Empress : Kaiserin

Countdown to Elijah - Second Last Night

The rehearsal was really very, very draining. I’m quite disappointed at my performance today. The people sitting behind me were so bloody loud! Hence, when I couldn’t hear myself, I had the tendency to overstrain my voice. The result is disastrous – my voice starts to crack at my high registers. I only managed to relax my tense instrument and steadied my voice after the break (which is around 21.00 Uhr). Yep, Herr John Nelson (our guest conductor) jumped around the entire work – meaning he was rehearsing the chorus’ pieces of both Part One and Part Two in no particular order. That was actually a challenge for all singers, because our instruments (for those who have no idea what instrument I’m referring to, I meant the voice) were already adjusted to the run-through of Elijah. Switching from piece to piece randomly meant that we have to readjust and tap on our stamina. It’s a three-hour work, with no promise of an intermission between the two sections of Elijah (I guess we will only know that on the first night of performance, which is Friday), so it’s taxing in every way. And good lord, just standing throughout most of the pieces are already strenuous on us physically. I’m pondering if I should wear high heels on the performance nights. Hmm. Okay, so satisfaction only came to me after the break. Reasonable control, ringing tone present. So I was pretty “high” after the rehearsal. More like – it’s killing my energy level and pushing me to the limits, but still, it’s really fun!

And then I might as well go on to narrate some of the more note-worthy moments that took place during tonight’s rehearsal:

1) Start of the rehearsal (19.30 Uhr). The orchestral players had just return from their break, and were settling comfortable in their seats. Our “Elijah” (baritone) delivered his opening number and then the Overture followed. Herr Nelson’s signal came and the chorus members stood up in unison. All was in order, everything was taken very seriously. Our opening words “Help, Lord!”, and Herr Nelson stopped everyone almost immediately after that. Apparently the orchestra wasn’t giving enough “gusto” and “desperation” at the point of the chorus’ entrance. Herr Nelson started explaining the background of the text of Elijah to the orchestra. He started off with something like “…the people has no food, no water, no nothing! There was a three year famine, and there were dead bodies all around. The only ones who survived were probably the 170 chorus members behind you…” OMG… What a way to describe things! All of us cracked up in laughter of course! It was soooo lame… but effective. Gosh. XD

2) The soloists were great! Especially our “Elijah”. I’ll find out the exact name of the baritone soon enough when I get the programme booklet, but before that, let’s just call him “Elijah”. Why? Because he even looked his part! With his slightly long hair and the beard and all that facial hair, he just looked like some sort of biblical figure standing in benevolence amidst all of us. Wow. Speaking of being part of an oratorio. This “Elijah”, he is our prophet indeed! (Anyway, that’s how Herr Nelson introduced him to the chorus tonight. He’s like going “Choir, this [hand gesture to Mr. “Elijah”] is your prophet!”

3) The cruel Queen (the alto soloist) is also very realistic. The soloist epicted her role perfectly. In the Second Part we were all motivated by her “Slaughter him!” (him referring to Elijah) and responded angrily “Death unto the guilty prophet! So go ye forth; seize on him! He shall die!” Haha, Herr Nelson loved it, but all credit goes to the cruel Queen. I somehow feel that Elijah might deserve some credits too – in the First Part the chorus plays the role of the bad people who worshipped Baal (the “wrong” god) and was scorned by Elijah with these words “Call him louder! He [Baal] heareth not. With knives and lancets cut yourselves after your manner! Leap upon the altar ye have made! Call him, and prophesy; not a voice will answer you, none will listen; none heed you!” I felt so insulted, but separated by the front two rows of chorus members and an entire chunk of orchestral players and their instruments, the idea of rushing towards the standing-dignified “Elijah” and smacking him in the face is definitely not an option. Well, I’m not sure if the other chorus members are feeling the same emotions as I had, but if “Death unto him! He shall die!” is some way of taking “revenge” (relax, I’m just too into my role as “the people”; it’s not that I hated “Elijah” that badly) after what the prophet had said in the earlier Part One. That’s why I suggested that “Elijah” might have contributed to our Herr-Nelson-satsifying delivery of the lines. ^^

Okay, enough rumbling now. I’m sorry for blabbing so much. Must have gotten all of you confused and bored. Gomen.

posted by empress @ 7:20 AM