A Symphony, Divided?
May 1, 2012 3:55 PM Subscribe
Is there anywhere to listen to the component parts of a piece of classical music?
I am part of a semi-professional choir that moves quickly in terms of learning and performing music (often four or five rehearsals before performing a major work with orchestra). I'm a better ear-learner than anything else, and I tend to work on pieces by listening to recordings. Occasionally I run into a piece where, try as I might, it's very difficult to pick out my part; right now I'm first soprano, second choir on Mahler's Symphony 8, and it's not easy to follow with the orchestra, soloists and seven-plus other choral parts, especially because I don't have orchestra or soloists in my score. Is there anywhere, preferably online, that divides classical pieces into component-part tracks (and ideally has Mahler)? I seem to remember someone having mentioned a place once. I've searched but haven't found anything.
I am part of a semi-professional choir that moves quickly in terms of learning and performing music (often four or five rehearsals before performing a major work with orchestra). I'm a better ear-learner than anything else, and I tend to work on pieces by listening to recordings. Occasionally I run into a piece where, try as I might, it's very difficult to pick out my part; right now I'm first soprano, second choir on Mahler's Symphony 8, and it's not easy to follow with the orchestra, soloists and seven-plus other choral parts, especially because I don't have orchestra or soloists in my score. Is there anywhere, preferably online, that divides classical pieces into component-part tracks (and ideally has Mahler)? I seem to remember someone having mentioned a place once. I've searched but haven't found anything.
Sorry, I don't know of any (have you tried looking for youtube videos by sopranos discussing/demonstrating the part?).
But if you're semi-pro, you surely read music. Why not have a look at the score? That's the age-old way of figuring out how your part fits in. You don't even need to worry about all the transpositions; just the parallel arcs of notes ought to give you a sense of the jigsaw puzzle (and, yup, Mahler 8 is quite a jigsaw puzzle!).
Good luck!
posted by Quisp Lover at 4:17 PM on May 1, 2012
But if you're semi-pro, you surely read music. Why not have a look at the score? That's the age-old way of figuring out how your part fits in. You don't even need to worry about all the transpositions; just the parallel arcs of notes ought to give you a sense of the jigsaw puzzle (and, yup, Mahler 8 is quite a jigsaw puzzle!).
Good luck!
posted by Quisp Lover at 4:17 PM on May 1, 2012
Best answer: Mahler 8! I've just been listening to it, coincidentally, and marvelling at the wild choral fugato sections.
There's Choraline (link to Mahler 8 page) but I'm not sure if you were after free resources. I'm afraid I can't find much else using 'mahler 8 rehearsal tracks' as search terms.
I had a paragraph here about general score learning, using full-score library copies etc, but on rereading spotted you've said your choir is semi-pro with a fast working pace, so my impression is that's a skillset you already have (apologies if wrong end of stick).
Bon courage! It'll be fabulous.
posted by lokta at 4:18 PM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
There's Choraline (link to Mahler 8 page) but I'm not sure if you were after free resources. I'm afraid I can't find much else using 'mahler 8 rehearsal tracks' as search terms.
I had a paragraph here about general score learning, using full-score library copies etc, but on rereading spotted you've said your choir is semi-pro with a fast working pace, so my impression is that's a skillset you already have (apologies if wrong end of stick).
Bon courage! It'll be fabulous.
posted by lokta at 4:18 PM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Ah, Mahler 8. I credit the day I took that from the public library and put it in my stereo as the day I became a classical music freak.
One thing you could do, though this is not a free option: Finale has a score reader, where it can scan scores and then make a finale file out of it. Then you can extract just the soprano part, and listen to it as a midi. Kind of a process, and the scan doesn't always come out perfect, but it is one way.
Alternatively, become friends with a pianist and have them just record you part on the piano (or pay a pianist from the internet to do it for you).
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:36 PM on May 1, 2012
One thing you could do, though this is not a free option: Finale has a score reader, where it can scan scores and then make a finale file out of it. Then you can extract just the soprano part, and listen to it as a midi. Kind of a process, and the scan doesn't always come out perfect, but it is one way.
Alternatively, become friends with a pianist and have them just record you part on the piano (or pay a pianist from the internet to do it for you).
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:36 PM on May 1, 2012
Best answer: (If you want to try Lutoslawski's suggestion, there are free scores/parts for this galore at IMSLP!)
posted by lokta at 5:20 PM on May 1, 2012
posted by lokta at 5:20 PM on May 1, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions! As people seem to be wondering, I do sight read and am certainly competent at looking at my score (couldn't survive without it); I'm just looking for a "hack" to capitalize on my ear being better than my eye.
posted by ilana at 7:37 PM on May 1, 2012
posted by ilana at 7:37 PM on May 1, 2012
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posted by mskyle at 4:09 PM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]