The Performance and Analysis Interest Group is pleased to host a workshop and discussion led by pianist, theorist, composer, and multidisciplinary artist Jocelyn Ho, Research Fellow at the Sydney Conservatorium. In this workshop, Dr. Ho—joined by special guest soprano Anna Fraser—will introduce a collaborative kinesthetic approach to analyzing early recordings. The methodology takes the recent trend of “emulation” (where historically informed performers imitate early recordings to assimilate old styles of playing) as a starting point to enquire about the kinaesthesia of early recording performance. Attendees will engage with recordings by two influential performers of their time: Yolanda Mero (1887-1963), concert pianist and impresario, and Alessandro Moreschi (1858-1922), castrato and First Soprano of the Sistine Chapel Choir.

Though participants’ preparation is not a prerequisite for attending the workshop, their cross-modal or intra-modal engagement with the recordings prior to the workshop will contribute to the discussion on embodied affect in these early recordings. Participants are requested to choose one of the recordings (below) and follow this prompt: Carefully listen to the recording. On your own instrument/voice, attempt to emulate (imitate) the performer in the recording. How does it feel in your body to do this, from one phrase to another? Make notes about what the emulation demands of you physically, paying attention to immediate sound-producing gestures or movements as well as other parts of the body not involved in sound production.

Recording 1: Mm. 1–12 of Alessandro Moreschi’s 1904 recording of Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjvfqnD0ws

Recording 2: Mm. 1-16 of Yolanda Mero’s 1905 piano roll recording of Haydn’s Keyboard Sonata XVI:46, 3rd movement, “Presto”: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ym_-5b0KQkc9OJEMJGUAJ6O5ATwldRpp/view?usp=sharing

Please note that Dr. Ho’s workshop is part of an overarching 3-year research project (https://bel-canto-rediscovered.sydney.edu.au/). As such, workshop participants will be requested to complete a consent form. The Participant Information Statement and Consent Form can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1j_VdEYImrtrCR_9RZEzDTqKMTx7n6Tkj?usp=sharing.