Conducting textbook by Bingham Vick,Jr........Table of Contents Conducting: What Matters Most Table of Contents
FORWARD. . . . . . . . . . . 6 Biographical Resume of Bingham Vick,Jr. . . . . . . 7 Prayer of Appreciation for Music . . . . . . . 8 Prelude - “The Joy of Teaching” (a “parable”) . . . . . 9
PART ONE
Conducting, an introduction . . . . . . . 10 A Brief History of the Art of Conducting . . . . . . 11 So, Just What Does a Conductor Do? . . . . . . 13
Chapter I - What Matters Most - the mechanics and the psychology . 14 Conducting: The Psychology - What is a successful conductor? . . . 15 Personal Qualities of Conductors “Conductor’s qualities” - Harriet Simons (1983, State University of New York - Buffalo) 16 “Inspiration” - Brock McElheran (1966, Potsdam, NY) . . . 18 Advice from Hiam Ginott (child psychologist) . . . . 19
Conducting: The Mechanics . . . . . . . 19 Conducting is (1) making music . . . . . 20 (2) minimum gesture for maximum result . . . 20 (3) the result of homework . . . . 20 (4) being a benevolent dictator (Leadership styles) . . 22 (5) unending self-evaluation . . . . 23
General Conducting Guidelines . . . . . . 24 1. Say what you mean, and mean what you say 2. “Have the score in the head, not the head in the score” 3. Use MINIMUM GESTURE FOR MAXIMUM RESULT 4. Fit the Pattern to the Music, not the Music to the Pattern 5. Develop a big bag of tricks. 6. There are no bad ensembles, only bad conductors
Principles of Conducting - the psychology of motion . . . . . 25
Conducting Stance . . . . . . 25 Conducting Field . . . . . . . 27 Conducting Patterns . . . . . . 29 “fit the pattern to the music, not the music to a pattern” Basic Principles of Gesture . . . . . 33 Use of Baton . . . . . . . 33 Use of Left Hand . . . . . . . 34 1 Styles of Conducting Gesture . . . . . 35 every gesture should have meaning The Conducting Gesture and Breathing, or Preparing to Initiate Sound . 36 Three-step Procedure for Beginning to Conduct . . . 37 Learning How to Conduct . . . . . . 38 CLARITY - CONSISTENCY - CONVICTION Some exercizes for learning conducting movement . . . 39
CONDUCTING EXAMPLES: #1 4/4 “Jesu meine Freude” . . . . 40 #2 4/4 with pickup “O Beautiful for spacious skies” . . 41 #3 3/4 “My country tis of thee” . . . . 42 #4 3/4 with pickup and fermatas “The Star Spangled Banner” . 43 Star Spangled Banner, 4-part instrumental setting . . 44 #5 2/2 TRURO “Lift up your heads, O mighty gates” . 45
ADDITIONAL MUSICAL EXAMPLES FOR CONDUCTING: . . . 46 Bach chorale: “Jesu, priceless treasure” 4-pattern . . .47 Bach chorale: “How bright appears the morning star” 4-pattern, start on 4 . 48 Bach chorale: See world, thy Lord in anguish” 4-pattern, start on 4 . 49
from Handel’s MESSIAH Sinfony divided 4-pattern . . . . . . 50 No.9 “O thou that tellest” moderato 6-pattern, modified 4-pattern, 2 pattern . 51 No. 20 “He shall feed his flock” slow 12-pattern, legato . . . 52 No. 24 “Surely, he hath borne our griefs” divided 4-pattern, staccato . . 53 No. 29 “Thy rebuke, hath broken his heart” recitative: passive beats . 54 No. 36 “Thou art gone up on high” Allegro larghetto; 3-pattern, legato . 55 No. 48 “The trumpet shall sound” Pomposo ma non allegro; 3-pattern, mrcato 56
Franz J. Haydn, Symphony No. 94, 2nd movement . . . . 57 4-pattern, staccato beats, tenuto, soft dynamic, subito ff Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, 1st movement . . . 58 1-pattern, fermata, large dynamic changes, cueing entrances
ADENDA: R.Strauss “Ten Golden Rules for the Young Conductor” . . 59 Quotes on conducting
Chapter II - What Matters Most - Score Study and Musical Analysis . 60
Westin Noble - Composer’s Cycle . . . . . . . 60
Seven-step Analysis System (Margaret Hillis) . . . . . 62
Applying Analysis to Conducting . . . . . . . 65
Common Musical Tempo Markings, Terms . . . . . . 67
Considering Musical Style . . . . . . . . 70
Guidelines for Style and Performance Practice . . . . . 73
Musical Analysis of Bach motet, “Jesu, meine Freude” . . . . 77
2 PART TWO
Chapter III- What Matters Most - Choral Rehearsal Technique . . 81 General Rehearsal Goals . . . . . . . . 82
18 Rehearsal Guidelines . . . . . . . . 83 Lectures are enhanced when the teacher... . . . . . 87 Selected statements about learning . . . . . . 88 EXAMPLE: SAMPLE REHEARSAL PLAN FOR FURMAN SINGERS . 89 The Seven Habits of Successful People (Stephen Covey) . . . 91
What really matters - Be Yourself . . . . . . . 96
Experienced conductor, remember... . . . . . . 97
10 things not to say at choir rehearsal (1988, Wayne Wold) . . . . 98
An Adjudicator Lists 10 Common Vocal Sins ( 1994, Pamela Wirgler, Heidelberg College) 99
18 Ways to Motivate Your Choir (1991, Karen Issacson, San Jose State University) . 100
50 Resolutions for a Choral Conductor - Harriet Simons . . . . 101 Actual Quotes from Grade School Essays on Classical Music . . . . 102
Chapter IV - What Matters Most: Vocal-Choral Issues . . . 105 Auditions - Learning about the Singers . . . . . . 106 Sample Audition example (Furman Singers Audition) . . . 109 Audition Evaluation Form . . . . . . . 110
Create a Seating Chart . . . . . . . . 111
Three Rules for Singing . . . . . . . . 113
Choral singing and solo singing . . . . . . . 114
Choral Rehearsal Discipline - Watch and Listen . . . . . 115
What is the purpose of a choral rehearsal? . . . . . . 116 Educational - Spiritual - Functional - Social
ADDITIONAL VOCAL-CHORAL ISSUES... Vibrato, Science, and the Choral Singer.....................117 Singing on Numbers (Count-singing)..................... 117 A Vocal Health - Take care of the voice.........................117 B Choral Pedagogy and Vocal Health...........................117 B Quiet Singing and the learning process (R.Shaw) ........117 C-D
A Chorister’s Confession . . . . . . . . 118
From actual church bulletins around the country (quotes and mis-quotes) . . 119 3
Chapter V - What Matters Most - Repertoire . . . 121 Balanced Choral Diet . . . . . . . 121
Criteria for Selecting Literature for the Choir . . . . . 122 1. The Ability of the Choir 2. The Text 3. The Composer 4. The Music 5. Is this music I believe in?
Stop-Look-Listen . . . . . . . . 124 David Brunner (University of Central Florida) . . . 124 Jean Janzen (teacher of creative writing and poetry) . . . 125 Eric Routley (Westminster Choir College) . . . . 125 Lovelace and Rice . . . . . . 125 Gerald Ottley, “The Audience as programming factor” (Mormon Tabernacle Choir) 126
Resources for Repertoire . . . . . . . 127 American Choral Directors Association - CHORAL JOURNAL African-American Music and Performance . . . . 128 Russian Sacred Music . . . . . . 128 a
Musical Examples for study and conducting . . . . . 129 Tallis - “If ye love me” . . . . . . 130 Bach - “Dona nobis pacem” from MASS IN B MINOR . . 131 Handel - “Halleluia” from JUDAS MACCABAEUS . . . 132 Haydn - “The Heavens are Telling” from THE CREATION . . 133 Mendelssohn - “He watching over Israel” from ELIJAH . . 134 R.Thompson - “The Last Words of David” . . . . 135
Music for Service of Memory and Celebration . . . . 136
Two “Service of Memory and Celebraton” outlines . . . . 140 List of important settings of “requiem” . . . . . 141
Chapter VI - What Matters Most - Working with Instruments . . 143
A choral conductor’s guide to conducting instruments . . . . . 143 Five Guidelines: 1 - Prepare the music - Have the score in the head! 2 - Prepare the rehearsal/performance space for the instruments 3 - Plan the rehearsal to the minute 4 - Be clear with your gestures 5 - Acknowledge the importance of the instrumental ensemble to the music
Working with Strings (Thomas Joiner, violinist, conductor, Furman University) 147 Service Agreement . . . . . . 148
A Selective List of Choral-orchestral Music: Basic Repertoire for Chorus and Orchestra . 151
Statements attributed to Eugene Ormandy (conductor, Philadelphia Orchestra) . . 158
4 APPENDICES: Appendix 1 - Miscellaneous Information on selected choral-orchestral works . 159
Johann Sebastian Bach - Mass in B Minor 161 Johann Sebastian Bach - Magnificat in D 162 Johann Sebastian Bach - Jesu meine Freude 163 Johann Sebastian Bach - St.John Passion 164 Ludwig van Beethoven - Mass in C 165 Ludwig van Beethoven - Missa Solemnis in D 166 Hector Berlioz - Requiem 167 Johannes Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem 168 Benjamin Britten - St. Nicolas 169 Benjamin Britten - War Requiem 170 Maurice Durufle - Requiem 171 Gabriel Faure - Requiem 173 George Frideric Handel - Judas Maccabaeus 174 George Frideric Handel - Messiah 175 George Frideric Handel - Chandos Anthems, Coronation Anthems, Te Deums 176-a,b Franz Josef Haydn - The Creation 177 Franz Josef Haydn - Lord Nelson Mass 178 Arthur Honegger - King David 179 Gustav Mahler - “Resurrection Symphony” (Symphony No. 2) Gustav Mahler - “Symphony of a Thousand” (Symphony No.8) 180 Felix Mendelssohn - Elijah pre-181 Claudio Monteverdi - Vespers of 1610 182 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Masses and Requiem 183 Carl Orff - Carmina Burana 184 Francis Poulenc - Gloria 185 John Rutter - Mass of the Children 186 Franz Schubert - masses and Mass in G major Igor Straninsky - Symphony of Psalms 187 Ralph Vaughan Williams - Dona Nobis Pacem 188 Ralph Vaughan Williams - Hodie 189 Giuseppi Verdi - “Manzoni” Requiem 190 Herbert Howells, Malcolm Archer, John Rutter - Requiems 191
Appendix 2 - A Translation and pronounciation of the Kyrie-Gloria and a brief history of the liturgical mass Pronunciation of German Latin text of mass . . Reprint of pronounciation section from “Translations and Annotations”
Appendix 3 - A selective list of reference materials . . . . 198 General J.S.Bach G.F.Handel
Appendix 4 - Annotated Bibliography of Topical Readings . . . 201 Working with Voices Choral Rehearsal Procedures and Techniques Conducting Gestures Conducting Musical Analysis Selecting Choral Repertoire Sacred music
Appendix 5 - Basic Personal Library for Young Conductor . . . 206
Copyright 2003, B.Vick,Jr. ======================================================================== 208 total pages as of 7 July 2003 214 total pages as of 10 august 2004 270+ total pages as of july 5, 2007
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