Bach's Christmas Oratorio: Radio 3 in Concert: Wednesday 9 January

[ardcarp]

I'd just mention that singers [HIPP or otherwise] who are 'at it' all day every day tend to have quite robust voices. I have been hugely impressed by cast members of English Touring Opera who do a week in the theatre followed by a day doing (for instance) the Matthew Passion with full-on afternoon rehearsal. I gather the BBCS's employment involves a 10am - 4pm 'working week' plus concerts. I guess you wouldn't/couldn't do it unless you had the constitution of an ox. Whether it's good for the voice is another matter. Many soloists prefer to rest the voice...apart from a few warm-ups...before an engagement.

[ostuni]

True, singing all 6 cantatas OVpP in a concert would be very demanding of the singers. But the solo singing we've been discussing in this thread has been stepping out of a larger group. From my flautist's perspective, Part 2's Frohe Hirten is always one of my favourite obbligati: sounds nice and flashy, but actually lies under the fingers very comfortably. The only problem tends to come from trying to coordinate demisemiquavers with a distant tenor in a cathedral acoustic...

[ardcarp]

The ETO Matt Pash to which I referred above had each obbligato player standing next to the respective soloist and playing from memory (!).
The idea was nicked from that 'iconic' Jonathan Miller TV production.

[MickyD]

One thing that is very un-HIP is the Andy Warhol-like portrait of J.S.Bach advertising this concert on their Facebook page. I really would have expected better from them.

[Bryn]

One thing that is very un-HIP is the Andy Warhol-like portrait of J.S.Bach advertising this concert on their Facebook page. I really would have expected better from them.

You mean it looked more like Warhol than Bach? (I am not a Spybook user.)

[Nevilevelis]

I'd just mention that singers [HIPP or otherwise] who are 'at it' all day every day tend to have quite robust voices. I have been hugely impressed by cast members of English Touring Opera who do a week in the theatre followed by a day doing (for instance) the Matthew Passion with full-on afternoon rehearsal. I gather the BBCS's employment involves a 10am - 4pm 'working week' plus concerts. I guess you wouldn't/couldn't do it unless you had the constitution of an ox. Whether it's good for the voice is another matter. Many soloists prefer to rest the voice...apart from a few warm-ups...before an engagement.

Well, considering quite a high percentage of it is (or was) sight-reading of contemporary works, it can be rather tiring on the voice. That's tempered with executant reading ability, the expectation that one gets it right the first time and an uderstanding that one won't be there all day. It was so in my day - it may have changed though. Generally, opera (when well preapared) is the healthiest environment for vocal health. Marking is expected on heavy days e.g. a rep. call plus a show in the evening.

NVV

[ardcarp]

I enjoyed parts IV - VI this evening. Some sudden 'mistakes' with engineering balance, and not as tidy as my current fave, Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Ghent, but then one expects some thrills and spills in a live performance. Still no credits to individual soloists. I wonder if the evangelist was brought in specially as he was named...Christoper Bowen [?]...and very good I thought.

[MickyD]

You mean it looked more like Warhol than Bach? (I am not a Spybook user.)

Think Marilyn and you get the idea.

[Sir Velo]

Think Marilyn and you get the idea.

Clearly someone in the marketing department assumed that this was a "hip" (sic) Bach performance.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

You mean it looked more like Warhol than Bach? (I am not a Spybook user.)

If it's the same as the one on the i-Player page, then:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001ykn

... or even:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001yj5

[Nevilevelis]

I enjoyed parts IV - VI this evening. Some sudden 'mistakes' with engineering balance, and not as tidy as my current fave, Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Ghent, but then one expects some thrills and spills in a live performance. Still no credits to individual soloists. I wonder if the evangelist was brought in specially as he was named...Christoper Bowen [?]...and very good I thought.

New Zealand-born Chris Bowen is a member of the BBC Singers.