Klarinet Archive - Posting 000721.txt from 1998/02

From: David H Eby <davideby@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Working with singers
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 06:40:54 -0500

I sang for fifteen years with the Portland Symphonic Choir, the group used by
the Oregon Symphony Orchestra when they do works with chorus. I can assure you
that those of us in the choir did what the conductor wanted! Choral singers
must follow the director just as much as the orchestral musicians.

There is an obvious feeling among the instrumentalists that singers aren't
musicians of the same standard as instrumentalists. I'll readily agree with
this. However, the basics of interpretation are the same for all of us.

My comments above apply to the choral setting. Soloists have a different
standard, and that is that their accompanists follow them, and exist for the
purpose of making the singer sound good... (I'd like to think that I've
overstated that, but it's certainly true for some.) However, vocal training
certainly shouldn't allow the redefinitions of basic musical terms that you
have listed! I know mine didn't!

David Eby

Daniel A. Paprocki wrote:

> I'm doing a recital this April with a soprano. This is the first time I'm
> working with a singer. I'm curious if others have had the same experience.
> My observations are:
>
> dim = ritard
> end of phrase = ritard
> rit = ritard 2 measures early than ritard alot
> approaching a rest = ritard
> when in doubt = ritard
>
> This soprano has a fine voice and is a good musician but I've never seen so
> much rubato with a tempo. Maybe I should qualify myself - I had just
> finished a weekend doing Bartok Miraculous Mandarin so my internal
> metronome and rhythm machinery was honed to a fine edge. What have other's
> experiences been with singers? Is this an isolated event? I know every
> soprano out there is going to flame me.
>
> Dan
>
> *********************************************************************
> Daniel A. Paprocki
>
> Instructor of Clarinet & Music, Malone College
> Adjunct Professor of Clarinet, Kent State University - Stark Campus
>
> dap@-----.net
> **********************************************************************