Recital Ideas

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>We've been to a number of senior recitals and they've all been wonderful in their own way, but last night's was really special. The performer really made it "her own." She's also a composer and a dancer, with a strong interest in Irish music and culture, and she incorporated elements of all of her interests into the program. </p>

<p>Which, of course, made me think of the collective wisdom here, as D begins to think about putting together her own recital next year. What have you really liked at recitals you've attended? What should be avoided at all costs?</p>

2

<p>I’ve enjoyed all of the recitals I’ve attended for DS and many of his friends. Each had an element of THAT student’s personality in the recital choices, and in my opinion, that is very important.</p>

3

<p>Having been through a ton of recitals, at all levels, I agree with the sentiments others have expressed, it is better from my view to have the person playing something that is ‘their own’ or that ‘they own’. I realize recital pieces often are not totally the student’s choice, depending on the teacher, but when I am listening to recitals what gets me into it is when the student seems to be into it themselves. I have seen students playing the real whiz bang pieces (like for example Paganini in the violin world) where it seemed more about playing the whiz bang piece rather then the student actually enjoying it, and it usually leaves me cold. Likewise, from an audience standpoint I much prefer someone playing a piece that is probably an ‘old pair of shoes’ rather then stretching into something more technically challenging that doesn’t work just right (I give as an example, one night we were at a student recital at Curtiss, and the person was playing Chausson’s “Poeme” [note at the time I wasn’t familiar with the piece] and it really, really irritated me, I thought the piece and performer were horrible…until my son later played me a recording some artists had done of it, and I apologized to the spirit of the composer for blaming him:). Unfortanately, I realize the student doesn’t always have a choice, I know some teachers are kind of like Stalin in the way they choose student repertoire, but if they do, that is my take as an audience member:)</p>

4

<p>It’s true that teachers can be pushy, and often make the mistake of practically trying to program the entire recital the way they want it. If I can offer once piece of advice, it’d be to make sure D is doing this recital HER way. She’s worked hard to get to her senior recital and being firm with her teacher (even if it means pushing back a little when she doesn’t like his/her suggestions) is imperative. Pick pieces that SHE finds inspiring and SHE thinks will put her best foot forth. I just had my junior recital last year and I laid out the program to my teacher months in advance before he could even try to make me play any pieces I wasn’t interested in. And when he did have me try a piece that I didn’t like, I made sure I told him so immediately so as not to waste and precious preparation time. Sure, take in what your teacher has to say as helpful suggestions, but in every decision you make, remember it is HER big night… NOT her teacher’s. I find in most cases that teacher’s are impressed with the independent effort, not offended.
Other than that, keep in mind the obvious things like don’t make the program too long, pick an outfit that suits the occasional but has some personal flair, and SMILE, recitals should be some of the most fun events of your life!</p>

5

<p>Degree recitals must fulfill the requirements of accreditation boards. Undergraduate recitals will be representative of styles and eras, and show various technical competencies. The degree recital serves to prove a mastery of the major performance instrument at an appropriate level of its repertory. It is wonderful when families and friends can gather to celebrate and enjoy the accomplishment, but that is not its main purpose.</p>

6

<p>Lorelei, thanks for the clarification. Our experience so far has only been with high school level recitals, which seem to have more of a graduation celebration atmosphere (at least around here) than the more serious purpose you describe. Does that mean that a college recital is more like a jury with an audience?</p>

7

<p>Lorelei-</p>

<p>Good point, I thought the question was about recitals in general. Obviously, graduation recitals that involve a jury are a very different matter, I wasn’t even thinking of that. Though from a personal observation, if playing to a Jury means playing something concentrating only on the technical and leaving out the musical and expressive portions of it, would seem to be counterproductive grading considering the idea is that someone who is a performance artist and graduating is ready to perform for a ‘real’ audience, who often care more about how the person expresses the music and less if the bow arm was too high or low:). </p>

<p>Actually, that raises a good question, when you are at the college/conservatory level, are all recitals or chamber music performances graded with juries? I have been to recitals at Curtis, for example, and I didn’t get the impression that these were being graded as such, I have sat behind the teacher of the student(s) performing and I didn’t notice them taking notes or scoring things…seemed more like a performance opportunity in front of an audience.</p>

8

<p>Schools handle the grading and/or passing of degree recitals differently. Some require a faculty preview before the recital can be scheduled. Others are graded in the preview, and the entire faculty is not obligated to attend the recital. Graduate recitals would be assessed by a committee from the relevant applied faculty. Some are graded by the whole area faculty at the time of the recital, and the major professor’s grade does not have greater weight than those of the other teachers. Others are only graded by the professor, but have to be passed by the area faculty. Sometimes the individual groups in the recital are graded separately, and the final grade is a composite. </p>

<p>Undergraduate recitals are required by NASM regulations to present varying eras (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century…and now Twenty-first Century), styles, and technical demands. For a singer, they must sing in multiple languages (usually English, Italian, French, German, though some may allow for the substitution of another language, i.e. Spanish, Russian, Swedish, etc.). </p>

<p>A graduate recital may require for instrumentalists part or all of a concerto, a sonata, a suite, a chamber group, etc. (The ability to memorize is part of the “exam” at all levels.) At the master’s level, there is still an expectation that the program will demonstrate a mastery of various genres within the discipline. For a doctoral recital, the performer can and should specialize. A voice recital could be all German, for instance, or all continental twentieth century, etc. There may be a requirement for a lecture recital, involving both performance and lecture. </p>

<p>For singers, in an academic recital, there should be no more than one traditional opera aria, though there may be a Baroque (Handel) aria and a later aria. The recital is expected to display mastery of the song literature and recital programming. Arias are part of character development within the context of opera or scene productions. </p>

<p>In a similar way, a doctoral student may be required to perform a concerto or a major opera role in order to earn the DMA…this repertory is considered to bring together many of the elements required in the mastery of the instrument or parameters of vocal performance. </p>

<p>Many students want to present all their favorites in recitals, and this is understandable. However, there is not the same academic value and development in a mish-mash group of German Lieder by different composers as there is in a group of songs by one composer. Academically, an undergraduate recital should have groupings by individual composers or possibly poets; a master’s level recital should contain actual song cycles or sets, conceived by the composer as a unit; a doctoral recital would require more mature programming. An undergraduate will certainly be involved in the choice of repertory, but the teacher knows best what will present the unique talents of the performer while meeting the demands of the degree recital. By the doctoral level, the students will be expected to present their own plans for recital programming, with the teacher providing guidance and having veto power.</p>

<p>musicprnt, I have never seen a grading faculty take notes during a performance. A mature faculty will have a keen awareness of the expected standard and be able to judge what they are hearing.</p>

9

<p>My S’s college senior recital didn’t have any faculty in attendance. (I think there may have been one or two who were friends with S and who dropped by, but not in faculty role.) It was a bit unusual because he scheduled his recital around his teacher’s availability, but the teacher passed away prior to the recital, and the substitute teacher was not available. </p>

<p>The required part, though, was the prep for it. He did have to have music that fit a variety of criteria. His teacher was involved in that. He performed the rep at his lessons, and did get graded on his lessons. The school was involved in printing the programs and scheduling the room. We did wonder what would happen if he jumped through all those hoops and then didn’t follow through on the actual recital - Who would know - or care?</p>

<p>This year he did a non-required recital, because his current teacher wanted him to have the opportunity to perform a few pieces he’d been working on. His teacher did attend. The recital was not graded. He did perform a couple of the pieces again at his jury.</p>

<p>My D has to do a half-recital next year, as a junior. Then a full recital the following year. She’s never done anything like this, so I’m glad they warm up with the half.</p>

<p>My S requested to have a senior recital in high school in lieu of a graduation party. He went in with a friend (a girl who plays oboe; they’d been close friends since middle school band). That was a nice idea because they alternated pieces, so each got a chance to rest in between. </p>

<p>One nice thing they did was invite every music teacher they’d had since elementary school. Both had taken piano along with their main instrument. They invited music teachers from ES, MS, and HS, as well as private teachers. During the recital they asked every teacher to stand and be recognized, and they handed them thank-you notes they’d written. (We also put their names in the program.)</p>

10

<p>My daughter selected a classical saxophone piece written by a French female composer in the 1950’s (Tableux de Provence) and used it as a college audition piece and HS senior recital piece. It was extremely challenging but she made it her own by understanding when and why it was written…an homage by the composer to what she felt was a misunderstanding of the use of the alto saxophone at the time and the fact that it was not just an instrument for jazz. Great for the mind and kept my daughter motivated to continue to develop it. It also provided fodder for small talk when waiting for an audition or as an ice-breaker when speaking with an ajudicator. In fact, this piece will remain with her for her undergraduate years and possible culminate with her performing it from memory at a college recital down the road. A work in progress.</p>

11

<p>One thing I really like about the vocal recitals I attended at daughter’s school was how it was broken up into small sections…Ex…grouping of 2 or 3 songs in Italian…performer bows audience shows appreciation…performer walked off stage for brief pause…came back on and sang next grouping …German this time…with a little longer intermission about half way though…Sat through 4 or these type performances and it seemed like they flew by…left me wanting more! Not thinking when will it be over…Husband who is not concert going type felt the same way</p>

12

<p>My son plays an instrument for which there is not an abundance of solo repertoire.
The recital program for anyone playing his instrument typically lists pieces that have been performed umpteen times, and that are overly familiar to the audience. Such a program drives comparisons between the current performer and so-and-so from last year. </p>

<p>He has dealt with this by including at least one piece written for a different instrument or voice in his recitals and juries. (For his undergrad recital, he chose an aria.) As long as the selection is from a certain time period and reflects a certain style, the jury and/or his teachers have no problem with him including that piece, and in fact, are usually very interested in seeing how he performs it. Including a “novel” selection discourages player-to-player comparisons, allows him to inject some originality into the program, and lets him flex his interpretive muscles a bit.</p>

13

<p>While there is a wonderful correlation between the breath carried voice and the bowed string line, all too frequently the instrumentalist who adapts a song or aria neglects to pay attention to the text phrasing. The result may not be satisfactory to those who knows the original music, it can sound vapid and the phrasing unanchored. The same thing happens when orchestras do medleys of the hit tunes of shows and operas. I hope your son spends time with the vocal piece to make sure he understands the original bones of the melodic line, i.e. the text meaning, inflection and phrasing.</p>

14

<p>He does and has.</p>

<p>His instrument is trombone, an instrument for which breathing and phrasing are also important, and which is often featured in orchestral works seeking to emulate voice. His experience playing in the pit for several full-scale opera productions (La Boheme in Italy last summer and most recently, La Traviata) have reinforced the importance of same. Appropriately, trombone ensembles are referred to as “choirs.” </p>

<p>I don’t believe “vapid and unanchored” have been among the comments he’s received about his recital performances.</p>

15

<p>Lorelei, that is one of my pet peeves as well. I have seen all too many printed editions and heard all too many performances of vocal works transcribed for an instrument or instrumental ensemble that run roughshod over the phrasing, often breaking the line mid-syllable. I am not talking about compositional techniques that intentionally quote and adapt other pieces with the intent of producing something new (provided they actually have something to say), rather about straightforward performances on instruments of works originally written for voice.</p>

<p>Of course, we all know instances where composers have force fit text to a melody line that is not well-suited to it, placing an accented syllable on a weak beat or a weak syllable at the peak of the musical phrase for example. That occasionally happens even with some very good composers, particularly when working in a language in which they are not fluent. In those cases, I can understand the instinct to phrase with the melody when the words are not being used. When it happens with a song where the composer has taken pains to match the melody to the text, it drives me nuts, almost as badly as when a mixed group of vocalists and instrumentalists are referred to as musicians and singers.</p>

<p>I am glad to hear that RtB’s son takes the time to get it right and wish that everyone would.</p>

16

<p>RunningtheBasses: I reacted instinctively having heard many terrible such appropriations, and I do apologize if any criticism of your son’s playing was implied. I am thrilled to know his background study is thorough…kudos to him! </p>

<p>BassDad: those forced fits of text to melody frequently provide the singers more insight into the characters and what the composer intended. Obviously translated texts are a different issue. Good composers of vocal music do it well. Others are second rate.</p>