lyrics make reference to a range of literary sources. Does the music follow this lead? The performances contain circular structures with returning and interlocking threads. How does the music help or counteract the structure? Anderson is regarded as a crossover artist with a body of work in the pop world. It would seem appropriate, therefore, to explore the relationship of the rock/pop rhythms, the regular beat and the repetitive patterns drawn from the minimalist aesthetic to the philosophical ideas in the creation of a multi-layered experience. There is some insight into the creative process, however. The lyrics are written to a beat, the melody to the sentence structure and this sits over a solid, repetitive rhythmic construction that forms the base. It is apparent when reading the lyrics or listening to the music that the rhythmic patterning is integral to the structure of songs. The book is arranged by decade, identifying the main works and developments in Anderson’s career. During the 1970s Anderson was regarded as an innovator creating works characterised by an emphasis on the cerebral. During this period Anderson began exploring the use of technology in relation to performance and started designing and building new instruments. In the 1980s Goldberg regards Anderson as a leader who exhibited a fascination with the mass-media, not least because she led the way for ‘cross-over’ artists after signing an eightrecord deal with Warner Brothers Records following the surprise UK chart success of ‘O Superman’ in 1981. During this period she experimented with video, explored larger scale performance and created stage sets for which she developed body instruments, while the experimentation with new technology and instruments continued. The section on the 1990s is the shortest in the book and refers to Anderson’s increasing engagement as political commentator and her awareness of the world as
The research enquiry in this chapter explores two central questions: how the process of collabora... more The research enquiry in this chapter explores two central questions: how the process of collaboration that lasts at least a year influences the music heard on the opening night; and how composition changed over time, revealing developments in production practices, stylistic changes in taste and technological innovations. To address the first part of this enquiry I look in detail at notebooks, prompt copies and scores of a number of plays and periods, comparing some of the processes and strategies with those of the early modern period and Roland Settle’s 1957 description of how to compose for theatre. Then to address the second part I consider several treatments of a single text—Macbeth—that were created at intervals during the period from 1961 to 2015. This strategy is designed to highlight some of the key changes that affected the processes of composition and the aesthetics and functions of theatre music at the RSC.
Contents: Introduction Musical characterisation in HMS Pinafore and The Rocky Horror Show Encodin... more Contents: Introduction Musical characterisation in HMS Pinafore and The Rocky Horror Show Encoding the voice: Show Boat, Guys and Dolls, and musical theatre post-1960 Integration and distance in musical theatre: the case of Sweeney Todd Layers of representation and the creation of irony: Aufsteig und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, Merrily We Roll Along and The Last 5 Years Alternatives to linearity: Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Assassins Illusions of realism in West Side Story and actor-musician performances Experiencing live musical theatre performance: La Cage Aux Folles and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert I've heard that song before: the jukebox musical and entertainment in Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You Conclusion Bibliography Index.
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