num_pages: 268
description: Singers are inescapably actors as well as vocalists. In order to succeed as artists in an increasingly competitive field, they must be able to perform with greater dramatic depth and comedic skill than expected in earlier decades. Yet many have difficulty in attaining the twin goals of vocal excellence and credible acting. Most training emphasizes vocal technique crowding out the theatrical dimensions. This book argues that singers must take charge of their own professional education. Stressing interpretation, the book proposes that performers develop a “third line” that naturally derive form the interaction of the two lines provided by the librettist and the composer. This third line includes subtext, focus, movement, facial expression, and vocal inflection. This book aims at developing acting skills in addition to vocal technique, as well as at the actual construction and use of a third line for a given role. In addition to techniques of interpretation the book deals with career-building strategies and with backstage savvy. It also provides guidance in dealing with voice instructors, coaches, conductors, and directors and it offers suggestions on how to best approach auditions, recitals, and competitions.
language: English
title: The Third Line: The Singer As Interpreter
titlecomplete: The Third Line: The Singer As Interpreter
ratings_count: 4
publisher: Third Line Books