In her project, Ingeborg is learning to sing like the Norwegian, classical, female singers did around 1904-1920, by listening to gramophone recordings from that time period, aiming to be a «native speaker» of the dominating vocal style of the period. She learns by ear, not using any musical scores, and by taking this method strongly associated with folk music into the classical repertoire, she questions the position of the composer, the composer’s intention and the existence of a «correct» performance or interpretation, as well as ownership to a repertoire. As learning the music, and further on, any reproduction or performance of this music is a direct result of listening to recordings, the project also includes looking (or rather, listening) into what we hear, how we listen and how our own experiences shape what we (think we) hear when we listen to women’s voices.
Ingeborg Dalheim is a classical singer, with a master’s degree in baroque opera from the Norwegian Academy of Music. As a performer, her main focus is early music, and she has built an extensive international career within the field. She also has a background from Norwegian folk music, as well as an ever growing passion for contemporary music, and especially loves bringing these vocal expressions together, as in her 2022 solo album «For one / for none».
«Singing in the heart’s language». Imagining Norwegian early 20th century classical singing as a folk song tradition, and «hacking» myself a way into the heritage line.
In this lecture-recital I will share some of my experiences from my ongoing artistic research PhD project «Back out of the gramophone». For more than two years, I have been attempting learn how to sing like the Norwegian, female, classical singers of the early 1900s, listening to the first Norwegian gramophone recordings. In an attempt to catch all the details in this singing style, I have vowed not to look at the scores while learning the repertoire, but learn the style and repertoire by ear. This allows me to question the classical music’s focus on the composer and the performer’s duty to fulfill the composer’s wish. By (temporarily) ignoring the composer’s existence, I explore the performer’s role, and the significance of the implicit knowledge and skill passed on from singer/teacher to singer through generations.
The presentation will give a brief overview of the repertoire and performers of the early 20th century Kristiania, and the processes surrounding the production of gramophones in Norway. Further it will give insight into the work of copying another singer, including technical issues and vulnerabilities, empathy, embodiment and the process of reenacting a gramophone recording, all of which leads to questions regarding vocal identity, femininity and age in relation to a competitive field of work.