The Humming Chorus is a song performed in Madame Butterfly, an opera based on a story in Madame Chrysantheme, a french novel written in 1887. The opera tells a story of a young Japanese girl and an American man and their marriage. The opera is set in Nagasaki in 1904. After receiving poor reviews, Puccini revised the play, splitting it into three acts instead of two. The Humming Chorus became a bridge between the second and third act.
There are many versions of this song, but this is one of my favorites. I really enjoy this version of the song as you can hear the individual voices, but they are very good at creating a cohesive and interesting piece. It's think that it is hard to bring the power in the high notes while humming, but they do it very well. The high notes, which are softer, still seem really in control. I believe one of the best parts about this version is their rhythm. There are parts that are a bit behind, but they get back onto the rhythm collectively very fast after they lose it. Breathing is also very important in this song, and the singers time their breathing very well. The singers breathe at different times, which creates a smoother sound. There are no unintentional breaks in the singing, so none of the pauses are awkward.
I'm looking forward to performing it during the choir concert because it is so pretty and calming, but also really interesting.
Here's the link to the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHF1-8TcEk
They did do a really good job. At the end, when they returned from the highest part to the lower one again, they became softer and tenderer; very well done. It's really amazing that they can hum that well. We would be doing well to approach their level of volume, since currently we can get just about that loud on solfege.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did notice that on some of the high notes, they became a little shrill/nasally; some of this can be attributed to some defect in the recording, no doubt, but it's still something we should try to avoid if we can. I'm guessing it can be solved by opening the back of the throat; most musical problems seem to be.
Using a song as a bridge between two acts is most ingenious, clever--although as I am a very imperfect opera-goer, perhaps it is done more commonly than I thought. The Humming Chorus is certainly an excellent song to use for this purpose: words or even a steady 'aaaaah' would have been rather distracting; furthermore, the quietness of the hum is perfect for depicting the long, silent hours spent waiting for daybreak, which is what happens between Acts 2 and 3.
I agree, this song will be really fun to sing at the concert! I also didn't know that this song had so much history behind it; all I knew is that we were humming. What I find really interesting about this song is that it is hummed, yet it is still an opera. When you think about an opera, you imagine loud voices belting out high notes, but this seems quite different from that stereotypical view of opera. I think that since we are singing all these operas, it reminds us of how opera cannot be defined by just one view, and it actually includes a big variety of music.
ReplyDeleteI am really excited to sing this song at the concert, and I think it’s my favorite one! Even though it can get strenuous and tiring learning these songs in rehearsals, when we put them together, and when you listen to them back, it is a pleasant reminder that all the hard work we put in paid off. One of the things that is difficult about this song is getting the right tone without sounding too nasally, and making sure everything blends together well.
This song is also very beautiful; I love how the harmonies fit together so nicely, and how there isn’t any dissonance. One of the aspects I really like that adds to the beauty of the song is the staccato notes created by the plucking of the violin strings, and the very light tone to the orchestration behind the song.
Here’s a version that I enjoyed listening to ! : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rV0y4syKvQ
I am very happy that someone found a performance of The Humming Chorus done as a choir instead or an opera; although an opera would be very interesting as well it is more helpful to see it done as a choir. Overall, I thought this choir did a beautiful job. The way the video is filmed is a little distracting, but it does not take away from their voices.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I applaud this choir for is the distinct difference between the first and second soprano parts. I may be a little biased because I know the soprano parts better than the alto, tenor, or bass parts, but I could clearly here my part and the other harmonies along with it. Another thing I applaud the choir for is their volume control on the high notes. Although it can be difficult to hit high notes without projecting sometimes, the choir remained in control of the volume at all times.
Although I really enjoyed the overall performance of the choir, I found a few glaring note transitions that stood out. At around 1:28 is the video; the choir seemed to have a rough transition into the high notes. Shortly after they found the note but they were not confident going into it. Similarly, around 2:25 to 2:35, during the last few notes, each step seemed a little off key at first. It sounded like some of the choir was sliding around trying to find their note instead of hitting it with confidence.
However, the few flaws did not take away from the solid performance of this choir.