Tuesday 6/9

Movements worked on: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Overall: Astounding improvement. We added the 3rd movement which was not originally scheduled. We did not get to the 7th movement as originally scheduled.

Movement 1

• Excellent - almost performance ready.

Movement 2

• For the beginning text an wherever it occurs, “Fliesch es” needs a glottalized “e” so it’s not “Fliesches”

• At rehearsal H the “t” on Wort and bleibet still isn’t together. Both should come directly on beat 3 of their respective measures.

• Measure 295-296 has a ritard over “ewige Freude”

  • 6 bars before N is an easing into the tranquillo tempo. “rit. al tranquillo” if you will.

• The entrances after N can be a little louder. They’re marked “p” but they’re more like section solos.

  • Basses at measure 317 beat 4 needs to be a more confident entrance.

Movement 3

• Just F to the end was run through as a refresher. Getting better every time!

Movement 5

• Let the opening “rocking” theme in the accompaniment be your guide. The entire movement should be sung with the act of comforting a child.

• Again “p” and “pp” should have greater differences.

Movement 6

• The fugue was worked on first. Much easier than the fugue in movement 3 - so rehearsal moved a little quicker.

  • Dynamics are extremely important here. There is so much forte in this movement that a mezzoforte, mezzopiano and piano should not be taken for granted.

• Measures 297-301 and 323-327 should feature the “conversation” between S and T. If you can’t hear it, you’re too loud.

THURSDAY 6/4

Movements worked on: 1, 3, 6, 7

Overall: Attendance was much improved. The sound is filling out quite nicely. We did not get to the 5th movement as was originally scheduled. However, it was done very well on 6/2

Movement 1

• Movement 1 was an addition from the original schedule to keep it fresh.

Movement 3

• Much work was done on the fugue.

  • We had a sectional rehearsal - S/A was with Mason and Brad, T/B was with Daniel and Karen.

Movement 6

• Focus was on the Vivace to the Allegro(Fugue)

• The Fugue was run, but not fine tuned.

Movement 7

• Fine tuned from the beginning to measure 100.

Tuesday 6/2

Movements worked on: 2, 3, 6, 7

Overall: Much progress on the 3rd movement. Still very tricky F to the end. Individual work is a MUST for success. At this point, nearly all of the music has been visited in some capacity. The whole work is fair game - nothing should be a surprise at this point.

Movement 3

• Lots of work was done on F to the end. The semi-acapella passage beginning in measure 164 is getting tremendously better.

  • Sopranos - caution not to begin your triplets too soon in measure 166.

Movement 5

• The easiest movement in the Requiem. The proof was in the fact that it’s already about 95% perfect from just one rehearsal.

• There are only two written dynamics for the choir in this movement - p and pp.

  • Therefore, p and pp should have a greater impact - make a bigger difference between the two.

  • Written crescendos should cap off at no more than a mezzo forte (mf)

Movement 6

• Attention was focused on rehearsal C through rehearsal D

  • “zu der Zeit der letzten Posaune” should be essentially memorized so you can watch for the accelerando.

    • we accel. from C to measure 76 at which point we will be at the tempo of the Vivace (measure 82)

• Vivace (m. 82) needs to be exclaimed, like a fanfare. LOTS of space between staccato notes and triplets (sopranos and altos) need to cut through like trumpets.

Movement 7

• The focus was on Letter C to measure 100.

• As I noted in your score, Soprano 2s are jumping down to the Alto line at m. 84 and jumping back to Soprano proper on beat 3 of measure 89.

  • This felt very uncertain. Please review it.

Thursday 5/28

Movements worked on: 2, 3, 6, 7

Overall: Progress. Still low attendance because it was the BPC’s last day rehearsing Carmina.

Movement 2

• Rehearsed N to the end.

• Did a complete run through of the entire movement. Stopping only for major issues.

Movement 3

• Reviewed rehearsal F up to the fugue (still one of the hardest places in the Requiem - please review on your own, frequently!)

• We started the fugue up to rehearsal H

Movement 6

• As an introduction to this very long movement, coupled with the amount of work we did on movement 3, we only rehearsed the beginning to letter A.

• The opening should feel almost march-like. With a bounce. Not too slow!

• Andante = walking tempo.

• Think “Moses leading the Jews, seemingly aimlessly, through the desert for 40 years.”

  • Where are we going? We have no permanent home? We’re seeking it, wandering.

Movement 7

• Rehearsed B to measure 70.

• “Ja der Geist spricht” Yes says the Spirit. Should sound almost ghostly, with a Sotto Voce whisper.

  • Think “breath of the Holy Spirit”

• Measure 66-69 is a moment! A beautiful, tender moment.

  • Sopranos are featured in m. 66

  • Give the tenors room to resolve the end of m. 67

  • Altos and Tenors have the spotlight at m. 68-69.

TUESDAY 5/26

Movements worked on: 1, 2, 3

Overall: Due to the late start (7:45pm) we did not get to movements 4 and 7 as scheduled)

Movement 1

• The opening chorale is still unstable. It is a capella - please review your part

• We’ve come far in this movement with only three rehearsals. We will not see it again until 6/4. Please review and keep fresh.

Movement 2

• We worked on Letter H to great success.

  • Please make sure the Ts on Wort and bleibet come on beat three in measures 200 and 201 respectively. des Herrn WorT, blei-beT.

• Measure 206 (Allegro non troppo) “Die Erlöseten” needs space and marcato.

  • Think jaunty march. It’s the opposite of how you’ve been asked to sing almost all choral music. It’s okay to sing “Die… Erlö…. seten…. des Hern” especially in the Cathedral.

• Rehearsal I (m. 219) “hear the tenors”

• Rehearsal M (m. 291) “hear the altos”

• Any time you sing “wird weg” pronounced “veerd vek” it should be forceful.

  • Like you’re flicking the notes away. Pain and sorrow will go away! wird wek!!

• m. 269 is a tricky canon - especially for sopranos and tenors who are only singing a beat apart. Take careful attention here.

• m. 284 (with bass pick up) NOTE: the emphasis is on a different beat each time.

  • For SAT its 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.

  • For basses, its 4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.

Movement 3

• We isolated two of the hardest parts in the entire Requiem.

• Rehearsal F “Nun Herr, wess soll ich mich trösten” is a challenging, yet powerful “choral cadenza”.

  • Slow practice on your own will go a long way here.

  • We will rehearse this many, many times.

• m. 164 “Ich hoffe auf dich” is also extremely difficult and basically a capella with some light brass harmonic accompaniment.

  • Therefore, it’s best to assume you’re “on your own” here.

  • Slow practice on your own will go a long way here.

  • We will rehearse this many, many times.

Thursday 5/21

Movements worked on: 1, 2, 4, and 7

Overall: Attendance is still low (as expected), but improvements are being made.

Movement 1

• opening chorale - measures 19 and 20 do not have a crescendo. Maintain pianissimo until m. 21

• Rehearsal B “Die mit Tränen” can still be more “sob-like”

Movement 2

• Opening - open jaw, make a dark tone

• Rehearsal C is okay, it comes rather naturally, but D to m. 103 needs part work/solidification.

• We stopped before H

Movement 4

• m. 48 verlanget = longing, sehnet = yearning. Sing legato and sing longingly. ver-LAN-get und SEH-net.

• m. 124 can still be more marcato, bouncy, almost Baroque signing.

Movement 7

• Much improved! We solidified the beginning through m. 34

Tuesday 5/19

Movements worked on: 1, 4, and 7

Overall: Not a bad rehearsal considering we only had about 1/3 of the choir in attendance. Please continue to listen to practice tracks as we don’t have very much time to stop and play out individual parts.

Movement 1

• Measures 19-27 need more work in order to sing confidently a capella

• Sopranos - measures 24 and 116 - please watch your pitches F-E-D-E, the Es were coming a little flat when sung from F

• Measure 154 - everyone should have changed the downbeat to an eight note - making space before the S/A’s “getröstet werden”

• getröstet is pronounced geh-trur-stet, not ge-troh-stet

• Tränen is pronounced TREH-nuhn, not TRAH-nuhn

Movement 4

• Stacking entrances beginning at measure 48 lack confidence. The dynamic is piano, yes - but pitches must be secure.

• Measure 124-153 (the most rhythmically challenging part of this movement) needs quite a bit of work. Please solidify your pitches. Tenor and Bass rhythms, especially at measures 143-148.

Movement 7

• We didn’t do much work on the 7th but to solidify the hemiolas (triple over duple) in measures 130 and 140. NOTE: They look similar but they are not the same!

• Worked on the ending to match the first movement.

• Though we sang though the whole movement we didn’t “work on” much more than that.