Heartbreaking: Singer Refers to Her Pianist as “Accompanist”
In a tragic story out of Winnipeg, MB, a pianist who has dedicated her life to performing with singers is questioning her future in the field after overhearing a mezzo refer to her in passing as an “accompanist”.
“I’ve heard of this happening to my colleagues,” said pianist Ingrid Again, found clutching a stack of tear-stained black binders. “The anguish, the humiliation, of being called an . . . I can’t even say it. My heart always went out to them. But I never imagined that anyone I worked with would do something so cruel to me. How could she say that? Did she even notice me playing alongside her in Frauenliebe und -Leben? Am I just a karaoke track to her?”
The term is considered by many in the vocal piano community to be a slur implying musical condescension.
“When I ask someone if they’d like to accompany me on a walk in the park, I’m not treating them as an equal,” Again explained between intermittent sobs. “I’m assuming they’ll walk 3 paces behind me at all times and dress in muted clothing. If I actually want to walk next to them, engage in conversation, and let them wear things they wouldn’t wear to a funeral, I ask them to collaborate with me on a walk in the park. It’s just the standard social etiquette we all know and live by.”
Mezzo-soprano Katelyn Murdoch insists she meant no ill-will toward her collaborator.
“I love Ingrid! I respect her, I appreciate her, and I love working with her,” maintained Murdoch. “People use the word “accompanist” all the time without intending contempt, so I didn’t even really think about it. It didn’t seem like a big deal.”
Despite Murdoch’s best efforts, Again remains inconsolable.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make music with another person again,” lamented Again, as she blew her nose and prepared to burn her personal copy of 24 Italian Songs and Arias. “First, I need some “me” time to find closure from the acute emotional pain of this trauma.”