Take the momentum from one another as you gain the dramatic focus. Feel the meter in half the time that the conductor is directing. If he conducts in 4, feel the beat in 2. When you are the primary musical material, sing as if you are the primary musical material. Always match or exceed the momentum of the conductor.
Young singers make the mistake of singing grace notes too fast and unsupported.
In ensembles, do not match the phrasing of other voices. Make the dramatic sense of your melody into your own distinct phrasing. Back to Essays on Opera and Singing .