Choir Conducting

• Advanced musical ability in the programme subject which must be demonstrated in the audition exam
• Applicants without German university entry permission must provide evidence of their German language skills through:
  • Language certificate B 2.2 (GER) of the Goethe Institute, ÖSD, telc GmbH or TestDaF – Level 4, DSD II, DSH I or UNIcert II.
    Language certificates must be submitted during enrolment at the latest.
  • Technical German language skills in music will be assessed during the music theory examination.

For the pre-selection the platform muvac is used.

On muvac you can link video and audio recordings from YouTube, Vimeo, Youku and Soundcloud on your profile.

Based on the linked audio/video recordings the pre-selection is made subsequent to the application period.

Please check that the recordings are available and accessable via the links provided (without password/no login function).

• One video of a self-directed rehearsal or concert of a maximum length of 15 minutes (ideally two different works are desired)
• The video should show the applicant in front view
• One video of the instrumental or vocal recording

• Conducting: two different works are desired
• Interpretation of a self-chosen solo work on the piano or an orchestra instrument or a vocal work

The audition exam consists of two rounds. After the first round, the Exam Committee will decide who will proceed to the following round.

• fundamental knowledge of conducting technique
• experience with choral work
• artistic relationship to choral singing and relevant literature as well as musical theater

• Choral conducting (realisation on several pianos)
  Compulsory piece: Anton Bruckner - "Christus factus est" WAB 11 (Edition Peters)
• Performance of a demanding solo work for piano or orchestral instrument chosen by the candidate (for solo concerts or works accompanied by piano the accompanists must be provided by the candidates themselves).
  AND:
  Performance of a self-selected (a capella or self-accompanied) vocal piece in German (for candidates whose German is not their mother tongue, a vocal piece in their mother tongue is also required).

• Choral conducting (also as a teaching situation, realisation on several pianos):
  Four compulsory pieces:
  • William Byrd: "Miserere mei, Deus"
  • Wolfgang A. Mozart: from "Vesperae solennes de Confessore" KV 339, No. 3 "Beatus vir" (Bärenreiter)
  • Joseph Haydn: from "The Creation" Hob XXI:2, recitative of Uriel "In vollem Glanze" (Edition Peters, edited by Klaus Burmeister, in German)
  • Hindemith from Twelve Madrigals No. 8 "The Judas Kiss"

(Be prepared to use a tuning fork as well as audition choral parts as needed).

• Correpetition
  • presentation of a self-selected choral scene (opera or choral symphony) on the piano, with singing of the various choral voices (length approx. 8 minutes)
  • sight-reading of light excerpts from oratorios or choral movements
  • sight-reading (choral parts from choral literature)
• Score-reading
  • sight-reading an easy choral score (modern clefs)
  • sight-reading of old clefs (2-part with two different old clefs)
• Core Subject Piano
  • presentation of two self-selected solo works on the piano: one of the works must be a slow movement of a classical sonata or a baroque work in slow tempo.

• Knowledge of treble and bass clef (also C clef, if applicable)
• Knowledge of key signatures in major and minor
• Determining and notating intervals in various octaves
• Knowledge of major and minor scales, including modes
• Determining and notating triads (major, minor, diminished, augmented) and dominant seventh chords, including their inversions
• Recognizing and writing different types of cadences (authentic, plagal, half and deceptive) in various keys
• Realizing a simple figured bass in four parts
• Harmonic analysis (Roman numerals and German functions)
• Formal and compositional analysis of a short musical example (or excerpt)

• Determining intervals (melodic and harmonic)
• Determining triads and dominant seventh chords, including their inversions (simultaneous and arpeggiated)
• Determining major and minor scales as well as modes
• Rhythm dictation (binary and ternary rhythms, tied and/or syncopated)
• Melody dictation (baroque and/or classical style)
• Two-part (polyphonic) dictation
• Harmonic dictation
• Aural analysis of a short musical example

Small colloquium on general music questions in German language with the following issues:

• foundation of music history from Bach to present (problematic nature of era categories: baroque/classical/romantic/modern/postmodern)
• development of orchestral genres
• development of opera
• development of choir singing

• Applicants for undergraduate studies who have already studied at a RKM-recognized German music school and are applying to transfer to HFM are exempt from taking the exams in piano, composition, and ear training if they are able to provide a matriculation certificate/certificate of enrolment.

• For winter semester: 8 April
• For summer semester: 8 November

• For winter semester: May/June
• For summer semester: January/February