Singing or talking? What is recitative in music

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Recitative singing is found in any major piece of music such as opera, operetta, musical. Often small musical forms cannot do without it. And it happens that he completely replaces the usual understanding of music, becoming the head of a musical work. What is recitative and what role does it play in music, we find out in this article.

Concept

Recitative is a vocal form in music, not subject to rhythm and melody. It can sound with the presence of accompaniment or a cappella. In fact, it sounds like a colloquial speech among the general musical setting. To understand what recitative is in music, it is necessary to analyze in more detail the musical works in which this element is present.

Recitative cannot be attributed to the usual recitation of a verse, since this passage does not always contain rhyme. If we consider recitative as a means of expressiveness, then it is he who often reflects the emotional state of the hero and the mainexperiences that cannot be expressed in melodic ways.

How the new form was born

If we talk about the origins, they go deep into antiquity. Epic and ritual songs, folk songs and nursery rhymes were often nothing more than recitative. The professional music of antiquity was also rich in conversational moments. First of all, this applied to sacred music: psalms, liturgies.

However, the very concept of what recitative is was born with the advent of the opera genre. Its first manifestations were a melodious recitation. Actually, the early recitative was intended to revive the ancient tragedy with its manner of chanting recitation.

Over time, melody lost its meaning, and by the end of the 17th century, recitative acquired a clear outline, firmly entrenched in vocal music as an independent genre.

What are recitatives

Despite the fact that recitative does not obey the generally accepted laws of music, rhythm and melody, there are still rules that allow you to harmoniously include this genre in a piece of music.

If the recitative piece does not have a rhyme and a clear rhythm, then it is considered dry secco. It is pronounced with a meager accompaniment of staccato chords. The accompaniment in this case serves to enhance the dramatic effect.

When a recitative is endowed with a rhyme or just a clear rhythm, then it is called a measured a tempo and is performed accompanied by an orchestra.

It also happens thatthis genre is framed by a melodic line. In order to understand what recitative is in this case, one should refer to the definition of musical form. Recitative singing simply may not have it. Free form and manner of performance will indicate the presence of a melodious recitative or arioso.

Where recitatives live

The colloquial form found its most frequent use in classical opera music. It was the dramaturgy of this vocal genre that opened up unlimited possibilities for the development of recitative. Its main purpose in the opera was to oppose the general musical content and create dramatic accents. It can be performed on stage by a single vocalist, an ensemble, or even a choir.

This genre found great application in the works of J. S. Bach. It was especially pronounced in the Passion according to John. It must be said that J. S. Bach surpassed all his contemporaries in this sense. The favorite dramatic technique was the recitative for K. V. Gluck and W. A. Mozart.

Recitative appeared in Russian opera music somewhat later. It manifested itself most clearly in the music of A. S. Dargomyzhsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. P. I. Tchaikovsky especially skillfully used the form of arioso. As for the Soviet classics, S. S. Prokofiev and D. D. Shostakovich made a special contribution to the development of recitative.

Recitative: examples in contemporary music

Remember, in the film "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath" the main characters perform "The Ballad of a Smoky Carriage" by A. S. Kochetkov:

How it hurts, honey, how strange, Affiliated in the ground, intertwined with branches, How painful, dear, how strange

Break under the saw.

If you think that recitative songs are a phenomenon peculiar only to classical music, try to find them in modern times. To do this, it is enough to imagine reciting poetry or prose, accompanied by music.

The above recitative is considered dry because it is not subject to instrumental accompaniment.

The most striking example of measured recitative in modern times can be considered rap and hip-hop. It is these areas of modern music that have opened up new facets and possibilities of recitative.

It is impossible to imagine such a genre of modern music as rock opera without recitative singing. As in the classical version of the opera, singing from time to time turns into spoken language.

In the variety of musical genres and forms, even an experienced musician can get confused. But now you know what recitative is, and you won't confuse it with anything.