Maestro's Notes for Alto

BACH

Mvt I   

Bar 101    The tempo relationship between the 3/8 and the 4/4: the 8th note of the two sections is almost equal. The hemiola grouping of the 3/8 sets the quarter-note pulse of the 4/4.

Bar 124    “pax”: avoid “pox” like …well the pox! The “a” must be open and forward. Pitch problems are resulting from a closed “o” sound on “hom-    “ like the sound of “rote.”  Keep the “o” open and forward, should more like Standard English “jaw”. This is true of the first vowel of “bonae” and “voluntatis” as well!

Bar 130    Modify “ho-mi-ni-“ to “ho-me-ni-“ (like “-meh_”), same in 153, 156.

Bar 135    Look closely at the rhythm here, there is a tendency to misread the 3rd beat.

Bar 159    “-mi-ni-bus” should be modified to “-me-ne-bas”

Last bar     Keep the A high, it tends to be flat. Same at last note of Mvt. III

Mvt III

Bar 5        If you are not already doing it, “-ci-“ becomes “-ce-“ (“cheh”), also the “o” is open and forward like “jaw”, NOT like “oh”.

Bar 10        Place accents on “sae-cu”

Bar 29        add a cresc mark, as a reminder

Bar 46        “nunc” becomes “nanc”, also at 59, 107

Bar 74        The last note each time is late. The < > should be more sharply defined.