Hello World,
Tonight's blog post is going to be short and sweet, as it has been a long day... (Friday, that is...)
For the first time in a long time, I found myself practicing a few orchestral excerpts. It has been a few years since I have taken an Orchestral audition, and over the last few years of my DMA program, I have been channeling my energies elsewhere. For much of this time my energy has been spent developing as a teacher, a scholar, a chamber musician, and definitely over the past year or so, retooling my technique, and building my confidence. Somewhere between exams and teaching, my attention turned away from dwelling on the sacred concerti of Walton, Bartok and Hindemith, and excerpts such as Mendelssohn's Scherzo.
I was recently encouraged to explore an upcoming audition, and for the first time since Malta, (I will save this for another day when I am feeling more reminiscent about beautiful Archipelagos in the Mediterranean, HA!) I felt truly confident to take a chance! Maybe not quite true, when I first left Eastman, I took several auditions after my first few years out, with some being relatively successful. But since I have been putting greater stock in the organization of my hands, my brain, spending more time listening critically, counting, developing a more consistent vibrato, and the muscles in my hand, and relieving tension, (all lifelong processes), I realize that I am proud of the work that I am doing. Even if it doesn't work out, I will be a stronger player having taken this audition.
I have been dusting off the first movement of the Walton Concerto for about a week and a half, facing shifts (yes, I spelled that correctly) that were never quite clean enough, reconciling bowing suggestions from various teachers, and counting passages that never completely made sense. This has been a fun new chapter in my journey to become the best musician I personally can be. (Forgive me for being vague, although I am a violist first and foremost, there are many other skills in my musician toolbox that can't be completely shirked.)
Friday (in spite of the sinister but secretly satisfying Springtime snowstorm,) was a productive day, where I dove into two new (new for me excerpts) for this upcoming audition. Many of the excerpts are old favorites: a little bit of Beethoven; Mendelssohn; Don Juan; Shosty; Don Quixote; Brahms. But there were two excerpts of pieces that I have yet to actually perform (believe it or not!): Georges Enescu's Roumanian Dance No. 1, and Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. I don't know how I skipped the Vaughan Williams, or missed out on such a luscious piece, delicious viola and string moments. In fact, I had to replay the recording of Eugene Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbzxhZT6akk, and would break out the viola after midnight to work on it. (Building regulations and sleep deprivation, gah!!!!) But talk about a viola sound to emulate! (I am sensing it is Joe DePasquale is playing on this recording...)
Similarly with the Enescu, I am sensing I found two new pieces that I am suddenly enamored with. They will quickly go from being the two pieces I know the least about on this excerpt list, to being the ones I know the most thoroughly. Cheers to the sounds of strings in my slumber!
Tonight's blog post is going to be short and sweet, as it has been a long day... (Friday, that is...)
For the first time in a long time, I found myself practicing a few orchestral excerpts. It has been a few years since I have taken an Orchestral audition, and over the last few years of my DMA program, I have been channeling my energies elsewhere. For much of this time my energy has been spent developing as a teacher, a scholar, a chamber musician, and definitely over the past year or so, retooling my technique, and building my confidence. Somewhere between exams and teaching, my attention turned away from dwelling on the sacred concerti of Walton, Bartok and Hindemith, and excerpts such as Mendelssohn's Scherzo.
I was recently encouraged to explore an upcoming audition, and for the first time since Malta, (I will save this for another day when I am feeling more reminiscent about beautiful Archipelagos in the Mediterranean, HA!) I felt truly confident to take a chance! Maybe not quite true, when I first left Eastman, I took several auditions after my first few years out, with some being relatively successful. But since I have been putting greater stock in the organization of my hands, my brain, spending more time listening critically, counting, developing a more consistent vibrato, and the muscles in my hand, and relieving tension, (all lifelong processes), I realize that I am proud of the work that I am doing. Even if it doesn't work out, I will be a stronger player having taken this audition.
I have been dusting off the first movement of the Walton Concerto for about a week and a half, facing shifts (yes, I spelled that correctly) that were never quite clean enough, reconciling bowing suggestions from various teachers, and counting passages that never completely made sense. This has been a fun new chapter in my journey to become the best musician I personally can be. (Forgive me for being vague, although I am a violist first and foremost, there are many other skills in my musician toolbox that can't be completely shirked.)
Friday (in spite of the sinister but secretly satisfying Springtime snowstorm,) was a productive day, where I dove into two new (new for me excerpts) for this upcoming audition. Many of the excerpts are old favorites: a little bit of Beethoven; Mendelssohn; Don Juan; Shosty; Don Quixote; Brahms. But there were two excerpts of pieces that I have yet to actually perform (believe it or not!): Georges Enescu's Roumanian Dance No. 1, and Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. I don't know how I skipped the Vaughan Williams, or missed out on such a luscious piece, delicious viola and string moments. In fact, I had to replay the recording of Eugene Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbzxhZT6akk, and would break out the viola after midnight to work on it. (Building regulations and sleep deprivation, gah!!!!) But talk about a viola sound to emulate! (I am sensing it is Joe DePasquale is playing on this recording...)
Similarly with the Enescu, I am sensing I found two new pieces that I am suddenly enamored with. They will quickly go from being the two pieces I know the least about on this excerpt list, to being the ones I know the most thoroughly. Cheers to the sounds of strings in my slumber!
Love your blog! The Vaughan Williams is one of my all-time favorite pieces and I've been lucky enough to play it twice in my life. I think he's perhaps a bit underrated as a composer, personally.
ReplyDeleteHi Eliana,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out! I totally agree, his piece "On Wenlock's Edge" is another personal favorite, and Flos Campi is another piece that I yearn to study. I have been growing increasingly fond of his work! Let's chat soon!