Aubade
A morning serenade played out of doors.
What it means
An aubade is a morning serenade: music performed in the morning and out of doors. It forms the counterpart to the serenade, the evening serenade. The term comes from the French and goes back to the word for daybreak; in medieval lyric a related expression denotes the dawn song, in which the parting of lovers at daybreak is sung.
Musical use
As an instrumental genre the aubade belongs to the sphere of entertainment music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: multi-movement pieces for winds or mixed forces, played on a particular occasion and at a particular place. From this purpose follow its properties — carrying scoring, clear articulation, catchy melody, no overly fine dynamic gradations, since little of them arrives out of doors. Later the title is also used for individual character pieces that take up the bright, cheerful tone of the morning without any longer being intended for an open-air performance.
Performance practice
With music out of doors reckon that no reverberation carries: choose a somewhat calmer tempo, articulate more clearly and plan for larger reserves of loudness. Tune the instruments on the spot and check again after a while, since temperature and humidity have an effect. Stand closer together than in the hall, so that the ensemble playing works. Watch for a placement in which all can hear one another, and fix entries visibly. With character pieces for piano the bright, light tone is to the fore.
Think also of the practical conditions: in the morning instruments are cold, the tuning is unreliable, and the fingers need longer. Plan a warm-up time and tune again shortly before the start. Choose keys that lie comfortably for winds, and avoid extreme registers, because the embouchure is less resilient in the cold. For performances in residential areas the time of day and the loudness are to be coordinated with those involved — a serenade works only if it is welcome. Note down, too, which pieces have proved themselves on earlier occasions, for the conditions repeat.