“The Accompanist” is a surprisingly delightful poem by Dick Allen. I fully expected a convoluted poem judging off the title, as I have been misled in the past by simple titles. The poem, of course, focuses on accompanists which are musicians that perform with singers and accompany them, it’s in the name, with music. The poem highlights the circumstance of many accompanists, under-appreciated and bearing most of the workload.
The author, Dick Allen, makes it clear from the get-go that the poem is about pianists, expressing his worry for “the man or woman at the piano bench.” As the singers bask in the adulation of the crowd the pianist humbly sits behind, not nearly receiving an equal amount of praise. Dick Allen emphasizes the elegance of pianists, with their fingers gliding across the keys and how they excellently “turn sheet music pages, track the singer’s notes, cover the singer’s flaws.” That line serves well in making the author’s point clear. He admires the pianist in a concert, understanding the burden they carry while not getting the same amount of laudits.
Accompanists have always “lived in the shadows of reflected fame”, being viewed as almost auxiliary performers, rather than an equal part of an ensemble. However, Dick Allen clearly points out when “the singer’s voice dies ... there are just your last piano notes, not resentful at all, carrying us to the end, into those heartfelt cheers.”
“The Accompanist” brought to light something that is quite overlooked, and while I understand his sentiments and can somewhat sympathize with them, it’s only natural for the singer/frontman to be the star of the show. I believe the problem is when singers believe the musicians accompanying them, their accompanists, are replaceable and less important. I am personally much more impressed by a spectacular musician than by a spectacular singer. I just feel as if more time and practice goes into perfecting an instrument than a voice, but I could be entirely wrong.
Seems like this poem is super interesting. Sounds like the poem is something that you can relate to very well. Music is really important in our society but we sometimes overlook all of its amazing aspects.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people who play instruments are much more talented than people who sing. People who sing are born with the talent and just need to tweak it while people who play instruments need to learn from square one.
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