Word Painting
by jaeyoungshin
Our class is about how music evolved during thousand years and often focuses on how earlier music is different from music of recent era. Although difference is usually more notable than similarity, I thought it was interesting to point out how similar technique was used throughout the history of music. As music evolved from simple, monotonic chant to symphony music, the word painting, this idea of describing the text’s meaning with music had been continued.
The first time we encountered the word painting was from genre Madrigal. The best example is Thomas Weelkes’ music. As shown in “As vesta was from latmos hill descending,” his music literally interprets the lyric and tries his best to convey it with music. The rapid, turnover of polyphonic voices seemed to illustrate how the music climbs down the hill. He also uses bright, joyful homophony to express the lyric of the song. This word painting became very popular during renaissance era, but it died out in baroque era as many composers thought it was artificial and childish way to express emotions.
Then we saw this technique again in Bach’s music. Bach adopts word painting in order to help people to reflect on the divine. He uses music to emphasize certain words. He would use crunchy violin sound to express words like “death” while he uses joyful, bright homophonic sound and brass instruments for words such as “faith” and “grace.”
Then we listened to two versions of Die Erlkonig, Reichardt’s one and Schubert’s one. Both versions seem to adopt the technique that is similar to word painting. The word painting of Romanticism’s music is definitely different from the word painting of 16th century’s one. It tries to express the atmosphere of the song rather than focuses on details of the text. However, we can see the trace of word painting when the composers use the rhythmic sound of piano to show that father and son are riding horses or minor, dissonant accompaniment for Erlking’s whispering.
To sum up, this principle of word painting has been used by composers from different periods, even though it clearly has become less popular and less powerful in later era. What do you think? Do you think this is a childish, artificial way to express emotions like Caccini once said? Or do you see it as a proper complement that can make music more understandable and interesting to listeners?
The Thousand-Year Ears 
The first Erl King version used that swing rhythm to really make it sound like a murderer on horseback is coming after the kid. The result is that the song is kind of terrifying — in a good way. Caccini was foolish to dismiss the technique as used this way (if that’s what he meant), though I can see why focusing on every word could be seen as excessive. I’m also not convinced that this way of doing it, setting the mood of the song, really qualifies as word painting.
(I suppose that anyone could have been riding the horse, but was there any question that it was in fact the bad guy?)
I think that although the idea of word painting can be seen in periods even after the Baroque period, I believe it has evolved just as music has evolved. The word painting we see in Bach’s music or in either version of the Erlking is very different from what we saw in “As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending”. In Weekles’ madrigal, the word painting is performed in order to literally paint a picture of what the words are saying while in the Erlking, it is simply used to set a mood of fear or urgency. The word painting Erlking does not literally emphasis individual words, but rather the atmosphere the words are trying to portray.
I personally think that word painting makes for a more entertaining listening experience, but that it can be unnecessary at times; it depends on the actual function of the song. For example, an opinion that I have personally developed throughout our studies is that I think that music with a particular, religious goal should be treated separately from secular music. I understand how extreme word painting in a religious song, perhaps meant to be performed in a church service, could come off as childish and unnecessary. I don’t think that this criteria should be limited to just religious music; I can see how word painting can come across as unnecessary embellishment in songs that are meant to deliver any kind of clear message. However, most people also enjoy listening to music simply for pleasure, and I think that word painting makes for a much more dynamic, exciting experience between the vocalist and and the instruments. Therefore, I don’t think that we can simply classify word painting as childish or as necessary – it depends on the context of the music.
I think that word painting- when used in moderation- can be extremely useful in emphasizing certain points and communicating underlying meaning to listeners. For example, hearing the piano’s horse-like tune in Die Erlkonig, helps listeners feel a sense of urgency and tension that really adds to the overall impact and interpretation of the song. It is this subtle, subconscious feeling that adds another dimension to the meaning of the song and makes it more interesting for audiences to listen to. Too much of this musical technique, however, can have negative effects on the listener’s experience and distract them from the overall meaning of the piece. Also, if word painting is used too often within a work, its unique effect is drowned out and there is no longer special attention brought to specific parts of the piece. For these reasons, composers should use caution when deciding if and where to utilize word painting in their works.
Personally I think word painting can be quite charming and light. As long as it is not overdone and over dramatized, word painting can significantly contribute to the atmosphere and mood of a musical piece. With regards to Weelke’s “As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending”, I thought that madrigal slightly crossed the line. The word painting in that music was way too obvious and blatant. As long as the use can be controlled, I have no concerns with word painting. In fact, it can significantly enhance a piece.
The general concept of word painting is very interesting to me. I think that it definitely allows the listener to engage at a deeper level with the music. Even though word painting is not as prominent as it once was, I can think many contemporary radio hits that take advantage of this technique. In Garth Brook’s “Friends in Low Places,” he actually sings the lowest pitch of the song on the word “low”. It’s interesting to listen to and the dramatic change in pitch draws attention to the meaning of the words.
Subtle word painting can enhance a musical piece, but once it becomes overdone it can sound tasteless and childish. I don’t think it’s too common to hear word painting in contemporary music, but I think it’s a cool differentiating factor for older music. It kind of shows how much music has evolved in its lyrical sense. Little characteristics like word painting helps me realize and appreciate how far music has come, and it makes me curious about what’s to come with the future of music.
I think that word painting is a nice and subtle way to show a composer’s artistic ability. As long as the technique is used in moderation, it can give listeners who notice it a new appreciation for the song and composer. A modern day example is Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around.” In this song when he sings “What goes around, goes around, goes around Comes all the way back around,” the lyrics descend an octave and then go back to the higher octave when he repeats the words which makes them seem circular.
I believe word painting is an effective way of expressing feelings. I do not think it is a childish thing, it is what makes music what is. The expression of the music through the techniques of the music. It is a nice compliment and accessory to a song to make it more enjoyable and understandable to the listener.
When I think of word painting I think of Wale’s “The Manipulation” and “The Manipulation 2”. The beginning of those songs start off in piano and a slow tempo. It sets the scene for soothing and smoothness. Which is what Wale is doing, trying to lure the girl in with his sweet words. The second half of these songs, get louder, and quicker. They are more intense and this is when Wale is showing another side, the true side of this character in the song, after they have gotten what they want, hence the “manipulation.”
I personally find word painting a catchy method to reel people in, rather than a childish representation. It may seem childish to some, but for me at least, it is a way to better understand what the composer is writing about by easily identifying with the words and what their implications are musically.
I think that word painting is an effective musical technique. I feel that it allows the listener to better connect with the work and and understand the musical piece. Therefore, I do not think that it is childish because it can significantly enhance a musical work.
In fact Weelke’s “As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending” is my favorite piece in the period before Enlightenment. The word painting makes the melody very catchy and mellow. The reason why world painting was abandoned may be that the it was not to the taste of the authoritative at that time. If we only look at the sheer musical value of the technique, I think it is quite creative and interesting per se.
I tend to agree with aprilmeehl. What I find most interesting is the evolution of word painting throughout time. Yes, we have been using the same techniques over time, but the meanings of the techniques change as the historical time period changes. Word painting went from superficially conveying what was happening in the story (descending scales with the word “running”) to attempting to evoke emotion and engagement with the listener, as in the Erlking. I just love seeing how social norms and attitudes are reflected in the music we’ve been listening to. I feel like all I need to do is hear a song now to have a glimpse of the time period it was written in- how the people of that period felt toward expression of emotion, what the major powerful forces were at the time(church, kings), how conservative/liberal the society was, etc. The evolution of word painting in music is a miniaturized representation of the evolution of society throughout the ages.
Do you think that applies today? When we listen to music on the radio today, do you think it’s a statement about our society’s values and the powerful forces in society? It may be, but I sure hope not.
I agree. Word painting is a very commonly used musical technique even today. It’s probably not limited to some certain genre of music, nor is it limited to music from certain countries or cultures. The reason of its popularity is probably that human beings tend to express the true emotion underlies the basic expression: that is, we want to use other ways, such as our tone, body language, etc., along with words to make our expression more vivid.
A form of word painting is prevalent in almost every song, even if its just in a subtle way. You have to express the mood of the words in the music or else the song comes out comical and ridiculous. The first song that comes to mind is “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” by the Beatles which describes a murderer with a playful cartoonish tune. It’s actually hilarious.
I think word painting is in fact a very useful tool for conveying a message. For instance, Handel creates a glorious atmosphere in “Hallelujah” by using word painting. The chorus sings “King of Kings” on very high notes, which emphasizes triumph and splendor. Without this technique of word painting this piece would not be one that invites adoration.
Overall, word painting allows for a connection between lyrics and notes, allowing the audience to grasp a deeper understanding of the piece. The question lies in whether there are new ways in which artists can reflect the meanings and emotions emulated by certain words. How can the same cohesion between sense and sound be maintained even as music continues to change?
I personally think word painting can add comedy or wit to a piece of music. I really enjoyed the idea we first saw in as vestas was from latmos hill descending. I chuckled at the “all alone” portion, which gave the whole piece a light feel. I also do believe, however, that the music produced should have some sort of emotional backing to it. If the song is about pain or sorrow, the word painting should not detract from the overall emotion of the piece. So I guess, whether I like word painting is on a case by case basis.
I really enjoyed listening to “As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending.” At first, I thought this piece was a little too cluttered. However, after a couple more play-throughs, I started to realize how the polyphony and word painting added to the piece. In general, I think word painting is a great technique that should be used sparingly. It allows composers to draw the audience members’ attention to a particularly important part during a musical piece. It makes music more interesting for listeners and allows us to contemplate why the composer might have “word-painted” certain parts of their text.
I think it depends on the certain piece of music. Thomas Weelkes’ “As vesta was from latmos hill descending, definitely is a great example for word painting. However, for pop and country music, they won’t sound as good during Thomas Weekles’ days.
I think word painting is one the most interesting concepts that we have learned about thus far. “As Vesta Was from Latmos Hill Descending” was a great example of it. One of my favorite contemporary examples of word painting is the song Never Meant by Owen (originally by American Football):
He sings “the other night, when we realized…. we were falling out of love.” As soon as he sing “out of love,” his guitar melody kicks back in and descends, as if to simulate a falling motion.
I personally believe that word painting is probably more enjoyable for the composer rather than the listener. Though it can intrigue the listener, not all listeners would understand exactly what is going on. The composer knows the words and his intentions with those words, but the listener does not always understand the piece in that same way.
Word painting emerges as a musical technique because of human’s nature to express certain words out with their underlying meanings. This is why some people find the technique is childish.