Matisse: The Art is the Process

Today I went to the Matisse Exhibit at the MOMA. I am not a big Matisse fan. His works of art always seemed plain, flat and pretty. But, as I left the exhibit, I had a bit of an "ah ha" moment. What I saw as flat, plain and pretty, was actually exact, deep and colorful. It seemed that in order for Matisse to express himself, he had to strip away the layers. And, what seemed like flat lines, were actually exact strokes that took him years to make look effortless. His "pretty" colors were all carefully chosen and illustrated in a beautifully symmetrical manner that allowed the viewer to see the congruity of the entire piece while simultaneously seeing each individual panel and angle.

Whenever I see an art exhibit, see a sporting event, listen to a concert, etc., I try to find a way to see how I can fit it in with music and singing. Never had I found a more resonant parallel: strip down. Take away all the "stuff"- the added unnecessary schmaltz. Breathe, pick a vowel, and let go. Of course, it's not that easy. Of course, it takes years to master. But isn't it fun (that will be another blog posting!) and isn't it worth it in the end? It's amazing how much extra stuff we have all been taught. Not by teachers necessarily, but by life and what you see and hear in your daily travels. Which only means it takes that much more work to simplify and get to the bare basics. Find your sound. Not your friend's, not your voice teacher's or your coach's, not Maria Callas's, not Renee Fleming's...yours.

As most artists, Matisse was worried his work would be labeled and specifically Picasso's cubism. After going to see Picasso's paintings on the 4th floor immediately after seeing the Matisse exhibit, I thought: Yes, he was doing the same thing- stripping down and flattening out; after all, they are contemporaries and reacting to the world around them. But, Matisse and Picasso can't be compared to each other (according to this amateur art fan!). Matisse has his own unique brush-strokes, his own unique color palate and his own unique way at looking at a room, a person, a statement.

So why can't I have that confidence? Instead of worrying I don't sound like anyone, why don't I turn the angle to finding a way to sound like myself? Is the bare stripped Courtenay enough to meet Violetta? The most indulgent role in the soprano repertoire? Something tells me that it's probably the only way to meet her. And maybe it will be plain and pretty (hopefully not flat!), but just maybe it will be exact, deep and colorful because it will be my own.