Tracing the Madness

Victoria Oftestad

As a tourist in London during the late 17th century, it was mandatory to visit the House of Bedlam, the biggest mental institution in the city. The patients, being considered completely unreasonable, were attributed animalic characteristics, which was reflected in the brutal treatment behind the bars. The ultimate mirroring of the culture of exposing madness could be found in the theatre. Composers for the theatre, in wanting to explore the inability of reason in humanity, wrote The Mad Songs, where the madness is reflected in quick shifts in emotions. These songs have been my tool to gain access to a broader palette of expression in singing. I have developed a handbook of historically informed techniques and documented my process of embodying them, using sources such as Le Brun's "Conférence (...)" (1698); Walter Charleton's "Natural History of the Passions" (1701); Aaron Hill's "The Art of Acting" (1753); and George Vandenhoff's "The Art of Elocution" (1846). My quest for madness has also become a quest for genuinity. When Charles Le Brun conveyed his theory of expression on canvas, he strongly distinguished the difference between painting tense muscles and painting genuine expression. This has become a guideline for my research: in order to gain genuinity, one has to channel a reaction and produce an impulse. This study is an attempt to bridge the gap between now and then, allowing for a deeper understanding of the Mad Songs, as well as encouraging others to dive into theatrical repertoire on its own premises.

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V.XIII THE WHOLE SONG

As a way to let my performance develop organically, I decided to practice the emotional transitions isolated; then to add the recitation of the song lyrics; and in the end add the music with accompaniment.

(The reflections on this part is included on the next page)

I have also included an overview my "set of passions" as I planned them to connect with the song:

DESPAIR

Restless in thought, disturbed in mind,

sudden transition

MELANCHOLY/GRIEF

Short sleeps, deep sighs,

sudden transition

FEAR

ah! much I fear

The inevitable time assigned by fate

gradual transition

JOY->LOVE

To love's approaching near.

gradual transition

ANGER

Restless in thought, disturbed in mind,

sudden transition

WONDER

Short sleeps, deep sighs,

gradual transition

HOPE

ah! much I fear

The inevitable time assigned by fate

gradual transition

LOVE

To love's approaching near.

When the dear object present is,

gradual transition

DESIRE

My fluttering soul is all on fire,

sudden transition

JOY

His sight's a heaven of happiness

And, if he stays, no, no, I can't retire.

sudden transition

REVENGE

Tell me, someone in love well read,

If these be symptoms of that pain;

sudden transition

MELANCOLY AND FEAR

Alas, I fear my heart is fled,

Enslaved to love, and love in vain.

The three following videos are three different versions of the Mad Song, all from the same session with Agata Sorotokin:

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Victoria Oftestad - Tracing the Madness - 2025