Stanislavski System in the Studio

Part 2 of 3

Stanislavski’s and Rumyantsev’s Stanislavski on Opera is a valuable resource for singers seeking more information on the dynamics of the Stanislavski System. The book chronicles the part of his life where Stanislavski began an opera studio, in part to prove to himself and others that excellent acting can be achieved in the operatic form. The author details many examples of how Stanislavski’s music students were taught to think about the text and music, and the results of their working with him.

Rumyantsev recalls a time when he witnessed Stanislavski working with a student on her ballad prior to the first concert. The young woman was standing in the curve of piano, delicately leaning against the lid of the concert grand. She sang “Serene, serene is the sky-blue sea,” a romance by Rimski-Korsakov. Her eyes were fixed above the audience and she seemed to be seeing some vague scene off in the distance, her face held firm the slight smile that so many singers seem to develop, and she seemed to sing without effort. She sang with all the “customs and rules of the music-hall singers of those times.” Her right hand rested on the instrument and her left hand hung by her side. As evidence of her work with Zindaïda Sokolova, Stanislavski’s sister and partner, she sang with her weight shifted to one foot like so many classical statues instead of standing firmly on two feet, like a soldier. The singer’s face was serene which indicated to the audience that she had removed all unwanted tension.

As she finished the song, she became aware of Stanislavski’s steady focus on her and coyly smiled. To this woman, he said, “Well, well, that was very nice. I see before me a pretty young woman, whose carriage is easy, indeed slightly flirtatious. Her voice is resonant, well-polished, but what she was singing about or why she came over to the piano… quite escapes me. Did she wish to show us her looks?” His point was that her performance had lacked its own point and spoke about a needing to remain true to one’s devotion to art. He then asked her to, “Explain to me what you wished to convey by this ballad, what thought impelled you to choose this particular song, to sing it, what there was in it that attracted you.”

Her answers were standard for most young singers, that the song was pretty but that it was too short and had too few words to express the emotions she wished to convey. Stanislavski took that criticism of the romance as the catalyst for this young singer’s development.

Stanislavski explained to this young singer and to the rest of the class that they must first find the logical in the thoughts which, in turn, paves the way for the emotion. “First you must have a clear comprehension. Read the verses… and tell us what you understand in them.” The singer read aloud:

Serene would be the azure sea
If undisturbed by the rising storm
That rages and dashes billowing waves
Upon the beach.
Serene within my breast would be
My heart if suddenly
Your image did not rise and rush
Upon it with more force and speed
Than any storm.

She then said, “I wish to convey that I love him.” Stanislavski asks her who he was and if she saw him. She simply replied, “I haven’t thought about this yet” which was unsurprising because she had not been taught to think that way yet. Stanislavski began to explain,

Then that implies a kind of ‘generalized’ love, a sort of rubber-stamp love, nothing but a sweet smile! This means your imagination has not yet been put to work, you have not so much as glimpsed anything behind the words or beyond the music.

Now let us proceed point by point. What thought has the author implanted in your mind? The blue sea would be serene if there were no storm which would dash waves on the shore. Thus, all would be serene in my soul if your image did not rage through it like a storm. Now look at this idea from every angle, develop it, embroider it. Ask yourself why you compare your soul to a sea. When does this happen in one’s life? Do you wish that this sea, that is to say your soul, should always be tranquil or, on the contrary, do you long for a storm? To this end, search through the poem and decide which words are more important and which are less so.

She decided ‘at peace my soul would be within’ and ‘your image’ were the two most important passages. He asked her to ask herself if she would have preferred his image had not risen in her mind. She did not seem to think so since she supposed that the poet loved the subject of the poem and so she loves ‘him.’ But if she loves him, then is it good that his image removes her peace, or does she regret the loss of peace? The singer did not know.

Stanislavski patiently explained that the author and the composer had already thought through the verses and gave some very definitive clues in the music. Together, they listened while the pianist played the piece again, sans voice. At the end, the singer exclaimed, “The music which accompanies his image rages like a storm, but with great joy and illumination.” Stanislavski replies,

That means then, you take joy from this disturbing element and, further, you are not satisfied by your state of tranquility. Yet, when you sang, you sounded as though you regretted this intrusion on your peace of mind. Now it seems that you will be obliged to convey your joy in having that peace overwhelmed by a strong wind like the sea, by his image which is swifter than a passing storm. Note how well the poet and the composer have coalesced here to produce one single emotion… Continue to listen to the music: that is the center of your feelings even after you have ceased to sing. It is the same old theme of love assailed by storms. Love overwhelms one like a sudden thunderstorm. Now we have cleared up a few points. Repeat the song and try to be very clear in acting in accordance with each word.

His instructions led her to sing the romance again, but with her eyes closed, as if she were listening inside of herself. The words began to take on more specific meaning, both for her and the audience, and Stanislavski called it her first step in becoming what he considered to be a true artist.

He spoke about how a beautifully trained voice can create an approximation of art, but all it can do is tease the imagination of the listener, but “to reveal completely to me, the hearer, what else is underlying here, the things I cannot perhaps seize in this most brief romance–that is what an artist must do for me. To achieve this, your singing must be transformed by a musical statement into a confession made by your heart… Where is the key to this? It lies in what we call the ‘Magic If’ and one’s “Object of Attention.” These are the two tools used by Stanislavski to achieve utter expressivity and produce true art. These tools will be discussed in the third part of this series!