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Hi Everybody,
Lots of things got cleaned up last week, so we're progressing right along. I suspect we'll be doing some of the same for the next few weeks, but pretty soon I want to be rehearsing the concert in order, so that you can build up your stamina. I haven't told you yet, but the first work alone consists of 18 separate waltzes! And yes, we will be devoting lots more time to the Wedding Cantata; the other pieces are feeling pretty secure now, so you can expect that.
We will certainly now be singing through the Brahms waltzes every week, for the exact reason that there ARE 18 of them! We're going to want to be so familiar with them that we can easily go from one to the next, especially those with no introduction! They are really 18 single-act plays, and we'll be needing to change the mood and message instantly. One aspect that really will be comfortable only upon much repetition is the huge number of repeats! Remember, Brahms first composed the piano parts as a flashy duet, only thinking of adding a chorus later. We're an afterthought! They are varied dances, each with its own distinctive tempo and set of steps, and repetition is built in. And boy, those repetitions can be confusing. I strongly recommend that you highlight all the repeat signs. That will make it easier to quickly go back to the beginning of a given section. And in the few cases (maybe one?) where we go back a page or two, write yourself a note at the first repeat sign :"back to p.4" or whatever. Oh, that's right! The Log Driver's Waltz takes you back several pages after the first ending! The information about that is miniscule, isn't it? Prepare yourself by highlighting those instructions if your eyesight is good, or if you're nervous or short-sighted, rewrite the instructions at actually visible size.
This music belongs to you, so don't hesitate to write to yourself in it. Just don't write so much that you get lost finding your way through your own instructions -- that's counterproductive (or rude: Some of my own music from college contains remarks like "G, stupid!" I don't recommend talking to yourself like that.)
Back to the Brahms: I know that the repeats will become second nature by the time it's performance time, so please don't worry, just enjoy the process.
It's also not too early to train yourself to turn in your music to the next thing YOU will do, once we finish something. It's never OK to follow along on something you're not singing.
Next week we'll begin with the Brahms, breaking when Nicole arrives at 7:50 to run The Log Driver's Waltz. She's got a baby to get home to. Then we're back to Brahms and the rest of the program.
In case you're wondering, and in fact so that you can keep your music in order, here's how the program will go. My original title for the concert was The Many Moods of Love, but that was too many words, so we now have instead Harmonies of the Heart. In next week's column I'll tell you the moods I believe are portrayed in the 18 "love song waltzes", but below are the other mood pictures:
Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes
The Log Driver's Waltz =flirtation
Down in the Valley =longing
Loch Lomond =loss
Amor de mi Alma =utter adoration
Wedding Cantata =1. Invitation 2. Strength 3. Joy Together 4. Constancy
See you soon, and please stay healthy,
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