Full choir
Main choir in Venetian polychoral writing.
What it means
In music laid out for several choirs, full choir (German Großchor) designates the complete, large sound group opposite which smaller groups stand. Typical is the juxtaposition of one or more soloist ensembles with the fully scored choir, partly supplemented by instrumental groups. The designation thus describes a function in the building of sound, not a particular number of voices; it is met above all in connection with the polychoral practice around 1600 and its after-effects.
Musical use
The effect rests on alternation and union: small groups begin, toss motifs to one another, and at climaxes the full choir enters and gathers everything together. Because this music was originally performed in rooms with separate galleries, a spatial effect is added — the groups are audibly in different places, and the sound moves through the room. The full choir marks in this structure the moments of greatest fullness and is therefore used sparingly; its effect arises through the contrast with the quieter sections before.
Large choirs are typical of oratorios of the nineteenth century.
Performance practice
Settle the placement before rehearsal, for it determines effect and degree of difficulty: large distances mean audible delays, so that one must make music by the conductor and not by ear. Agree unambiguous signs for entries and transitions and practise the seams between the groups separately. Take care that the full choir does not automatically become too loud; the intensification should be shaped and not merely additive. Check the balance from the audience space, because the impression on the galleries is deceptive.
Bear in mind that the smaller groups are often cast for soloists and the full choir chorally: the difference then lies not only in volume but in the kind of sound, and both must be in tune in themselves. Rehearse the groups separately before you bring them together. Settle the placement early, because distances determine the travel time of sound and thereby communication. Agree unambiguous signs for entries.