Sunday, February 22, 2009

Rehearsal Schedule

 Rehearsal schedule for the week of February 23rd.  

The off-book date for Act I is fast approaching, and note that Carroll will begin staging this Friday.  It is imperative that everyone spend time working those portions of the score that are uncomfortable.  Likewise, you must continue to keep the recitatives going as we will not have a chance to work them as intensively again as we did earlier this semester.  Knowing your words (including the literal meanings), notes and rhythms is entirely your responsibility.  Having this work done before walking into the rehearsal room will ensure a smooth and efficient rehearsal process and guarantee we will have enough time to put this show together in time.

Thanks for your hard work.

 

Monday, February 23, 2009

 

3:30-4:30  (Opera Room – Class/Harvey)

Act I  Finale

 

4:30-5:30 (Opera room – Class/Harvey)

No. 5 (Z/M)

Quartet (DA/E/O/G)

No. 2 (DA/DO)

 

4:30-5:30 – (Room 41 – Freeman/Murphy)

Leporelli (Act I Finale; Act II:  Recit & Duet No. 22; Act II Finale if time permits)

 

 

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

 

3:30-4:30 (Opera Room – Class/Harvey)

Act II  Finale

 

4:30-5:30 (Opera Room – Class/Harvey)

No. 22  Recit & Duet (DG/L/Com.)

No. 15 Trio (DE/DG/L)

No. 14 Duet (DG/L)

 

4:30-5:30 – (Room 41 – Freeman/Murphy)

Zerlini (TBA)

 

Friday, February 27, 2009

3:30-5:30 (Opera Room – Class/Harvey/Freeman)

Staging TBA

 

3:30-5:30 (Room 41 – Maness)

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Rehearsal Notes

La ci darem was very well executed.  The balance issues are not entirely the problems of either voice or orchestra.  Cox Auditorium is a terrible hall for soloists and the positioning of the shell makes it very difficult for the orchestra to not over power anyone standing in front.  After suggestions, there was some improvement in balance, but all that really can be done on the part of the singer is spin your legato out front as much as possible.

The Trio was very well done as well.  Balance was actually the best in this number.  

Sextet:  Extemely well done with a tempo that does not support the needs of the voice sufficiently.  Leporello: do not dot the rhythms on the word "tempo" in "ecco il tempo" before the key change.  The rhythm IS dotted at "cheto, cheto" because of the rhythmic inflection of the italian.  Elvira:  give a little more time to the "i" or "mio" at "E mio marito".  Moving too quickly to the "o" breaks the needed legato of this phrase and implies an unwanted accent.  The word "mio" can be treated as either a one or two syllable word.  Regardless of how you view it, we simply need a little more length on the 'i' so as not to disrupt the line.  Leporello:  once again, think crescendo when you have repeated pitches such as "perdon, perdono...".  Doing very with ascending line at "viver lasciatemi", but came off the tie much too soon both times.

"Dei! Leporello!":  Do not accent final syllable! It's being held too long and therefore not being shaped appropriately.  

During the finale at "che impensata novita" (m. 240), do not rush!  Listen to basses and celli, you're getting slightly ahead.
  

Rehearsal Notes

Monday, February 9, 2009


Much improved on the Sextet.  I had anticipated having to spend more time on pitches than necessary after the previous Friday's orchestra rehearsal, but everyone took their work seriously and improved significantly in the intervening days.  Everyone else should have looked at this act II material considering that we were scheduled to do an Act II work-through two weeks ago.  I'm at a bit of a loss as to why anyone is still sight-reading any of this.





Sunday, February 8, 2009

Rehearsal Schedule Feb. 9-20

Don Giovanni

 Notes:

1)  Off-Book dates:   Act I – March 2

                                    Act II – March  9

These are non-negotiable.  By now you have had sufficient notice about your roles and should have invested enough time and effort into your preparations that these dates should pose no great difficulty for you.  Being glued to a score inhibits your absorption of the information it contains and will only slow the process of music and staging and hinder the progress of your colleagues.  Take these dates seriously!

 

2) During this week (Feb.  9-13), everyone should be in Cox Auditorium observing rehearsals even if you are not singing on the 13th.  You should be attentive to what you are hearing and observing, following full scores for those of you that have acquired them, and reinforcing your own study of these numbers.  These rehearsals are during opera hours so there should be no conflicts other than any that may have already been cleared by Mr. Freeman. 

 

 

Monday, February 9, 2009

3:30-4:30pm  Opera room (Class/Harvey)

 

Act II:  Sextet

              Trio

(All relevant cast called, but those singing with UTSO on Saturday will sing this rehearsal)

 

4:30 -6:00pm   Cox Auditorium  UTSO

            L’Italiana: Finale

            Giovanni:  Sextet, Trio, Duet

 

 

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

 

3:30-4:30  Opera room (Class/Harvey)

 

            Sextet  (other casts)

            Trio (other casts – as time permits)

 

4:30-6:00pm  Cox Auditorium UTSO

 

            L’Italiana:  Finale

            Giovanni:  Sextet, Trio, Duet

 

Friday, February 13, 2009  Opera Room(Class/Harvey)

 

Giovanni:    Act II: 

Duet No. 14 (DG/L)

Duet No. 22 (DG/L)

Canzonetta (DG)

 

Monday, February 16, 2009  Opera Room (Class/Harvey)

 

3:30-4:30            Act II Finale

4:30-5:30             Duets, Trio and Sextet from Act II

 

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Opera Room (Class/Harvey)

 

3:30-5:30           Act I Finale

                                Act II Finale

                                Act I Quartet (DA/DE/DO/DG)

 

Friday, February 20, 2009  Opera Room (Class/Harvey)

 

3:30-5:30            Work through Act I (music)

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Rehearsal Notes

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Aria Coachings:


Ho capito:


Masetto:  Fill out first note - good round vowel on "ho" - legato through "Ho capito.", and best legato through descending line at "chino il capo..."  Follow orchestra crescendo through "aver per me" repetitions.  At m. 77 onwards, energize but fill out the eighth notes so we do not lose them in the orchestra.


Il mio tesoro:


Ottavio:  The question about the rhythm in the first measure Ottavio sings is answered somewhat by the natural rhythm of the language.  While you can observe the two eighth notes in prinicple, the rhythm of the word "mio" requires a slight dotted "feel" to it in order to give proper stress to the first syllable.  Lean in this direction without being overly precise by dotting the rhythm completely.

Do not accent unstressed final syllables (even those which are difficult to sing!).  

Crescendo (forward phrasing) through long notes, especially the long 'F'.  Never sit on any pitch.


Meta di voi:


Giovanni:  M. 7: eighth-note pick up and legato.  Take your time on the pick up so the strings have time to settle into the downbeat.  Same at m. 57 ("tu sol verrai con me").

In m. 60, accent the "n" of "noi" then diminuendo.  Do not try to match the 'sfp' of the orchestra, but rather pace your diminuendo evenly across the bar line.


Crudelle/Non mi dir:


Recitative:  Allow the orchestra sound to clear before entering with "Ah"

Aria:  Clear phrasing.  No portamento between "son" and "io" in mm. 24-25.  IN m. 38 do not anticipate the "l" of "calma" thus breaking the legato and affecting pitch.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Rehearsal Notes

Monday, February 2, 2009

Introduzione, No. 1

In very good shape through most of this.  Pay careful attention to dynamics throughout, especially Leporello observing the "p" after "Sconsigliata!/Scellerato!"  

Commendatore:  Secure entrances, rhythms and pitches.  The Andante was fairly secure but "Lasciala, indegno!" was problematic.  

Andante:  Leporello: keep sixteenth notes of dotted rhythms very short and energized.


Aria/Trio, No. 3

This number was in excellent shape.  Donna Elvira's:  keep your legato spinning in "che per mio scorno amai...".  Keep connection during octave leaps, making sure to fill out the eighth notes at "vo' farne orrendo scempio...".


Aria, No. 8

"Ah, fuggi il traditor!"

This was very well prepared by all.  Despite its vocal challenges and very angular rhythm, do not feel you need to push the volume beyond the point that allows you appropriate opportunity for color.  The voice is accompanied only by strings, so the voice does not have to put out as much volume as in other parts of this score.  

Keep direction on long notes so that the line never becomes stagnant, even for a couple beats.  At m. 22 you can find an opportunity to bring back the volume a bit, lyricising the chromatic quarter-notes and giving you a slight respite from the driving energy of the piece.


Duetto, No. 2

Also well prepared.  In second measure, take time to sing through the initial "L" of "Lascia", giving a bit of time for orchestra to enter "p" beneath.  Don Ottavio:  despite the rests and angular rhythms, think of the long phrase at "Senti, cor mio..."

Donna Anna:  indulge the initial "b" of "bene" for the sake of both coloring the word, and allowing time for the "sfp" in the orchestra accompanying it.

Rehearsal Notes

Friday, January 30, 2009


Act I Finale

The overall preparations for this difficult finale were very pleasing.  For a first read-through of this material there were many good things happening.  I realize this was quite intimidating for some people, but there was great value in being present to at least hear this music and gain a sense for how this work flows. 

As always, keep legato when the music allows.  The orchestra is the machinery of articulation and your best bet for projection is to keep your sound spinning at all times. 



Allegro assai:

Zerlina simply needs to look for the second beat from the conductor then proceed in the new tempo.  Momentary eye-contact is all that is necessary. 

Andante maestoso:

“L’empio crede con tal frode”:  Think of filling out the first syllable with a warm accent (lots of air through the ‘L’) that will be supported by the “fp” in the strings. 

“Tutto, tutto gia si sa”:  Short, energized sixteenths with requisite separation on “tutto”, but be sure to fill out the vowel with legate on “gia si sa”. 

Allegro:

Molto “P” on “Trema” so that his crescendo has maximum dramatic effect. 

 

Quartet No. 9

 

This ensemble requires a good deal of work.  We will revisit it soon.  The operative word should be “effortless”, especially fort he sixteenth-note passages that are, of course, very difficult.  Despite the technical complications, these passages should not be oversung, riding on the vibrato as much as possible and sounding as effortless as possible. 

Continue working text.