Not long ago I went to an Apple Store to buy an armband for my video iPod. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I asked the store clerk for help. He informed me that Apple didn’t make many armbands for video iPods, because they were just too big and clunky for exercise.
I stared in disbelief at the clerk, as visions of eras not far gone (at least in my mind) danced in my head. I remembered when the new portable stereo known as a boom box was the rage, and breakdancers carried them on their shoulders. Then I thought of the ingenious Walkman, first for tapes, and then for CDs. That was portable and small. Now, the clerk was telling me that this iPod in my hand—infinitely smaller than all of those, the size of an old cassette tape, really—was big and clunky? We obviously had different definitions of those terms.
In a world where technological advances are out of date almost before they hit the shelves, what is new and what is old—not to mention what is big and what is small—has become very relative. Taking a moment to look back to the way things once were can often offer new perspective on the present.
This month’s cover story features soprano Patrice Munsel, a singer who was a household name in the 1940s and ’50s. As you read about her Met debut at a time when world conditions forced the house to hire local singers, her career seems a lifetime away. And yet as you read about her evolving career, you see a singer who knew how to ride the cultural tides and technological waves of her time—delving into crossover, television, and movies—and suddenly the issues she faced seem remarkably similar to those singers face today.
Munsel starred in her own television show and appeared as a guest on many other variety shows, including The Perry Como Show, The Dean Martin Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Munsel found her place then, but is there a place for classical singers in television today? As the new pop culture phenomenon of reality TV replaces the variety shows of an earlier era, some classical singers are trying their luck on shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent. In this issue Valerie White Williams examines the value of the venue for the serious vocalist.
If you find yourself wishing that you could experience the star power of Munsel and others you read about in this issue, look no farther than the modern technological wonder of YouTube that allows today’s singer to see and hear singers of yesteryear. Also, read the first of a series of articles on historical recordings, describing how the industry has changed over the years and what singers can gain from the many available gems. With so many options, few excuses remain for ignoring what the performers of the past can teach us.
When I get dressed to exercise these days, I reach past my clunky video iPod to grab my lithe iPod shuffle, roughly the size of a small book of matches. I barely notice it clipped on my running shorts, but always marvel at the more than 250 songs it holds. I guess that store clerk was right after all.
