Vocalist.org archive


From:  natural@w...
Date:  Thu Jul 6, 2000  9:35 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] sight singing and piano skills


At 09:21 AM 07/06/2000 +1000, Reg Boyle wrote:
>Hi all,
> Possibly a relevant detail I was reading of late.
>JSBach had barely a week to teach his young and fairly
>uncooperative boys the cantata or what-ever for the following
>Sunday, and it's been a puzzle how he managed it each week?
>Especially in view of its complexity.

I'm thinking there must have been a lot of punishment involved :)

> It seems that he had two specific details he
>regarded as essential. One was absolutely perfect rhythm
>and the other was the boys hitting the pitch dead centre.
>Any advance on this?

unlike many opera singers, who seem to care little about either :)

<ducking>

In fairness, Bach's rhythms aren't usually all that tough, and
the choir was presumably being conducted by Bach - perhaps from
the keyboard, but he would have occasionally had a hand free to
direct. I can also picture him standing up to conduct during the
choral numbers and letting the organist play continuo. Just my
fantasy, nothing to base it on.

The pitch thing is harder, of course, but they were a small
select group, selected for that ability...

Lastly, most of the cantatas have but one or two choral movements -
the rest being for soloists. Often one of the choral movements
was a simple 4-part chorale, and the other a fantasia based on
the same tune.

The soloists had it harder, I guess, but most of the time they
had only one recitative and aria to learn - or two maybe - and I
read somewhere that he often used more than one soprano soloist
- perhaps just to split up the work load of learning.

So, I guess the answer is that he did it with smoke and mirrors
much of the time. An opening chorus - or maybe an opening
sinfonia, instruments and voices throughout, but not the same
voices throughout, plus a closing chorale - it comes out with
not so very much to learn. Great dramatic effect from small
resources - pretty good composing, I'd say. There are some
bigger cantatas, of course, especially those for special
occasions - but I would guess they had longer to prepare them.

Or maybe I'm all wet...

What I'm wondering is how he managed to get it all to happen on
the right days. Most of the cyclical cantatas are for particular
sundays - based on the text that was being preached on that particular
day.... large task...



  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
2846 Re: sight singing and piano skills John Alexander Blyth   Thu  7/6/2000   2 KB
2851 Re: sight singing and piano skills natural@w...   Thu  7/6/2000   5 KB
2855 Re: sight singing and piano skills John Alexander Blyth   Thu  7/6/2000   6 KB

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