How far does the jazz backing influence the rhythmic aspect of this style of
reading? Or any other aspect, come to that? It makes a fascinating whole,
but I can't help wondering how the poetry fares when the instrumental voices
aren't present.
best joanna
----- Original Message -----
From: "Knut Mork Skagen" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 10:41 AM
Subject: Re: Reading &c
I'm curious how the Anglo-American poetry voice compares to the
Norwegian. The last issue of Jacket magazine happens to include (I
don't know why) a recording of Jan-Erik Vold reading his translation of
"The Day Lady Died" to jazz music. Jan-Erik Vold is one of the "grand
old men" of Norwegian poetry but has a very irreverent style even now
(it's no coincidence he's translated Frank O'Hara). His poetry voice
has pretty much defined poetry voice for whole generations here, I
think every poet reading after him has emulated him either consciously
or un-.
It seems very different from the "plain, parish church, small-but-brave
congregation" style you describe. The Norwegian style is full of starts
and stops, words drawn out long and clipped short, not many changes in
volume but certainly in pitch; it sounds almost like I imagine ancient
Greek would have sounded with its supposedly pitch-based system of
accents and emphasis of long and short syllables.
|