Dress Rehearsal
With the ensemble in the performance venue and only hours until the premiere, the focus of the dress rehearsal was maximizing the visual and sonic impact of the music. In practice, this meant solidifying the big arc of the piece while addressing the small details which would keep the listener invested enough to hear it.
Most of the concerns arose from the realization of the spatialized setup. (Before, the players were all set up together to facilitate communication; no one wants to shout across a hall). This setup had two major consequences. First, it drastically opened up the textures of the music, allowing every little detail to be heard as I intended (hooray!). Second, it unmasked one of the defining elements of this piece, the notion that everyone - not just Imogen - was a soloist.
Though both of these consequences were positive, they brought to light the various issues that had previously gone unnoticed. The first of these was the balance; with everything now audible, we had to fine-tune levels to make sure that the "mix" was right no matter where one sat in the hall (I'm referring to the audience here). The second task was to perfect the sonic landscape of the piece. If the pages and pages of performance notes don't give it away (see below), this piece is heavily invested in sound and timbre - getting it right was a matter of structural (as well as aesthetic) importance. Lastly, we had to address the performance. Though all music is a performance of some sort, this piece is intended to function (at least partially) on a physical and theatrical level, where the placement of the sound in the space and the physical gesture associated with that sound matter.
With limited rehearsal time (i.e. musical life in a nutshell), Toby opted to run spots and then a complete performance. My two sets of unedited notes are below (I am very happy to answer questions if something does not make sense). Together, I hope they will provide a sense of the kinds of issues that drew my ear while conveying the sense of urgency and efficiency which was present during rehearsals. All bracketed letters refer to the rehearsal marks found in the performance score below.
First set of notes:
Hidden trio: all dynamics down a bit.
Emotional arc from start of IV to end is the main focus
Violins at [G] need to move more
Basses turn out for III
IV sound must be present from start. Think brushing the string more than bowing it
Violin 3. I get to the end of your bow each time and fall off
Violin 1. I less sound more circle; more at the tip of the bow at the start
Bit more articulation throughout V
[AA] bisbig down an octave plus quieter
Imogen FREEDOM!!!
[BB] NO ricochet
[HH] a bit more delicate
Second set of notes:
Transitions between Mvts I - IV must have a sense of urgency and almost shock, like suddenly waking up in a new place and not knowing how you got there
Violins - every ending/stopping point must be done with intention: either freeze, kick off, or fade away.
Violins, Mvt IV - this is theater as much as it is music. each person is stuck in a loop EXCEPT 1.I who has a solo - Pina Bausch.
Into [AA]- transition from chaos to the upbows/gliss must be clear to give a big push forward.
Violins Mvt V - ricochet bows should happen 'naturally' as a result of the powerful downbow (loss of control) as opposed to intentionally as a thrown bow.
Mvt V - solo lines in lower strings need more gusto starting at [Y]
Ending - 5. Vla; check final gesture
