Middle mixed choir. Choir group. Choir structure. Quantitative and qualitative composition. Artistic Director and Chief Regent

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Federal state budget educational institution higher education

"Moscow state institute culture"

Department: Academic choir conducting

Essay

Discipline: “Choral studies and methods of working with the choir”

On the topic: “Choral group. Choir structure. Quantitative and qualitative composition"

Completed by: 3rd year student, group 46

Tarasenko Olga Petrovna

Checked by: professor

Shabalina Olga Ivanovna

Moscow 2015

Introduction

1. Characteristics of the concept of “choral group” and its features

2. Features of the structure of the choir group

3. Quantitative and qualitative composition of the choir

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

Choral singing is one of the most ancient and rich fields musical art. It obviously existed in primitive communities, as the surviving monuments of that era suggest. Gradually, choral singing not only accompanied labor processes, but also became an important element folk games, dances, rituals. Genre varieties of songs emerged with their distinctive features(labor, everyday, military, love and other melodies), were enriched means of expression, techniques arose for alternating solo and choral singing; instruments were added to the choir at festivals and during rituals. Early forms of polyphony appeared.

In the system of mass music education, a huge
Various forms of choral art play a role.

Choral studies covers the history, theory and practice of choral performing arts, its place in the spiritual, moral, artistic education of the people, the content of vocal and choral education, the principles of managing artistic groups, specific methodological systems for working with choirs of various types, types, compositions.

In the last few years, interest in choral pedagogy has justifiably increased. Against the backdrop of a saturated choral market, there is a massive formation of choral groups and their equally massive disintegration. A comprehensive study of this phenomenon, conducted at the Academy of Choral Art by G.A. Struve, revealed a number of “bottlenecks” in the functioning of a typical amateur choral group. In particular, it became obvious that one of the main reasons for the self-liquidation of amateur choirs is low quality musical-pedagogical and psychological-pedagogical work. That is, factors that have not only educational, but also educational significance.

On the one hand, in a number of amateur groups there is a pronounced lack or insufficiently high quality of educational work designed to improve vocal performance and professional (as far as this term is possible in the context amateur performances) level of the choir. On the other hand, there is insufficient quality (or even absence) of psychological work aimed at educating team members and creating a special environment for human relations.

The modern repertoire of choral groups covers the largest number of historical eras compared to other types of musical performance.

Purpose This work is a generalization of knowledge about the choir, its structure and composition.

To achieve this goal, a number of solutions were solved in the work tasks:

1. Describe the concept of “choral group”;

2. Reveal the features of the choir structure;

3. Describe the quantitative and qualitative composition of the choir.

1. Characteristics of the concept of “choral group” and its features

A choir is an organized group of singers. This definition covers all kinds of singing groups with a wide variety of qualifications, performing style, repertoire focus, methods of formation and recruitment. In the understanding of the domestic listener, the choir is a creative group, the main goal of whose performing activities is the ideological, artistic and aesthetic education of the masses.

The material for creating any choral group is the human singing voice. Singing voices can be divided into three large groups: male, female, children. These three types of voices will represent the material from which a choir of one composition or another can be organized. Choirs made up of only men, only women or children are called homogeneous choirs, because their composition is truly homogeneous (a choir of only women is female, a choir of only men is male, and a choir of only children is children’s). . The combination of a male choir with a female or children's choir forms mixed composition choir.

Thus, the choir unites different groups votes. The voices of one group performing their melody in unison are called a choral part. Choral parts are composed of singers with approximately the same range of voices and similar timbre sound.

Classic version mixed choir is a group of singers with high and low female and male voices. Low male voices are called basses, low female voices are called altos, high male voices are called tenors, and high female voices are called sopranos.

In the children's choir, similarly to the women's choir, voices are divided into high sopranos and low altos. In the boys' choir, high voices are called trebles. In turn, each party is often divided into two votes - the first and the second. In a mixed choir score there is often a combination of sopranos I and sopranos II, altos I and altos II, tenors I and tenors II, baritones and basses.

The musical notation of the melodies of all parts of the choir is called a choral score. There are two main design principles choral score. The first, most common, is that the melody of each voice is written on a separate line of notes. Parts of choral works of a predominantly polyphonic nature are presented in this way, which allows singers to clearly follow the development of each individual theme, each melodic line.

In choral performance, two styles of singing are distinguished - academic and folk, which are characterized by qualitative differences in the manner of performance.

The academic choir bases its activities on principles and criteria musical creativity and performances developed by professional musical culture and traditions of centuries-old experience in the opera and chamber genres. Academic choirs have a single condition for vocal work - an academic style of singing.

Depending on the profile of their activities, academic choral groups are called chapels, song and dance ensembles, opera choirs, educational choirs, etc.

The choir got its name from the place where the singers and choral group were located. In the Middle Ages, a chapel was a Catholic chapel and a chapel in a church where the choir was located. Initially, the chapels were only vocal, without the participation of instruments. Since then, polyphonic choral singing without instrumental accompaniment, in which the main attention was paid to the melodiousness and independence of voices, to the harmony of the overall sound, began to be called singing a sarella. Currently, some professional and amateur choral groups are called a cappella (for example, the St. Petersburg academic chapel them. M. Glinka, Republican Russian choir chapel them. A. Yurlova...). Boys' choirs are also called chapels (Nizhny Novgorod boys' choir).

Folk choir is a vocal group that performs folk songs with their inherent features (choral texture, vocal style, phonetics). Folk choirs, as a rule, build their work on the basis of local or regional singing traditions. This determines the variety of compositions and manner of performance of folk choirs. It is necessary to distinguish a folk choir in its natural, everyday form from a specially organized, folk choir, professional or amateur, performing both truly folk songs and original compositions in the folk spirit.

Performing a piece at a concert is the final goal and result of all preliminary work any musician in which the selection of repertoire is starting point countdown of a long creative path.

Selecting a repertoire for a choir is not a one-time act, but a complex process: on the one hand, it focuses on the musical and aesthetic taste and culture of the choral conductor, on the other hand, the selection of works and the choir’s repertoire is of a pedagogical nature, since it is determined by individual characteristics performers and rehearsal conditions.

At the same time, there are traditional criteria in accordance with which the concert repertoire of choral groups is compiled:

1) variety in historical eras, styles, genres, characters, etc.;

2) compliance with a certain performing direction, for example, repertoire academic choir compose sacred and secular choral works by Western European and Russian classical composers, arrangements and arrangements of folk songs, and modern works;

3) the presence of a sufficient number of works a sarrella (without accompaniment), the mastery of which allows the most intensive formation of choral skills.

The achievements of Russian choral art have historically been based on the organic connection between composition and choral performance. The huge choral heritage, accumulated as a result of centuries of singing practice in Russia, is a treasury of choral culture, contributing to its further development.

2. Features of the structure of the choir group

The concept of choir composition is ambiguous; it presupposes various aspects. When characterizing the composition of the choir necessary to perform a given work, the following are taken into account: its structure, the total number of participants (quantitative composition), certain qualitative characteristics (qualitative composition).

As already noted, a creative choral group may differ in its structure. It could be folklore ensemble, Studio pop song, boys choir and so on. But the most practical and realistically achievable is the creation of an academic choir: its repertoire covers a wide range of vocal genres - from works of classical composers, songs various peoples to the works of modern authors. choral score singing ensemble

The structure of the choir is determined, first of all, by its type and appearance. The first indicates which choral parts are included in the choir. On this basis, all choirs are divided into homogeneous (children's, women's or men's) and mixed - consisting of women's or children's (or both together) and men's voices (choral parts).

The type of choir indicates the number of choral parts (“voices”) included in its composition. Based on this, choirs can be one-voice, two-voice, three-voice, four-voice, etc.

Each type corresponds to certain types of choir. Homogeneous choirs have two main parts: upper voices (trebles in the children's choir, soprano in the women's choir, tenors in the men's choir) and lower voices (altos in the children's and women's choirs, basses in the men's choir). Consequently, the elementary form of a homogeneous choir is two-voice: D + A (in a children's choir), C + A (in a women's choir), T + B (in a men's choir).

The mixed choir consists of four main parts: sopranos (or trebles), altos, tenors, basses. Its most characteristic type is four-voice: C (D) + A + T + B.

The increase in votes occurs as a result of the division of parties. Separations can be permanent or temporary. With constant separation, each part essentially becomes an independent choral part: CI + CIII + A (three-voice female choir), TI + TIII + BI + BII (four-voice male choir), CI + SII + AI + AII + TI + TIII + BI + BI (eight-voice mixed choir).

With temporary divisions, parties are divided sporadically. Not permanent character divisions are created by the variability of the choral composition. There are often cases when the full composition of the choir actually never sounds simultaneously in the work, and the establishment of the type of choir (number of voices) becomes largely arbitrary. A choir composition without divisions of parties or with divisions of a permanent nature can be called stable, and the composition with divisions such as divisions can be called unstable.

There are 2 main types of choral groups: homogeneous and mixed. This typology is due to the 3-type classification of singing voices: children's, women's, men's.

A variation of the incomplete mixed type are youth choirs, formed from female (soprano and alto) voices and one unison male part. They received the name youth because most often they are made up of boys and girls aged 15-17 years. Due to the limited singing capabilities associated with the active process of mutation, the young men unite into a single choral part and perform the melody in unison.

3. Quantitative and qualitative composition of the choir

Choral groups are traditionally divided into small (chamber), medium and large choirs. Based on the quantitative composition, the size of each choral party is determined. For optimal sound, achieving a clean structure and a coherent ensemble, according to P. Chesnokov’s definition, the number of singers within the choral part should be three. The presence of three people in a party allows you to use chain (continuous) breathing techniques.

Both homogeneous and mixed choirs can be full or not full composition. The full choir includes all choral parts characteristic of this type of choir. An incomplete choir consists of some parts characteristic of a given choir. An incomplete homogeneous choir (that is, when the entire performance is entrusted to only one choral part) is used relatively rarely, an incomplete mixed choir is used much more often; it is most characterized by a combination of parts closely spaced in the range: C+A+T, A+T+ B.

There are also multi-choir compositions, when several choirs (two, three, four or more) participate in the performance simultaneously. Such compositions are especially common in opera music. In concert practice they are used less frequently and, as a rule, include no more than two or three choirs. If the groups participating in the performance have the same structure and number of participants, then such multi-choir compositions are called, respectively, double, triple, etc.

The quantitative composition of the choir is determined by the total number of members of the group required to perform this work. There are the following main varieties in relation to a full mixed choir: small composition or chamber (16-24 people); average composition (24-60 people); large composition (60-80 or more people).

The quality of the choir needed to perform a given work depends on the nature and structure of the music and its complexity.

The nature of the work places demands on the timbre composition of the choir. Chamber images presuppose the predominant use of lyrical timbres. This composition is typical for a significant part choral music a capella. In contrast, we can talk about the “dramatic composition of the choir,” which has a completely different sound - dense and strong. Bearing in mind the complexity of the work, which determines the required level of vocal and choral technique of the group (its professional training), we can conditionally distinguish beginner, experienced, amateur and professional choir composition.

The need for a choral part to have three or more singers is also confirmed by acoustic laws. During the performance of unison melodies, the singing of at least three participants prevents sound splitting; the interval of deviation from absolute unison in the singing of the first and second choristers is filled with the sound of the third voice. This creates the effect of sounding a continuous unison. This law also applies to the timbre of voices.

As P. Chesnokov pointed out, the smallest number of singers in a mixed choir, based on the smallest composition of one choral part, is 12 people (3 sopranos + 3 altos + 3 tenors + 3 basses). Similar norms apply to homogeneous choirs. Choirs with such a minimum composition can only perform those works where there is no division of voices in the parts. These groups are most often used in the practice of religious singing, accompanying church services. Currently, a choral group consisting of 12 to 20 people is usually called a vocal ensemble.

The average composition includes such groups where each choral part can be divided (double in number) into two (BI, BII). The number of members of the choir thus increases to 24 people. At P.G. Chesnokov, the average composition of the mixed choir consisted of 27 people, additionally including 3 more bass - octavist.

Currently, groups with a number of singers from 25 to 30 people are called chamber choirs. The range of performing capabilities of this group is quite extensive, but the most interesting in its performance are the subtle and graceful choral acapella miniatures, in the performance of which the choirs achieve high skill and perfection.

In modern practice, medium-sized choirs are considered to be groups of 30 to 60 people. A medium-sized team is most widespread in amateur performances. The average composition of the choir is widely represented in the form of educational, women's, men's, youth, mixed professional and amateur choirs. These choirs exist in general education and music schools, secondary specialized and higher educational institutions. The performing capabilities of medium-sized choirs are quite significant. Thanks to their mobility, mobility and flexibility of sound, they can perform choral works of varying degrees of complexity. The repertoire of these groups may include samples of foreign and domestic choral literature, arrangements of folk songs, choral works of various genres and stylistic directions.

IN modern conditions Large choral groups include groups of 80 to 100 (120) people. Most professional choirs are like this. Large cast professional choirs are due to the ability to perform works of large forms, including orchestral accompaniment, as well as complex polyphonic multi-choir acapella choral works with a polyphonic presentation.

Further increase permanent staff The choir is inappropriate, since it does not contribute to the improvement of its performing qualities: flexibility, mobility, and rhythmic clarity are lost. Choral ensemble becomes vague, timbrally uninteresting.

However, in choral practice there are cases of the existence of so-called combined choirs, the number of which sometimes reaches several tens of thousands of people. Such groups are organized, as a rule, on special festive occasions. For combined choirs, they usually select not very complex, “catchy” and bright ones. artistic image works of a solemn, hymn nature, previously learned by each choir independently.

The successful work of the ensemble is largely ensured by the correct placement of singers during rehearsals and concert performances.

The solution to this issue is confirmed by long-term singing practice. The choir on stage and during rehearsals should be arranged according to choral parts. At the same time, related parts in a mixed choir, as a rule, are combined: high female voices (sopranos) with high male voices (tenors), low female voices (altos) with low male voices (bass). Choirs on stage are most often arranged in a semicircle, providing the best way to concentrate the sound.

Thus, accurate intonation (tuning) and balanced sound (ensemble) in a choir are the main conditions for its professionalism. A well-coordinated choral group is always perceived as a vocal orchestra consisting of human voices, and therefore requires constant and systematic attention from the choirmaster from the moment the choir sings to the concert performance on the stage.

Conclusion

Choir is an extremely capacious concept. It is usually considered as a musical and singing group, whose activities are creative process choral music making (or choral performance). In this context, a choir is a vocal and performing group, united and organized by creative goals and objectives. The principle of collective beginning is mandatory for all choir participants and must be maintained at any stage of the choir’s work.

A choir is a vocal ensemble with a large number of participants, consisting of choral parts. The basic basis of each choral part is unison, which presupposes the complete unity of all vocal-choral components of performance - sound production, intonation, timbre, dynamics, rhythm, diction, in other words, the choir is an ensemble of vocal unisons. Choral performance is expressed in two forms of music making - singing without accompaniment (a cappella) and singing with accompaniment. Depending on the method of intonation - in natural or tempered tuning - the role of intonation increases.

Choral performance organically combines various types of arts - music and literature (poetics). The synthesis of these two types of arts introduces specific features into choral creativity. A logical and meaningful combination of music and words defines the concept vocal-choral genre. Good choir always distinguished by technical and artistic-expressive performance, where, along with the problems of ensemble and structure, the problems of musical and literary interpretation are solved.

None of the properties listed above can exist in isolation. All components are interconnected and in constant harmony.

List of used literature

1. Bogdanova, T.S. Fundamentals of choral studies / T.S. Bogdanov. - M: BSPU, 2009. - 132 p.

2. Kozinskaya, Yu.Yu., Fadeeva M.A. Choral studies and choral arrangement / Yu.Yu. Kozinskaya. M.A. Fadeeva. - Saratov, 2011. - 88 p.

3. Levando, P.P. Choral texture / P.P. Levando. - L: Music, 1984. - 123 p.

4. Pigrov, K.K. Choir leadership / K.K. Pigrov. - Moscow: Music, 1964. - 220 p.

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2. Range and tessitura features of the work

After determining the type and type of choir, it is necessary to find out the range and tessitura features of the choral parts. First of all, the overall range of the choral score is determined. To do this, it is necessary to “measure” the distance between the extreme lower and upper sounds found in a given score. For clarity, you can mark them on the staff as follows:

The concept of range is closely related to the concept of tessitura, the most used part of the range in this work. To evaluate the tessitura, it is necessary to carefully study the use of register capabilities of voices in all parts, throughout the entire composition. Tessitura, depending on the range and register characteristics of a particular part, can be medium, high or low. For example, the registers of a soprano part would look like this.

Example 20

Similarly, taking into account the characteristics of vocal ranges, registers will be distributed in other choral parts.

A tessitura can be called comfortable if the pitch of the choral part corresponds to the free sound of the voice. If, during the performance, the voice sounds for a long time in an uncomfortable register, tensely, the tessitura is considered uncomfortable. It is difficult to sing for a long time in the upper register. In the low register, the technical and dynamic capabilities of the voice are significantly limited. In most cases, significant parts of choral parts are placed in the middle, most convenient for singing, tessitura.

However, the above does not mean that the use of extreme cases is undesirable and incorrect. Very often, it is in this way that the composer achieves the necessary timbre highlighting of a particular part, creating a certain color.

The concept of the type of choir as a specific composition and as a specific composition of choral music. Types of choirs. Characteristics of their vocal, technical and performing capabilities. Examples.

Types of choir. Determining the type of choir and choral score. Definition of the concept of “choral part”. Complete choral parts with appropriate solo singing voices. The quantitative composition of choirs and related performing capabilities. Examples of choral compositions of various types.

Various options for the location of the choir.

Terminology on the topic:

Homogeneous choir– a choir consisting of voices of the same type (male, female or children).

Children's choir- homogeneous. There are junior, middle and senior choirs, generally ranging from 6 to 15 years old.

Incomplete choir– a mixed choir in which there is no part.

Mixed choir– a choir consisting of 4 parts: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass.

The consignment- part of the choir singing with the same voices.

Divisions(divisi) – musical term, denoting in a choir score the division of one part into two or more.

7. Line up in the choir.

Definition of the concept of “musical structure”. The historical aspect of the emergence and modification of various musical systems called musical systems.

Chorus structure is one of the main elements of choral sonority.

Explanation of the concept of “zone system”. Confirmation of the main conclusions of P.G. Chesnokov in scientific research and the works of Academician N.A. Garbuzov on the zone nature of the vocal system.

Melodic (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) structure. Melodic structure as achieving unison in the sound of a choral part through awareness of modal gravity and the laws of zone intonation of steps and intervals. Harmonic structure and its relationship with melodic structure. Intonation of chords. Development of auditory abilities in singers. The active nature of vocal hearing and its relationship with muscle sensations. The relationship between breathing and tuning, vocals and tuning. The dependence of achieving harmony on the musical expressive means of the score, tempo, dynamics, etc. Difficulties in achieving harmony associated with working conditions and other external factors.

Terminology on the topic:

Choir structure– one of the main elements of choral sonority, determining the intonation purity of singing.

Intonation– conscious reproduction of music. sound by voice or instrument. Accurate intonation relies on modal connections.

Fork– a device source of sound that serves as a standard for pitch during tuning musical instruments and in singing. The reference tone frequency for the first octave is 440 Hz.

Ensemble in the choir.

The concept of an ensemble in its various meanings, including structural and organizational. The ensemble as one of the main elements of choral sonority. Psychological basis ensemble. The ensemble is private and general. Technological types of the ensemble: in terms of sound quality (vocal), in strength (dynamic), in time (rhythmic, tempo). Dependence of ensemble and structure. Vocal ensemble as a unity of vocal position, articulatory form and timbre. A dynamic ensemble includes: a natural and artificial ensemble, an ensemble in conditions of different textures, an ensemble of soloist and choir, an ensemble of choir and instrumental accompaniment. Rhythmic ensemble, its dependence on metrhythm, tempo, texture, etc. Tempo ensemble. The artistic ensemble, its influence on the technological ensemble.

Terminology on the topic:

Choir ensemble(ensemble - together) is one of the main components of choral sonority.

Dynamics in music– sound strength, volume and their changes.

Pace– the speed of alternation of metrical beats in music. Tempo is closely related to the character, style, genre, as well as the personality of the performer.

Meter- the order of alternation of strong and weak beats in music.

Metronome- a device for determining the tempo of a piece of music.

Rhythm– temporary organization musical sounds and their combinations.

Syncope– discrepancy between metric and rhythmic stress.

Accompaniment– accompaniment by one or more instruments, as well as an orchestra for a solo part (singer, instrumentalist, choir).

Texture– a warehouse, the structure of the musical fabric, the totality of its elements. And the elements of texture, what it consists of: melody, accompaniment, bass, middle voices and backing voices. The texture can be very diverse: homophonic, harmonic, polyphonic, etc.

In musical practice, there are other concepts that are similar in meaning to the term “arrangement”: transcription, processing, harmonization, orchestration or orchestral edition.

The choral arrangement has distinctive features. Before starting to arrange any work, the arranger must be sure that the work will sound good with the intended performing composition, that the main and essential aspects regarding the artistic merits of the work will remain. Moreover, this requirement applies to the transfer of a vocal or instrumental work into the choral genre. For example, in romances, the poetic text is often given in the first person, and, therefore, is unacceptable for collective performance. We must not forget that the romance genre requires subtle agogic (tempo) and dynamic shades, which in choral performance is achieved with great difficulty.

Arranging is, first of all, a creative process that requires from the arranger mainly talent and instinct in understanding the measure that should not be crossed so as not to distort the author's intention. The main task in this regard is to preserve the main characteristics of the work, such as musical thematic material, modal structure, harmonic language, rhythm, tempo, and literary text. It is known that transposing a work into a different key changes its overall color. At higher levels the work sounds lighter and lighter, but at lower levels it sounds less expressive.

The main requirement for a choral arrangement is to follow the norms of convenient tessitura. Singing voices must be within the working range and working notes. The working range differs from the full range in that it lacks high and low sounds.

Let's look at general and typical arrangement methods. Sometimes the arrangement may be limited to minimal changes to the original. For example, individual melodic turns are transferred to other choral groups so that the melodic line is performed more vividly, expressively and without excessive stress.

It should be said about the peculiarities of the arrangement of some intervallic consonances. The specificity of choral sound is such that all ingervals, in comfortable registers, usually sound good and noble. This also applies to such intervals as fourth, fifth, octave, which seem to sound empty on the piano. In choral timbres, these consonances have a completely different coloring, so they can be freely used in two-voice scores.

Arrangement of two-voice homogeneous choirs

If a homogeneous choir is represented by its usual composition, that is, a female choir - sopranos and altos, a male choir - tenors and basses, then in the arrangement, as a rule, the tonality of the homogeneous choir is preserved.

If a homogeneous choir consists of two high voices (soprano I and II or tenor I and II), then when transcribed to a mixed choir it is necessary to transpose downward by a convenient interval, usually not exceeding a major third. If a homogeneous choir consists of two low voices, then an upward transposition will be required.

In two-voice homogeneous choirs, if they contain elements of three-voice, all three voices are doubled. If divisi into two parts is carried out in the upper voice, then soprano I is doubled by tenors I, soprano II by tenors II, alto-bass. With divisi in the lower voice, the soprano is doubled by tenors, altos I by basses II. There is no need to switch to another key here.

The mixed choir score is formed by doubling all three voices.
The score of a mixed choir is formed by doubling two of the three voices of a homogeneous choir.
The score of a mixed choir is formed by doubling one of the voices of a homogeneous choir.

Method II:

In transcriptions using the second method, the tonality of a homogeneous choir is usually preserved. However, if in a homogeneous choir there is a divisi in the upper voice (soprano or tenor), then a downward transposition will be required, otherwise the altos in a mixed choir will be positioned very high.

III method:

when transposed with women's choir

when arranged from the male choir

The main method of such transcriptions involves changing the arrangement of voices in a homogeneous choir while maintaining the tonality of the work. In choral practice, it has become most widespread, since when used it does not require any restrictions on the ranges of the voices of a homogeneous choir.

This method is most convenient in cases where the voices of a homogeneous choir are closely spaced. In this case, the arrangement for a mixed choir gives an even distribution of voices in the chord and, thus, its full, unified sound.

With a wide or mixed arrangement of voices of a homogeneous choir in an arrangement, unwanted gaps may form between choral parts, worsening the sound quality of the score. To prevent similar gaps, it is necessary (if this is possible according to the conditions of voice guidance and tessitura) to preserve the intervallic relationships that were in the chords of a homogeneous choir, or to rearrange the middle voices in the chord so that there is no break, or to introduce a fifth voice at the place of the break.

When transcribed in this way, the crossing of voices in the chords of a homogeneous choir can also lead to gaps between voices. In such cases, in order to avoid gaps, there is no need to swap the middle voices. It is necessary to maintain the same arrangement that was in the homogeneous choir.

It must be remembered that this method of arrangement is more appropriate for works of a calm, leisurely nature. Expanding the choral range by an octave and changing the position of the voices in this case will not negatively affect the character of the sound.

A different result, just the opposite, can happen if the piece is performed at a fast tempo and is dominated by short durations. In performance, cumbersomeness and heaviness may appear that are alien to the moving tempo. Therefore, for such transcriptions there is no need to take works in which a change in texture will negatively affect artistic merits transcriptions.

There is another way, but in practice it is rare, since it requires limiting the ranges of the two lower parts of a homogeneous choir.

Arrangement of three-voice homogeneous choirs of a homophonic-harmonic nature for four-voice mixed ones

Unlike the previous type of arrangement, where a mixed choir was formed by octave doubling the voices of a homogeneous choir, this type of arrangement involves the creation of a four-voice score in which each voice will have its own independent melodic line. This method can be applied when a three-voice choir or its individual structures are presented in a homophonic-harmonic manner. You should not take choirs with subvocal development for such transcriptions, since the four-voice harmonic texture can distort the characteristic coloring inherent in the subvocal structure.

If a female choir is transcribed, then the lower voice will sound an octave lower, transmitted to the bass; If you make an arrangement for a male choir, then the top one, transferred to the soprano part, rises an octave higher.

The middle voices of a mixed choir (altos and tenors) are formed by observing the norms of voice guidance based on filling the harmony of a four-voice chord with the missing sounds. In this case, the middle voice of a homogeneous choir does not necessarily have to pass unchanged to one of the middle voices of a mixed choir.

Neither the melodic position of the chord, nor its appearance, nor harmonic function. Only the fullness of the harmonic sound and the arrangement of voices in the chord can change. Often in three-voice works the tonic is represented by a sixth chord. In a four-part mixed score, this sixth chord is replaced by the main chord type.

Arrangements of homogeneous choirs with a variable number of voices for mixed choirs

Such arrangements are made based on the combination in various ways, discussed earlier. Single-voice formations, two-voices, as well as two-voices with elements of three-voices will require octave doubling of the voices of a homogeneous choir. In three-voice episodes, two possibilities of arrangement may arise: octave doubling of choral parts or replacement of three-voice chords with a four-voice presentation, in which each of the voices of the mixed choir will have an independent melodic line.

The choice of one method or another will depend on the characteristics of the given construction.

Arrangements of four-voice mixed choirs into four-voice homogeneous ones

A characteristic feature of the arrangement of four-voice mixed choirs for four-voice homogeneous choirs is that from a composition richer in register and timbre-expressive terms, the work is transferred to a choir with more modest means and capabilities. Therefore, not every work written for a mixed choir can be arranged for homogeneous compositions without compromising its artistic content.

The choir is presented in a close arrangement.
The choir is set out in a wide arrangement.
The chorus is presented in a variable arrangement.
The chorus, regardless of its location, is written in a complex, developed form.

In choral literature there are works for mixed choirs with close arrangements from beginning to end. More often these are small constructions in the form of a period. In order to arrange such a mixed choir for a female choir, you need to raise the key by a second or third and transfer the voices according to the following scheme:

Changing gears this way sometimes changes the inversion of the chord. When arranging works written for a mixed choir of the named type for a male choir, the key of the work usually needs to be lowered by a fifth-sext (for a professional male choir), and for an amateur choir up to an octave inclusive.

Such compositions are rarely found in choral literature. Just like works with a constant close arrangement, choirs with a constant wide arrangement of voices are usually presented in the form of choral miniatures. Their arrangement for a homogeneous composition is made by turning a wide arrangement into a close one without changing the key.

The exception is the arrangement for a professional male choir, for which the tonality of the work may be slightly increased. The tonality of the amateur depends on the upper sound of the soprano part. It should not be higher than “F” of the first octave.

Works for mixed choirs with alternating voices are most often found in choral literature. When arranging this kind of score for homogeneous compositions, the question arises about the choice of tonality for the male and female choir.

The fact is that in works that include both wide and close arrangement and are thus no longer choral miniatures, but works of more large shape, the entire range of the choir can be used, including the extreme registers of the choir or its individual parts, which most often turn out to be impossible to change either upward or downward.

From this it follows that it is preferable to preserve the tonality of the original. However, the preserved tonality constantly leads to a discrepancy between the registers of one choir composition and another. Therefore, when arranging a mixed choir with a variable arrangement of voices for homogeneous compositions in the latter, it is often necessary to reduce the number of voices in the chords, reducing them to three-voice, two-voice, and sometimes to one-voice, making sure only that the filling chord sounds are not located above the upper voice and would not form arbitrary quartersex chords.

It is necessary to especially carefully monitor the smoothness of voice leading, the observance of which is associated with additional difficulties arising from the constant change of close and wide arrangement in the original, each of which requires a restructuring of the arrangement of voices within homogeneous choirs. We constantly have to deviate from the author's voice guidance, then return to it again.

If a work for a mixed choir has the character of a detailed, large-scale canvas, it is usually not possible to arrange such a work for both female and male compositions due to the discrepancy between the capabilities of the specified performing compositions.

Arrangements of four-voice mixed choirs for three-part homogeneous choirs

Such translations are carried out as follows. The melodic line of the upper voice of a mixed choir is completely preserved and transferred to the upper voice of a homogeneous choir. Only the octave of its sound can change if it is an arrangement for a male choir. The other two voices in a homogeneous choir are formed on the basis of the harmonic sound of the three remaining voices of the mixed choir, taking into account their new arrangement in the chord.

You cannot set yourself the task of accurately transferring any of the three lower voices of a mixed choir into the score of a homogeneous choir. The desire to keep these voices intact can lead to inferior sounding of chords in a homogeneous choir. In a three-voice score, it is not necessary to preserve the appearance of the chord in comparison with its four-voice presentation. More important in this case is correct location voices in a chord. Cadance turns in the three-voice version allow for a more free approach in terms of arrangement. For example, the final tonic and the dominant preceding it can be represented by their inversions: a tonic sixth chord and a dominant second chord (incomplete). Replacing four-voice chords with three-voice ones, when the fullness of the harmonic sound is lost to some extent, it is therefore desirable to preserve in these chords the leading tone, seventh, none, altered tones, on which the color of the harmony, its specific flavor directly depends.

One of the most important tasks when translating this type is right choice the interval between the melodic line and the newly formed lower voice. This interval should, as accurately as possible, reproduce the harmonic coloring of the corresponding four-voice chord. For example, a dominant seventh chord (in the third position) with a resolution to a tonic triad, when replaced by a two-part chord, an increased fourth with a resolution to a tonic sixth will sound best:

It should be noted that when replacing the dominant seventh chord and its inversions with a two-voice sound, it is desirable to preserve the most characteristic sound of this chord - the seventh.

The choice of the required interval when transcribed into a two-voice choir largely depends on the melodic position in which the four-voice chord of a mixed choir is located. For example, if there is a dominant second chord in the melodic position of the leading tone, it is best to replace that chord with an augmented fourth:

If you take a dominant second chord in the position of a fifth or root tone, then instead of an augmented fourth, a major sixth (1) or a major second (2) will sound:

When arranging four-voice mixed choirs for two-voice homogeneous ones, the harmonic coloring of triads and their inversions is best conveyed by full-voiced intervals: thirds, sixths, and less often decimes. When replacing the seventh chords of the dominant group with a two-voice sound, the major second, minor seventh, tritones, and less often the sixth and third are widely used.

Empty-sounding intervals (fourth and fifth) in works harmonic structure Best used on the weak beats of a bar. On a strong beat in the middle of musical constructions, the fourth is more often used in the form of detention. In the final turns, the fourth and fifth are used in their immediate sound. The fourth usually reproduces the harmony of the cadence quartet-sex chord, and the fifth – the cadence dominant, resolved into the final tonic.

Fourths and fifths in combination with other intervals are used in a variety of ways in two-voice performances of Russian folk songs. Here the scope of their use expands significantly. The characteristic coloring of these intervals gives the sound that special, unique flavor that is inherent in the subvocal structure of Russian folk music.

For more than a quarter of a century, the Russian musical group “Turetsky Choir” has been on the crest of success and delights music lovers. Ten soloists, led by National artist RF, have found their way to the hearts of millions of fans not only with their impeccable performance and talent, but also with the fact that the group has no repertoire restrictions. The vocal group's arsenal includes world classic hits, rock compositions, jazz and folk songs.

The abandonment of soundtracks and “live” voices make each performance unique. The repertoire of the “Turetsky Choir” includes songs performed in 10 languages. More than 5 thousand appearances on stages in Russia, post-Soviet countries, Europe, Asia and America have made the group world famous.

Music

The group's debut took place in 1990, but the origins of creativity are deeper. The art group was formed towards the end of the 1980s at the choral synagogue in Moscow. At first, the repertoire included Jewish compositions and liturgical music. After a couple of years, the band’s ambitions grew, and the soloists expanded their genre repertoire with popular songs and music from different countries and eras, opera and rock compositions.

According to Mikhail Turetsky, who headed the group, to expand the circle of listeners, music from the last 4 centuries was included in the repertoire - from chanson to pop hits of the Soviet stage.

The debut concerts of the “Turetsky Choir” took place with the support of the Jewish charitable organization"Joint" and took place in Tallinn, Chisinau, Moscow, Leningrad and Kyiv. Interest in Jewish musical tradition, which froze after 1917, flared up with renewed vigor.

In 1991-92, the Turetsky Choir went on tour in Canada, France, Great Britain, America and Israel. In Toledo, Spain, the ensemble took part in a festival organized for the 500th anniversary of the Jewish exile, and took the stage with world stars Isaac Stern and.

In the mid-1990s, the Turetsky Choir split: one half remained in the Russian capital, the second moved to Miami, where the musicians worked under contract. The repertoire of the second half expanded with Broadway classics and jazz hits.

In 1997, vocalists under the leadership of Turetsky joined a farewell tour across the country and, together with the singer, gave over 100 concerts.

In 1999, the “Turetsky Choir” presented to the audience a repertoire performance called “Mikhail Turetsky’s Vocal Show.” The premiere took place on the stage of the Variety Theatre.

In 2002, Mikhail Turetsky received the title of “Honored Artist of the Russian Federation”, and 2 years later the choir gave its first concert in the Rossiya Concert Hall. In the same 2004 National Award“Person of the Year,” the group’s program, entitled “Ten Voices that Shook the World,” was nominated as “Cultural Event of the Year.”

At the beginning of 2005, the Turetsky Choir went on a tour of America and gave concerts on the stages of concert halls in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago. In the same and next year, the vocalists visited hundreds of cities in Russia and the CIS with new program, called “Born to Sing.”

In 2007, the “Turetsky Choir” became the winner of the “Record-2007” award, which was awarded to the ensemble for the album “ Great music" The collection includes classical compositions.

In 2010-2011, the musicians went on the anniversary tour “20 years: 10 voices”, and in 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of the band’s leader, a concert was held in the Kremlin Palace, in which, in addition to the choir, stars of Russian show business took part. In the same year, the ensemble presented fans with the song “The Smile of God Rainbow,” for which a video was recorded.

In the spring of 2014, Turetsky’s team presented music lovers with a show program staged by a choreographer. It was called "A Man's View of Love." To see the performance live, 19 thousand spectators gathered at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex stadium, watching what was happening on stage from interactive screens.

On Victory Day, the musicians gave Poklonnaya Hill 2-hour concert, attracting 150 thousand people. In April 2016, at the Kremlin Palace, the Turetsky Choir presented fans with an unforgettable show in honor of the 25th anniversary of the group, calling it “With you and forever.”

Compound

Over time, the composition of the art group changed, but the leader, Mikhail Turetsky, remained unchanged. He made his way to becoming the leader of the renowned team after graduating from the Institute named after him in the mid-1980s. Gnesins. Mikhail’s first charges were children – Turetsky led a choir of young vocalists. Then he headed the choral group of the Yuri Sherling Theater.

In 1990, Mikhail Turetsky organized a men's choir in the capital's choral synagogue, which transformed into a renowned group.

One of the oldest and at the same time youngest soloists of the art group, Alex Alexandrov, joined the choir in 1990. The Muscovite graduated from Gnesinka in the mid-1990s. Alexandrov became famous for copying voices and. The vocalist has a rich, dramatic baritone voice.

In 1991, the poet and bass profundo Evgeniy Kulmis, who previously led the children's choir, joined Turetsky's brainchild. Evgeniy was born near Chelyabinsk, began his career as a pianist and also went from Gnesinka to working in the Turetsky Choir. Kulmis is the author of lyrics and Russian translations of some songs.

In 1991-92, two more Muscovites joined the team: dramatic tenor Evgeny Tulinov and altino tenor Mikhail Kuznetsov. Tulinov and Kuznetsov are Honored Artists of the Russian Federation since 2006 and 2007, respectively. Both are Gnesinka graduates.

In the mid-1990s he joined the ensemble lyric tenor from Minsk Oleg Blyakhorchuk, who plays piano, accordion, melodica, electro and acoustic guitars. He came to the team from Mikhail Finberg's orchestra, where he was a soloist.

In 2003, the Turetsky Choir accepted two more capital residents into its composition: Boris Goryachev, who had previously performed Russian sacred music, and has a lyrical baritone, and Igor Zverev (bass cantanto).

In 2007 and 2009, the art group was enriched by baritone tenor Konstantin Kabo and countertenor Vyacheslav Fresh. Both are native Muscovites.

Of those who left the ensemble, music lovers remember Boris Voinov, who worked in the Turetsky Choir from its formation to 1993, tenor Vladislav Vasilkovsky (immigrated to the USA in 1996) and opera tenor Valentin Sukhodolets (left in 2009). From 1991 to 1999, tenor Mark Smirnov and bass Vladimir Aranzon sang in the Turetsky Choir.

"Turetsky Choir" now

In 2017, the art group presented fans with the lyrical song “With You and Forever,” for which director Olesya Aleinikova shot a video. The video was a leader at the VII awards of the RU.TV channel. The ceremony took place in the capital's Crocus City Hall.

At the annual music award RU.TV presented for the first time a nomination for the best video filmed in Crimea. VladiMir and the Turetsky Choir fought for victory.

In October 2017, Mikhail Turetsky’s team made another surprise for music lovers by presenting the song and video “You Know.” The actress starred in the video.

On the page of the “Turetsky Choir” in "Instagram" and on the official website fans of the group will learn about the news in creative life team. In February 2018, the ensemble gave a concert in the Kremlin.

Discography

1999 – “High Holidays (Jewish liturgy)”
2000 – “Jewish Songs”
2001 – “Bravissimo”
2003 - “Turetsky Choir presents...”
2004 – “Star Duets”
2004 – “When Men Sing”
2006 – “Born to Sing”
2006 – “Great Music”
2007 – “Moscow - Jerusalem”
2007 – “Music of all times and peoples”
2009 – “Hallelujah of Love”
2009 – “Music of all times”
2010 – “Music of our hearts”
2010 – “The show goes on”

Secondary mixed choir. Choir group. Choir structure. Quantitative and qualitative composition. Artistic director and chief regent

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Compound

"Turetsky Choir" now

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