Dear friends,
Thank you for an incredibly beautiful and peaceful rehearsal tonight. I am thankful for your patience and focus, and I am very excited to hear our vision coming to be heard and seen and experienced.
Having just reviewed the recording from our rehearsal, I can offer you these comments to please consider and notate in your scores before Saturday. I have the opportunity to share these in person with the U Singers tomorrow, so we will all make some progress this way.
GENERAL IDEAS:
1. There is not a single instance when the orchestra overwhelms you. In some cases-- many cases-- we can sing truer dynamics-- more pianos, more pianissimos when the composer invites them. We do not have to worry about outsinging the orchestra. We only have to worry about oversinging as a choir.
2. We are tending to ignore and neglect our concept of the 'softest, sweetest, warmest, most beautiful' note at the end of phrases-- there are billions of opportunities to succeed at this. Let's be more aware of the many hairpin crescendos and diminuendos that Brahms shares with us. Again, we simply often end phrases with too much sound, and not enough curve, grace, and nuance.
3. Our overall diction is EXCELLENT, so keep honing your contributions! Consequently, we set such a high standard, it is VERY apparent when we are lazy in certain places. We must be vigilant and constantly engaged with the text.
SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS:
FIRST MOVEMENT
1. The initial consonant of the word BLessed is very difficult to detect in movement I and VII-- please make a note of this each time you have this word...it is such an important part of the piece.
2. men-- in measure 25, please be very careful to make the last syllable of comfort MUCH lighter, even though it is a higher note.
3. all- in measure 23-25-- engage in sharing the V of have as it appears in your part.
4. At letter A-- remember we want to make three not phrases-- like the rock making circles in the pond. each note softer and sweeter and warmer and more beautiful than the one before.
5. At letter B- basses-- please be sure you begin on an A-flat, even though the accompaniment in the previous measures has had a naturals-- listen to this transition on your recording-- VERY important
6. women-- measure 62-- you need to share your NG' release. The men exceed your diction here.
7. all-- ms. 72-76, we need to be more expressive with these hairpin phrasings.-- that idea continues into the next section.
8. Sopranos-- ms. 87-- can you sing a very clear D' on the second half of beat two. SeeD'
9. Women-- we need a clearer M' release in measure 95. The men exceed your diction here.
10. men-- in measure 117, please be very careful to make the last syllable of comfort MUCH lighter, even though it is a higher note.
MOVEMENT 3:
1. measures 28 and 31-- it sounds like muss perish. instead of musTPerish-- please be aware of the T.
2. measure 82 and 85 and 90 - same note as above. musTPerish
3. Basses-- some of us are muscling and pushing the tone in measure 132-- be loving and beautiful, graceful here. Easy does it.
4. All choir at letter F and through this section-- please put a HUGE C at the beginning of each CAHmfort in this section-- these are invisible. Also, be very mindful of the word LorD-- often it ends on a rest, and it can be finished with Conviction and presence. Share the D!
5. ms. 146- tenors please sing the first two or three notes with the altos in this measure to help them project an important entrance in such a low register. Practice this so you know the new intervals.
6. ms. 157 and 158-- please offer an incredibly huge C at the beginning of Cahmfort as the orchestra is in a frenzy here.
7. basses-- be really careful not to rush measures 167-168-- always think of singing numbers inside the long notes-- particularly the ties!
MOVEMENT 4:
1. The main idea here is that we are not shaping the phrases as beautifully and thoughtfully as we can with the hairpins that Brahms offers us. Practice these on Friday before our Saturday run through.-- especially notice ms 9-23, 38-41and 80-84
2. tenors-- let's be dolce as we approach measure 90- no pushing. Floating! : )
3. All sing a true piano, please in bar 89 through 100.
4. Important to release our D together in bar 117 on beat 3.
5. altos, tenors, and basses-- please release with a strong "NG" in bar 123, beat two.
6. Sopranos and basses-- please release name with a strong M' on beat two in measure 132
7. the last sound of piece is ngZ rather than ngS-- measure 173. Be aware.
MOVEMENT 7:
1. Basses-- VERY important that your first pitch in measure 17 is a B-flat not a b natural-- it is a different twist than in the women's solo earlier.
2. Sopranos-- VERY important-- please study your pitches in measure 94-95-- you have sung a b natural the previous measure, and we must come back to it. NOTICE: this is different from (though similar to measure 55-56-57 area. Study carefully the difference between these two spots-- IT'S A TRAP!
3. This is a movement to notate BL at the beginning of each Blessed.
4. Please be very definite with the final D of DeaD throughout, but particularly in measures 23-24 and 116-117.
5. Look over your notes and rhythms in ms. 130-131and 140.
Thank you all for your gifts to this process, and I look so forward to the next step forward on Saturday! : )
Peace,
TT
