From Distance: It’s Only Rehearsal

Four point play…

1. There is an old opera adage that states “you only get so many high Cs. Don’t waste them in the practice room.” As with any extraordinary physical feat, it is prudent to practice the difficult task and save the body from overuse.

In staging rehearsals, singers usually “mark” in order to save the voice. People mark in different ways. Some sing the octave down. Some sing out all the notes except for the very difficult high notes. Rarely, there are even some who sing out only the difficult passages.

Everyone understands that a staging rehearsal is more about the dramatic action than it is about the actual singing. It isn’t with orchestra. The room is often small. There is no need to waste a golden note when the stage director is liable to stop everyone at any moment to correct a scene.

Regardless, marking still annoys almost every conductor and stage director. Yes, they realize it is likely in the best interests of everyone involved that the singer is fresh for the premiere, but they still often feel as though they aren’t working with the real material. It is a rare singer who can truly mark the voice without marking the musicality and the drama. We are only one instrument after all. They get annoyed when the marking affects the dramatic and/or musical phrase.

More problematic for the singer herself is the overall time spent marking versus singing with the performance quality voice. If one spends too much time marking in rehearsal, it can adversely affect the technical prowess of the singer. Repetition is how one changes a technical skill. Those negative reps in the name of energy saving can ultimately end up saving the singer from being good.

Build good defensive habits in the regular season, or wasting energy?

Really, singers just want enough rest in between rehearsals. One can sing out without too much worry if one has the evening off. If a singer truly trusts the conductor and director to monitor his minutes, he can sing out knowing he won’t be overused. If he knows he is in for a long rehearsal period, marking is the only solution.

Pop knows how to rest his guys.

Some older singers never sing with their real voice until the performance. They know what they can do. So does the conductor. I remember the first time I worked with an older “star”. For weeks, I was under the false impression that she had no voice at all. “I guess she is just past her prime,” I stupidly thought. She just knew what she was doing.

Like Shaq

Many Wagnerian singers sing out almost all the rehearsals. Considering their performance is more marathon than sprint, it makes sense that they practice singing hours on end. That, and there aren’t many truly high notes in Wagner. More a tractor pull than a go cart race.

Thibs? Not everyone loves Wagner. 

You know who is never allowed to mark? Young singers doing smaller roles. It is an unwritten rule in opera that any comprimario role is to be sung out always, especially if it is a young singer. It gives the person a chance to shine. It’s not like they are going to standout come performance time.

If a novice were to poke his head into a rehearsal and hear some diva marking, he would falsely conclude that that is the true quality of her voice. “Wow, why is she famous,” he’d think.

It has little to do with her real voice, but he wouldn’t understand that. He would conclude that that young singer who did three lines in full voice was actually the better singer.

2. As it goes with the LeBron James and the current old man Cavaliers. This regular season isn’t even a real performance. It might be a dress rehearsal at best. When dress rehearsals are open to the public, people expect to hear all the notes. Sorry folks. Even in dress rehearsals, you are unlikely to hear that high C.

LeBron knows what he can do. He plays out when he feels like it. He practices something specific here and there. He’s the type of artist that can have long rehearsals and pick and choose when he wants to give the goods.

The guys who log fewer minutes, the supporting “comprimario” players need to remember that they have to play all out all the time. It doesn’t matter that the divo (before some person thinks I spelled that incorrectly, divo is the masculine form of diva) takes some plays off. The younger guys need to play their roles full out.

The national media hasn’t really watched LeBron closely enough to internalise how much he is marking the defensive end of the floor. They peek their heads into the rehearsal space thinking it is the theater. They hear some soft notes and conclude that the cast is awful.

Meanwhile, the young roster over in Boston is already performing. Their regular season is not an extended rehearsal period. Their young guns are still in the play all out, all the time mentality. It is serving them very well, but it isn’t something that should be contrasted to the Cavaliers.

When the Cavs do sing out, they can still flat dominate. With LeBron playing hard on both ends and with heady play up and down the roster, Cleveland obliterated a good Pistons squad. When the Cavs aren’t saddled with stupid defensive play and they are actually trying, they are still clearly the best in the East.

3. Without Iman Shumpert and Derrick Rose, Tyronn Lue is saved from the itch to play two guards who don’t play smart basketball nor shoot the rock with accuracy. Occasionally, incredible physical talent can override stupidity. Neither of those guys features that level of talent. Perhaps Rose did five years ago, but certainly not now.

Jose Calderon has never been a good defender. Still, he understands where he is supposed to be on both ends. His teammates can help his physical limitations accordingly without being blindsided by a mental breakdown.

Offensively, his shooting ability opens up the floor for driving and cutting lanes. Jose knows when to backcut a defender. Consistenly making the right play, even at 70% speed, is much easier to play with and around. Help defenders know what they are getting.

Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert would not reenter my rotation if I were in charge. Neither guy does anything positive with enough consistency to warrant their negative contributions.

When the Cavs play with shooters around LeBron and Wade, they are simply unguardable. The team offense and defense had been hindered by Shump and Rose. LeBron shouldn’t have to sing out in order to make up for their mistakes.

People need to know their roles. Cedi Osman will sing out in his tiny role and shine. Kyle Korver might as well be Wotan with how consistently he performs at top energy. Jose Calderon can give you an expected outcome until Isaiah Thomas comes back. If Lue continues to play guys who know where to be, LeBron can pick and choose when he wants to win these 82 exhibition games.

Quickies:

4. The league has always been about match-ups and playoff talent. Kevin Love and his bulk own the Bucks. The Cavs own the Pistons and Raptors. Al Horford is owned by Tristan Thompson. Until something huge changes, that will hold true.

I love watching the Sixers. Ben Simmons has been so much more active on the glass than I could have imagined. His patience attacking the defense has also been a joy to watch. He’s an All-Star in year one.

Porzingis got owned by LeBron James the other night, but he is ballin’ out this young season. It still blows my mind that the Sixers drafted Okafur before the Latvian star. Any who reads this blog knows that I am in no way surprised by the Unicorn’s success.

Listening to a Zach Lowe podcast reminded me that Joe Ingles almost made the Clippers squad a few years back. A team that had been dying for a wing who can guard and shoot the three let Joe frickin Ingles get away. Great move, Doc.

Kyle Korver is super useful. Great video breaking down the pressure Korver puts on a defense.