Rehearsal Notes: Oct 22
Hi everybody,
Great job on Saturday! Maestro Kalmar was very impressed.
Before I get into notes, 2 important things:
1. There is still time to sign up for master classes at the retreat with faculty from U of O. Please e-mail Chris if you're interested in participating. Take advantage of this great opportunity.
2. I hope to hear from many of you with input for the printed program notes for our upcoming concert (check the e-mail I sent earlier today).
Now, about last Saturday:
What we did:
9:30am-10:20am (strings and woodwinds)
- Tchaik. 4th movement: slow work from [O] to [R], then played through the end
- Tchaik, 3rd movement: slow work on trio
10:20am-10:45am (tutti)
- Tchaik, 1st movement: played from beginning. Stopped to work on a few spots
- Tchaik, 2nd movement: from beginning until before [B]
11:00am-12:30pm (tutti with C. Kalmar)
- Tchaik, 1st movement: played through, then worked on details
- Tchaik 3rd movement: played/worked through waltz and trio. Skipped over to the end.
Notes:
Again, great work. All the things that Maestro Kalmar suggested were wonderful. Many of them had to do simply with really doing what's on the page, specifically in terms of dynamics, phrasing and articulation. Subdivision was also a recurring theme. Fortunately, I had time to take very detailed notes:
Mov 1
Intro: strings, blend into the clarinets sound
M. 38: let's really explore the ppp possibilities here.
[C] and beyond. Violas: don't rush your run of 16ths each time it happens
Brass at [D]: make sure not to clip the dotted eight note, while not being late with the 16th note.
4 before [E]: Brass: subdivision!! Feel each eight note even if you have rests. Horns: lots of sound at [E]
Clarinets/Bassoons, m. 131: I mentioned at one point to go subito piu mosso here. It's not working. Let's plan to do the stringendo as printed.
M. 154: Woodwinds/horns: The character was very nice after a little work with Carlos. Make sure to blend!! Clarinets: go for character and not for volume. Only one f!
m. 194: a lot more sound in the horns, trombones and trumpets. Strings/woodwinds: don't rush!
m. 216, violas: forte!
m. 232, violin 1: remember to give this phrase to the cellos. Elongate your last note.
m. 271: horns and ww: we need to tighten up this rhythm.
m. 277: again, more ww, less strings.
m. 357 to letter T: woodwinds, brass: PRACTICE THIS! Be super confident of the counting and your notes.
[U]: Brass: another place to practice. Aim for piano, but don't try to play so soft it compromises your accuracy and pitch.
Mov 2
[A]: clarinet: make sure your first three notes line up with the horn.
m. 30-32, strings: be very confident of your entrances, and follow dynamics very carefully.
Mov 3
m. 23, 24, oboe and bassoon: more crescendo.
[C] strings; always listen to the melody in the winds. Don't crescendo too much.
after [D]: strings: don't rush! Listen to the solo.
m. 64 woodwinds: yes, we will take a little time here, but not too much.
m. 74, horn 2: crucially important entrance.
Violas, [E] and all similar places: please practice all of this slow, with a metronome, and increase tempo gradually. These passages need to be solid from everybody.
[F] and beyond: lots of improvement in the woodwinds!! Please practice with metronome and pay special attention to dynamics.
[H] violas: same as before, practice with metronome. Don't "try" and make the bow jump. Think "on the string" and let the bow do the work. This needs to be solid from each one of you.
m. 145: oboe: more sound
[P]: clarinets and bassoons: less sound. Like a far away memory.
[Q]: real pp in strings. Accents are accomplished with vibrato.
Mov 4
m. 236, cellos, basses: don't clip the first note short because of the bow retake. Match the bassoons. Same in bar 252.
Tutti, before and after [Q]: don't start slowing down too early, but also don't rush. Let the music itself dictate a slight relaxation of the tempo as we get closer to 296.
m. 296: watch me for the downbeat!!! and remember it's fast.
m. 312: back to tempo I!!! a few clicks slower. Be ready. Look up. Listen.
[R]: more oboe, less clarinet and bassoon. Same in 332.
[V] with pick up in woodwinds: less!! down to mf, and pace the crescendo.
m. 542, strings, woodwinds: don't rush!
Next week:
We have our retreat!! Saturday will be focused on Tchaikovsky and you'll work with guest coaches from University of Oregon. Sunday we'll focus more on Candide. There will be a mini-performance by MYSfits Saturday night. It'll be a lot of fun!
See you there,
Mr. Gómez
