Baritone voice composing

[Rangi]

Any thoughts out there on process for writing for singers? My piece will have two instrumentalists and a baritone opera singer, and will be an avant garde composition. I will create the score with Sibelius/ vsl and was thinking to write the vocal melodies using a guide cello part. How do other people do it? Cheers, Rangi.

[Rangi]

Dear Rangi,

You must feel very lonely, but I will try to cheer you up. Admittedly it is only your own schizophrenic self replying to your own public questions, but in these covid times its the best we can manage. And the answer is, nothing.

Hope that helps, and please feel free to ask again.

Cheers,

Rangi.

[tchampe]

Rangi (and you, too, Rangi),

I'm not really qualified to answer your question from a virtual composer's point of view but I can tell you what would work for me as a vocalist. I have used tracks like the cello part you are contemplating with good success. In my case, I am a reasonable but not great sight singer. If I want to learn something quickly that has strange intervals, a guide track helps. I have recorded multi-tracks of close harmony that can get kind of complex and the guide tracks made the learning process go a lot quicker. That being said, it is going to depend on just how "avant garde" your chart is. If you are asking for unusual extended techniques, you'll probably have to sing them yourself to give your baritone a clear picture of what you're wanting from him. My suggestion: if you have a guy in mind and intend to record, ask what works best for him. Some people can read fly specks and he may not need anything but the chart. I hope this helps you. Both of you.

Tom