sitzprobe

n. a first, rough rehearsal of an opera or musical stageplay with singers and musicians, but without acting, scenery, or costumes. Subjects: German, Entertainment, Music

Etymological Note: German for ‘seated test’ or ‘sitting trial.’

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Citations: 1966 Reinhard Gerlach Archiv für Musikwissenschaft “Richard Strauss: Prinzipien seiner Kompositionstechnik (mit einem Brief von Strauss)” p. 287: Eine Separatorchesterprobe, eine Sitzprobe, eine Arrangirprobe mit Klavier, 3 Gesammtproben! 1988 Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (May 19) “Half A Mo Won’t Do For The Colonel” p. 18: I looked at the schedule and said “What’s a sitzprobe?” and they said “don’t you know? Oh dear, you are ignorant.” It’s a German word which means sitting down and singing with the orchestra. First band-call, I would have called it. 1998 Georg Solti Memoirs (Oct. 1) p. 154: When the orchestra is ready, we have what the germans call a Sitzprobe and the Italians a prova all’italiana: The singers sit on the stage and sing their parts, accompanied for the first time by the orchestra, without having to worry about movement or acting. 2005 Jesse Green New York Times (Feb. 27) “No Greasepaint, Just the Roar of the Cast”: The sitzprobe—the German word originally came into musical theater from the world of opera and literally means “sitting trial”—is actually the rehearsal at which cast and musicians assemble to play through a score for the first time and hear the combined results of their separate endeavors.

Posted 2 Mar 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

Your definition “... rehearsal ... with singers and musicians,” implies that the singers aren’t musicians. You don’t really believe that, do you??

by Gerald Metz 04 Oct 06, 1101 GMT

No, of course not, but it needs to be specified so that it is understood that both people who play instruments and people who play their own vocal cords are present. If singers were not specified, some people might assume only the former were present.

by Grant Barrett 04 Oct 06, 1106 GMT

Right, so call the non-singers instrumentalists. Or simply “the pit orchestra.”

by Eleanor 25 Oct 06, 1243 GMT

That might work, but “instrumentalist” is obfuscating. I’ll think about working “pit orchestra” in, but does anyone really think that singers aren’t musicians? Or that they’re being slighted here?

by Grant Barrett 25 Oct 06, 1246 GMT

As your last citation indicates, “sitzprobe” is now used by more than the opera world. You might want to expand your definition beyond rough rehearsal of “an opera”.

by David Erlenborn 04 Nov 06, 0527 GMT

How exactly is “instrumentalists” obfuscating? (Especially in the context of “singers and…”?)

One hears “singers and musicians” quite a bit—even in literature and publicity within the performing-arts industries—but its prevalance doesn’t make it any less suspect. I might go to the pet store to see the “cats and dogs,” or to see the “animals,” but what grammatical sense does it make to visit “cats and animals”?

by David 05 Feb 07, 0523 GMT

dear god u guys all have way too much time.

by jo 11 Mar 07, 0404 GMT

I have also find “singers and musicians” a bit ‘insulting’.. . I’m an opera singer who just sat through a sitzprobe session. I prefer to use “singers and orchestral members”.

by Daniel 22 May 07, 0334 GMT

I am a opera singer, and I don’t argee with the word “rough”. As my understanding, sitzprobe is seated rehearsal, where the singers the first time sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two parties. It should not be a “rough” one.

by Daniel Chui 29 May 07, 0803 GMT

Definitely NOT a rough rehearsal.

The orchestra normally will have had at least one separate rehearsal beforehand, and the singers will have had extensive rehearsal and their parts memorized (although they may refer to their vocal score for the sitzprobe).

I also agree that it’s not “singers and musicians”; it’s singers (or cast) and orchestra.

by orlandus 18 Jan 08, 0419 GMT