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TURNER, KELLY J., DMA Balancing Chorus and Orchestra in Performance

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TURNER, KELLY J., D.M.A. Balancing Chorus and Orchestra in Performance: Problems and Solutions for Conductors of the Nineteenth Century and Today. (2009) Directed by Dr. Welborn E. Young. 198 pp. The purpose of this document is to examine the origins of, evidence for, and solutions to choral/orchestral balance problems in performance. By consulting several primary sources, this study demonstrates that these balance issues rose to prominence during the early nineteenth century, and that conductors of that era addressed these problems in ways that are different from modern solutions. The performance of choral/orchestral works occurred less often during the early twentieth century, and because many conductors from this generation were not regularly working in the choral/orchestral medium, a knowledge gap resulted. Thus, a new generation of conductors needed to develop their own methodology as balance issues resurfaced following a revival of combined performances beginning in the 1940s. Selected studies published within the last fifty years offer possible solutions to choral/orchestral balance problems. Some authors contend that exaggerated enunciation and vocal resonance from the choristers are the keys to resolving imbalances. Others approach balance problems by controlling the volume of the orchestra. Still others choose to alter the relative positions of the performers on stage to affect balance problems. An online survey instrument through surveymonkey.com augments this study. Over two hundred conductors who frequently prepare choruses to sing with orchestras participated in the survey, offering wisdom from their experiences grappling with choral/orchestral balance problems. Utilizing the survey data, this study offers a categorized collection of practical ideas and rehearsal techniques that will serve as a reference for conductors as they address choral/orchestral imbalances. There are three principal outcomes of this study. First, it offers several reasons why choral/orchestral balance problems developed significantly during the nineteenth century and explain how conductors of that era addressed the problems. Second, it gives conductors a comprehensive overview of existing recent research on choral/orchestral balance. Third, the survey shows that present-day conductors consider acoustic imbalance between chorus and orchestra an issue with which they struggle, to what they attribute these imbalances, and how they address them. Ultimately, this document provides conductors with both a greater understanding of choral/orchestral imbalances and a variety of new methodologies for addressing them, both from the past and the present. BALANCING CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA IN PERFORMANCE: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FOR CONDUCTORS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND TODAY by Kelly J. Turner A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Musical Arts Greensboro 2009 Approved by Welborn E. Young Committee Chair © 2009 Kelly J. Turner To my wife, Amy, without whose loving support I could never have done this. ii APPROVAL PAGE This dissertation has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Committee Chair Welborn E. Young x Committee Members William P. Carroll x J. Kent Williams x Randy Kohlenberg x February 23, 2009 x Date of Acceptance by Committee February 23, 2009 x Date of Final Oral Examination iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am sincerely grateful to my primary professors, Dr. Welborn Young and Dr. William Carroll, for their continuous support throughout this project. I have learned so much from these two teachers during my graduate studies, and I am forever indebted to them. I am also grateful to the other members of my committee, Dr. Kent Williams and Dr. Randy Kohlenberg, for their insight and encouragement during the course of this study. Further, I am grateful to Dr. Elizabeth Keathley for providing exceptional wisdom and guidance during the early phases of this project. I extend earnest appreciation to the numerous conductors who took the time to participate in the survey. I am thankful for their willingness to share their insights and experiences dealing with choral/orchestral balance with me and, in turn, the entire profession. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their constant love and support throughout this degree. I extend my deepest gratitude to my wife, Amy, for her emotional support, patience, and steadfast love throughout my doctoral degree program. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................1 II. THE PROBLEM OF CHORAL/ORCHESTRAL BALANCE: A LEGACY OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.........................................7 Identifying Balance Problems in the Nineteenth Century ...........................9 Understanding the Origins of Balance Problems.......................................13 Nineteenth-Century Strategies for Solving Balance Problems..................31 III. CHORAL/ORCHESTRAL BALANCE FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT...................................................................40 The Early Twentieth Century.....................................................................40 Choral/Orchestral Performance Between 1900 and 1940..........................46 Revival of Choral/Orchestral Performance................................................51 Evidence of Present-Day Balance Issues...................................................56 IV. CONTEMPORARY EXISTING SOLUTIONS FOR CHORAL/ORCHESTRAL BALANCE PROBLEMS..................................60 Addressing the Chorus to Affect Balance..................................................61 Addressing the Instrumentalists to Affect Balance....................................68 Altering Spatial Arrangement to Affect Balance.......................................72 Acoustic Studies Related to Choral/Orchestral Balance............................79 V. CHORAL/ORCHESTRAL BALANCE SURVEY ..........................................83 Selection of Participants............................................................................83 Design and Dissemination of Survey.........................................................83 Survey Response........................................................................................84 Frequency of Preparing and/or Conducting Choral/Orchestral Works........................................................................85 Number of Combined Rehearsals..............................................................88 Frequency of Choral/Orchestral Balance Problems...................................91 v Causes of Choral/Orchestral Balance Problems ........................................93 Present-Day Methods for Addressing Choral/Orchestral Balance Problems..................................................................................107 Professional Experience of the Respondents...........................................124 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION................................................................127 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................137 APPENDIX A. SURVEY INVITATIONS .....................................................................144 APPENDIX B. CONSENT FORM .................................................................................147 APPENDIX C. SURVEY QUESTIONS.........................................................................149 APPENDIX D. SURVEY RAW DATA .........................................................................154 APPENDIX E. PERMISSIONS ......................................................................................196 vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 3.1. Concert Review Excerpts..................................................................................56 Table 4.1. Vance George’s Recommendations for Consonant Projection.........................65 Table 4.2. Emmons and Chase’s Recommendations for More Resonance .......................67 Table 4.3. Moses, Demaree, and Ohmes’ Recommendations for Addressing the Orchestra..............................................................................70 Table 4.4. Lewis Gordon’s Recommendations for Stage Arrangement ............................73 Table 5.1. Question 1 Data Summary................................................................................86 Table 5.2. Question 2 Data Summary................................................................................87 Table 5.3. Question 3 Data Summary................................................................................89 Table 5.4. Question 4 Data Summary................................................................................90 Table 5.5. Question 5 Data Summary................................................................................91 Table 5.6. Question 6 Data Summary................................................................................92 Table 5.7. Question 7 Data Summary................................................................................93 Table
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