Study programme Vocal Music

Additional requirements for applicants of

professional bachelor’s study programme Vocal Music

subprogrammeAcademic Singing

1. Academic Singing

(programme must be performed from memory and will be accompanied on piano)

  • An aria for the corresponding voice type,
  • Song with text,
  • The range of voice will be tested.

2. Colloquium in Vocal Music

  • All applicants analyse the musical pieces included in the programme of Academic Singing examination:
  • Insight into the composer’s oeuvre,
  • Insight into the biography of the author of literary text,
  • Analysis of the characteristic means of musical expression.
  • All applicants recite a prepared poem or a poetic excerpt from memory (2-3 minutes in duration);
  • All applicants improvise an etude individually or as a group on a theme selected by the examination committee;
  • All applicants answer two of the following questions, randomly drawn from the selection.
  1. Voice types, characteristic differences, registers and range,
  2. The most notable masters of vocal art in Latvia and abroad,
  3. Repertoire of Latvian National Opera (last 10 years),
  4. The most notable examples of vocal pieces by Latvian composers (vocal chamber music, vocal symphonic music),
  5. The most significant national and international competitions for singers.

3. Colloquium in Music Literature and Theory (Solfeggio, Harmony, Form)

Colloquium in music literature and theory (ear training, harmony, analysis) includes test of knowledge and skills in two basic disciplines – music literature and theory. Total evaluation of the level of previous musically theoretic preparation of the applicant is formed from the average grade of the sum of evaluations obtained in written and aural parts of colloquium. First part of colloquium consists of written, second – of aural tasks.

Music literature:

WRITTEN TEST – definition of ten musical fragments from recordings (composer, work, musical theme) – one to three fragments from each group of genres. List of musical fragments:

Composer / Work
I VOCAL INSTRUMENTAL (SYMPHONIC) MUSIC AND OPERAS
J. S. Bach / • Mathew’s Passion: Introduction choir Kommt, ihrTöchter; alto aria Erbarme dich
G.F. Handel / • Oratorio Messiah: choir Hallelujah; soprano aria I know that my Redeemer liveth
J. Haydn / • Oratorio The seasons: [Spring] Choir Komm, holder Lenz
K.V. Gluck / • Opera Orfeo and Euridice: Choir of furias it. Chi mai dell` Erebo /fr.Quelestl`audaciex and dance (Act 2), Flute melody (Act 2), Orfeo aria ChefaròsenzaEuridice (Act 3)
W.A. Mozart / • Requiem: Kyrie eleison; Dies irae; Lacrimosa
• Opera Le nozze di Figaro: Overture, Figaro aria Non piùandrai(Act 1)
• Opera Don Giovanni: Overture, Don Giovanni and Zerlina`sduettinoLà ci darem la mano(Act 1)
R. Wagner / • Opera Lohengrin: Prologues of Act 1 and Act 3.; Lohengrin`s narration about GraalInfernem Land
• Tannheiser Overture
G. Verdi / • Opera Traviata:Violetta`s scene and aria E strano! → Ah fors’ èluichel’anima (Act 1)
• Opera Aida: closing duo O terra, addio (Aida & Radames, Act 4.)
P. Tchaikovsky / • Opera Queen of Spades: Duet Моймиленькийдружок (Act 2), Herman’s ariaЧтонашажизнь? Игра! (Act 3)
M. Mussorgsky / • Opera Boris Godunov: choirУжкакнанебесолнцукрасномуcлаваfrom the prologue
G. Bizet / • Opera Carmen: Habanera (Act 1), Près des remparts de Séville (Act 1)
G. Puccini / • Opera Tosca: CavaradossiariaE lucevan le stelle(Act 3), final scene (death of Cavaradossi, Tosca’s , Act 3).
JurjānuAndrejs / • Cantata Tēvijai – main themes
Jāzeps Vītols / • BalladaBeverīnasdziedonis– main themes
AlfrēdsKalniņš / • Opera Baņuta: Baņuta`sballada Act 1.;Funeral choir Vaimanā, vaimanātēvija (Act 2)
Baņuta and Vižuts` duo scene Nāc, manuliegoilgutēls (Act 3)
JānisMediņš / • Opera Uguns un nakts, Spīdola`s aria Esesmues!
LūcijaGarūta / • CantataGod, your land is burning!: Our Father, which art in heaven
ArtursMaskats / • Lacrimosa for mixed choir, organ and string orchestra
MārtiņšBrauns / • Sun, Thunder, Daugavafor mixed choir and orchestra
II SYMPHONIC MUSIC
W.A. Mozart / • Symphony [No. 40] g moll– main themes of Movement I
L. van Beethoven / • 5th symphony c moll – main themes of all movements
• 9th symphony – IV movement, theme Freude,schönerGötterfunken
F. Schubert / • Symphony h moll (Unfinished) – main themes of movement I
H. Berlioz / • Fantastic symphony op. 14 –main theme of Movement I
J. Brahms / • Fourth symphony e moll op. 98 – I movements main themes
P. Tchaikovsky / • Sixth symphony h moll– main themes of movements I and IV
A. Dvořák / • 9th symphony From the New Worlde moll op. 95 – II movement main themes
E. Grieg / • I suite for orchestra Peer Gunt op. 46 – Solveig’s Song, In the Hall of the Mountain King
J. Ivanovs / • 4th symphony (Atlantis) – II movement main themes
III VOCAL CHAMBER MUSIC
F. Schubert / • Vocal cycle Die SchoneMullerin: Das Wandern;
• Vocal cycle Winterreise: Lindenbaum, Der Leiermann
R. Schumann / • Vocal cycle Dichterliebe op. 48: Ichgrollenicht
EmīlsDārziņš / • Songs: Teici to stundu, to brīdi; Rezignācija
AlfrēdsKalniņš / • Songs: Brīnoses; Pļāvējadiendusa
Marģeris Zariņš / • Partita barokastilā – I, VI movements
IV LATVIAN A CAPPELLA CHORAL MUSIC
Jāzeps Vītols / • Choir balladas: Gaismaspils
EmīlsDārziņš / • Choral songs: Minjona; Mūžamzili; Mēnessstarusstīgo
EmilisMelngailis / • Choral works:Senatne; Jāņuvakars
Pauls Dambis / • Choral cycle Jūrasdziesmas – I movements

AURAL TEST– one question, selected at random:

Genres of Vocal Music

Johann Sebastian Bach – oeuvre and vocal instrumental works,

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – oeuvre and operas,

Franz Schubert – oeuvre, solo songs, vocal cycles,

Robert Schumann – oeuvre, solo songs, vocal cycles,

Richard Wagner – oeuvre and notable operas,

Giuseppe Verdi - oeuvre and notable operas,

Peter Tchaikovsky - oeuvre and notable operas, romances,

Giacomo Puccini - oeuvre and notable operas,

Sergey Rachmaninov – oeuvre and romances,

Jāzeps Vītols – oeuvre, solo songs and choir music,

EmīlsDārziņš - oeuvre, solo songs and choir music,

EmilisMelngailis - oeuvre, solo songs and choir music,

AlfrēdsKalniņš - oeuvre, operas and solo songs,

Marģeris Zariņš – oeuvre and vocal music.

Music Theory(Solfeggio, Harmony, Form):

WRITTEN PART:

  • Music dictation – diatonic melody in a form of period. Demonstrated 12 times, must be written down in 20 minutes.
  • Written work in theory (transposition of melody, forming and resolving intervals and chords, exercise in rhythm groups, translation of musical terms, etc.).

AURAL PART:

  • To sing or conclude a scale (natural, harmonic, melodic major and minor). To sing and to define tones in respective tonalities, to sing a diatonic sequence,
  • To sight-read a diatonic melody,
  • To sing in tonality and from a given tone simple intervals, consonant chords and their inversions, V7 and its inversions.
  • To play cadenzas in narrow layout, to sequence simple chord progressions.
  • Analysis of vocal work from score, using terms, definitions and analytical skills acquired in music theory courses.