Viva Voce questions...., DipABRSM Options

[Sunrise]

Has anyone got any suggested questions to help me prepare for my Dip? Most threads on this are for pianists/instrumentalists, and half the number of pieces. Not sure how in depth I need to go on everything.

My program (as it stands) is:

Blute Nur (St. Matthews Passion) - Bach
As When the Dove (Acis and Galatea) - Handel
Batti Batti (Don Giovanni) - Mozart
Villanelle (Les Nuits D'ete) - Berlioz
Du meines Herzens kronelein - R. Strauss
Solveig's Song (Peer Gynt) - Grieg
Pie Jesu (Requiem) - Faure
Sleep - Gurney
The Monk and His Cat (Hermit Songs) - Barber

Any suggestions would be very very helpful indeed at this point.

[thouston]

Hi Dawn,
Here are a couple of things to think about - it looks like a long list but I'm sure you've already covered practically all of this already... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Be ready for the likely first question: 'How did you choose you programme'?

If you have an own-choice piece, also be prepared to answer 'why did you include xxx in your programme?'

It goes without saying that you should know what every word in each song means, and all the performance directions.

Make sure that you know the position of each piece in the composer's repertoire - was it early, middle, late in their career, and were they in a happy, sad, stressful period of their life?
Were there significant personal (marriage, births, deaths) or outside (wars, revolutions) events happening at the time of writing the song?
Is the piece typical of the composer's output or unusual? Why?
Is the piece typical of other music written at that time, or does it hark back/look forward to other styles?
Did the composer write the song for a specific person or for a particular singer to perform? Who?
What else were they writing at the same time?
What were their contemporaries producing at the same time?
Are there distinctive style elements? What are they?

Where did the words of the song come from? Is it a famous poem, and/or was it specially written for the composer?
Has anybody else set the same words and did they do it differently?
What do the words say to you and how have you tried to interpret them in your singing?

If the piece is from an opera, make sure you know the storyline of the opera, the character of the person singing the piece and its place within the opera. What other songs does the character sing in the opera/are there other famous arias in it? What other operas has the composer written?

Similarly, for other pieces taken from longer works make sure you know the place and significance of the piece with respect to the longer work. Is it normally performed with an orchestra, organ, harpsichord?

What are the technical features of the song? Does it change key, time signature or tempo? What effect does this have on the song? What was the composer trying to do?
Has the song ever been published in a significantly different form/key and where?

Have you heard other performances of the same piece? Was it different from your interpretation? In what way?

For everything you write in your programme notes, be prepared to back this up with extra information and prove that you understand exactly what you wrote (e.g. if you write that x is in sonata form you must be prepared to explain what sonata form actually is).

Understand your own voice. What are its strengths and weaknesses? Be prepared to make some self-analysis of your recital (which of your pieces went well, which less so? Why?)

Finally, be prepared for the probable last question: 'Do you have anything else to add?'
(I wasn't and came up with a lame "erm not really" which is probably best avoided (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) )

I have managed to dig around in the deep history of the forum and find the post I made just after mine, which lists the questions I was asked, in case that is useful:
http://www.abrsm.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=11896

Oh, and finally - RELAX! They are not there to trip you up, just to allow you to showcase what you know. It's clear from your posts that you have done a lot of preparation so you should be absolutely fine (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[AnnC]

A comprehensive list!
I might add - what are the technical demands of the song for the voice?
How would you adjust your style of singing for the genre of the song? (If you look at Thouston's questions, she was asked these things in a roundabout way). Thinking about vibrato, portamenti, style of singing German lied v French song, for instance. Challenges of singing the different languages.
Good luck!

[Sunrise]

Thanks to you both!

Mmm lots to look at and be sure about, and discuss with teach, I feel! Excellent, just what I needed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Robodoc]

They might also ask about differences in performance practice (if any) between now and whatever period your piece is from and how you deal with those differences. I could be wrong but for the voice I think vibrato is an issue here, and for all instruments including voice there is the matter of interpreting ornaments.

Good luck

[Sunrise]

They might also ask about differences in performance practice (if any) between now and whatever period your piece is from and how you deal with those differences. I could be wrong but for the voice I think vibrato is an issue here, and for all instruments including voice there is the matter of interpreting ornaments.

Good luck

Another great idea, thanks Robodoc. Still got alot of work to do, thank heavens for bank holiday weekends, I have 2 before the exam!!