When staying in tune embraces rhythmic propulsion

When staying in tune embraces rhythmic propulsion

Some marriages are made in heaven because they result in the best of all worlds. Peace on earth, unbridled bounty, unlimited horizons, and music that transcends the sublime. What can staying in tune do for you? “But I always sing in tune.” is a common refrain from those of us who produce a note that fails to reach its full potential and is flat. Or as Maestro Wagner exclaims, “Flaaaat”. The usual culprit is the third, the bane of the 8 note scale. But any of its neighbors can be susceptible to a lack of energy that fails to raise its vibration to the proper pitch. The root of that force, so desperately needed, is support from the diaphragm. The breath. A good breath will provide the singing system with the motion of the column of air that allows for an accurate pitch. In the performance of any major work the subtle sound matters the most. Not just whether or not the passage is in major or minor, augmented or diminished, but that the tuning of the pitch is rendered as perfectly as possible. MASS IN TIME OF WAR is written by a master composer, Joseph Haydn. It is incumbent upon us to give as faithful a rendition off the page into the universe. It deserves no less.

When we add rhythmic propulsion to the mix we have the makings of a real feast. What exactly is rhythmic propulsion? What can it offer? Look to your heart. The basic beat is found in your body, the pulse created by the beating of your heart that supplies the river of life to the realm of your physical frame. Rhythm is the accent of a line of music and in this piece Haydn has given us a panoply of riches to expound upon. Each is a treasure that can only be revealed by its precise production. It drives the music forward toward the summit of his intention. With the presentation of this concert Jeannine is reaching to bring the Wagner treatment to MASS IN TIME OF WAR by honing in on defined tuning and rhythmic propulsion as the primary elements to release the genius of the music. We can do it when we focus on these factors.