ABSTRACT
Vocal music is on almost every level a collaborative art. With few exceptions it is a synthesis of text and music, a combination of two modes of expression that unites poet and composer. In its grander forms, myths, scripture, or the works of novelists or playwrights lurk in the background, forming the foundation on which poet, librettist and composer build, and adding yet more layers to the artistic collaboration that creates this repertoire. Performance of vocal music, too, relies almost always on working together. From the simplest of accompanied songs to the most complex of Gesamtkunstwerke, the singer needs to collaborate, be that with a pianist, a chamber ensemble, or the full musical and theatrical forces of a major opera house.
