Brahms is back with his choral works, surely some of the most beautiful music ever composed for choir a cappella. Tomorrow in our choral conducting class, it's my turn to present choral music I'm particularly interested in, so I'm listening to the Chamber Choir of Europe's excellent recording (Brahms' complete a cappella on eight discs, purchased for 18 euros in Bamberg, Germany) for inspiration.
Dominante had a rehearsal of over five hours today with German Bach-guru Helmut Rilling, who came straight from the airport. I was two hours late because of work at Cantores Minores, and was practically rushed to the piano to rescue Seppo Murto, who was having a hard time sight-reading Bach without his reading glasses, which were at home. Rilling certainly knows his Bach, and he conducted by heart most of the time, even referring to bar numbers without looking at his score. The rehearsal was deliciously spiced with his stories and theories about the music. For example, in the meditative "Et in carnatus est" all the other voices descend in b minor one octave with the text, while the basses arrive at a staggering b sharp, with the sharp sign - the cross - infront of the note giving a haunting reminder of what Christ's incarnation led to. The violins' recurring theme also carries the cross motive (bind the first and fourth as well as the second and third notes with dashes and you get a cross as if lying on the ground).
The concert is on Thursday and once again I am very disappointed we won't be doing it again in Helsinki. Working with Rilling was pleasant, although he was constantly complaining that I was hurrying, but then he kept smiling at me and saying I was doing a good job. One could also see he was very pleased with the choir.
Today, I also finally learned how to apply cross-staff notation with Finale (the notation program I use) - something very useful especially when writing down music for the keyboard or, especially, for the harp.
Tough week ahead - and today is only Monday! Tomorrow I will have to wake up earlier than usual and go to Teatterikorkeakoulu to bring the harp back home. Then it's off to school, with lessons lasting until seven o'clock. On Wednesday Dominante is rehearsing in Lahti, on Thursday is the concert, and on Friday I'm off to Kirkkonummi to play in their orchestra. But at least the sun is shining and there are about three weeks left of school. Which reminds me I should probably plan my presentation for tomorrow!