Author: BlockEyeDan
Date: 2006-01-22 17:45
Hello all,
It's been a bit since I've last posted. I'm currently involved in a production of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortileges. Unfortunately, I'm not playing bass clarinet or contrabassoon or anything fun like that. I'm singing. I'm singing a part which I have no business singing. It's the "Ding Ding Ding", and I'm a grandfather clock. I have to sing in heavily accented French at the top of my lungs, while crawling about the stage. The metrononme marking on my song is quarter note=168. Oh yeah, and it's mostly TRIPLETS. Did I mention it's in French? I'm also a true bass singing a baritone part; the belted G4 is not exactly comfortable for me.
So how did I get involved in this? Our music dept. chairman, who is also my choir instructor, recruited me for the show. We made a tape of the song with him at the piano for me to practice with. Unfortunately, the tape is at quarter note=120 or so. We've been staging the production the past few days using the CD (mm=168!), and I am simply unable to perform the choreography and sing properly at that speed. I've had to sacrifice one for the other, and that doesn't fly with him. He tells me to just DO IT. I feel like an ass in front of my cast members because I'm tripping up during this number. They are sympathetic to my plight and agree that the song is damn near impossible to do at that speed for a non-native speaker. But I don't want their sympathy. I want to get through my song without making myself, but more importantly them, look like a fool. My director, however, is not someone who will take kindly to my plea to slow the song down.
I know I need to say SOMETHING, because it's not going to get any better if I don't. I'm steeling myself for a confrontation, because I know I'm going to get one (though I'll state that I like and respect this professor a GREAT DEAL, and he likes me as well). I know he gave me the part because he thought I could handle it, and I'm flattered by that. But I simply can't deliver what he wants, and for the good of the show itself I know something has to be done.
This is non-clarinet stuff, but I know that dealing with directors/conductors is something a lot of people here have tons of experience with. I'd love to hear feedback; the show goes up Thursday.
Take care,
BlockEyeDan
Post Edited (2006-01-22 18:40)
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