Thread: Rossini "Stabat Mater"

Vaneyes, after your post, I emailed the website author, asking for a reference. I have not heard anything.

Due to an appointment, I was a half hour late to rehearsal last night and missed the warmup. It included a tutorial on how to tell, as a group, when we are going out of tune and how, as a group, to fix it. Sounds interesting, but everyone else will need to save me.

We spent a half hour working on Mvt. 9 Quando corpus. The emphasis was on tuning, of course (a cappela), following the director (con rubato), and dynamic difference.

We then proceeded to Mvt 8 Inflammatus. The tricky motif in this movement is singing a double-dotted quarter note with sixteenth note against the rapid triplet pattern in the orchestra.

In Mvt 5 Eia Mater, also a capella, we seemed to be struggling with the same factors as before--the tempo changes in and out of the 6/8 and the modal differences between the repeated phrases. The very last line will be directed with subdivided beat.

We concluded our rehearsal with a quick run-through of the Fugue. Maestro is coming to work with us next week, and the following week we have serveral rehearsals with the soloists and orchestra. Our performance dates are Nov 9-10.

I also started rehearsing this week with an ad hoc chorus which will perform Handel's Messiah the first weekend in December. I am fortunate to be working with two gifted and respected choral directors at the same time!

I worked on the movements over the weekend along with Youtube videos, then figured out that Cyberbass (a chorus resource website mentioned earlier) is only supported by Internet Explorer (I use Chrome). So I also used that website to practice, although I haven't yet figured out how to change the balance to include/exclude parts. Apparently this functionality is dependent upon what Microsoft product you are running. What I came up with was usable, and I'm glad I put in the extra time to somewhat figure out Cyberbass. I went into last night's rehearsal with confidence.

Maestro came to work with the chorus this week. Maestro advised us that this is a romantic, dramatic, and somewhat operatic piece, and to be aware of tempo changes both from him and the soloists.

After a warmup that included the half-step exercise from post #8, we dug into Mvt I.

He wants the initial bass entrance to be somewhat percussive (keeping in mind they are pp at that point). He also wants the initial vocal entrances to be dark, supported, and intense. The "sa" in dolorosa is released like a sigh. He wants the unison dum pen-de-bat fi-li-us to be bell-like, not like a sforzando, but the accent held just a bit longer. Same effect for jux-ta cru-cem la-cry-mo-sa. He added some dynamic markings for clarity. The final separated dum pen-de-bat all start with "explosive" consonants. We need to be precise to sing this phrase effectively.

In Mvt 5 the chorus provides background accom. for the bass soloist. Most of our parts are in sotto voce. I have some new rehearsal notes written in various places: dark, light, warm, float, lift. Believe it or not, we missed the same A, Aflat change AGAIN!

Maestro liked our unison parts in Mvt 6, having just the right amount of power. We were a bit "punchy" at conforveri gratia and we need to make sure we do not accent the final "a." We need to be very precise with the sixteenth notes. Again reminding us that we are just accompaniment (the orchestra also plays on this one), Maestro said the soprano soloist gets to take all the time she wants! (As a general note for all movements, Rossini often repeats a theme twice. Maestro said he will typically take the first one in a more straight tempo and the second one more rubato.)

Our pronunciation was pretty bad on Mvt 9, and our conductor again reminded us to cross out all the ending "Rs." Maestro discovered a wrong note printed in the soprano line in our scores. We go right from this a capella movement into (hopefully) the same key in...

...Mvt 10, started by the orchestra. Maestro said this is really a nice piece of writing from Rossini, and should wow people who only know him from William Tell Overture. He spent a bit of time talking about the structure (I really would like to see this written down somewhere; anyone???). He inserted some sections where the soloists will sing instead of us.

Finally, we looked at the Berlioz piece, which we had not looked at since one of the very first weeks, and then just briefly. It was pretty bad, but Maestro did not seem concerned, saying that it will be fixed in our rehearsal with our conductor next week. He told us the story of the opera (Les Troyens) this piece is from, and his amusing story of how our chorus happened to get included in this performance (when he was researching the offstage horn part, he discovered there was also a chorus part! It is not in his score.)

***

I am reminded of when I have played pit in musicals, and you never know how the whole thing is going to sound (and sometimes it doesn't even make sense) until sitzprobe. I am sure these pieces will sound fabulous (and be easier to fit together and sing) when we rehearse next week with the soloists and orchestra. We will have three rehearsals next week.

Our soloists will be:
Adrienne Danrich, soprano
Layna Chianakas, alto
Jason Slayden, tenor
Matthew Burns, baritone.

All but Slayden have previously sung in opera productions in my city. This will be Slayden's local premiere.

Local press article about the upcoming concert.

Our Maestro talks about Stabat Mater:
“Rossini is one of the most misunderstood composers mostly because most of us know only a very narrow segment of his musical output. We know the ‘William Tell Overture’ and a handful of his comic operas and their overtures. So when we read something like the story of Verdi’s ‘Requiem,’ how it grew out of a project to create a grand requiem mass to be performed on the first anniversary of Rossini’s death, most people think ‘Why would Verdi bother honoring a light and fluffy composer like Rossini?’ Well, when you hear the ‘Stabat Mater’ you get a sense of why Verdi revered Rossini so. It’s amazing, powerful, dramatic music, probably the most operatic concert piece outside of the Verdi ‘Requiem.’ ”

Also on the program are (previously mentioned) Berlioz's "Royal Hunt and Storm" from Les Troyens, and a work from a contemporary composer, Michael Daugherty. “Troyjam," a musical fantasy, depicts the Greeks bringing a symphony orchestra to Troy instead of an army, which results in a jam session instead of war.

“This is a really fun piece. It’s a kind of fractured fairy tales retelling of the Trojan War with a hilarious yet also strangely beautiful text by Anne Carson. The basic twist of the story is that instead of fighting with weapons, the Greeks and Trojans fight with musical instruments. The ‘Troyjam’ of the title is a big battle scene with musical themes for Hektor, Achilles and so on. It’s a wonderful romp.”

Ugh! Last night's rehearsal with the orchestra lasted from 6-10:15. We rehearsed on stage to adjust to the venue. Maestro ironed out several problems in the orchestra and answered questions. It was a bit grueling. The orchestra was dismissed before us, so that we could rehearse our a capella movements.

We had a very intensive warmup tonight with our choral director; taken in the spirit that he is doing everything he can to make us better. He drilled us on our vowels and dropping the internal r's in words. Tonight's rehearsal only lasted until 8:30. All four soloists were present tonight so we finally got to hear the movements with all their parts.

Tomorrow night we have rehearsal, and then performances Friday and Saturday.

Originally Posted by Lunasong

Ugh! Last night's rehearsal with the orchestra lasted from 6-10:15. We rehearsed on stage to adjust to the venue. Maestro ironed out several problems in the orchestra and answered questions. It was a bit grueling. The orchestra was dismissed before us, so that we could rehearse our a capella movements.

We had a very intensive warmup tonight with our choral director; taken in the spirit that he is doing everything he can to make us better. He drilled us on our vowels and dropping the internal r's in words. Tonight's rehearsal only lasted until 8:30. All four soloists were present tonight so we finally got to hear the movements with all their parts.

Tomorrow night we have rehearsal, and then performances Friday and Saturday.

Lord. Bathe those tired doggies in epsom salts, and perhaps an anti-infammatory and muscle relaxer for the rest. And sleep until the next rehearsal. There is no other life.

Comfortable shoes?

I am the line leader for the chorus and will be the first person on stage tonight.

Originally Posted by Lunasong

I am the line leader for the chorus and will be the first person on stage tonight.

Have fun, and good luck!

Thanks for your good wishes and cheer, Vaneyes.
I spoke too soon. All rehearsal season, I'd been the end of the 4th row, which is line leader, but because of absences, last night I got bumped to the end of the fifth (top) row, which enters from the other side of the stage. It's funny how you get used to singing with those around you but, if you get moved, it sounds totally different.

Concert!
Our call time was 6:30 for an 8PM start. The chorus spends our pre-concert in an attached theater in the Performing Arts Center. The Center was constructed with two theaters: a main and a smaller "black-box" type. They are acoustically separated by separate building foundations and an air space. There can be two events going on at the same time and no sound bleed. We did warm-ups and a focused study of how to stay in tune no matter what (my take on the purpose of this later). Meanwhile, our chorus manager is busy reviewing attendance and the balanced look of the chorus, and making seating adjustments. She is responsible for communicating with the stage manager/union exactly how many chairs are placed on the stage risers.

The first half of the concert consisted of Berlioz's "Royal Hunt and Storm" and Daugherty's TROYJAM (note to CoAG: Daugherty studied with Ligeti for two years). The chorus sings only for the Berlioz. We started the concert on stage and rose before the start of the piece. As mentioned before, this is a lovely tone poem (not its original purpose) depicting a forest where a hunt takes place. Berlioz has written specific notes in the score (in French) depicting exactly what action is taking place when. Birds chirp, and naiads and other forest nymphs are playing in a stream as we hear the hunters' horns draw nearer. Amid the hunt they skies darken, a storm breaks out, and Dido and Aeneas (of Greek legend) seek shelter in a cave where their relationship is consummated. The chorus plays the part of the sylvan inhabitants. At the conclusion of the piece, after applause, we exited the stage quickly and quietly while Maestro introduced the next piece.

Our stage directions from the chorus manager:

Berlioz:

Open your folders before the music begins.

Stay very still. We are wallpaper when we are not singing.

The balcony folks can see into our laps.

Don’t count OUT LOUD!! Those mics pick up everything and we are being recorded.

When we’re done with our little part, leave music open, stand still and listen.

When the piece is over close your music and hold it at your side.

Sit with the concertmaster. Stand when acknowledged.

As soon as the applause starts to die down and it’s obvious there won’t be any more, the first row will start the quick, efficient exit off both sides.

Be VERY quiet until you are outside the double doors.

We returned to our theatre and thus did not hear TROYJAM at all. My son, who attended, said it was his favorite on the program. The piece includes a narration to a poem by Anne Carson. It was premiered in 2008 and you can read more about it here. The composer was in attendance and says about his piece:

With TROYJAM I wanted to emphasize that the instruments of the orchestra are used for making peace, not war: a message most needed today in this age of raging warfare around the world.

I am looking forward to hearing TROYJAM in two weeks when one of this weekend's concerts will be broadcast on our local classical station.

During our off-stage time, we did not get much of a break. We reviewed our a cappela movement, and making definitive entrances into phrases. Then we went back on stage about 1/2way through the intermission. I picked out where my husband and son were sitting in the front row of the loge level (first balcony).
Again, our stage directions:

We will go back on stage about halfway through intermission.

Open your music right after we are seated.

Keep your music open during the solo movements; very quiet, very still.

DO NOT tap your foot to keep time. It vibrates the floor and by the time it reaches the end of the row, it’s NOT in time. Drives people nuts. Tap your thumb on your folder.

When it’s over, close folder and put it at your side.

Sit with the concertmaster. Stand when acknowledged.

OK to applaud soloists and orchestra.

I thought everything went beautifully. The entire piece takes about 1:15 to perform and it's a nice balance of standing vs sitting parts, singing vs not; so it's not especially fatiguing. Our position from the conductor is pretty far (which the orchestra in-between), so it is very difficult for us to tell if everything is balanced between the chorus, orchestra, and soloists. I thought the choral movements were excellent.
Afterwards, our chorus director got to take a bow alongside the soloists.

*Why I think we worked so hard on keeping in tune this week: I hadn't said anything earlier because I have mentioned his name in this thread, but I think the bass soloist is having problems with intonation in the a capella solo piece he does with the chorus. His parts just seem off, and there is one entrance that he has yet to start on the right note. I'll say it now because he's a professional and thus I have the right to be critical of his performance (not his rehearsals). You can imaging how difficult it is to keep an a capella piece in tune when the soloist is not solid.
By the way, he does his aria very well.

Our beautiful performance hall:

The Mead Theatre represents the heart of the Schuster Center. It is a state-of-the-art facility designed to accommodate a diverse array of performing arts, including orchestral music, opera, theatre, and dance. Jaffe Holden Acoustics, the acoustic engineers on the Schuster Center, have designed the acoustics for some of the world’s most important concert halls, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and Severance Hall, home to The Cleveland Orchestra.

The goal was to create an auditorium that would provide excellent acoustics for orchestral works, while still maintaining an intimate setting for theatrical productions. The result is a multi-purpose hall in which no seating tier is more than nine rows deep, and the last row is a mere 120 feet from the stage.

Paying homage to Dayton’s place in the history of flight, the new concert hall has a special Starfield in its grand dome ceiling that is an exact replica of the star pattern Orville and Wilber Wright saw on the night before their first flight. Interestingly, the width of the Starfield is the exact width of the Wright Flyer’s wingspan, and the length from the ground floor of the performing arts center to the tip of the Starfield is the exact distance as the first successful flight made by the Wright Brothers.

Architect Cesar Pelli’s design invokes the feeling of an evening in the southwest under the stars. The cool blues and orange-reds of the theatre’s interior reach to the magnificent domed ceiling, called the Starfield. Concentric circles of fiber-optic lights in the Starfield depict the Dayton sky as it appeared on the eve of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, December 16, 1903.

I was justified last night in my feelings about the bass soloist.
My singing partner on the fourth row got bumped also to fifth row last night and she confirmed my thoughts.
Then, our choral director rehearsed us on Mvt 5, sang that particular entrance incorrectly with a big smile on his face, and said, "What? What?!"
Finally, the soloist came in whilst we were still rehearsing and stated, "I'd really like to practice this with you because I'm not getting it right." I respect that he did that, but I wish it had been corrected sooner.

At the first night's performance, we'd had some clatter when rising from our chairs. We are supposed to rise from the edge of our chairs, but another problem is that clothing, especially men's jackets, get caught in the chairs. A demonstration was given my one of the men how he holds his jacket up at the sides and then gathers the excess material to his front as he sits. We do multiple stand/sits during the performance and last night's was much quieter.

There was more coughing in the audience, though.

We had snacks during intermission provided by the Arts Alliance board: cookies, cut fruit, and peppermints. I had an orange slice followed by a peppermint.

Stabat Mater went very well. We really have had fun singing that ending fugue.

I waited to eat my cookie until after the concert

Our concert will be webcast on Saturday, Nov 24 at 10 AM EST and I will provide a link and reminder closer to that time. I'm looking forward to hearing how the vocal sounds on "Royal Hunt..", TROYJAM (since I haven't heard it yet), and the blend of the orchestra, soloists, and chorus on Stabat Mater.

***
Now I can concentrate on melismatic Messiah for a few weeks.

Have just caught up with & have now read the full story of your concert. I found your description fascinating & some of the stage directions had me laughing out loud.

I had never appreciated that your movements on stage would be choreographed to such a degree. I loved the description of how the men hold their jackets when they sit. Next time I go to a concert with a choir & I will make a note of how they hold their music and how they sit & stand!

You say it was recorded - will it be released on CD?

No, it will not be released on CD, but will be webcast and there are ways to accomplish what you are asking about.

Webcast will be this Saturday, Nov 24 at 10 am EST. Weblink http://dpr.org/ , click on "listen live."

Originally Posted by Lunasong

Webcast will be this Saturday, Nov 24 at 10 am EST. Weblink http://dpr.org/ , click on "listen live."

Thank you! That's a good time for me as well - 3.00 pm UK time.

It was nice to listen to the broadcast with balanced parts and no performance adrenaline to worry about. It was a good performance and I thought the best movement was the one the chorus did with the soprano soloist (mvt 6). I heard several parts in the orchestra that I had not previously noticed.

Oh, of the other pieces on the program...I loved "Royal Hunt and Storm." Did not care for "Troyjam." I got bored...

Originally Posted by Lunasong

It was nice to listen to the broadcast with balanced parts and no performance adrenaline to worry about. It was a good performance and I thought the best movement was the one the chorus did with the soprano soloist (mvt 6). I heard several parts in the orchestra that I had not previously noticed.

Oh, of the other pieces on the program...I loved "Royal Hunt and Storm." Did not care for "Troyjam." I got bored...

My internet speed was really poor yesterday so I could only hear short snatches of it. So disappointed as it's always nice to hear a performance involving someone you 'know'. Pleased you were able to enjoy it without the nerves.