Shakespeare- Nemesis comments welcome :D

Mjr. Whoopass

Mjr. Whoopass

<FONT color=lightblue><B>I was going to say someth
Nemesis said:
Almost makes me want to start an “off-topic” thread on Shakespeare. Been wanting to tear that guy down for years. Romeo and Juliet both die? Outrageous!
Click to expand...
Although Nemesis was being sarcastic when he stated this, it gave me an idea to start this probably short lived thread. The purpose is threefold: 1) Mainly to vent my frustration at having to sing an art song in college that was a musical setting to a Shakespeare poem that seemed utterly stupid, and was an embarassment to sing. 2) An inside joke for those who've visited the quoted thread on the WC topic section. 3) Curious to see what glowing reviews LeHah might have for this thread.

I was a freshman in college when my voice instructor chose this song for me, and I didn't yet have the guts to tell him I hated it. Could anyone but Shakespeare get away with writing such nonsense and having it made into a song? I'm not making a statement about his works as a whole, just saying that this particular poem of his annoys the **** out of me. Any jabs or praises for Shakespeare are welcome.
Shakespeare said:
When that I was and a little tiny boy
~

~When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.
Click to expand...
What the !?@#?
 
That's not a 'stand alone' song -- it's what the clown sings at the end of Twelfth Night. It's hard (and probably pointless) to criticize it outside the context of the play...
 
It's like making fun of Shakespeare for the play within a play in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The characters delivering the lines are supposed to appear simple minded. The clown in Twelfth Night doesn't even get to speak in pentameter.
 
Bandit LOAF said:
That's not a 'stand alone' song -- it's what the clown sings at the end of Twelfth Night. It's hard (and probably pointless) to criticize it outside the context of the play...
Click to expand...
Ok, it's no critique of Shakespeare to criticize it outside the context of the Twelfth Night. I also agree that it should not be a 'stand alone' song. Unfortunately for my taste (and apparently yours since you say it's not a stand alone song), it is frequently performed even on the professional level as a stand alone song. Although my voice teacher chose the setting for the purposes of the vocal challenges (also I think he actually liked it), it felt humiliating to sing such a goofy song in front of my peers. Since Shakespeare wrote it to be sung by a clown, it makes sense that it would be a goofy and IMO a crazy crappy song.

It would be hard to criticize it inside the context of the play. One part of your statement that I disagree with is that I feel it's EASY to criticize it OUTSIDE the context of the play. As TC has clarified, it's written to appear simple minded. It's not the simplicity of the song that bothered me though, as I think simple songs can be beautiful. The thing that REALLY bugged me about the song was the frequent use of parelcons and nonsense words. Even without mentioning the superfluous words, a critique of this poem as a stand alone song could be easily agreed upon by simply imagining yourself onstage and having to sing this song in front of other vocal professors and other students in your voice studio. If I want a humorous art song, I would rather go with something by Copland or Purcell. If I wanted an old English song, I would rather go with something by Purcell or Handel. Though some of those composers may have also tried their hand at arranging "when that I was and a little tiny boy", I would rather choose a different one of theirs. I could also be happy with a setting of a better poem by Shakespeare.
... and don't get me started on "Hey nonny nonny no"!
 
Maybe your voice teacher should have told you a thing or two about the song; or maybe Google wasn't online way back when.

But anyhow: INSIDE Twelfth night, it's the parting song of Feste, the old court jester (not clown) who's probably the only sane character in the whole play. To summarize the action would be too much for here, but in the play, Feste is the typical Shakespearean underdog character: no standing, not respected, no title, no money; but he's the guy who knows what's going on, and which strings to pull. Even more: He has fun doing it. So this song is full of double meanings that reflect on the play, gives the audience some hints and red herrings in how to understand in what they have seen, and in the closing stanza reveals the true identity of Feste as the "director" of the play himself. (Many critics also believe that W.S. has depicted himself in the role and the song, but that may or may not be.)
A great while ago the world began,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'll strive to please you every day.
Click to expand...

OUTSIDE the play, the song is just as enigmatic and ridiculous as many other famous songs, be it a fully allegorical song like "Bridge over troubled water" or a song with a certain historical background like the national anthem (any). If you don't know how to read them, you're left in the dark.

But for the song itself, it is a great honor that your teacher has actually assigned this one to you. The music was written for Robert Armin, who played Feste during Shakespeare's time - and who must have been an absolutely superb singer and also somthing like a standup comedian. Think Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo plus Robin Williams rolled into one. So I guess your voice instructor saw something like a little talent.
 
I did a recreation of the fifth act of Hamlet featuring Super Soakers when I was in high school.
 
“O, I am drenched, Horatio!
The potent spray quite o’ercrows my spirit.”

I’m hoping there’s videotape.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top