Welcome

How can you accelerate the speed, accuracy, and quality of learning songs for performance situations?

On this blog I share my 'learning adventures' as I continue to improve my performance as a singer.

I share web resources I find helpful, and reflect on my experience using various technologies and ideas.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

iiii MUSIC !!!!: NEW iiii Records release! SPOILERS OF UTOPIA

iiii MUSIC !!!!: NEW iiii Records release! SPOILERS OF UTOPIA: iiii Records presents  iiii XV Bandleader / composer John Bell (Dominion Centenary Concert Band, Ruckus, Circling Sun, Dodeca...

Enjoying my first play-through of 'The Spoilers' first published album. Quirky. Anarchic. Fun. Great for a lazy Sunday afternoon ... as I wait in anticipation of tonight's 'damaging storm'....

Crowd-Funding works! I even get a 'Thanks To' credit on the CD album notes ... presumably for my PledgeMe contribution and video upload to YouTube from Auckland Museum where they performed Anzac Day 2012.


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Auckland Lieder Group Inc Programme 2013

Richard Wagner
Cover of Richard Wagner
Auckland Lieder Group promotes performance, education and interest in fine art song including German lieder and French Mélodie. Our focus is on exploration, experimentation, and constructive feedback.

Concerts are held in pleasant private homes around the greater Auckland region, typically on the fourth Sunday of each month. Concert locations are advised by email and monthly newsletter.

Each month’s programme organiser establishes a theme and invites members to present songs elaborating the theme. Liberal and licentious interpretation of the theme is welcome subject to negotiation with the programme organizer. Performance is generally restricted to members.

Here are the dates and themes for 2013. If you wish to attend a concert, or perform songs please contact the theme organiser designated for each concert.

Download a .pdf copy of the Programme 2013 and Membership Application here.

Feb 24    Pandora’s Box   
Karen STANILAND 09 810 9516

Mar 24    Wagner and the Post-Romantics   
Dianne HARVEY 09 813 6929

Apr 28    Agony and Delight   
Laurel BARRINGTON 09 828 8637

May 26    Clothes Maketh the Wo(man)   
Fay McNEIL 09 845 5446

Jun 23    Americana   
Beth COLEMAN 09 818 7770

Jul 28    What’s in a Name?   
Valerie MUIR 09 520 1981

Aug 25    Poulenc et ses Amis   
Peter MELLALIEU 09 818 7770

Sep 22    Dreams   
Bryony JAGGER 09 630 7183

Oct 20    A Benjamin Britten Celebration   
Geoffrey HINDS 09 630 3267

Nov 24    The Five Senses   
William GREEN 021 298 7283

Concerts normally commence at 7:15 pm for 7:30 pm start. Guests are especially welcome. A door charge to cover supper costs of $5 is charged guests. To assist in catering and seating arrangements, please advise the evening’s organiser of your intention to perform or attend.

Officers of the Auckland Lieder Group Inc, 2013


Patron: Richard PHILLIPS   09-418 3691

President: Geoffrey HINDS     09-630 3267
Treasurer: vacant
Secretary: Valerie MUIR     09-520 1981
Vice-President: Karen STANILAND     09-810 9516

William GREEN     021-298 7283
Dianne HARVEY    09-813 6929
Bryony JAGGER     09-630 7183
Peter MELLALIEU    09-818 7770
Claire & John GEDDES     09-817 6668

Contact

General inquiries in the first
instance should be addressed to:

The Secretary, ℅ Valerie Muir
3 Otahuri Crescent
Remuera, Auckland 1050
Phone: 09-520 1981

Email and web inquiries:
William GREEN: wegreenpiano@hotmail.com

Programme 2013 download

Download a .pdf copy of the Programme 2013 and Membership Application here.
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Monday, November 26, 2012

Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen sung by Peter Mellalieu

Franz Schubert
Cover of Franz Schubert
Mellalieu, P., & Harvey, D. (2012). Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen http://pogus.tumblr.com/post/36534716250/auf-dem-wasser-zu-singen-sung-by-peter

Sung by Peter Mellalieu. Pianist Dianne Harvey.

Composed by  Franz Schubert in 1823. Based on the poem of the same name by Friedrich Leopold zu Stolberg-Stolberg.

Performed at Auckland Lieder Group, November 25, 2012.

Franz Schubert Lithograph

Auf dem Wasser zu singen: German Text, English Translation and Interpretation by Tomoko Yamamoto. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from http://www.tomoko-yamamoto.com/multimedia/schubert/Auf_dem_Wasser_zu_singen.html

Schafer, M. (2002). Illuminating Text: A Macro Analysis of Franz Schubert’s “Auf dem Wasser zu singen”. Musical Insights: The Journal of the Macro Analysis Creative Research Organization, 2, 97–104. Retrieved from http://www.macromusic.org/journal/volume2/13MusicalInsights.pdf
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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Les eaux du printemps (Spring waters)




Весенние воды, Vesenniye vody, Spring waters, Les eaux du printemps.

This is my first attempt at performing this song in a small lieder concert held in a private residence.

My accompanist was not quite ready for the task, so I created a 'karaoke' backing track by transposing down a few semitones the fabulous Earl WILD piano arrangement of Sergei Rachmaninov's 'Spring waters', performed by Iain FARRINGTON.

The piano version, somewhat longer, is available from iTunes, along with many other fabulous performances by Iain Farrington:

http://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/spring-waters-op.-14-no.-11/id413771279?i=41...

I sang the song in French ... eventually I will attempt a Russian version, helped by the excellent diction coaching from here:
Russian diction - Rachmaninoff songs - Episode 25. (2010, December 3). The Diction Police. Retrieved September 4, 2011, from http://www.thedictionpolice.com/2010/12/03/episode-25/

The images are from a climb I made near Pendle Hill, Lancashire, England, in late Autumn, 2011. Probably not the deep snows of a Russian Spring, but the closest I have been to snowy conditions in recent years!

The poem is a French translation of the Russian by Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev (1803-1873).

Spring Water (Vesennije vody) (Tyutchev, set by M. Antsev, Begicheva, N. Cherepnin, A. Gretchaninov, S. Rachmaninov, V. Rebikov, N. Sokolov, V. Zolotarev) (The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music). (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2011, from http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=16011

For my favourite stunning performance of this song by Anastasia Prokofieva, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8242ZtByII&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I also turned the living room in which I performed into a small hall, thanks to Garageband.

Français : Portrait de Sergueï Vassilievitch R...Français : Portrait de Sergueï Vassilievitch Rachmaninov (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Monday, December 19, 2011

I bought me a cat - Aaron COPLAND


Peter Mellalieu sings 'I bought me a cat' arranged by Aaron COPLAND.

Recorded handheld on my new Canon EOS 600D camera, with Canon EFS 18 - 200 mm Image stabilizer lens. Using built in microphone.

I am impressed that the sound quality recorded by the camera's inbuilt mono microphone has done an impressive job coping with the dynamics of the singing and piano. The camera was located a bit too close to the piano, I suspect. i.e. distance from camera to singer: 4 m. Distance from camera to piano 3 m. (approx +/- 0.5 m)

Next concert, I will attempt to record using the external mike input, using my Zoom H4n digital recorder.

Postproduction: iMovie, using original 1080p video from the camera.
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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Child, if I were king' (Enfant, si j'etais roi) by Liszt


Peter Mellalieu sings 'Child, if I were king' (Enfant, si j'etais roi) by Liszt.

Recorded handheld on my new Canon EOS 600D camera, with Canon EFS 18 - 200 mm Image stabilizer lens. Using built in microphone.

I am impressed that the sound quality recorded by the camera's inbuilt mono microphone has done an impressive job coping with the dynamics of the singing and piano. The camera was located a bit too close to the piano, I suspect. i.e. distance from camera to singer: 4 m. Distance from camera to piano 3 m. (approx +/- 0.5 m)

Next concert, I will attempt to record using the external mike input, using my Zoom H4n digital recorder.

Postproduction: iMovie, using original 1080p video from the camera.

Note: this was recorded at an end-of-year concert for a music class. This was the first time the pianist and singer had performed the piece together.
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