INTRODUCTION
I. SOCIOCULTURAL REALITY AND
PRESENT-DAY BERTSOLARITZA
II. ACHIEVING A BALANCE AMONGST THE CHALLENGES FACING BERTSOLARITZA: KEYS
TO THE CREATIVITY OF THE TRADITION
1.1 Total absence of mass production
1.2. Public participation and the vital importance of feedback
1.3. The nature of live performance in a public area and group participation
1.4. Integrated nature of the audience
1.5. Accessibility of the bertsolari: economic self-sufficiency and modesty
2. What does the bertsolari sing?
3. Achieving a balance amongst the challenges. What are roots for?
III. THE PROCESS OF CREATING
IMPROVISED BERTSOS
IV. PROPOSALS FOR A THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
1.2 Public
participation and the vital importance of feedback
In chapter
III we set out the various expressions of bertsolaritza: as a public spectacle;
as a group entertainment activity; as a school activity; as a sub-genre
in the media. It is not difficult to imagine a highly participatory activity
in the expression of bertsolaritza when referring to group entertainment
activity and school activity. But it is also important to underline the
special participatory character of bertsolaritza in its expression as
public spectacle.
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| Photo: A. Elosegi / Source: XDZ |
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| Photo: N. Moreno / Source: XDZ |
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| Photo: N. Moreno y A. Unamuno / Source: XDZ |
In fact,
a public performance of bertsolaris in a town square, theatre or pelota
court, is a performance in which public feedback plays a very important
role. The importance of the public response or feedback is self-evident
in any public spectacle. However, when this spectacle is based on improvisation,
on the unrepeatable nature of the time and place, the relationship between
creator and public acquires a special importance. In the case of bertsolaritza
the reactions of the public —their eyes, their applause, their laughter,
their silences— are inputs of primary importance for the improviser.
That is, they influence the creative stream itself as a consequence of
its improvised nature.
This confers
on the bertsolari’s performance a high degree of public participation
in its outcome: the response of the public has considerable repercussions
on the development of the creation. After all, the context in a recital
of bertsos is an essentially creative element.