Collaborative pianists need all the same technical skills required of soloists, and some would argue that they need to be able to play mezzo forte and under.
My immediate reaction was, “Wait a minute!” Let’s look more closely.
Collaboration is working with others to do a task and to achieve shared goals. It is a recursive[1] process where two or more people or organizationswork together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective determination to reach an identical objective[by whom?][original research?]) — for example, an endeavor[2][3] that is creative in nature[4]—by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus. Most collaboration requires leadership, although the form of leadership can be social within a decentralized and egalitarian group.[5] In particular, teams that work collaboratively can obtain greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources.[6] Collaboration is also present in opposing goals exhibiting the notion of adversarial collaboration, though this is not a common case for using the word.
(Note: color and bolding added by GS for emphasis.)
Breaking it down
This implies much more than the prevailing misconception, by now outdated, concerning collaborative piano playing. Even after more than 50 years of the progress begun by Gerald Moore and further championed by Gwendolyn Koldofsky and others, a significant number of pianists continue to subscribe to the habit of just showing up without practicing.
An additional component of this view seems to be a desire to stay out of the way!
I strongly disagree with this idea. If one’s sole interest is not to be heard, then why show up at all? (Gerald Moore’s humorous book, “Am I too Loud?” was first published in 1962!)
The author of the book quoted above says, “some would argue that they need to be able to play mezzo forte and under.” If one is to interpret this as a recommendation to play mf and under at all times, I have to ask, “Why?”
The music
The piano part/reduction is part of the total fabric of sound. It is crucial to have a point of view about the music which is expressed primarily by the manner in which one plays.
Even when playing for very young musicians, the bass line can be prominent. They need the support. An obligato line above or below the singers’ range should be heard. Introductions, interludes, and postludes are shaping the piece, not interfering. The rhythm should be clear and compelling, providing a foundation for inexperienced musicians. Why are we there? How are we supporting a young musician’s efforts if we may as well not be in the room at all? Do we not have a responsibility to be there?
In other situations, with more experienced singers and instrumentalists (who produce more sound), the solo line is not always the most interesting. Think of Beethoven’s “Spring” sonata (violin/piano), for example:
The violinist clearly has the theme throughout the opening statement. And then, in the 2nd system, 4th bar, the piano has thematic material, marked crescendo, proceeding without pause into a restatement of the same theme. Since the piano part is occupying a higher range at that point, it will be heard.
Note that the violin and piano parts are both marked piano, even though each plays thematic as well as non-thematic music. The equal dynamic markings would imply that both parts are to be heard. Why would the piano part be less important/played at a lower dynamic than the violin?
We have another example in Händel’s “Care selve” from Atalanta:
In this aria, the vocal and piano lines are beautifully interwoven. Listen to the incomparable Montserrat Caballé and her superb pianist, who should have been credited on YouTube! What do you hear? Is the pianist voicing his part? The bass line is always there, the melody is clear when echoing the singer, and the interludes fill the room.
A heads up: prepare to be floored!
Teatro Real de Madrid, 1979
When learning Handel’s “Sweet Bird,” I listened to several recordings so I could learn more about ornamentation. Roberta Peters’ performance with a flutist was stunning. They opted to do only the exposition (one page), then added two more pages of a duet. Their sounds blended perfectly, with the most amazing trills. I was in awe listening to the ensemble’s perfectly matched sound, ornaments rhythmically free (rather than using regular note values, the performers, who were often trilling in 3rds, used slower notes, then faster, then added a turn). I listened to the recording over and over, mesmerized.
Point of view
When I was a scholarship student at the Aspen Music Festival, the Juilliard String Quartet was in residence all summer. Their open rehearsals were attended by singers of all voice types and interests, and students who played a variety of instruments. Why were so many students attending, week in and week out? The quartet talked about the music. During one rehearsal, a disagreement continued for several minutes. The cross-rhythms in Brahms needed clarification among the players.
One instance in which cross-rhythms are found is in 6/8 time, when the notes can be divided into groups of 2 or 3. When there is one more than one part, both groupings can happen simultaneously.
In this memorable rehearsal, each player was staking a claim to the way he wanted to play a section containing cross-rhythms. The violist opted for one rhythmic grouping; the cellist another. When the 2nd violinist chose a larger note grouping, the 1st violinist decided, “I’ll just fit in.”
At that moment (it didn’t take long!), the other three players ganged up on him. “No! You have to make up your mind!”
The rehearsal had just become more… interesting, as the quartet’s cellist Joel Krosnick would say.
The decision was made, and the quartet tried it out. Each player was doing something different! It was wonderful.
What would have happened had everyone opted to “Just fit in?” How compelling can that be?
I submit that staying out of the way is not music, and it certainly is not collaboration. If you have nothing worth saying, why play at all? If you can’t be heard, what’s the point? What contribution does that make? How is that supportive?
Bottom line
In order to collaborate as pianists, we need to ask for the music in advance (and obtain it!), practice well, and have a point of view about the music. In rehearsals, our point of view may change. Collaboration means hearing what the other musicians have to say. An interpretation reached by sharing ideas is what collaboration aims to achieve.
To reiterate the definition provided above, when we collaborate, we:
…work together to realize shared goals [in] … a deep, collective determination to reach an identical objective…
What does “collaboration” mean to you? How did you arrive at your conclusions?
Comments welcome!
Check back for my next post, PianoAnd: Children’s voices
★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★
Please take a look at my e-book!
“Goal-oriented Practice” Are you practicing well? What do you do when you hit a snag? How do you help your students practice?
Do you have a plan for putting difficult pieces together at performance tempo? How do you help your students achieve a steady tempo without slowing down in difficult passages?
This book will help you take a step back, save practice time, learn more music, and perform with confidence. Whether teaching, playing solo, or collaborating with other musicians, you will find many useful suggestions here.
50% off!!! Absolutely NO JARGON! Even my non-musician little sister says so.
Click on the link to see the book intro, table of contents, reviews, and reader comments.
What did you find here? What would you like to see? Comments welcome!
If this post has been helpful and you think your friends and contacts would benefit from reading it, please share.
Have you worked from scores containing editors’ markings that could be interpreted as being misleading? How did you proceed?
Last week I had the privilege of collaborating with a talented violinist, a high school senior. One piece on her recital program was the Trio Sonata for Flute, Violin and Continuo in G Major, BWV 1038, by J.S. Bach. The flutist was also a high school senior.
Both played very well. Baroque style, however, seemed to be unfamiliar to them. So they relied on the score much more than on listening to each others’ phrasing.
The edition we were using contained editors’ markings which were misleading if taken literally.
First rehearsal
This was to be our only rehearsal together, with the exception of a short time in the hall prior to the performance.
I liked many aspects of what I heard:
In-tune playing.
Good balance of sound (one player not louder or softer than the other).
Legato playing, appropriate for this largo movement.
Nice tempo.
In the “needs work” department:
• Give and take so the moving part could carry the music.
Each player needed to diminuendo on the long notes, as they had alternating parts. Both players were more familiar with other musical styles, where a crescendo would be called for instead.
Notice in this clip that the top part (flute) plays tied notes while the 2nd part (violin) has more melodic and rhythmic interest. The give and take in the sound when the players honor that approach changes the sound completely. Now it sounds baroque rather than romantic.
• The music needed forward motion.
This could be heard primarily in the flute part. The flutist, looking at the editor’s markings, playing the slurs as indicated. In addition, because she needed to breathe, she would breathe after a short note. That took just enough extra time to interrupt the flow of the music, whereas taking time away from a long note in order to breathe would not have had the same effect.
Take a look at the top two parts (flute and violin, respectively). Notice how the markings seem to ask for the longer note to be slurred to the shorter one?
The music flows when exactly the opposite phrasing is used, as in the notation at the right of this example:
So we changed it! The sound improved immediately.
Second rehearsal
This rehearsal was with violin and piano only. However, we had an opportunity to discuss the Bach.
At the end of the first rehearsal, my impression was that the violinist understood the changes we had made. The flutist had improved, but was still relying on the printed score more than listening to the flow of the music.
My suggestion was for the violinist and the flutist to get together by themselves. They attend the same school and have free time, so this was not a problem. I asked the violinist to coach the rehearsal, finding musical lines they could play together, such as this one:
My goal was to make any differences in phrasing between the two players as clear as possible. Rehearsing alternating lines might not have had the same effect.
Pre-recital and performance
I am delighted to say that the sound was transformed! During our brief time in the recital hall prior to the performance, we had just a few minutes to rehearse this piece. After marking in accidentals that crept up on both players, likely because of nerves, I felt encouraged. If everyone could remain calm, count, listen, and enjoy it, we had an excellent chance of performing well.
And… it happened! The audience loved what they heard, and I felt gratified.
Here are two YouTube videos of this beautiful piece. Enjoy!
One version, performed with piano:
And another version, this time with harpsichord:
Have you worked from scores containing editors’ markings that could be interpreted as being misleading? How did you proceed?
★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★
Improve your practice results with my e-book!
Are you heading into June and beyond without a teacher? Need fresh ideas to share with your students?
Teach students as individuals, and perform with confidence.
The following conversation, in response to Part V of this series, took place on Facebook:
ContributorHi Gretchen, what’s your suggestion making sure the congregation doesn’t get thrown off when using alternative arrangements to accompany congregational singing (as opposed to using them when the choir is singing a hymn as an anthem)?
Gretchen Saathoff Hmm… I’ll think about it! At Riverside, it’s not a problem. Have the choir sing the melody, disperse the choir throughout the congregation, try the Hymn of the Month approach, Try practicing the alternative arrangement for 2 minutes with the congregation, then use it in the hymn. Use the traditional harmonization for all verses except the last. That way, the congregation has been singing the tune for several verses already.
Gretchen SaathoffAnd try not to go too far afield with the alternate harmonization. The green Lutheran hymnal that replaced the red one had so many funky arrangements, they made very little sense. So why would anyone want to sing them.
ContributorThanks, Gretchen. Good advice here. There is a new red Lutheran hymnal, the ELW, that kept some of the old arrangements from the green LBW, and has lots of new hymns without harmonization, just melodies. So that helps. (But they left off the time signatures, which leads to confusion.) But if the hymn is new, even if only the melody is printed, the alternative arrangement still challenges the ear. And about the funky arrangements, people who can sing parts, oftentimes can sing even the funky ones, and some need to do that, because the melody is too high for them. I like the idea of practicing the alternative arrangement with the congregation – hadn’t thought of it as a possibility before!
Gretchen SaathoffNo time sigs? Not especially helpful, I’d think. Also, there is no need to use only the arrangements in the book. Change it so it works. Keep some parts and not others. Write a new one. If the melody is too high, something needs to change, such as trasposing down or maybe singing the melody an octave lower. The congregation needs the choir to sing the melody in unison on alternate harmonizations. When they can hear it, they sing better.
Gretchen SaathoffThere are lots of alternative harmonizations out there: volumes of hymns for organ, choral anthems, hymnals from other denominations, AGO website, etc. Plenty of hymn improvisations can be heard on YouTube.
Gretchen SaathoffFree association, you understand… and now it’s time for dinner! Back later.
★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★
And a followup Facebook Message from yours truly:
During services in various denominations, I sometimes would play an alternative harmonization from a funky organ collection (The Sunday Morning Organist, I think). Just leave out the whiz bang awful parts when they don’t work.
Similarly, there are plenty of anthems that work, for the most part, but also have spots that don’t. One example is asking the choir to hold the last note for 8 bars. Does this make the ending better? Does singing a high note improve the message? That all depends on the choir, what else is going on (i.e. the keyboard part might be just fine on its own). Sometimes a “festive” ending will be tacked on that isn’t really needed. When the rest of the piece works well, I omit the parts that don’t work.
There may be one stanza of an anthem that splits into 8 parts, for example. When you have 6 people in your choir that Sunday, you have to think on your feet and find something that works. What do you have to keep? The melody and the bass line? Is the alto part more interesting than the tenor, or vice versa?
If one stanza is too elaborate for your circumstances, then sing the rest of the anthem and omit that one.
If the printed introduction is too long or too short, or is confusing to your choir/congregation, then by all means change it!
Thanks so much to my contributor, who prefers to remain anonymous.
Which approaches have the most success in your church?Comments and suggestions welcome!
Please see previous posts in this series.
★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★
While you’re here, please take a look at my ebook,
Free of musical jargon, it will save you time. By identifying practice goals, you will soon be able to learn music more accurately, resulting in confident playing.
Click on the link to see reviews, book intro, and table of contents!
English: Bromo-Seltzer advertisement for headache medicine. Lottie Collins sings Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-de-ay! after being healed by the medicine and this effect makes her to dance and sing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Several years ago I went out to dinner with a singer/client. Although she had a pounding headache, she was delightful company. She was joking, laughing, and making wonderful contributions to our conversation.
How was she able to be so personable, considering that she had a headache?
Well, she was compartmentalizing. I didn’t understand how to do that at the time. But I worked on it, and am now so much better!
Which brings me to the point: What happened to Andy Murray in the quarterfinals at this year’s US Open?
He tanked! There is plenty of video footage of him smashing his racquet against the court and screaming during his match with Stan Wawrinka. That was between points. During play, he looked like a bump on a log. He let shots go without moving at all, netted several returns, and generally looked disengaged.
Don’t you think the spectators who paid for those expensive tickets expected to see both players at their best?
I should say that I have long thought Murray’s game was erratic. He is extremely talented, but his widely variable focus and frequent lack of will make his game so inconsistent.
What would happen if he could put his frustrations in a box for the duration of the match? Does he need to vent so much that it saps his concentration?
Try this: When you are practicing and feel distracted, frustrated, angry at the company you spent an hour on hold with just now, or worried about something else, take out your imaginary box. Put all of that in the box, then go to the front door. Open the door, and place your imaginary box out in the hallway.
All your “stuff” will still be there when you’re finished practicing. You can have it back if you want it.
By the way, the same procedure works just as well for rehearsals, auditions, juries, and performances!
I am one of those people who reads The New York Times every day. Because articles often catch my eye while flipping through the paper, subscribing only to the online version would be unsatisfactory.
When scrolling through headlines on the web, the gist of an article or a photograph will be lost. So, since I am not a scientist, for example, I probably would not click on a title about plasma physics. Seeing a photo that catches my eye, or maybe an article summary on the page itself, results in my reading more of the paper and being more informed.
That’s how this article came to my attention. I am not a golfer. But as it turns out, professional golfers and professional musicians have a lot in common.
An important point made in the article, to me, is that Mr. Karlsson asked someone to help who could address his specific problem. Asking his best friend or his cousin may not have had the same effect.
What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the Comment Section below!
These related articles express 2 different points of view:
This GIF image is an animation created by taking 101 cross-sections of the 2-dimensional analog of a chaos game performed using a pentachron as the bounding figure. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
I think this is a cool image, which develops over a few seconds’ time.Wait for it!
Something mysterious and wonderful is happening with my church choir. This is my attempt to arrive at more detail about how we went from fog to focus with limited rehearsal time.
First occurrence
There were good reasons, surely, for people to be distracted. Two singers arrived later than usual, changing the sound. In addition, there were some rehearsal instructions that had not made it to their ears yet.
The anthem was Immortal Love, For Ever Full by John Greenleaf Whittier and Philip R. Dietterich. It had special meaning for one choir member who had known the composer.
The nitty-gritty
Individual choir members were saying“What do I sing?” “We’re slowing down!”and“Something’s wrong!”We were running short on rehearsal time, so someone had to get everybody to focus on the service that would begin in a few minutes.
“What do I sing?”resulted from the unison first verse changing to 3 parts in the second. Two parts now appeared on the same treble staff. If someone is a little pressed for time, especially, that can be cause for confusion.
“We’re slowing down!”turned out to be a breathing arrangement that hadn’t been learned yet. During a verse written as a round, each of the 2 parts could have taken a breath with the comma in the text. But then they would have been breathing at different times. My thought was that we had too little time to go with that choice.
Alternate choice:The women had 2 half notes, separated by a comma. Breathing between 2 half notes is not a problem.
The men had 4 quarter notes, also with a comma in the middle. For everyone to breathe together, the men, with very little rehearsal time, needed more space to breathe. (We had no time to rehearse cutting a quarter note short, breathing quickly, and continuing in tempo.)
The way it workedwas for everyone to look up (at me), take a breath while watching me conduct the slight stretch in rhythm, sing the next measure, and listen to the piano. I continued playing in tempo immediately after the breath.
“Something’s wrong!” Now we’re on page 3 of the anthem. And yes, there’s a meter change and a faster tempo. Although I was conducting with large motions, everyone was looking down at the music.
So… next, everyone watched me, I talked through what I was conducting (counting), then sang while conducting, then played the piano part while counting aloud.
Success!
I especially like the way the anthem is voiced. To make an impressive ending to the middle section, the composer asks the choir to crescendo on an ascending line. Following their final phrase in the section, the piano continues outward, above and below the voice parts, continuing the crescendo.
The ending is equally effective. In it, the singers are in the middle of their ranges, similar to the way hymns typically are written. The piano part surrounds the voices, adding to the sonority without duplicating their parts.
I learned something from this piece. The keyboard can be used to enhance the other parts, rather than always “helping” them. Although I sometimes play parts and sometimes the accompaniment, this was a clear use of enhancement during an entire piece.
Second occurrence
Last Sunday, due to choir members’ other commitments, we found ourselves singing with 4 members. I went into the rehearsal with concerns about volume and how many voice parts could be accomplished.
So we sang through the anthem, Have Thine Own Way, Lord by Pollard, Stebbins, and Scott. So far, so good! In this arrangement of the well-known hymn, the listener’s impression is of the serenity of a lullaby. One of my first thoughts upon hearing 4 people singing the piece was that the arrangement was an excellent fit for our circumstances of the moment.
Verse 1 is for men’s voices. When I asked our only bass of the day to sing out, he delivered. A soprano then suggested that the alto, who has low notes, sing with him. Even better!
It took a little cajoling to get everyone to hold their music up, look up, listen to each other (so the women could enter together with the men at the beginning of Verse 2), and send their sound to the back of the sanctuary. Someone picked a spot on the back wall, which helped everyone focus and feel confident.
I found myself not playing the voice parts. No one needed that. Instead, I found ways to enhance what the singers were doing. So I was there, supporting them, adding to their sound, but not competing.
The piano part added to this wonderful hymn is perfectly fine, but I felt that we could benefit from less of it. So I cut the introduction and the interlude to 4 bars each. Also, in one verse where the accompaniment asked for a constant repeated chord in the bass, the right hand was duplicating the voice parts. I omitted the right hand. And then, rather than interfere with the singing, I used the bass chord to add rhythmic interest. That was accomplished by playing harmonic rhythm (nuanced chords) between times. I omitted the chord printed under the choir’s last note in a phrase, and played beginning with their first rest between phrases. So the music continued, and the singers were heard.
Had the singers begun to sound insecure, I would have played whichever parts I wasn’t hearing. But they didn’t need it!
Something I learned about rehearsing
I found myself listening to each person’s concerns, but didn’t go there. With limited time, my focus had to be on why each person was expressing each concern. Becoming more involved with each detail could have led to any number of tangents, but not necessarily to good results.
That day I kept my cool. It worked!
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Andrei Rubiev (1360-1430) (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Happy Easter, everyone!
My choir sang so well today! That had a lot to do with everyone showing up on time. And there was extra bustle to ignore during our rehearsal.
The tempo changes, dynamic changes at exactly the right time, and watching so we could pull it off together were all wonderful. And the words were the clearest and most expressive ever. (Singing a “v” sound like you would say it to someone nearby is not nearly enough. You need to feel your lower lip buzz! Also, getting “sing” out on a fast note is not so easy! It’s important to take time to make sound on the vowel and not go to the “ng” too soon. We took a little more time on “sing” to do this, the result being that the congregation could understand the text. No one would perceive taking time for clarity of text as bad rhythm!)
Examples
The keyboard introduction started on beat 2 of the bar, and was only 4 beats long (rest 2 3 4| 1 sing).
The first two choral snippets were identical; the next one began one beat later, and was printed on a new system.
Several words were tricky to enunciate. To be as expressive as possible, we needed to sing piano, then crescendo immediately beginning with “risen” in the phrase, “Christ is risen from the dead.” “Christ is risen” is sung on low notes, so making that happen requires work!
“Christ is risen, we are risen” (making “we” expressive rather than a bland continuation of the sentence).
“Bled” has 2 consonants at the beginning.
“Gladness” also has 2 consonants to start.
The piece included several sudden tempo changes, fermati, and crescendos through final words in phrases.
The ending, a long tied note, needed a subito piano inserted so the following crescendo to the end could be effective. The choir loved experiencing how good they sounded! (“That really works!”)
Results
Everyone put in quite an effort. Today’s anthem had something new around every corner!
I conducted a lot today. This anthem would have been less successful without assertive motions, accented playing (piano), and eye contact from the choir.
And, experienced choral singers that they are, the choir took care of the things I forgot. One singer returned today after an extended illness. He opted to remain seated during the anthem, which I assured him was fine. Of course, when four singers stood in front of him, he couldn’t see me. So the singer who was directly in front of him simply moved over! Problem solved with no disruption at all.
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Last night during dinner (in MA), I received the following message from a singer I coach who had traveled to FL:
“Help! I’m in FL for my godmother’s funeral and it’s looking like the organist is, well, not with it. The family let him know they wanted me to do a solo at the beginning of the week and he didn’t get in touch with me till today [Friday] (funeral is tomorrow AM) and now he says he’s not ‘primarily’ an organist and he’s not sure he can play “Oh Rest in the Lord” or “He Shall Feed His Flock” on such short notice??????? Oh, and he didn’t call me sooner because he was kayaking!
I mean, taking a job as an organist and then saying you can’t do something simple like that? And being an organist means being available for funerals, n’est-ce pas? They aren’t generally planned in advance!!”
What to do? No singer should have to be dragged down by a pianist. The funeral was this morning, and I’m waiting for an update. Hopefully the organist got with the program and didn’t freak out during the service.
I suggested to the singer that she could sing unaccompanied. She would be comfortable with that, and then wouldn’t have to second-guess the organist or adjust to his discomfort.
If the organist decided to play and the rehearsal went fairly well, hopefully he didn’t drag the singer down during her solo. I told her that if he messed up, just ignore him. Can you imagine looking over to discern what the pianist might be doing when you are so emotionally involved in your singing?
We’ll see how things transpired. The singer and I are driving to Boston and back on Monday (90 miles), so we’ll have plenty of time to talk. This will make for fascinating conversation!
Every coach I know who is worth his or her salt checks for messages every 1/2 hour or so. Next time the singer is out of town, she might have to take me! 😉
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
The singer arrives warmed up, with the music translated and learned. Along with possessing a beautiful voice, these are the basics.
On occasion, a singer receives a call for a last-minute audition. If the call comes after dinner and the audition is the next morning at 10, that constitutes a true emergency. In that case, it would be understandable for the singer to be less prepared.
In the great majority of coaching sessions, a coach does not expect to teach notes, rhythms, and do the translation from scratch. When the singer is prepared, there is so much more that can happen.
If all a singer (or instrumentalist or actor) brings to a performance is her/his beautiful voice, that is not enough. Without consonants, correct vowels, many contrasting sounds in the voice, and a dramatic interpretation, there is just one sound. And the constant use of just one sound, no matter how beautiful, is not expressive.
A recent program
What follows is a description of my coaching sessions prior to a mid-September voice recital.
“Servasi alla mia bella/Amor commanda” (Floridante, Händel)
We made decisions about expressing the text.
prominent initial consonants (i.e. “caro”)
double consonants (which affect the rhythm)
using warm, expressionless (for effect), or emphatic vocal qualities
singing as if speaking the text, without being glued to the rhythmic notation
We practiced how much time to take between the recitative and the aria, allowing time to breathe. (An 8th note rest is indicated. We took about 3 quarter rests instead.)
We made a dynamic scheme to fit the text
We added ornaments on repeats
We wrote a cadenza for the end of the vocal line
We made the difference clear between Classical and Baroque ornamentation.
The ornamented sections needed to be practiced a few times under tempo. When there is more than one syllable involved, things can get a little tricky. (Where do you sing _ _ _ ?)
“E pur così in un giorno/Piangerò la sorte mia” (Giulio Cesare, Händel) was next on the program, but you get the idea, so let’s continue.
“Zeffiretti lusinghieri” (Idomeneo, Mozart)
We explored ways to apportion the breath to express the words effectively while singing very long phrases.
We practiced the written-in ornaments, making sure to be expressive and not rush. Sometimes a little more time was needed. As long as the tempo returns immediately after, no one will notice. They hear expressive singing, and are not keeping track with a metronome.
The dynamics needed our attention. When a phrase repeats, for example, it needs to be varied.
We practiced how to approach a fermata and how to continue after, gracefully.
Endings of phrases needed care. Very often, an unaccented final syllable will be notated with the same rhythm as the accented penultimate syllable. They are not equal. Also, the final syllable may be sung on a higher note, making it sound louder (i.e. accented) if the singer is not careful.
We added a few ornaments and a short cadenza of our own.
“Una donna a quindici anni” (Così fan tutte, Mozart)
Sounding playful while singing through the phrases was something we worked on.
We practiced singing “finger riso, finger pianti” with the high “G’s” short and just touched with the voice. Despina is laughing and isn’t thinking about how to produce her high notes!
We added an ornament. You don’t need a lot, it’s where you sing them that’s important.
Previous considerations such as double consonants and what to do before and after fermati were present in this aria as well.
“The Soldier Tir’d” (Artaxerxes, Thomas Arne)
The singer had this aria down pat. It was new to me, and I had my work cut out for me! The piano reduction is clearly for trumpets and orchestra. My job was to make the various changes in instrumentation clear between sections, also incorporating plenty of variety in dynamics and articulation. So I had the trumpets play some passages detached, others smoother, some louder, some softly. The strings were sometimes legato and pizzicato at other times. Sometimes I used sudden dynamic contrasts between sections. Other times, I had one group of instruments crescendo or diminuendo into the next group’s entrance.
Again, no repeated phrase was performed the same way as the previous one.
It took a lot of work, but in the end it was fun! Getting over the fear and just going for it made all the difference.
Arias from The Rake’s Progress (Stravinsky)
The piano reduction is discussed in a previous post.
The singer and I worked on coordinating our parts, as these pieces are rhythmically difficult.
We dreamt up some imaginary staging. That made it easier to sing expressively.
A good example of using the text well: the word “colder” is sung 3 times in the same phrase! Is the same word sung the same way 3 times in a row? NO… the story is conveyed so much more convincingly when the text is treated dramatically.
Gilbert & Sullivan arias and ensembles
I am going to take the liberty not to discuss this group at length. We made sure the words were clear and rehearsed one or two musical cues.
“Gualtier Maldè!/Caro nome” (Rigoletto, Verdi)
Verdi style! How much give and take is there, and where? I can’t explain that in writing, but that is exactly what we practiced. Listening to good Verdi recordings with the score will give you a much better idea of his wonderful writing for the voice.
In the aria, we worked on how to sound breathless while not letting the audience hear the breaths! (No hyperventilating allowed.)
We double-checked the pitches in the cadenzas. It’s so easy to slip past one and then start leaving it out. (That is why every singer needs an eagle-eyed and -eared coach!)
The passage at the top of the penultimate page is problematic, with its wide intervals, staccati, and accents. In order for the voice to be heard, I think this passage must be done under tempo.
Further detail would be difficult to express in writing. I hope this post provides an idea of what happens in vocal coaching sessions. Coaching and voice lessons are very different!
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
E-books
Learning a new piece? New program? Back in school? Looking for teaching ideas? Read “Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer!”
