A tight start to this ensemble requires the conductor to feel a strong internal crescendo while moving seamlessly through one passive to the active prep. Two considerations may be taken when determining the tempo – the first of which should always be dramatic. The extent to which ‘patter’ is where the excitement should be drawn, and the ability of the coro to articulate the phrase “che piacer, che piacer che sara” [the glide ‘ia’ is tricky to repeat in a very fast tempo]. If too quick a tempo is expected, some vowel modification may be necessary on “che piacer, che piacer” in which an “a” vowel my be substituted for the second glide (ie. [‘pjat∫er ‘ke ‘pat∫er]).
In general, the tempo should be brisk and exhuberant without risk of losing control. It is a celebration, obviously, and meant to be a rousing, carefree number. There seems to be a small pocket for the right tempo in this particular number that gives the necessary dramatic impression without risking too much sloppiness or sounding stuck for sake of control. Knowing the text and thinking through the click of consonants will help the conductor pick the right pace. There is, of course, a certain expectation with regard to it being a peasant dance, but that only goes so far to say faster rather than slower, especially in this context.
There is also some discrepancy amongst scores as to whether is should be “la la lera”, or “la la ra la!” I’m not sure that it makes much difference, but the difference in printed text should be noted and one form agreed upon before rehearsals. For this production, we will use “la la ra la!” (as used in Barenreiter). Similarly, use the Barenreiter text "saltiamo" instead of older edition's "suoniamo".
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