Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Conte Aug 14
Conte Aug 14
CHORAL PEDAGOGY
FOR COMPOSERS
DAVID CONTE, ROBERT KYR, AND STEVEN SAMETZ
4) Why is there a lack of choral from. For this reason, a chorus is far regularly write for choir and encourage
pedagogy for composers in Ameri- more vulnerable to being sabotaged by their students to apply themselves to the
can universities? faulty technique. Even a few miscalcula- complexities of writing for orchestras.
tions of voice-leading and awkward There is also the sense that the text
CONTE: John Adams, a former faculty preparation of dissonance can sink the will propel the development of the
member at the San Francisco Conserva- success of an unaccompanied choral work rather than some more abstract,
tory and now a frequent guest teacher, piece in performance. This is often seen less programmatic, cell or motive. That
told our student composers that when as the fault of the singers. And while it’s Webern, Schoenberg, Berio, Lutosławski,
he received the commission to com- true that the teaching of ear training Penderecki, Stravinsky, and Ives all wrote
pose Harmonium, he realized that in his and sight-singing may not often be as for choir doesn’t seem to be enough
six years of formal composition stud- effective as one might hope, many dif- of an imprimatur to bring choral music
ies in American universities, not once ficulties in choral pieces are the result to the mainstream of academic study.
did any teacher suggest that he either of faulty technique on the part of the Despite the fact that Webern’s Workers
analyze or compose any choral music. composer. This is true in instrumental Chorus sang his twelve-tone cantatas,
Additionally, Randall Thompson sites music too but not nearly as obvious or there is the sense that singers will have
the “tyranny of absolute music” in his detrimental to the successful realization a harder time in non-tonal music. As
1959 article “Writing for the Amateur of new pieces. composers and teachers, we should be
Chorus” (reprinted in this issue). In the Kodály said that the health of a mu- able to guide students in effective ways
academy, forms such as symphony and sical culture is built upon the training of writing non-tonally for choirs if that is
string quartet are held up as high mod- of the musical young through singing part of their compositional voice.
els, which indeed they are; but today, the folk music of that culture. Perhaps This issue may also be related to the
many forget how much choral music partly because of the decline in public programming of choral repertoire at
was written by the great composers of school music programs, choral music is schools. Offering time for student and
the past who excelled in instrumental simply not a part of the background of faculty pieces to be performed in con-
music. I often tell my students that choral many young composers. In thirty years cert is a great incentive for our compos-
pieces and songs are the “compost” out of reviewing composition applications ers—aspiring and established—to write
of which grow symphonies and other for admission to the SF Conservatory, more for choirs. Choral directors have a
instrumental forms. less than a fourth of the applicants have great deal of power both as advocates
Writing for amateurs is often dis- choral pieces in their portfolio. More and performers of new music. If you
couraged in university settings. Because than two thirds of the student compos- believe in a new composer, program
choral music is often the province of ers in our project are composing their his or her music! This could change the
SAMETZ:
LIFE IN GENERAL, THERE HAS BEEN A DEVALUATION CONTE: An experienced choral com-
poser can see in a younger composer’s
OF THE LYRICAL. work whether it is “chorally minded,”
meaning that it takes into account the
unique psychology of the choral singer.
and breath that creates a type of line or instrumental music that is primarily Composers like Handel, Mendelssohn,
that most wind, string, and keyboard homophonic in nature, in which most and Brahms seem especially canny in
players are grateful to play. For many parts are filler in support of one or two giving each singer exactly the next note
years, driven by increasing technology principal voices, then probably the way they want to sing! Choral music that
and an uptick in the speed of life in that one composes in one genre will not enters the repertory gives back to each
general, there has been a devaluation greatly affect the other. However, if one singer more than they put in; the piece
of the lyrical. Writing for choirs (which composes polyphonic music in which doesn’t have to be negotiated but is
often love slower, richer harmonies) has all parts are playing primary thematic simply “sung.”
value in grounding us, bringing us back material, then composing in either genre
to a less mechanized sense of time. Ma- will significantly enhance the other. SAMETZ: I take a long time to try
chines don’t breathe; people do. If we It is not enough to compose for the to get to know a student’s work and
want our music to reach people, it has to voice and expect musical miracles to language. Mostly, I am trying to deter-
breathe. As composers, it is essential to happen. Mostly, one needs to compose mine if the work arises organically. Most
have access to this longer, broader sense vocal music that is truly polyphonic that young composers fall into the trap of
of human time. It is not that choirs can’t results in dynamic, energized harmonic continuous exposition: a great two-
sing fast music (although we’re seeing motion. If a young composer is encour- bar idea followed by another (maybe
this less and less); but even in “active” aged to follow this path, his or her instru- equally great) two-bar idea that doesn’t
music, there is usually a slower harmonic mental music will improve exponentially necessarily arise from or relate to the
rhythm in vocal music than in fast in- in regard to musical substance, clarity of first. Development is frequently harder
strumental music. There is a breadth line, and harmonic vitality, regardless of than exposition. And, while it’s great to
of musical line that matches the breath style or aesthetic. stretch the limits of choral technique,
of the singers. Much new instrumental The standard instrumental fare of there are considerations of idiomatic
music doesn’t “breathe”: there is almost our times—whether it be chamber choral writing: does it work for choir?
a fear of silence or of the ebb and flow or orchestral music—generally favors