Donnerstag, April 20, 2006

Countdown to Missa Solemnis - Second Last Night

I did take dinner before tonight's rehearsal, you know. Yet when I returned home I was feeling terribly hungry. Because I realised (in fact, everyone realised) that I had been activating my tummy muscles really hard today. It was overworked, but it saved my voice.

I HATE THE ORCHESTRA.

Do they hate the chorus people so much? The brasses especially. Totally merciless. Like if Beethoven himself wasn't merciless enough. We sopranos are on the safe side, because merciless high notes mean more resonances. But poor altos and tenors. We couldn't even hear them. Even though the altos were just right beside us. I had to look at their mouths to locate my own entrances.

Still I sang to my heart's content. The work kind of grows into you once you had familiarised yourself with it. And since I've been drilling myself on the work ever since the end of last year, there's no doubt I'm quite fond of it. And I realised my voice range have expanded because of Missa Solemnis. I can effortlessly sing a high B now, thanks to Beethoven, haha. Go ask Frau Lim for proof! I've been hitting the Bs during her lessons one month ago, which is some kind of accomplishment for me.

Back to tonight's rehearsals - I find the soloists not too bad. I still reminisce over those Elijah days, coz the soloists were just whoa. Just terrific. This season's a little disappointing though, but I can understand Beethoven is partly at fault. His interweaving lines (I'm referring to the soloists' parts) and his obsession for syncopation in this work. But I find that the soloists either are not familiar with the score, or are just weak. And I rather dislike the tenor's voice and his way of singing. He swoops notes and loves portamento. Tja. He's making Missa Solemnis sound like it's just written by Brahms or some other romantics. Tja. The alto is still quite okay, nothing special about her, really. The soprano is always miscounting a beat or two, but most of the time she manages to find the correct beat in the end. Still, all this hoohaa mean that the soloists are often not together.

We went through all movements but Agnus Dei tonight. What a pity. I was starting to like the movement coz the melody at the miserere section is so heart-wrenching. What a sensation it will be if I can hear the accompaniment played live! At least it wouldn't feel like I'm singing karaoke (aka singing with the recording back at home) anymore, lol! Hopefully, the conductor would do something about the volume of the orchestra (it's really difficult for two pieces of skin membrance to compete with metal and mallets), and I could pray for a successful run-through tomorrow!

Gute Nacht, minna! Suesse Traeume und matta ashita!

posted by empress @ 8:55 PM