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"Gloria" Diary 2006(2)

On Sunday, November 12, 2006, the concert of "Gloria Ensemble and Choir Vol.14" will be performed. Here is the information of the concert. Year 2006 is the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth. So "Gloria Ensemble and Choir" will will treat his "Missa Solemnis K 337" and "Vesperae K.339". I belong this group as a harpsichord or organ player... What are waiting for us ? Please read the following...

NOTE : I divide "Gloria Diary 2006" as the following;


March 19, 2006 Visiting the Chorus Training - Disturbed by Windstrom

It is the date of the 1st training of the chorus. I am an instrumental member and it can be said that I have nothing to do with this training. But I think that the player of keyboard as basso continuo should know whole of music and it is comparable with conductor. It is the 1st reason why I went to watch the 1st chorus training. The other important reason is that there was drinking party after the training.(^^;)

By the way, on the afternoon of March 19, 2006, there is low atmospheric pressure is in the east from Japan. Its center is 978 hPa ... 978 hPa! It is comparable with typhoon. Indeed! East-Japan encountered "typhoon". News said that Tokyo had heavy windstorm which speed was recorded more than 30m/sec. Strong wind struck also my schedule. I was in railroad-train. It started my neighborhood station. But about 20 minutes later, it was stopped. The announcement said, "The windgauge detected more strong wind than critical wind velocity."?Oh my god! About 30 minutes later, the train started again. But it was too slow. Finally, I arrived the place of the chorus training about 2 hours later than my schedule. I could hardly watch the training. Oh? Do you want to say that my first purpose is not watching the chorus training but attending drinking party? I don't answer such question. Off course the drinking party was enjoyable for me.(^^;)

Mr. Kataoka, the chief conductor and general musical director, said that the members of the orchestra were fixed. However, the schedule of the training of the orchestra is not fixed yet. The training of the orchestra is started June in common year. But in this year, it will be later than common year. I would have to go and watch the chorus training in order to study the music of this year's concert. Additionally saying, I received special mission from Mr. Kataoka. It will be very exciting but I don't write about it now. It will be described some day.

On the way to my home after drinking party, the diagram of railroad was still confused. My returning time was about 23:50 p.m. I was very tired.(+_+;)


June 03, 2006 Again, Visiting the Training of the Chorus

The "combined training" of the orchestra and chorus was started from June in last year's schedule. But in this year, it would be started later. I don't know the training schedule for the orchestra, and I have not get the music sheet of organ part. I wanted to know the situation of the progress related to the orchestra and I also felt that it is good to know the progress of the chorus. On the evening of Saturday, June 3, I visited to the building named with Sôgô-bunka-center (which means "Synthetic Culture Center"), where the training of the chorus which would be performed.

The training was already started when I arrive at the Sôgô-bunka-center. The piece which was being trained was "Sancta Maria KV.273". I've heard that it will be performed in the prefectural Chorus festival on June 11. (I don't have opportunity to join it. It will be performed only with the accompaniment of pianoforte.) Mr. Kataoka is shouting serve words of indication.

After a few ten minutes, the training of "Dixit" - the beginning movement of "Vesperae" - was started. Of course, I will join it as an organist of basso continuo. I watch and listen the training and Mr.Katoka's indication carefully. The following includes my arbitrary impressions.

Although the training of "Vesperae" started very recently, most of members already grasped the music note. But I feel that there are passages where singers cannot still assure to perform. It may be the level that singer can only transform each note from music sheet to their voices. The rising time of each note is slightly slow and each note does not have some kinds of tension. Some members truly take rests in the rests in music sheet. Mr.Kataoka said that sound should have the feeling of speed. Perhaps it causes from the fact that the music has not been grasped enough. The way to our goal may still be far. But I hope it will be improved from now on. The date of our goal is also still far.

Mr. Kataoka also said, "we should be careful to keep our tension high.", and "it is difficult." He told me that some kinds of "persistent behavior of phrasing" can be observed in this music. Certainly, each cadence is very long and we cannot bring off. We should remark such kinds "persistence".

Let me explain for the one point of Mr.Kataoka's indication. It was "the 2nd beat of the 12th measure in 'Dixit' should not be long."

[From the 11th measure of "Dixit"(Dixit003.gif, 21.2 KB)]

(A means appoggiatura. B indicates the note of resolution.)

The reason of this indication is that the chord progress in this measure is "motion of resolution". The 1st beat can be considered as an appoggiatura. The note following appoggiatura should be weaker than the preceding appoggiatura. It is formula in performing the music in classicism style.

Additionally saying, I could get the information of the training of the orchestra. The time is fewer than the last year's. I must achieve the goal with fewer times of the training.


July 27, 2006 Tone deafness should not touch vocal music!

I am an organ player. You may think that I need not join the training of the chorus. But keyboard players who treat basso continuo should grasp the whole of the music through analyzing of the orchestral score. This operation is somewhat similar to the one of conductor. Additionally saying, it may be effective to sing the chorus part when the music includes chorus parts...

After above thought, I attempted to join the chorus training. But soon I encountered the trouble. Reading music sheet of vocal part is more difficult than one of instrumental part. Vocal music sheet has not only notes but words. It is hardly possible to read and sing it at sight.

Conclusion ... Tone deafness should not touch vocal music thoughtlessly. (bomb!)


Octber 8, 2006 The 1st "Combined Training" of the Orchstra and the Chorus

This year's "Gloria" is different from last year's. The combined training of the orchestra and chorus would be performed in only three times. Our schedule mainly consists of separated training of the chorus and orchestra. I had been impressed that the orchestra still could not grasp the music. So I doubted if the first combined training would be achieved effectively.

But my doubt might not be groundless. Certainly, the conductor's indications went towards mainly the orchestra rather than chorus in today's training. But the reason why is that it is the first time that the conductors and the orchestra met with each other. After the indications from the conductor, the orchestra's performance reflects them. This year's orchestra has enough ability to react with the order or indication.

However, I watched the training of the chorus many times and studied the score and words. So I felt that the players in the orchestra also had better to study them. It will improve our performance.

Also in the organ part, I found a problem to solve. Let me describe it in the following.

The organ in "Missa solemnis K.337" and "Vesperae K.339" in this concert plays the role of basso continuo. But there is an exception. It is "Agnus Dei" of "Missa solemnis K.337". Organ, woodwind, and soprano solo make elaborate ensemble.

[From the beginning of "Agnus Dei K.337"(Agnus_Dei_01.gif, 19.6 KB)] [From the 5th measure of "Agnus Dei K.337"(Agnus_Dei_02.gif, 16.3 KB)]

Especially the following section, the organ should synchronize completely with oboe.

[From the 14th measure of "Agnus Dei K.337"(Agnus_Dei_03.gif, 17.5 KB)]

But it is not so easy. As you can see, just before the parallel 6th interval of organ and oboe, there is a passage of the solo soprano. Probably the solo soprano will bring some fluctuation in the tempo of this passage. "The parallel 6th" and the solo soprano should be unified in these measures. To achieve it perfectly, we -- the oboe player and I -- should train with the soprano singer. It remains as a problem until the soprano singer joins our training.


November 4, 2006 The last "Combined Training"

There were the combined trainings of the orchestra and chorus on October 28, and November 4. It is just before the date of the concert performance. Some of problem was solved in these trainings. For example, before these trainings the 1st violin could not respond to the conductor's request in its speed. But it is confirmed that they could catch it in the training on November 4.

However, some problems are still remaining. I also have some problems. In the following music, ---

["Laudate Dominum" in K.339(Laudate_Dominum_01.gif, 20.0 KB)]

I (organ) cannot synchronize with violoncello and contrabass. Additionally saying, for the "ensemble of solo soporano, woodwinds, and organ" pointed on October 8, we cannot find the solution. We should solve them in the remaining two times of playing, that is, rehearsal and the concert performance. (-_-;)uum


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