Handel's Oratorio List

Is your baroque selection this term from one of these works by Handel?  If so, guess what!?!   

:) YOU DON’T HAVE TO MEMORIZE YOUR PIECE!  :)

Performance practices have evolved to not require singers to memorize Oratorios (any of them) for performance.  In my research and discussions with my colleagues, there seems to be no “reason” for this.  It’s just become standard practice to perform Oratorio with music in your hands.  Lucky bums.  :)

Oratorio Title ----- Language ----- Place of Composition ----- Date
St. John Passion, German, Hamburg, 1704
La Risurrezione, talian, Rome, 1708
Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Italian, Rome, 1708
Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, Italian, Naples, 1709
Brockes Passion, German, Hanover, 1716

Oratorios in English:
Esther, first version, London, 1720
Acis and Galatea, London, 1720
Esther, second version, London, 1732
Debora, London, 1733
Athalia, Oxford, 1733
Alexander's Feast, London, 1736
Saul, London, 1739
Israel in Egypt, London, 1739
Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, London, 1739
L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato, London, 1740
Messiah, Dublin, 1742

Oratorios produced in London:
Samson, 1743
Semele, 1743
Joseph, 1743
Belshazzar, 1744
Hercules, 1744
Occasional Oratorio, 1746
Judas Maccabaeus, 1747
Alexander Balus, 1747
Joshua, 1747
Solomon, 1748
Susanna, 1748
Theodora, 1749
The Choice of Hercules, 749
Jephtha, 1752). The Triumph of Time and Truth, 1757

Reinstatement of the blog! :)

It is spring term, 2012.  You would never know it from all the snow on the ground.  However, we are up and running and half way through the first week of the term with great success.  Everyone (so far) has been given their selections to learn this term and I hear practicing already!  I'm excited about our Baroque concert at the end of the term and look forward to hearing what you learn about that period in music history. 

Just a few things to keep in mind for this term:

• Remember to keep your practice journal updated throughout the term as you practice.  In order to update it, you have to practice so be sure to do that part as well.  :)
• Monday, April  9th there will be 5 children's choirs here on campus for a children's choir festival.  Some of you have offered to help corral and entertain a couple of groups between 2:00 and 4:00 that day.  Thank you for your help (in advance) and if you haven't signed up and would like to come, please join us!
• We will have MASTER CLASS this coming THURSDAY at 11am in the choir room.  Remember that your syllabus requires that you attend and participate in a minimum of 5 of them (no required number of performances).  If you have a class conflict, please let me know.

Work hard and check back often.  See you all tomorrow at the master class. 

Student NATS Club comes to EOU

Happy Monday everyone!  I just wanted you all to know that we have started up a Student NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Club on the campus of EOU.  We had our first meeting last friday where we talked about what students wanted to do in the club (and came up with some great ideas!) along with reviewing a draft constitution and appointing officers. 

President: Jon Davidson
Vice President: Dan Lockart
Secretary: Mallory Livingston
Treasurer: Erin Rufener
Faculty Advisor: Jamie Jacobson

I will be posting the draft of the constitution here tomorrow for you to review.  I believe it was decided that we would vote to accept the constitution at our next meeting FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21st.  For now, the club has decided that we will be meeting every other Friday at 2:30. 

During the next meeting, I was asked to present some beginning information on how to structure a voice lesson and asked to maybe give one in front of the club.  It was pointed out in the meeting that students rarely have the opportunity to sit in for other people's lesson and observe the teaching/learning process.  When they think of teaching the lesson, most beginners can only pull from what they have learned themselves while in the studio.  We'll be talking about that and I am in the process of gathering some great resources for the club on that very topic. 

It's going to be a wonderful adventure as we explore vocal pedagogy.  We hope you can join us whenever you can!  If you'd like to be an "official member" of the club, please notify one of the officers listed above and we'll make sure you are on the list. 

Dr. Ingo Titze and friends explain how the voice is like a car.  I use that analogy all the time in the studio and it's applicable not only in the phonation aspect (vibration of the chords) and resonance as talked about in this video, but also in registration (singing in the "first gear" for chest voice, for instance).  Great video! 

A few things for week two of our 2011 Fall Term:

• I have made my EOU schedule public and attached it on the right hand side to this blog.  If you are wondering if I am in the office, when your lesson time is, or when you could swing in to ask a question, you can check there.  You will not be able to add yourself to myself to the schedule without clearing it through me, but if you have a question that my calendar can answer, you not have access to it.
• The first meeting of the Student NATS Club will be held THIS FRIDAY, October 7th at 2:30 in the choir room (LH 123).  There is *minimal* time commitment required for this club and we'll be doing some pretty great things and learning a lot.  If you are interested in learning more, come to the meeting and decide if it might be the right club for you.
• Thank you to those who came to support Jonathan in his Senior Recital last Saturday!  I hope you learned something from listening to him and enjoyed his wonderful performance!  For those PRIVATE STUDENTS who were unable to make it, be sure to find 2 other vocal performances that you are not involved in and write about what you hear.
•  We are off and running in week 2 of classes.  Keep your head above water and enjoy the learning process!  :)  Remember: I'm here if you need anything.

 And now.....For your listening pleasure:  Act One Scene Three from Mozart's Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute).

How to sign up for rehearsals with Mio

Students,

Dr. Mio Aoike will be your accompanist this term.  Instead of having a sign on the door for rehearsal sign ups, she has gone digital and has provided a link to her Google calendar online.  Remember: if you are signed up for a 30 minute lesson, you must sign up for an additional 30 minutes with Mio.  One hour lessons sign up for one hour.  You may sign her up to attend your lesson as well.  She will be very busy this term as there are a lot of you.  Please be flexible and trade with others when requested if you are able. 

To sign up:
1. Click on the following link (you may want to save it in your bookmarks to access later):

https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUZsYmJ4ZmR4cFlofGRlZmF1bHR8MDU1MThlMWNiM2MwN2E2NzVlMWI5ZTkzNzU1ODgwYjU

2. Click on a time slot and fill in the necessary information (who, where, etc.)  PLEASE leave your PHONE number in the "description" section in case Mio needs to get a hold of you.

3.  If you need to CANCEL or CHANGE your appointment, you can do so from YOUR google calendar (you have one tied to your EOU email account).  Log in and go to calendar, click "cancel appointment" and "notify guests". You

It will be challenging getting used to this new system, but it will save everyone a lot of time and effort in the future. 

For those of you using a different email system (like hotmail or yahoo), you might want to go ahead and learn how to use your eou account.  For starters, Google is AWESOME and provides a great deal of options for you to work with.  EOU will always send things to that account and so will your professors.  When we type your name in our "To:" box, it automatically brings up your EOU address.  It might be easiest if you learned how to use it. :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in your lesson and I will walk you through the process.  Like I said, it will take a little time in the beginning, but after that will be many terms with less effort on everyone's part. 

--
Jamie Jacobson
Vocal Instructor
Eastern Oregon University
541-910-1102
Office: 541-962-3464

Thomas Florio, Baritone and 2010 NATSSA Winner

I was in the audience for this wonderful performance from Thomas Florio, the 2010 NATSAA Winner.  Thomas performed very well and as the winner, he received large cash prizes, a New York solo debut performance and is scheduled to perform at Carnegie Hall just to name a FEW.  He will also be the featured soloist at the 2012 NATS National Convention in Florida this coming Summer and has been given 2 year internship at Das Internationale Opernstudio der Hamburgischen Staatsoper where he will embark on many opera roles.

NATS can bring wonderful opportunities for singers for those who would like to be involved.



CLICK HERE to read more about Thomas Florio, all the opportunities he has been given as the 2010 NATSAA Winner and his adventures.