The start of the academic year often means starting your song selections for a junior or senior recital. This is a daunting task, especially for students new to recital programming. But it can also be daunting for professionals—teachers planning faculty recitals, choir directors planning their choral season, or working singers performing concert gigs in addition to their roles in staged works. Even with faculty guidance, preparing an excellent, interesting recital that still meets the academic requirements of era, language, and appropriateness for voice type can be difficult.
I spoke with Rick Hoffenberg—director of choral activities, associate professor, and coordinator of vocal and keyboard studies at Marywood University as well as company scheduler and coach/accompanist at Chautauqua Opera—to glean his insights on the importance of developing good programming at all levels. To Hoffenberg, some methods of programming are outdated, such as the chronological recital and theme programming, which is where we began our conversation.
Why do you find theme programming to be unfulfilling for artists and audiences?
Programming a concert around a theme can give a performer a sense of comfort, from two standpoints. First, it is a way of narrowing the choice of repertoire. Starting from a clean slate when embarking on the process of programming a concert can be tremendously intimidating. The number of repertoire choices is astronomical, and it can be very difficult to know how to begin choosing music for a concert. If a performer or programmer decides on a theme, the choices immediately get winnowed down to a more manageable size.
In addition, programming around a theme can give a performer the self-assurance that no matter which pieces are chosen, the final program will seem logical and cohesive. Having a sort of connective tissue throughout a program makes the creator of a program believe that this obvious planning strategy will translate into the perception of a well-crafted and thoughtfully designed program.
The problem, of course, is that these sources of comfort are specious. Choosing a program from among all possible compositions in a given genre may be intimidating, but why should we eliminate from consideration every piece of music that doesn’t fit a particular theme? Ultimately, allowing oneself to consider every piece of music will allow for the creation of the best possible program.
Themed concerts may seem cohesive but, more often than not, thematic programming is a substitute for truly well-crafted programming. Programming around a theme typically involves choosing a theme, brainstorming for all pieces that involve that theme, and then selecting an assortment from that list. Ultimately, this results in a program of pieces that do not relate to each other in any substantive musical way; they simply relate in some way to a certain common theme. Music tends to be chosen less for its compositional quality than for its connection to the chosen theme.
Effective programming must always consider a concert from the standpoint of an audience member. I have yet to meet an audience member whose satisfaction with a concert stems from its allegiance to a particular theme. Audience members typically want to hear the best possible selection of music, regardless of whether the pieces all relate to a common theme or not. The question of what constitutes the best music for a concert is where the subjective evaluation of a performer comes into play. Performers must consider the music’s appeal to the expected audience, the likelihood that the music will flatter the performer’s strengths, and the educational value to the performer of learning the music. These attributes are in addition, of course, to the perceived quality of the music.
How can a singer, choral director, or music teacher construct an excellent program?
I believe that most effective programs contain a centerpiece of some kind. A piece’s status as the centerpiece could relate to its length, its difficulty, the musical forces involved, its gravitas, its importance in the context of the program, or some combination of these factors. Centerpieces are often slightly beyond the comfort level of the soloist or ensemble, so they might also be considered stretch pieces, in that they force a performer to reach beyond the expected level of difficulty. In addition to acting as the cornerstone of a good program, centerpieces can have great educational value by forcing achievement of something beyond what is typical for the soloist or ensemble.
Once a centerpiece is chosen, the rest of the program tends to fall into place. A good program should have a contour from beginning to end, so that the pacing and flow of the program maintains an audience member’s attention. Formulaic rules—such as putting all serious music in the first half and all lighter music in the second half, or programming in strict chronological order—fail the test of considering the program from an audience member’s perspective. Like a good movie, book, or other lengthy endeavor, a concert program must have a logical progression with ebbs and flows. Too much similar music grouped together will try the patience of all but the most dedicated concertgoers. Just as a good movie or book has a dramatic shape, ultimately leading to a climax and a denouement, a good concert program will have a carefully wrought contour.
Programming around a theme can also work well, if done carefully. First, a theme must be broad enough that it does not restrict repertoire choices to a tiny fraction of available repertoire. Performers often solicit the advice of friends and colleagues to find a certain piece or pieces that fit some narrow theme. When a piece is found, it gets thrown into the program, whether or not it’s optimal for the performer and the concert. Second, a theme must allow for great musical variety. Themes that limit a concert to a particular historical period or nationality can result in concerts that seem too monotonous to a musical layperson. The last thing any performer wants to do is intimidate audience members who lack advanced musical training.
An example of a themed concert that fits both of these criteria was a performance of choral settings of Shakespearean texts that the Marywood Chamber Singers took on tour in spring 2011. This theme is hardly unprecedented or groundbreaking, but it served its function well, and audiences seemed to enjoy the program. Using the criteria described above, this theme was broad enough that it allowed for a huge choice of repertoire. Pieces fitting this theme could have filled 10 concerts, so the final program was comprised only of particularly interesting and appealing repertoire that was well-suited to the ensemble. The theme also allowed a very wide array of musical styles, from Renaissance to contemporary, including vocal jazz.
What is the most important element of good programming?
In addition to the characteristics already mentioned, music on a well-constructed program must flatter the performer as well as both challenge and appease the audience. Appeasing the audience is an obvious goal, but challenging an audience is equally important. Audiences come away from a sophisticated, well-planned program feeling that they have learned something or experienced something new and different. Presenting a truly excellent piece by an unknown composer or music by a composer considered too adventurous for a nonacademic audience can reap dividends if done wisely. Regardless of the genre, any piece has to be well-communicated. For vocal music, this means finding the proper expression through the text and conveying it as effectively as possible. Most audience members are more open-minded than performers think, but music must be presented with conviction if it is to be warmly received and appreciated.
What can a young singer or student do to create excellence in their recital programs?
This sounds painfully obvious, but it is critical to attend as many concerts as possible, and not just concerts in one’s own genre! Singers can learn a tremendous amount from the way chamber music and orchestral concerts are programmed, for example. It’s also important to remember that we don’t just learn from seeing effectively programmed concerts—we also learn from other people’s programming mistakes!
What can teachers and professors do to ensure that their students have well-rounded and appropriate programs?
It’s important that teachers/professors guide their students through the process of programming, just as they might ask for an outline and a rough draft before finally seeing the final version of a major paper. The instructor might start by asking the student what characteristics he or she is seeking in the music on the program, and then help in choosing a few pieces that could form the basis for a concert program. Starting with each of these pieces, the instructor and student can then explore several possible programs to see which path leads to the most satisfying and effective final version.
What may or may not need to be changed or updated in curriculum to reflect better programming and appropriate choices for the artist performing?
Teaching students how to program a concert starts with including this in the curriculum! Every music major should be required to take a class that includes concert programming in its syllabus, but this is often not the case. Music courses tend to focus on the musician’s craft, to the exclusion of practical skills that will be required after graduation. This applies not only to concert programming, but many other real-world skills as well!
