[78-L] Operatic Sight Reading.

[Philip Carli]

I conduct an orchestra where many of the parts are in odd keys for the wind and brass (mostly the latter).  We use cornets, and after the first few times when I blithely had assurances that they could get around the 'A' parts on their Bb & C modern insts., and repeatedly coming to unnecessary grief, we came to a solemn agreement for them to get good-quality period instruments with 'A' shanks.  Hornists are usually more adept, and the parts in odd keys are often from a period of either natural or not-terribly-virtuosic valve horn composition, so establishing the relative 'C' and knowing the conventional patterns orchestrators used makes the parts comparatively easy to read.  I'm sure Ponselle was a true transposer at the keyboard if she says so - it's still not wholly common as a fluid skill in concert work even to-day (except in organ work, where it is assiduously taught).  P. Carli
________________________________________
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com [78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] on behalf of Malcolm Rockwell [malcolm at 78data.com]
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 11:39 AM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: Re: [78-L] Operatic Sight Reading.

Uh, your definition of transpose is slightly askew. It is not the
ability to play in different keys, it is the ability to play in a key
that is different from the key written on the sheet music. So, if a song
is written in E but the vocalist's natural key is F# a pianist who can
transpose has the ability to play in F# (or any other key) even though
the score is in E.
We won't even get in to horn transpositions!
Malcolm

*******

On 12/12/2011 3:38 AM, Jeff Sultanof wrote:
> To the list of opera singers who were also versed in an instrument, Rosa
> Ponselle says in her autobiography that she was a skilled pianist who could
> also transpose (play in different keys).
>
> Much agreed on solfege, although other systems used for sight-singing can
> be very effective. In college we learned movable 'do' which has problems
> when you get to pieces that are in a number of keys.
>
> Jeff Sultanof
>
> On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 6:08 AM, Philip Carli<
> Philip_Carli at pittsford.monroe.edu>  wrote:
>
>> I should also mention that solfege is rarely taught any more at the
>> conservatory level; a great loss, as those singers who had limited reading
>> skills often had considerable solfege ability which helped them learn parts
>> quickly.
>> ________________________________________
>> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com [
>> 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] on behalf of Philip Carli [
>> Philip_Carli at pittsford.monroe.edu]
>> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 5:54 AM
>> To: 78-L Mail List
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] Operatic Sight Reading.
>>
>> As an accompanist of over three decades' experience, though, I can say
>> singers who _can_ read - and especially sight read - earn much more respect
>> and gratitude from their instrumental colleagues than those who can't, no
>> matter how fine their voices. Being a repetiteur can sometimes be grueling,
>> depending upon the perspicacity of the singer you're drilling. Of the
>> greats of the past,  Giuseppe Campanari and Marcella Sembrich were probably
>> the best: Campanari had started as an orchestral 'cellist, and Sembrich
>> played piano and violin on a professional level.  And don't forget Jan
>> Peerce's experience as a dance-band violinist in the 1920s, which got him
>> started on doing band vocals...P. Carli
>> ________________________________________
>> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com [
>> 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] on behalf of OKIN EARL [
>> spats47 at ntlworld.com]
>> Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 5:53 PM
>> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
>> Subject: [78-L] Operatic Sight Reading.
>>
>> Hi!
>>
>> As a Jazz singer who loves Opera and collects operatic 78s, I don't see why
>> you are surprised about this. The same thing applies to Operatic as any
>> other sort of singing. You need a fine voice, great phrasing and a natural
>> musicality.
>>
>> An ability to act is obviously an optional extra which could be very
>> useful.
>>
>> However...sight-reading is not required.
>> Lack of that skill just requires the services of a good 'repetiteur'...
>>
>> Earl.
>>
>> From: Erwin Kluwer<ekluwer at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] Early studio singers - question
>> To: 78-L Mail List<78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>> Message-ID:
>>        <CAEOnyckoM+Sx-VtCz-om2Q_i2eHfynjuWfxPAS7G6e2R7kb8Ew at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>>
>> Amazingly some of the truly great opera singers :Caruso, Pinza,
>> Warren, among others were NOT able to sight read music!!
>>

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