Edited Translation of Korusnevelés-Kérushangzas by Pal Kardos by Edward Anthony Bolkovac Stanford, California May 1993 © Copyright 1993 by Edward Anthony Bolkovac© Copyright 1993 by Edward Anthony BolkovacCONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS oe EDITORIAL GLOSSARY OF USEFUL TERMS EDITORIAL PREFACE .. EDITED TRANSLATION OF KORUSNEVELES-KORUSHANGZAS. Chapter 1 Choral Techniques - 2 Introduction to the Basic Principles of Acoustically Pure Intot 5 ‘The Preparation and Practice of Major and Minor Triads. 4 ‘The Perfect Fourth Under ‘the Tonic i 3 The Problems of the Major Second... 6 - 8 The Tuning of Re... Tis the Leading Tone of the Major Scale. The Intonation of Fa.. . 9 Fa and Ti in the Same Exercise . 10 Fa and Ti Sounding at the Same Time... n Exercises with Chromaticism... 12 Polyphonic Training in Pure IntonationACKNOWLEDGMENTS 0 Mrs. Pal Kardos for her kind permission to translate her help in providing biographical information on Pal a, and for her support throughout the My sincere thanks and gratitude t Kérusnevelés-Korushangzds, for Kardos and additional bibliographic. informatio project. ‘Thanks to David Buttolph for encouraging my undertaking of this project many years ago. pen and Kathryn Fitzsimmons for their Special thanks to Toni Locke, Peggy Shipi numerous editorial suggestions and to Professors William Ramsey and William Mahrt for their help and encouragement. Tm thankful for the support of my family—Karl and Anthony, and especially my wife, Eva, for her proofteading and help with the translation To Patrick Heaton, my thanks and undying aratiude for her encouragement and help with proofing, formatting, and organizing the text and examples. Palo Alto, May 1993 EAB.ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincere thanks and gratitude to Mrs. Pal Kardos for her kind permission to translate Kérusnevelés-Kérushangods, for her help in providing biographical information on Pél Kardos and additional bibliographic information, and for her support throughout the project. Thanks to David Buttolph for encouraging my undertaking of this project many years ago. Special thanks to Toni Locke, Peggy Shippen and Kathryn Fitzsimmons for their numerous editorial suggestions and to Professors William Ramsey and William Mahrt for their help and encouragement T'm thankful for the support of my family —Karl and Anthony, and especially my wife, Eva, for her proofreading and help with the translation To Patrick Heaton, my thanks and undying gratitude for her encouragement and help with proofing, formatting, and organizing the text and examples. Palo Alto, May 1993 EAB. ivEDITORIAL GLOSSARY OF USEFUL TERMS Acoustical Intervals. Intervals expressed by ratios containing the smallest possible integers corresponding to the lowest analogous partials of the harmonic series: 3, 3 2 F Fete. Acoustically Pure Intonation. Just intonation Adcomma, Used as an adjective to describe a given interval which is larger than its acoustical counterpart by a syntonic comma. After beat fifths. Perfect fifth intervals ‘occurring on successive beats in duple time. ? t 6 5 3 5 3 ete, Arsis. Used by Kardos to describe a building of musical tension. Beats. A slight, steady pulsation in intensity that results from the interference between two sound waves of slightly different frequencies. ‘The frequency of the beats will be equal to the difference between the frequencies of the sound waves. Since the beats will disappear if the two frequencies are made identical, the phenomenon is useful in tuning. Cent. The unit for measuring intervals—equal to the hundredth part of an equally tempered semitone. Chironomy. The use of movements of the hand to indicate approximate pitch or melodic contour to singers. Chironomy is often used today in the teaching of school children and it has been used as a supplement to music notation in the teaching and conducting of Gregorian chant. Chroma, large. The intervallic difference (133) between a large whole step (2) and a natural half step (1§).‘Chroma, smal The intervallic difference (3}) between a major third (7) and a minor third ($). Combination Tones. These tones are additional pitch sensations that appear when two Pure fones of frequencies FI and F2 are sounded together. These additional pitch Sensations correspond to frequencies that differ from both F1 and F2. They are not Present in the original sound stimulas—they appear as the result of a so-called nonlinear distortion of the acoustical signa in the ear together pure intervals in series. Decomma. Used as an adjective to describe a given interval which is smaller than its acoustical counterpart by a syntonic comma. Didymus Comma. See Syntonic comma, Diesis. The name for a semitone in Pythagorean writings. The difference between a Perfect fourth (4) and two large whole steps (2)* = 246 or 90.2 cents. The diesis was later called limma. Difference Tones. See Combination Tones. Dissonance-Friction. A term used by Kardos to describe a common phenomenon in choral singing when, in place of a correct and highly dissonant interval, the choristers tend to sing an incorrect, closely related consonant interval: a unison might be sung in place of a dissonant minor 2nd; or an octave might be sung instead of more dissonant major 7th or minor 9th Equal Temperament. The division of the octave into 12 equal semitones. Frequency. Frequency represents the number of repetitions of the vibration pattern, or cycles, in the unit of time. Frequency Ratio, When two notes have different pitch numbers, there is said to be an interval between them. The interval is measured by the ratio of the pitch numbers and is thus often expressed in fractions greater than 1 in an ascending direction, and in fractions less than 1 in a descending direction. Hence, an ascending. perfect2 ; octave is 7, a descending perfect octave is 4. An ascending perfect fifth is }, While a descending perfect fifth is} Fundamental. See Harmonics Harmonics. A seties of frequencies, all of which are integral multiples of a single frequency termed the fundamental The fundamental and its harmonics are rumbered in order, the fundamental being the first harmonic and having the frequency of Fl, the second harmonic having the frequency of F2, ete Harmonic Series. A fundamental and all its harmonics. 7 {high}. A symbol [term] which designates a slightly sharpened intonational adjustment to a particular pitch for achievinb acoustical purity in vertical sonorities, eg, Tre. Inner Hearing. The ability to clearly imagine musical sounds without any outside stimulus, Just Intonation The beatless tuning of an interval, one that brings it into agreement with ‘some analogous interval in the harmonic series. Such intervals are considered to be acoustically pure Limma. See diesis. + [Low]. A symbol [term] which designates a slightly fattened intonational adjustment to a particular pitch for achieving acoustical purity in vertical sonorities, e.g, bre Lower Base of Dynamics. A term coined by Kardos to describe a comfortable middle vocal range at a lower dynamic level where initial vocal exercises may be sung without any vocal strain. Natural Half Step. A minor second with a frequency proportion of 1$. Overtones. Harmonics above the fundamental are sometimes called overtones, the second harmonic being the first overtone, etc Partials. See Harmonics. Pure Intonation. See Just Intonation. viiiPythagorean Tuning, 4 ‘uning based on the octave (®) and the pure fifth (3). Relative Frequency Proportions, See fay cdg Pythagorean third (1). Its ratio is $1 and itis conventionally taken as 22 cents, Kardos, however, usually uses 21.5 cents when referring to its value. Thesis. Used by Kardos to describe the release of musical ‘tension, Upper Partials. See overtones ‘Whole Step, large. Major second with a frequency proportion of 2 Whole Step, small. A major second with a frequence proportion of 12EDITORIAL PREFACE out in the editorial process or renumbered and included as addenda. Editorial notes have been included to provide pertinent information about Hungarian solfege practice, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), general pronunciation, ete. Through the kind assistance of Mrs. Pal Kardos, more information has been added to the original informal bibliography. An editorial glossary has been added because many important terms and new or less frequently used words appear in the original text with little or no explanation. All exercises and examples with solmization have been included with the original Hungarian spelling for the solfege syllables. Exercises containing vocal syllables, however, were transcribed into IPA to clarify the exact vowel sounds used by Kardos The small numbers at the bottom right of the musical examples have no significance other than as identifiers for the printer. In the musical examples Kardos used vertical arrows (1) to express needed intonational adjustments in the direction of the arrow, e.g. Tre for “high” re, Arrows pointing to the right in a general linear direction were used to show musical momentum (—). For extra rhetorical emphasis Kardos freely used a variety of italics, underlining, and different font sizes. In the English edition a combination of either italics or bold-face type was used to retain some of the flavor of the original Hungarian wording. The spelling of the solfege syllable so (a modernized version of John Curwen's original anglicized spelling of soh) is used consistently throughout the text. In the musical excerpts found in the appendices, only comments and directions have been translated; the foreign language texts were left untranslated. In the dates listed after the composers, the word Xérill and its abbreviation k. mean “circa.”Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE) PREFACE In his preface to Let Us Sing Correctly in 1941, Kodaly wrote, “It is amazing that in our music education literature, which has gotten off to a nice start, the question of in-tune singing has thus far never come up. The majority of our vocal music teachers and choral directors believe that the singing is in tune if it conforms to the piano.” Since then—more than two decades ago—a great many things have happened in Hungarian music education. Today this area of music education is longer a blind spot. But the practical pedagogue and choral director know all too well how hard it is to come by such diffuse material and how small the amount of material still is that choral training might be able to effectively utilize in its more detailed work of training for pure intonation. Since the appearance of Let Us Sing Correctly, Hungarian professional literature dealing with the problems of pure intonation discusses its problems, for the most part, on a theoretical basis. Solfege literature, or rather the literature dealing with elementary vocal music, however, only touches on this area. No more time can be spent on this detail from among the sum total of its objectives—no matter how significant. In-tune singing is a question of detail in elementary vocal music, but becomes the central issue in choral education and emerges at every step with its own unavoidable demands, The material which follows was brought into being by the practical experience of daily work and by the conviction that pure intonation in a choir is not just a theoretical problem. The development of pure choral intonation is an unusually complex task Vocal, psychological, and physiological factors arising in practice during rehearsals influence intonation to the same degree as the theoretically provable acoustical connections of notes and their relationships. Bruno Walter wrote, “Every art has a basis founded on craftsmanship, and only with an adequate talent for it and its careful development can one rise to the level of mastery in one's art. If this is missing, or not suitably cultivated, the results will never be satisfactory, even in the case of a great musical talent.”Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE] The choral conductor must also build his work on craftsmanship. He needs to be familiar with his material, the tools and tricks of his trade, the possibilities, the limitations, and all the ins and outs of the field. In the development of choral tone, the theoretically based acoustical connections of pitches need to be kept clearly in mind by the director so that the solutions of complex intonational problems can be found on a case-by-case basis, The director must also understand how to develop the voices in the context of choral intonational work. Pure intonation of the choir, music class, or singing group is still the result of lengthy training and purposefll work. There is a need for regular, well-developed, daily, careful pedagogical work. It is true, though, that in the choral art, the artistic talent of the director and the singers and an ability to bring the spirit of the masterpieces to light have the final word, but the enhancement of professional proficiency cannot be left out In the end, pure intonation is the basic condition of true choral tone, and as such is the basic requirement appropriate for the natural characteristics in the a cappella choral art. ‘Whereas unclear intonation on an instrument or in an orchestra is often only a superficial (technical) mistake—a phenomenon obscuring the beauty at times for only a moment—unclear intonation in the @ cappella chorus attacks the very roots of the a cappella choral art. Under its influence, the tone disintegrates, and begins to feel weighted down, loses its tonal footing and expressive possibilities within the framework of the original tonality. The experienced conductor knows that a drop in pitch of a major second or even more in an important, dramatic spot of a piece paralyzes the tone and condemns it to complete powerlessness. The resulting tone fails to realize the composer's conception. The discriminating listener hears the work end in a completely different tonality than that in which it began. If pure intonation means nothing more than guarding against the obstructive circumstances described above, it deserves serious investigation on the part of every choral director. Pure choral intonation, however, is immeasurably more than this. It is the origin of a tonal phenomenon in whose wake the upper partials and combination tones become audible, “such sounds that the chorus is not even singing” (Kodaly), and the tone of the choir becomes full, radiant, and magical. Unclear tone hides these phenomena from the conductor or performer and draws the piece into the shadows. Tone which is bright andnn Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE crystal clear lights up the most hidden details of the piece, and offers flashes of beauties Previously unseen. Such a tone fires up the imagination of the conductor and further inspires the inner picture formed from his previous, profound knowledge of the work The chorus which sings well in tune, like an instrument made by a master, gives wings to the performer. The fertile influence of spontaneity must be added to inner hearing and musical imagination. The conductor cannot stiffly hold on to his intentions in every Connection concerning the performance of a work, not even after thorough preparation and analysis, but rather leave something open to the illuminating power of the live sound, in the last, ardent moment on the podium. Even though everything was planned ahead, premeditated, and worked out, the Performance may remain lifeless, barren, and unproductive. Unless a performance is nourished by the immediacy of the sound. An absolute knowledge of the score, a conception of the score with inner hearing, and its continuous and ever deepening study are the prerequisites of every musical performance artist. Live, high-quality tone places all of these things into a new light, exposes the deep, inner connections of parts of the work, and lends a higher meaning to the whole piece as well. Live performance always has the final word, and intensifies the suggestive power of the score into a captivating, often irresistible power. In this way, the emotional effect of a work appearing in a new tonal form also becomes itself a shaping element and penetrates imo the artistic interpretation, creating a ‘closed circuit’ between the work and its performer. Pure intonation is the starting point and essential condition of a cappella choral training as an art With the completion of my work I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to my former teachers, professors at the Liset Academy of Music, on the basis of whose prompting and powerful help this book was able to come into being: Zoltan Vasarhelyi whose unforgettable conducting classes gave me the first impulse to deal with the problems of choral tone. I used much material from his teaching in this book. Dr. Zoltén Gardonyi who extended significant help towards the creation of this book through his valuable advice, his critique of an earlier version of the manuscript, and his urging to do further work.Ree eee ee eee — Pal Kardos ‘CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE] Lajos Birdos who, above and beyond his unusually thorough proofreading and work which considers every tiny detail, helped in achieving the final format of this book with his thought-provoking advice that opened up new perspectives. For their tireless efforts once again they deserve thanks and gratitude Finally, I wish to thank my fellow musicians Jozsef Makléri and Klara Perlstein for their enthusiastic, unselfish collegial help. Szeged January 1966 P.K[Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE, Introduction In recent years the question of the musical training of our choruses has come more and more to the foreground of the Hungarian choral movement. There is an ever clearer realization that even the training of a choir consisting of the most highly trained singers cannot be confined to the mere teaching of notes and rhythms. Rather, to go beyond this, a many-sided effort in music education is needed to achieve performances with more beauty, refinement, and authenticity Presently, the make-up, singing ability, and level of our choirs are so diverse that it is simply impossible to fashion a school for all of ‘them, nor does our outstanding literature on musical pedagogy contain a uniformly conceptualized, up-to-date choral method. Let us choose one significant area from the rich storehouse of problems in our choral movement—choral tone. Within this area let us examine a few issues involving the training of a refined tone in the practices of many kinds of choirs on many different levels. Many of our Hungarian choirs are totally untrained, but the pedagogical work of our elementary schools and special elementary and high school music schools is already making its effect felt in our choral movement as well. (Our schools, however, have not yet completely solved all of their choral training problems either!) Nevertheless, we must take into consideration the fact that the word “amateur” (a synonym for musical illiteracy in the non-professional choral movement) is slowly becoming out of date all over the world. In fact, the exact opposite of this concept is emerging at international choral competitions and music conferences. The inference is that a conscious and systematic utilization and development of an established music-reading ability must increasingly gain ground parallel with the rejuvenation of the choruses in our elementary and other schools. This can be the only way for our choral work to flourish.[Pat Kardos ‘CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE, Chapter 1 Choral Techniques The first requirement of a superior choral tone is balance. We understand balance to mean homogeneous sound from individual sections of the choir as well as from the choir as a whole with equal emphasis on tone-color, intonation and dynamics. Balance, therefore, is not just a mingling of voices, but is really their amalgamation, the adoption of new quality, the rejuvenation of the brightness, vocal support and beauty of individual voices through a Breater degree of unity, and their perfect blending. To this end the following are required: * attention to regulating a steady, but constantly controlled amount of sound given by the voices to the choral sound as a whole, ‘+ uniformly shaped vowels, | «the refinement of tone-color, * a highly developed sense of hearing sensitive to the slightest differences in intonation. It goes without saying that bringing this balance into being does not happen overnight. ‘We must struggle again and again on a daily basis for the results already achieved. From this standpoint, every new singer who joins the choir represents, to a greater or lesser degree, a new challenge for the director. Every singer knows from daily experience that it is possible to sing a note freely and comfortably without strain within a certain range, while in a different range singing becomes problematic, questionable and difficult. The same also applies to dynamics There is a certain dynamic level, a kind of lower base of dynamics which comes into being with a complete feeling of looseness in which there is not even a trace of tension, straining and inflexibility. This lower base of dynamics is not the same, however, as reaching a lower confinement of dynamics by means of stifling, weakening or forcing, A lower confinement of dynamics cannot be our starting point, because serious Preparation is needed to bring it about. A confinement of dynamics is needed only rarely, and practically speaking, only for a few moments in the interest of a certain phrase. The tone of the choir must be established on a foundation of effortless singing without any roughness, tightening or straining of the voice. In other words, this lower base of "The expression feeling of looseness is used because even the stability and support needed for singing with proper technique does not exclude the concept of looseness. There is a distinction between the concepts of feeling of looseness and limpness and enervation. aepat aed CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE, dynamics must be developed in the most comfortable middle range of each voice type from where we can begin the work of balancing the sound in every direction The first stepping stone towards the establishment of balanced tone is a single note sounding in the middle range with complete uniformity. Exercise #1 foom)},, [non] ete. This note needs to be sung gently and quietly (not wavering!) for quite a long time, while the singers continuously pay attention to how much volume they are giving, or rather to how much volume they need to give to the total sound. When humming, the choristers need to be constantly reminded of the importance of a large inner mouth cavity. The Uupper and lower teeth should not touch, and the lips should come in contact with one another without tension. When singing with different kinds of syllables for voice training (ma,_mo, mu, etc.) it is necessary to pay attention to the uniform formation of vowels. [Editorial No in the end nsel tt In the end the singers themselves need to sense that the result of their combined singing is indeed fall and resonant, and at the same time adequately gentle, soft, or beautifil under all circumstances. Furthermore, they must ask themselves if their voices are blending with the voices of their immediate neighbors as well as with the whole choral sound. regular practice of sustained tones. In choral training this is also a standing assignment, the same from the very beginning of training on through the highest levels. Our work ig much more difficult, however, since unity must be created out of diversity. The inattention and lack of concentration ofa few choir members is enough to upset the sound ‘of the whole choir. The disparity between individual voices also intensifies the difficulty. There are voices which have a superior blending quality or voices whose tone color | literally covers and determines the tone color of the immediate surroundings while \ completely blending with it. At the same time there are other voices (soloistic, shrill, orPal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE dynamics must be developed in she most comfortable middle range of each voice type from where we can begin the work of balancing the sound in every direction. The first stepping stone towards the establishment of balanced tone is a single note sounding in the middle range with complete uniformity. Exercise #1 [bom], Inon} ete. This note needs to be sung gently and quietly (not wavering!) for quite a long time, while the singers continuously pay attention to how much volume they are giving, or rather to how much volume they need to give to the total sound. When humming, the choristers need to be constantly reminded of the importance of a large inner mouth cavity. The upper and lower teeth should not touch, and the lips should come in contact with one another without tension. When singing with different kinds of syllables for voice training (ma, mo, mu, ete.) it is necessary to pay attention to the uniform formation of vowels, [Editorial Note #1] In the end the singers themselves need to sense that the result of their combined singing is indeed full and resonant, and at the same time adequately gentle, soft, or beautiful under all circumstances. Furthermore, they must ask themselves if their voices are blending with the voices of their immediate neighbors as well as with the whole choral sound. The development of beautiful tone on a wind instrument is unimaginable without the regular practice of sustained tones. In choral training this is also a standing assignment, the same from the very beginning of training on through the highest levels. Our work is much more difficult, however, since unity must be created out of diversity. The ration ofa few choir members is enough to upset the sound f the whole choir. The disparity between individual voices also intensifies the difficulty There are voices which have a superior blending quality or voices whose tone color ) literally covers and determines the tone color of the immediate surroundings while ( completely blending with it. At the same time there are other voices (soloistic, shrill, orPal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE | ‘wavering voices) that cause endless anxiety for the choral director and for some reason are not able to blend with the voices of their neighbors. This is exactly why the practice of soft sustained tones must never be abandoned, even if all endeavors sometimes appear to be in vain No choir or section of a choir can have a truly beautifil sound unless it is capable of singing a completely balanced, homogeneous, pure unison. There is an extraordinarily varied number of ways to practice sustained tones. Practicing can be connected with all Sorts of situations depending on the choir’s level of development and the problems in choral pieces which are in preparation. We can connect the practice of sustained tones with an exercise for developing flexibility in the form of repeated notes, or with practice aimed at sensitivity to following the director's cueing, etc. Moreover, the repertoire of every chorus should contain an easy, slow work constructed mostly of sustained notes which can be a warm-up piece at the rehearsal for the realization of balance. Exercise #2 Contains four exercises for practicing sustained notes among the innumerable available possibilities: Exercise #2 gather energy, release a or ) 7+, ) > ? _—+-—., — 2 poo bom, bom m———— don mo———— nan Exercise #2a: the sustained note in the first measure opens (arsis); the sustained note in the ‘second measure closes (thesis)? Exercise #2b: arsis and thesis with repeated notes Exercise #2c: a beginning and arriving (change of momentum) on the same note; Exercise #2d: a heavy start with decreasing intensity, Each exercise should be sung with a new starting pitch given each time. Careless vowel changes tend to create deviations in intonation that must be corrected. The singing should be smooth, gentle, and legato. The new starting pitches can be given ? Lajos Birdos, Eletet az énekbe (Budapest: Népmavelési Intézet, 1958). es_ Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE. scale-wise or in some other interval Pattern, Exercise #3 is a sustained note exercise with rhythmic variation and a pentatonic pattem for beginning pitches Exercise #3 mon]. ain) fon) (nn). fain The repeated notes need to be sung with flexibility, without strain, and with a decidedly steady rhythm. The following rhythmic patterns can be written on the board: ee —_~ pl Wns eT Ts slid 4] J|d Jdled After the starting pitch or pitches are given the patterns may be sung in canon: Exercise #4 a) 3. aPal Kandos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE] Singers tend to rush notes with smaller rhythmic values and drag longer notes. A steady, flowing tempo is desirable. In this regard, the successful performance of Exercise #4d containing repeating eighth notes within the value of the sustained whole note is even more difficult: Exercise 4d @ sy 6) (mi) «> 232 Wisi/nmamlt Exercises #5a and Sb can be used for a smooth sounding start: Exercise #5 m—[4—m— (0) —m—[9]—m- [6] mL mb ]—m—[o] —m- fa] —m=[9] my} In Exercises #5a and 5b, the vowels [u], [0], [>] or [yJ, [o], [a] need to spring forth gently from the uniform nasal consonant [m] without accents. Singing in parts is no substitute for singing sustained unison notes. In working towards the practice of triads in a treble choir (Exercise #5), the harmony is built up in the following order: altos first on do, first sopranos next on so and second sopranos last on mi; later in a mixed chorus (Exercise #5b) the order is basses on do, tenors on so, sopranos on mi and altos last on do. [Editorial Note #2]EN os ae a Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE) Strictly speaking, the moment sustained tones are sung we are already operating squarely in the center ofthe world of voice production. Directors who atone time have had a taste of this world are aware of the fact that this is a separate branch of knowledge with its own ©xtensive technical literature, complex problems, and—indeed from time to time—its own Tabyrinths. This has frightened off a large number of directors from dealing more thoroughly with voice production (much like being frightened off by the “jungle” of acoustics). The objective of the present study is meant to be neither a thorough nor a Cursory investigation of voice training, but rather an attempt at clarifying those questions Pertaining specifically to choral voice training, Through this choral voice training, the ‘work accomplished in our choirs will also be seen in a different light. Naturally, this does not excuse anyone from acquiring a thorough knowledge of the issues pertaining to individual voice production. Goals and objectives on the one hand, as well as the method and means of individual and choral voice production on the other, generally maintain a connection with each other. It is true that good singing produced with proper technique is the same in a choir as in the individual, but the circumstances are so different that the nature and goals of choral voice training are significantly altered from those of individual voice production. In private voice training an individual stands before his teacher with particular aptitudes and with constitutional, physiological, and psychological attributes. The teacher's first task is to get to know the student and later to help him achieve his highest potential level of development within the limits of his abilities. In choral voice training a group of individuals stands before the conductor with particular aptitudes and with a willingness to sing springing from their frame of mind. In this group situation individuals’ attributes of temperament are, to a lesser or greater degree, thrust into the background. There is no time or opportunity to deal with the special problems of individuals. (Of course some amount of time presents itself in particularly extreme cases, but never as much as in the area of private voice lessons.) Choral voice training develops the group's already existing singing ability and steers it in the direction of quality. Since unity isthe ideal of choral voice training, its goal is to keep in sight the most basic elements of singing: + breathing technique (which is more than half of singing!), + the formation of vowels,Pal Kardo: Ss CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE, * lack of tension, * momentum, ete The general principles of vocal production, the creation of a unified, refined tone, are necessary (0 validate all of these areas mentioned above. Consequently, good choral voice training does not destroy the life, soul and spirit of singing; rather it raises singing to a higher level! The choral singer who has had exposure to good voice training and good choral tone develops a taste for balanced, beautiful singing in which the splendors are revealed on what was, up to that time, a completely unfamiliar level. Those who sing with uunrefined, strident and so-called “natural” sounding voices are usually hiding a deficiency in vocal technique. The study of choral voice production, then, is not some type of unfocused, superficial attempt at refinement, but a requirement of the art. Choral vocal training, and in the final analysis high level choral work, should never require the singers to endure monotony or to Suppress individuality. On the contrary, the conductor, with a keen sense of awareness, must build upon the spontaneous strength of the singers’ musicality and musical imagination, while the singers can aid in the creation of a greater degree of unity only with the most complete concentration of their abilities, the complete mustering of their strength, and focus of their personalities. Naturally, vocal training done in a group setting influences the singing ability of the individual, and as a result individual singers begin to develop. In this way the circle is complete—choral work is drawn from individual voice training and also enriches it After this short deviation let us tur back to the practicing of sustained tones. The best continuation of elementary choral exercises seems to be singing the notes of the do-re-mi trichord as shown in Exercises #6a, b, and c: Exercise #6 2) 0 a a d6 re omi 8 6 drei 0 oni The exercises may be sung in three ways: 1) with solmization as shown above 2) humming (with a large interior opening), 3) on different syllables such as [ma], [mo], [mu], [no], [ny], [za], [ze], etc. 213+[Pat Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE} In the upward direction, the singing should have great momentum and a feeling of looseness to counterbalance the natural tendency of the unschooled voice to tighten ‘When the melody descends, the singing should have a feeling of lifting to prevent the re from being flat This is a basic exercise because re is usually a critical point of intonation. Despite the appearance of the notes on the staff and the conditioning of our hearing to the piano's equal temperament, the do-re and re-mi major seconds are not the same: dé mi? As illustrated above, the do-re second is a large whole step and the re-mi second is a small whole step. (See Chapter 5.) For the singers to hear the difference between the two it seems better to approach the re from above: Exercise #7. 7 ‘or just move slightly A two-part example (reference Exercise #39) can provide further clarification: To Li 2 First, we must purify the intonation of the low so. Then the so must crescendo imperceptibly until the entrance of re. As soon as the re is sung the so must diminuendo If the harmonically sounded perfect fifth does not waver, the placement of re should be fixed in our memory. We must pay attention to the linearity of the parts in the example shown above and sing them like unique, beautifillly drawn ares, not as separate notes. “14let us make use of't in syllabic exercises using separate syllables for each individual note: Exercise #8 a) ——+>— ) T — > 9) a non 2 a _—* ———______, ae = @ 1) Sing one of the exercises on the same syllable throughout {nan}. .., [nin]... etc 2) Sing one of the exercises on the same syllable for the first 4-note group and then change the syllable for the next 4-note group: [mo] 4x, [m9] 4x, [mi] 4x, etc. 3) Sing one of the exercises on different syllables for each note in the 4-note groups, and then repeat the pattern: [mo] [m3] [mi] [m9] :| 4) Sing Exercises #8b or 8c on made-up nonsense syllables. 5) Sing the entire exercise repeating the same syllable throughout. 6) Vary each of the exercises by starting on mi and singing them in inversion. If re becomes flat during practicing, we must tune it up with slow singing For the development of flexibility a pentachordal scale can be used Exercise #9 i »)[Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE] Exercise #9 should be sung fluently, rhythmically, and without the slightest hint of strain. The syllabic variation techniques listed above are applicable here as well; first in unison and later in canon. Vocalizing exercises need to be transposed upward and back down again! We must not neglect the downward retum and leave the exercise in a high tessitura, A feeling of freedom and relaxation should accompany the singing from the highest part of the range through the return to the starting point. This is perhaps a more valuable part of our task than in the ascending movement. ‘The homogeneous sound of the opening note has a decisive role in choral training, especially in the early stages. That is why it is a good idea to begin fast, fluent exercises with a sustained tone: Exercise #9¢ We must continually pay attention to the homogeneity of every beginning note and immediately correct the smallest deviation, In the exercises that follow, the method of singing can be varied by either a syllabic or a melismatic approach. 1) Itis advisable first to sing syllabically with solfege or on neutral syllables Exercise #10a - syllabic Possibilities » GES 2) Afterwards in a melismatic format: Exercise #10a - simple melismatic -l6-[Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE 3) It is even possible to combine both a syllabic and melismatic approach in the same exercise: Exercise #10a - combination 0 2 4) From small melismas we progress to larger ones and later to extensive ones: Exercise #10b The order of progression is always syllabic to melismatic, and small melismas to larger ones: cot [DD we UB EBT LT | ITT | ! 6$——ai— a —— The same procedure applies to melodies containing more than just stepwise motion: Exercise #11 — > L The moving eighth notes should be sung smoothly and slowly with a full tone. The same exercise can be tried by dividing the notes into groups of twos and threes: aepal Kard CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE Exercise #12 — >, 1 > | _ > —__, , The notes can also be divided into groups of two and three within the same exercise without a time signature: Exercise #13 1 — Se paradigny " ‘sequence sequence Notice that the three eighth notes barred together are not triplets. Care must be taken to sing equal eighth notes. When a conducting motion is used, the groups of twos and threes should be shown with one movement as in chironomy. At the instant of singing the fa-re interval in Exercise #14, we cannot feel the tension of the complete diminished triad to the same degree as we do when the ti eventually enters. That is why the ti following the fa-re needs to be tuned sharper. We must hear the ti extraordinarily high so that the sum of the two minor thirds is not greater than a diatonic diminished fifth. (See Chapters 9 and 10 for a more detailed explanation.) Exercise #14 2 With more advanced choruses we can also have the choir sing more rhythmically demanding vocal exercises along with the continuation of the basic exercises: Exercise #15 Oe paradigm FequencePal Kardos ‘CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE] Exercise #15 should be stopped immediately if the choristers are struggling and singing in a jerky manner. It makes no sense to engage their energies prematurely in an exercise which is beyond them, especially since this is not the goal at this time Exercise #16 should be sung with flexibility using many different syllables and phrasings: Exercise #16 ey The careful expansion of vocal range should be attempted only after these exercises can be sung with refinement in the middle range As previously mentioned, it is not possible to give even an outline for a complete course in vocal pedagogy in this study. In the final analysis, however, the “how” of our approach to Voice training plays the principal role rather than the “what.” Even though the subsequent voice training exercises are polyphonic, by virtue of their voice-leading and agility, however, they belong here rather than to the later chapters dealing with establishing intonation through more stationary and less rhythmically active exercises, It is crucial that these exercises be sung only by choral sections which are already completely balanced in themselves. The advantage of these polyphonic exercises is that they cause no unusual vocal burden since every part sings within its own range. The following canon can also be sung in minor with the use of si Exercise #17 J. Ph. Kirnberger -19-Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE, It can be sung with mixed voices: Exercise #18a a) te a) or with treble or male choirs: Exercise #18b b) a a) Exercise #18c ©) Two different approaches present themselves for the Kimberger canon: 1) Arsis and thesis built around the climax of the large phrase arc: ti) 4 —_— sna aaiy 4. d 526 fi (a ‘st6) 31 Going towards the climax there is a gradual arsis or increase of musical tension; coming from the climax there is a gradual thesis or lessening of musical tension. In the beginning, the thesis can be made obvious by subtle accents; later on, however, the moment of change from arsis to thesis needs to remainPa CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE imperceptible. Only in this way will there be a true phrase arc. The tempo should be exceptionally slow with the quarter notes stretched out and held for their full value 2) An accent and subsequent release on the highest note at the moment of change from arsis to thesis: ae . 4 i eS, 3: With a slightly livelier tempo, the change from arsis to thesis does not succeed. In this case the melody is subordinate to the main accent! The following sequence (Exercise #19) should be sung: 1) with solfege syllables 2) with {mo}, {ma}, [mi], [ma] or other similar syllables 3) melismatically with one syllable sound sung throughout 4) ina staccato-like fashion, etc. Exercise #19 21-[Pal Kardos CHORAL TRAINING, CHORAL TONE Exercise #20 In Exercise #20 care should be taken so that the tempo is not compromised at the ties. The singing should be a single (flowing) progression in which the choristers singing the tied notes always feel the eighth-note motion in the other part and continue it. The following canon is outstanding for practicing a major triad and the development of flexibility: Exercise #21 = J. Hayden 7. 8. (1752-1605) = ess eeet 2