New classical music board

[cygnusdei]

Hi all, I'd like to invite you to www.classicaltalk.com, a discussion board for the broader classical music spectrum (not just piano). The board is still empty now, so I thought I could do a bit of shameless promotion here. Thank you all!

[meiz_yoo]

okay2. but why just talk here???

[cygnusdei]

Shameless bump ..... well actually quite a legitimate one 

My site has been infiltrated with spam. A message board for SPAM? That's gotta be a first?

Anyway - I'd like to extend my invitation once again. I'd love to hear discussions on choral and vocal music, for example, which seem to have little currency on pianostreet.

[pianistimo]

i used to help with accompanying a master chorale.  that was so much fun.  i'd hear good advice and tips for interpreting so many beautiful pieces.  i miss this terribly.  without the conductor - i am at a loss as to the intricacies of the languages and 'comings together' of voices.  basically, just watched in awe.  guess that the international phonetic alphabet helps somewhat - except in cases like singing chinese or something.  or does it even help with that.

ok. my question on this board - until i have something unusual or interesting for that board would be - tell me about languages.  which language is the best to sing in , in your opinion.  italian?  or is it not a matter of 'best' but more - music to suit the language.  what is an excellent example of a composition that allows the language to sing.

ps though i love brahms to death, and the beautiful harmonies - i think personally that he put too many words (per note) to some of the sections in the german requiem.  when you hear it sung - unless people are really into diction- it turns to mush.  it is better in german?

so far, my personal fav's for listening, would be schumann's 'frauenlieb und leben' (life and love?) of a woman.  i think the passion and expression in that piece is so hard to find in any other.  of course, the singer makes all the difference.  not sure which choral piece is my favorite.  i think that vaughn williams is what i am attracted to initially.  but, i also like to hear other 20th century composers.  i would like to see groups split occasionally into sections here and there because the effect on the sound is phenomenal.  the voices bounce off the wall at different locations and blend interestingly.  i suppose it is a matter of knowing about acoustics.

someday i want to conduct beethoven's ode to joy because i know how i want it to sound.  when you get to the sfz and then sudden ppp - i would cut 3/4 of the voices and give the 'impression' of the ppp by this demagnification of number of voices.

[cygnusdei]

I used to accompany church choirs all the time, I think I'm in love with choral music ever since. My voice sucks but I remember a thing or two about singing techniques. I used to be able to sing >2 octaves on a good day.

Did you hear about the 'newly discovered' Dixit Dominus by Vivaldi? It was thought as a Galuppi work until 2005. This (RV 807) and the other Dixit Dominus setting (RV 594) are awesome works. You must hear the 'Sicut erat' from RV 594 (it's a work for double choir). I recommend the one by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir with Tõnu Kaljuste conducting.

[thalberg]

Okay, I went over there and posted on all the threads except one.  You're right--empty as a ghost town.  We'll get it going!  (I'm Tausig over there.  Another pianist from before recordings.)

[pianistimo]

gallupi?  never heard of the guy.  will take a listen (hmm - where to find this?  barnes and noble?)

it's no fun unless you have the score too.  that means a trip to the music library.  this could be an all day affair.  can you just post the music and the score?  do you do this on your site?  then we could discuss.  or, rather - you can tell us what to look out for.  just in case we have to fill in when a conductor is sick. 

there is a friend of mine here that is actually writing a book on conducting.  i am curious what else there is to know.  i'm sure there's a lot - but i've focused so much on piano that i'm just wondering (like others wonder what other piano technique could possibly be invented) if there is anything new with conducting?  she wouldn't give details until the book is published.

this is probably off track - but have you ever seen neeme jarvi conduct?

back to chorales.  what do you think is the best way to get a good blend of voices.  just nix the ones you don't like.  how do you eliminate people.  send them off to another choir.  or is there a subtle way to get improvement in certain voices without singling them out?  when you have the typical four part chorale and have a lot more women than men - do you just not worry.  just use what you have.  or do you tell the women that they have to split up and some sing one concert and others sing another?  can you, in fact, integrate this into a single concert (ie choir combination #1 #2 #3). 

what to do about the rush of wind when a group sits (in between chorus alternations in oratorios).  don't you think it's about time they just let the choir stand for the entire thing? 

[ahinton]

what to do about the rush of wind when a group sits (in between chorus alternations in oratorios).  don't you think it's about time they just let the choir stand for the entire thing? 

Try suggesting this (albeit the other way around) to any male chorus that is to participate in a performance of Busoni's Piano Concerto; I can't quite see any of them being prepared to stand for an hour or so before singing for a few minutes in the finale, can you?!...

Best,

Alistair

[pianistimo]

understandably - but that is a concerto - not an oratorio. 

[cygnusdei]

I watched Colin Davis' DVD of Mozart Requiem - the choir does the up-and-down in every number, presumably because of union rules (?).

For the choir, I'd say keep everyone, assuming no one is tone deaf/flat. Voice blending is not easy but can be worked on - the coach must emphasize on listening to one another.

 Thalberg/Tausig: good job on the posts!

[elspeth]

back to chorales.  what do you think is the best way to get a good blend of voices.  just nix the ones you don't like.  how do you eliminate people.  send them off to another choir.  or is there a subtle way to get improvement in certain voices without singling them out?  when you have the typical four part chorale and have a lot more women than men - do you just not worry.  just use what you have.  or do you tell the women that they have to split up and some sing one concert and others sing another?  can you, in fact, integrate this into a single concert (ie choir combination #1 #2 #3). 

Depends what sort of choir, how many members you have, and how you recruit them in the first place. If you hold auditions for membership, then it's easy. You only audition the voices you need and you can easily say 'thanks but no' to people you don't want. In a lot of choirs they get some of the altos to sing tenor.

[cygnusdei]

Bump again .... I got the spam under control now after installing anti-bot code. Site updated, slightly prettier now. Check it out guys .....