Problem singing coloratura

[u/HotChestnutMan]

This amateur singer is practicing Bachs Weinachts (Christmas)-Oratorium. I could use some pointers for learning a coloratura. I am stuck at the part in Jauchzet Frohlocket: Cantate 1 bar 142 Herrlichen Choren. I think there is a rhythm with the longer notes but I don’t seem to get it. Any advice? I have the practice CD so I hear how it should be done. But cant replicate.

PS I sing the bass part

[u/Gr4fitti]

https://cyberbass.org/Major_Works/Bach_J_S/Bach_ChristmasOratorio.htm

In my experience, if you can’t read music well enough to work it out by yourself then the by far easiest way is to use that website. If you choose the ”B” option a midi file containing all the parts but with the bass line in the foreground will play, and you can slow down tempo and everything. It’s incredibly helpful.

[u/HotChestnutMan → u/Gr4fitti]

Ok thank you. I can read the music :) but how to sing it is my problem.

[u/etzpcm → u/HotChestnutMan]

What do you mean? There's nothing unusual or difficult about bar 142. Is it the rhythm or the notes that are the problem?

It might help to practise singing melodic minor scales. That's what bars 141-142 are.

Also, this is not coloratura.

[u/HotChestnutMan → u/etzpcm]

Sing all the notes from bar 143 on, I call it a coloratura https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coloratura but if you have a better word for it?

[u/Successful_Sail1086 → u/HotChestnutMan]

Multiple notes on one syllable is typically referred to as melisma. It looks you you have a couple of short melismas in this passage (the tenor line, right?)

[u/HotChestnutMan → u/Successful_Sail1086]

u/Successful_Sail1086 The bass line from 143

[u/Successful_Sail1086 → u/HotChestnutMan]

Ah so one big melisma, it’s odd the tenor line is red. You just need to go really slow and learn it in small chunks.

[u/Successful_Sail1086]

When learning a melisma, take it slow and one bar at a time. Much slower than the practice CD. If you are really struggling try just a couple of notes at a time.

[u/weisthaupt]

Big thing here is to chunk it into littler pieces. Think these in groups of 2, 3 or 4 notes. Giving an impulse on the first note of the group, and letting the latter notes be a release. I think of this as a tight-loose game. We often fall in the trap of weighting them all equally or making them all tight, or all impetus.

[u/weisthaupt → u/weisthaupt]

For example, Chören 4,2,3 feel those groups (landing on the final number of 3:ren)

[u/operafan77]

It helps to first practice by singing the notes as “du bi du bi du.” It helps you get to the right notes.

[u/Bananus333]

Fellow amateur. Check where the stresses are (first note of bar) and sing towards and from these notes. It is important to bring out the major pattern, more then the individual notes.

[u/HotChestnutMan → u/Bananus333]

u/Bananus333 that make sense. I should focus on the first notes of the bar and not bother to also sing all the small notes. Should I try to add those later?

[u/Bananus333 → u/HotChestnutMan]

Yes you should. First the pattern, then the details

[u/IchiganCS]

It might help to sing the slurred first eigth note of the bar again (ignoring the slur), so you have a clear first beat of each measure. 

[u/McSheeples]

Write the quaver beats in on the score, note the subdivisions. There's nothing odd in here rhythmically. You could also slow the whole thing down and count 6 semi quavers per bar.

[u/Childoferna99]

One of my precious memories is spending hours practicing this work in my cabin while cruising the Aegean. I had a concert one week after returning and had to re audition when I got home. I sincerely hope my cruise neighbors were not listening in!

[u/KumChi]

Off topic but how did you highlight just the lines on the staff?

[u/Lillian-Duncan1]

The Jauchzet bass melismas are a known hazard. I'd subdivide the whole passage in sixteenths and mark where the longer notes land, then half tempo with a metronome. One vowel at a time, text last. A week of daily drilling and it clicks.

[u/HotChestnutMan → u/Lillian-Duncan1]

Yes this I will do :)