It takes a special event to awaken us to the awesome variety and potential perfection of human effort. A virtuoso performance on the musical saw did so for me.
A recent concert by the Colorado Symphony included the “Habanera” from the opera “Carmen,” in which the well-known aria (usually sung by a soprano) was performed by soloist Caroline McCaskey on a saw. By holding the handle of the saw between her knees, bending the blunt metal tip with her left hand, and bowing the straight edge, she was able to replicate the tones of the human voice. One can only imagine the hours of practice it must have taken to replicate an operatic melody on a tool! It was marvelous to witness the complicated networks of changing effort qualities employed in this virtuoso performance.
Rudolf Laban describes virtuosity as the “mechanical perfection of movements” in which “the victory of mind over matter appears complete.” He goes on to note that “virtuosity of this kind uses the movements of the body as the skilled laborer uses his tools. The high economy of effort which characterizes skill is common to both the laborer and the virtuoso.”
According to Laban, we are charmed by virtuosity because “the high economy of effort makes the movement look almost effortless.” And this is ironic – such perfection should inspire us to become more aware of how we apply effort in our own endeavors. Yet often it does not.
During my years as a starving artist in New York City, I came to appreciate the range of artistic events available. It was possible to see the very best, and also some of the very worst. Wonderful performances were not always instructive. The artists made it look so easy that I suspended my critical faculties and merely enjoyed the experience. In contrast, the dull dance concert or the struggle of the beginning stand-up comedian on open mic night was often more thought-provoking. The lack of skill provided an opportunity to become more aware of the effort elements needed to sustain interest or get a laugh.