Bridging the training divide between studio preparation and characterisation in operatic performance using Michael Chekhov’s theory of Psychological Gesture

© 2010 Rebecca Elizabeth FrewThis dissertation makes a case for the application of Michael Chekhov’s Psychological Gesture as a method by which classical singers can integrate the components of voice training and role characterisation to make a successful transition from studio preparation to operatic work. It aims to awaken the singer’s imagination in performance to counter-balance the technical emphasis of the conservatorium singing studio. Psychological Gesture is discussed as a theoretical approach with origins in Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophical concept of moral imagination. In addition, a practical application of Psychological Gesture to the role of the Governess in Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw is presented