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Hi Singers,
Well, now that we've introduced all of the Liebeslieder Waltzes, we turn the corner to the next phase of preparation: rehearsing them repeatedly until they're familiar. At the same time we'll of course add various phrasing nuances, but this set's particular challenge is the fact that the waltzes are short and come at us in quick succession, in a variety of moods and tempos. They're like a series of one-act plays, and in performance we must be ready for each new one -- some without introduction! Hence the repetition. In order to properly give each waltz its appropriate character, we'll have to decide who's speaking (and in some cases, to whom), maybe the speaker's age, and certainly the waltz's mood: longing, angry, sad, philosophical, whatever. All of that information will inform our tone! I hope you'll take the time to read through the words of each, because I'll be asking for your input next week.
We'll be returning to #s 10-18 next Tuesday, to continue cementing the notes, tempos, dynamics and rhythms, while deciding all of the character questions. It'll be great if you jot your ideas at the top of the first page of each waltz. (I'm not sure if we'll be ready for the top speed of some, but it'll be fun to try!) Very soon Amy, our other pianist, will be joining Anne, and I want to be ready for that!
The other pieces I want to really get into will be Loch Lomond and Amor de mi Alma. We've only had the most cursory glance on both of those pieces, so we'll devote major time to both of them, maybe tucking in another look at the Log Driver's Waltz if there's time.
Before I let you get back to your book or your TV show, I'd like to give you a bit of insight into balance issues in a choir such as ours. There are two main points:
First, balance is a matter of ears, not of numbers! If you can't hear the other parts, it may be that you yourself might be singing too loud, particularly if I ask for more volume from some other section! I'll be letting you all know about that as we proceed now. It's not always obvious: there have been years when the altos were much too timid, even as the largest group by numbers! Crazy. That's certainly not the case now! The altos have been growing in richness by the year, and we're all the better for it.
Secondly, the inner parts are acoustically harder to hear, so expect me to find the best balance by lessening the volume from the outer sections (sopranos and basses). That's not personal!
It's also always the case that in pieces with lots of divisi, the hearer needs more of the still-more inner parts than that: expect me to ask for more from Soprano 2 and Tenor 2, for example. That said, right now I'll also be wanting to work a balance between baritones and basses, since there are fewer super low basses. Those guys need to be heard without their having to shout! Guys, remember to use air for more volume, never force, since force takes you beyond the bounds of personal beauty, as we like to say.
Expect for me to be able to encourage fine tone quality for all, now that we've broken ground on all of those pesky little waltzes and have begun to sound like an ensemble rather than a bunch of people off the street.
Weeks of fun lie ahead! See you next Tuesday, when we'll all stay for the whole rehearsal. On the following week we'll excuse the tenors and basses at 9:00.
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