"Gloria" Diary 2004(3)

It is sultry from the morning. Today's training would be from the evening and I wanted resource. So I went to swimming pool to keep myself cool. In swimming pool, not only keeping myself cool, I attempted to improve my stamina and swam about 2000m. After swimming I feel good with some kind of weariness..."Weariness? After a few hours, it would be training. Is it OK?" With this worrying, I arrived at the hall where the training would be opened at 4:30 p.m.

But my arrival time was too early. The training would be started at 6:00 p.m. I mistakenly remembered the starting time of the training. Additionally saying, the first half of the training would be for Fauré's music and I would be idle at that time.

"Oh, well. At the time when I am idle, I will take a nap or sometimes watch the training of Fauré." I thought.

But an unexpected thing was happened and it kept me from my planning of nap. In the hall of training, there is a woman who I have never met. I heard that she came for the substitution of Ms Sakamoto who was the pianist of chorus training. I remember that Ms Sakamoto was also the organist in Fauré's requiem. Who is the organist in Fauré's music for the substitution of Ms Sakamoto? It is said that it should be "me"...Oops!

-- It is the "unexpected thing".

From this time, I became to have to join the training of Fauré's music. The result of "my first training" was...of course, it was bad. I was confused with the unexpected code progresses often encountered and I sometimes met the measures where there are no instruments but organ and I was surprised. It was, so called, the consequence of being confused. I felt that I should pay tremendous effort to perform Fauré's music.

But, frankly saying, I have been attracted Faure's music. Certainly, I once had decided that I should not have joined to this music; however, I had been wishing I would have the opportunity to join this music. In addition, the style of organ part seems to be under the influence of "Basso Continuo" in baroque music. "Basso Continuo" is my favorite thing. So I have not only anxiety but expectation in treating this music from now on.

The last half of the training was for Duruflé's requiem. Although I had been accustomed to this music, the result of training was still not good. Certainly, it seems to be ended to read notation. But the next step (adding emotional things or recognizing the contents of music) was still not started. It was my arbitrary impression, but Mr. Kataoka, the conductor, severely noticed similar thing. I think that, before receiving the indication from the composer, we can discover many things only with reading music sheet and words. All of us (including me) should be consider the music and establish our own way to play or sing the music.

I believe that "Gloria Ensemble & Choir" has good ability to perform music with high level. Many people consider their own way to perform music before training. I should pay tremendous efforts in every times of the trainings. Shall we do our best jobs with me!?

Please be aware that I skipped the report of the training on August 1. I will write the report of the training on August 22.

Today's training was only for Fauré's requiem. Usually, the first half is for Fauré's and the last half is for Duruflé's. It is natural choice for the every training. But it can be said that we cannot concentrate at one piece. Today's training only for Fauré's and the next training only for Duruflé's was prepared for the countermeasure of this point. I welcomed it. I felt that the points of problems became clear after today's training.

Now I describe the problems. Firstly, it is the 7th bar/measure and after in "Domine Jesu Christe". It is canon between alto and tenor.

It is difficult to perform. The pitch is somewhat high for tenor and somewhat low for alto. But the tone of both parts should be same. The problem mainly lies in tenor part. The indications of "pianissimo" and "doclissimo" are not easy for tenor in this pitch. These measures may remain as a big difficulty from now on.

The second problem is from the 47th measure/bar in "Agnus Dei".

Complex accidentals and frequently occurred enharmonic make difficult to read the music. I write down only with flat (and sometimes double-flat) accidentals. The principal key of this section is regarded as A-flat major. So I set key-signature with 4 flats.

It can be grasped that the key is moving between A-flat major and A-flat minor and that chromatic sequence. Chromatic sequence usually needs to enharmonic modulation. But in this case, the level of the modulation is not so large. For example, the 50th measure is far from A-flat. (And it is written "E major" on Fauré's music sheet with sharp.) But we can understand that it is Neapolitan sixth of A-flat. And we can find that the choromatic sequence is stopped at the end of the 59th measure.

Using clavier (keyboard) is good way to understand such kinds of chord progress. I have advantage about it as a keyboard (organ) player. But I should say that organ part also has problems. For example, the organ solo from the 54th measure in "Domine Jesu Christe". I should pay attention to release finger from the keyboard in order to perform with legato articulation. It is special characteristic of organ compare with the harpsichord or pianoforte. It is difficult for me because I don't have enough experience of organ. More training should be needed.

Today's training is only for about Duruflé's requiem. It is the first time to perform the whole of his requiem with the orchestra and chorus.

The last time when we trained Duruflé's requiem was five weeks ago. Did all members (including me) forget this piece? The situation was so bad.

Training proceeded about 1 hour and we took little rest. And we start to play again. Oh? It becomes good. Did we recall this music?(^_^;)

At the end of today's training, the conductor Mr.Kataoka said,

"This music is based on Gregorian chant. The material of chant exists in many place of this music. You already can trace music sheets. But it is required that how you perform the music in the 'flow' of Gregorian chant."

I agree it. Additionally saying, it is only one way to taste Gregorian chant in order to achieve this problem. My "extra" would be only one introduction to taste it. I hope that all of members listen the music of chant.

It was the first time to train "In Paradisum" of Duruflé's requiem. As one keyboard player, I need to mention about it.(^^) In the last half of "In Paradisum", organ plays the following melody.

Comparing it with the following Gregorian chant (the last half of "In Paradisum"),

we can find that Duruflé used Gregorian chant with the most of its original form. Organ's melody appears with the following orchestration.

The chorus certainly treats the words of requiem, but the melody is completely in organ part. We can see again that the exposition of the words and melody of Gregorian chat is separated. Organ's melody enters as a thread into the atmosphere of chorus and orchestra's sounds like ether. Organ is "the leading role" in this section. Ohhh, it is tempting!(^o^;)

After today's training, it was announced that the poster and handbill had been completed, and they were distributed. I feel that the date concert is not so far. How will the training proceed?

All of the trainings for the improvement of our playing or singing have been already ended. The only remaining training is rehearsal on the stage.

Now, let me write the reason why I have been stopping the writing this "Gloria" diary. It is that the improvement of our performance was very slow. The sound we made was too bad to listen. Especially, in the female part of the chorus, it was very serious. Mr. Kataoka, the chief conductor, said, "It is too bad to improve for me. You should reset all and restart again!", or, "Someone does not do anything to improve our performance except for attendance of the combined trainings."

You can image that the situation was very bad. I have not written such things because it might bring down the spirits of the members in "Gloria E&C".

These bad situations were removed through the two of combined trainings on November 7 and November 14. In the training on November 14, Mr. Kataoka said in many times,

"Bravo!"

"I have been completely satisfied. It is OK. Can I terminate today's training?"(^_^;)

I sometimes doubt whether his saying was from his real mind or it was simple flattery (bomb!). But we can say that we have been improved. In the training on November 7 and 14, I often felt comfortable circumstance when my organ and the chorus were synchronized. It could not be felt before them. I will be able to have our concert with some kinds of assurance.

Today is the date of "the Stage Rehearsal" performed in the main hall of Sogo Bunka Center, which our concert will be performed tomorrow. I went to the hall directory from our office with wearing workwear. The people who watch me in front of organ with workwear always says that I am a maintenance person of the organ.(^^;)

The organ is truly pipe-organ which will be used tomorrow's concert. Its nice sound is enjoyable! The instrument is good.

But the result of my playing was not good. I missed tempo or rhythm. Why? Was the reason that I was not accustomed the instrument or the environment of this hall?

Many other people seemed to be confused in unaccustomed environment. I feel some kind of "time-lag" from conductor's indication to the sound of our playing or singing which had to be reflected the indication.

Tomorrow, we will have stage rehearsal again. During tomorrow's rehearsal, we should establish our way performance in the "unaccustomed" hall.