THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024
MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2024
LAST rehearsal before concert week
· PROGRAM ORDER will be Mozart/Schickele/INTERMISSION/Shostakovich
· I want to start getting in the flow of playing Shostakovich at the end
7:30 Mozart Symphony #39
· 3rd movement (which we have not touched yet: sorry)
· Everything else
8:20 Shostakovich 3rd movement
8:40 BREAK
8:50 Schickele
9:00 Shostakovich
· 2nd movement
· 1st movement
1) Notes from last rehearsal
You can watch and listen to video of the entire rehearsal as prepared by Brian Lewis here: https://briantlewis.com/autumn-2024-concert-1-rehearsal-log/. Some fine work, though I think you will agree not quite ready for prime time.
One big thing: You can hear places where the sections come apart, winds and (especially) brass not in sync with strings, sometimes far behind the beat (by which I mean MY beat). Have a close listen to three clips Brian made for us:
1 https://briantlewis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/cco_9-30-2024_11-14.mov
2 https://briantlewis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/cco_9-30-2024_47-50.mov
3 https://briantlewis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/cco_9-30-2024_51-53.mov
Here is what I think why this happens and how we fix it:
A. Old news: the further away from the podium a player sits, the later sound from the front arrives in their ears. That problem is only magnified once we get into the sanctuary, and even more exaggerated for French horns because their bells face the wrong way (and in the sanctuary will be pretty far from a wall). So we need to work on:
i. All wind players: prepare entries a breath earlier.
ii. Keep eyes up through the entry.
iii. Stay square to the stick.
iv. If you cannot make out the beat, tell me and I will adjust.
B. Meanwhile, in the strings: Play chamber music. Winds cannot hear you when they are playing solos. The conductor may need to follow them, so you need to stay alive to your section leader and the podium.
C. PULSE, PULSE AND PULSE. It has been some time since I gave this rant: It is not the conductor’s job to do your counting. Build metronome time into your practice, ESPECIALLY for slow, lyrical playing. To paraphrase Wallace Simpson, no musician can ever be too steady or too well in tune.*
2) TEMPO BENCHMARKS
Mozart
· 1st movement
o Adagio: quarter = 46-52
o Allegro: dotted half/measure = 46-52 (quarter = 138-156)
· 2nd movement: quarter = 48
· 3rd movement: quarter = 142
· 4th movement: quarter = 126-132
Shostakovich: His metronome indications (what you have in parts) work.
Except for the 4th movement, which is the subject of some controversy and revisionism. For the first reading Monday I was trying out tempi that some scholars cite as definitive DSCH. I am not convinced the slow ending makes sense. So, for movement 4:
– We follow he marked metronome markings up through 121
– 121: quarter = 108-116
– 128: quarter = 132
– 131: in 2, half = 100
3) REFERENCE RECORDINGS
For your support if you like to become familiar with the sounds, but—as always—do not be surprised if I have different ideas about tempo, articulation, expression:
MOZART 39
· MARRINER (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUdF3ouQpkM
· HARNONCOURT (for an example of period performance, though at modern pitch) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nfd7X3N5bE
SHOSTAKOVICH
· (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIkw9oco_hc
· Conducted by Mravinsky, the conductor who worked with Shostakovich and led the premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L__jruvYuCg
· BERNSTEIN: When I prepare a performance, I aim always to shake off ingrained habits, memories of previous performances, artifacts from study listening. However, in the case of Shostakovich 5, I may lapse into this interpretation because I played the piece more than a dozen times on the tour that concluded with this recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiaiS4nupYc
*”You can never be too rich or too thin.” Wallace Simpson, Duchess of Windsor
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
7:30 Shostakovich Symphony #5
– 1st movement
– 4th movement
8:20 First reading of Schickele
8:30 BREAK
8:45 Mozart Symphony #39
– 4th movement
o Focus on back half
– 1st movement
– 2nd movement
1) UNBEGUN SYMPHONY
Parts will be distributed at rehearsal. The definitive recording led by Professor Schickele himself is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLDzeGvzK4s.
2) TEMPO BENCHMARKS
Mozart
· 1st movement
o Adagio: quarter = 46-52
o Allegro: dotted half/measure = 46-52 (quarter = 138-156)
· 2nd movement: quarter = 48
· 3rd movement: quarter = 142
· 4th movement: quarter = 126-132
Shostakovich: His metronome indications (what you have in parts) work.
Except for the 4th movement, which is the subject of some controversy and revisionism. For the first reading Monday I was trying out tempi that some scholars cite as definitive DSCH. I am not convinced the slow ending makes sense. So, for movement 4:
– We follow he marked metronome markings up through 121
– 121: quarter = 108-116
– 128: quarter = 132
– 131: in 2, half = 100
3) REFERENCE RECORDINGS
For your support if you like to become familiar with the sounds, but—as always—do not be surprised if I have different ideas about tempo, articulation, expression:
MOZART 39
· MARRINER (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUdF3ouQpkM
· HARNONCOURT (for an example of period performance, though at modern pitch) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nfd7X3N5bE
SHOSTAKOVICH
· (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIkw9oco_hc
· Conducted by Mravinsky, the conductor who worked with Shostakovich and led the premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L__jruvYuCg
· BERNSTEIN: When I prepare a performance, I aim always to shake off ingrained habits, memories of previous performances, artifacts from study listening. However, in the case of Shostakovich 5, I may lapse into this interpretation because I played the piece more than a dozen times on the tour that concluded with this recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiaiS4nupYc
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2024
7:30 Shostakovich Symphony #5
– 1st movement
– 4th movement
8:45 BREAK
9:00 Mozart Symphony #39
– 4th movement
– 2nd movement
1) VIOLIN SPLIT FOR SHOSTAKOVICH THIRD MOVEMENT
In the 3rd movement of Shostakovich, both violin parts show 3 staves. The lowest line is a separate third violin part for this movement. The third violin section (that is, these players play the lower line) includes:
Sophie
Morris
Laura C
Emily D
Daniel
Samantha
BettyAnne
Laura W
For players not among the elect few: If you are in the 1st violins play the top (I) line, if in the 2nds play the middle (II) line.
2) TEMPO BENCHMARKS
Mozart
· 1st movement
o Adagio: quarter = 46-52
o Allegro: dotted half/measure = 46-52 (quarter = 138-156)
· 2nd movement: quarter = 48
· 3rd movement: quarter = 142
· 4th movement: quarter = 126-132
Shostakovich: His metronome indications (what you have in parts) work.
Except for the 4th movement, which is the subject of some controversy and revisionism. For the first reading Monday I was trying out tempi that some scholars cite as definitive DSCH. I am not convinced the slow ending makes sense. So, for movement 4:
– We follow he marked metronome markings up through 121
– 121: quarter = 108-116
– 128: quarter = 132
– 131: in 2, half = 100
3) REFERENCE RECORDINGS
For your support if you like to become familiar with the sounds, but—as always—do not be surprised if I have different ideas about tempo, articulation, expression:
MOZART 39
· MARRINER (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUdF3ouQpkM
· HARNONCOURT (for an example of period performance, though at modern pitch) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nfd7X3N5bE
SHOSTAKOVICH
· (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIkw9oco_hc
· Conducted by Mravinsky, the conductor who worked with Shostakovich and led the premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L__jruvYuCg
· BERNSTEIN: When I prepare a performance, I aIm always to shake off ingrained habits, memories of previous performances, artifacts from study listening. However, in the case of Shostakovich 5, I may lapse into this interpretation because I played the piece more than a dozen times on the tour that concluded with this recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiaiS4nupYc
3) SCHICKELE
The rental set will arrive around mid-September. It is short and not complicated. We have ample time to prepare, and it makes sense to put our focus on the two big symphonies up front. But if you want to have a few laughs in advance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLDzeGvzK4s
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024
Playing through the two big symphonies….
7:30 Shostakovich Symphony #5
8:45 BREAK
9:00 Mozart Symphony #39
1) VIOLIN SPLIT FOR SHOSTAKOVICH THIRD MOVEMENT
In the 3rd movement of Shostakovich, both violin parts show 2 staves. The lower line is a separate third violin part for this movement. The third violin section (that is, these players play the lower line) is:
Sophie
Morris
Laura C
Emily D
Daniel
Samantha
BettyAnne
Laura W
2) REFERENCE RECORDINGS
For your support if you like to become familiar with the sounds, but—as always—do not be surprised if I have different ideas about tempo, articulation, expression:
MOZART 39
· MARRINER (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUdF3ouQpkM
· HARNONCOURT (for an example of period performance, though at modern pitch) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nfd7X3N5bE
SHOSTAKOVICH
· (with score) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIkw9oco_hc
· Conducted by Mravinsky, the conductor who worked with Shostakovich and led the premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L__jruvYuCg
· BERNSTEIN: When I prepare a performance, I aIm always to shake off ingrained habits, memories of previous performances, artifacts from study listening. However, in the case of Shostakovich 5, I may lapse into this interpretation because I played the piece more than a dozen times on the tour that concluded with this recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiaiS4nupYc
3) SCHICKELE
The rental set will arrive around mid-September. It is short and not complicated. We have ample time to prepare, and it makes sense to put our focus on the two big symphonies up front. But if you want to have a few laughs in advance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLDzeGvzK4s