Consistency between choir materials

[Hector Pascal]

Hi all,

I have a score for unaccompanied choir. It is laid out with a staff for each voice part (SATB), and each voice part uses divided staves where required.

I would like to make a separate "choir/rehearsal piano" score, for use only by the pianist. Would it be ok for the choir/rehearsal piano score to use condensing in lieu of dividing staves, so as to allow more room for the presence of the keyboard staves and for less page turns for the rehearsal pianist? Maybe it is preferable to keep the choir staff layouts identical between the choir score and the choir/rehearsal piano score?
HP.

[LSL2026]

It would be really helpful to see the score in question…

I take it since you ask if it would be ok to condense instead of dividing staves, that divided staves more than one staff for any given voice part?

Like maybe it starts of 4 staves with S A T B, then maybe later it's 6 staves of S S A A T B is that what you mean?

I mean, if it's "condensable", by all means. I think a lot of people separate vocal parts onto separate staves for no good reasons - it's commonplace to have "divisi" parts on a single staff. Even 3 notes if the rhythms are not so complex it requires additional staves.

But without seeing the complexity of the music it's hard to say how "condensable" it is.

But yeah, I mean if I could get it to a total of 6 staves - S A T B, and then the grand staff for Piano, that would be ideal. And there doesn't need to be a separate rehearsal score - the choir simply reads off the score that has the rehearsal piano at the bottom - they'll ignore it

[benwiggy]

I have a score for unaccompanied choir.

How big is the work? How many pages?

The main issue is: will any 'information' be lost to the pianist in this reduced score, which might cause an issue in rehearsal?

A separate score is extra work to 'maintain' for the publisher; and the choir librarian will have to ensure that the one special copy is available (whereas otherwise, the pianist can just use anyone's copy.)

Most decent pianists could play some kind of accompaniment from the vocal parts alone, of course.

[Magnus Johansson]

Hi all,

I have a score for unaccompanied choir. It is laid out with a staff for each voice part (SATB), and each voice part uses divided staves where required.

I would like to make a separate "choir/rehearsal piano" score, for use only by the pianist. Would it be ok for the choir/rehearsal piano score to use condensing in lieu of dividing staves, so as to allow more room for the presence of the keyboard staves and for less page turns for the rehearsal pianist? [...]

Hello! Yes, of course, if it gives the pianist a good overview of the piece and provides him or her with needed information.

[Vogel]

I've never heard of a separate piano score for a choral piece. It seems unnecessary to me. If the pianist requested it, I might do it as special a accommodation, but I wouldn't publish it.

Regarding condensing, yes, I think it's acceptable. Just use your own discretion about where it is useful vs. where it is confusing.

[Hector Pascal]

Thank you everyone. Sorry for not being at liberty to post the score. All your perspectives helped me consolidate my thoughts. As surmised by Vogel, the stand-alone choir/rehearsal keyboard score is a special request from a pianist. I think I'll adopt the following plan: use my completed 30 page unaccompanied choir score as the main score (for premiere), and as a one-off, accommodate the rehearsal pianist's special request for a separate choir/rehearsal keyboard score. If the choir/rehearsal keyboard score turns out well, I might consider making that the main score, given that Gould (p.471) recommends having rehearsal keyboard staves in unaccompanied choral /vocal music "wherever possible".
With appreciation,
HP.

[benwiggy]

There's a discussion on the Dorico boards about using Cues to make an automatic reduction that will update with any changes (though obviously you can't adjust the reduction in any way.)

[OCTO]

Working with Swedish Radio Choir, their pianists reads from the full score. Witnessed rehearsals of Ligeti, Lindholm and other "heavy stuff," the pianist picks in real time whatever line is needed.

[Schonbergian]

Generally, I find:
- that most choir materials with a printed keyboard reduction are easy enough (block chords) as to not need one at all.
- that, in many cases, the parts have been literally condensed without any human input, creating something that is unplayable at worst and unidiomatic at best.

Reductions are mainly useful if there are many staves, if the harmonic language is very unusual, or if the voices cross each other frequently. But a reduction should always be done by a human and should be straightforwardly playable without presenting surprises, or it is not useful in its intended role. (Bärenreiter is one of the worst offenders in this.)