An Encounter with the Brahms Requiem … from a Different Side

I recently had the opportunity to do a bit of coaching for my husband's performance of the Brahms Requiem. It's a piece I've sung many times before, both as soloist and (in my youth) as a chorister. But this was my first chance to really coach the soloists for a performance of it. David and his semi-pro chorus, the Mastersingers of Wilmington, gave another sparkling concert of some new(ish) choral pieces, in addition to the Brahms classic. He has a real skill at bringing out the depths of emotion in a piece like this, and I was able to assist him this time around by coaching his two soloists starting early in the process as they prepared for the performance. David hired one of his former church choir section leaders, a recent graduate from Westminster Choir College, for the soprano solo. Laura Kosar has an extraordinary voice, with a gorgeous, easy, unforced tone that's very pitch-dominant. As we worked on the music I tried to help her make some choices on phrasing, what to emphasize and de-emphasize, and her singing really captured the sense of peace and comfort that Brahms seeks to convey in that text.

David also hired a talented young baritone from Philadelphia whom we'd seen in several performances of Bach. He has mostly been a professional chorister, and was much in demand for that work, but having heard him perform Bach arias, we knew he'd have no problem with the Brahms. Like Laura, Robert Eisentrout has a beautiful, pitch-dominant voice with tremendous warmth and presence. This was his first time singing the Brahms, and he threw himself into coaching with gusto, and was a joy to work with. When I coach a young singer I try to present them with options for musical interpretation and let them make their own musical choices, rather than just saying “here's how to sing this line.” I think one of the benefits of having some experience with this type of solo rep is that I can tell a young singer things like, “you think you have to work to make a big beefy sound, but you really don't. Sing a lean and resonant tone instead, and you'll get more sound with less effort.” Or, “You can interpolate that high note here in the studio, but in the context of doing the entire role, it might not work so well.”

It was a real thrill to hear such talented young singers take on the range of challenges in Brahms' music, and succeed completely. Laura's voice soared in her solo, with an effortless high B-flat that sounded like it was in the middle of her voice. Robby poured out beautifully resonant lyrical sound, and immaculate German diction that read to the back of the room. And the audience was captivated.