Klarinet Archive - Posting 000635.txt from 1997/10

From: dap@-----. Paprocki)
Subj: audition facts of life
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 12:23:46 -0400

I think everyone has it wrong. Daphnes usually isn't the piece that
eliminates people in auditions. The first section isn't THAT hard if
practiced diligently. The second section in Daphnes does have a couple of
measures that have a half life of a couple of hours - no matter how many
times I work them up. And besides out of 20 auditions I've done I think
Daphnes has only been asked in the 1st round maybe 2 or 3 times.
What DOES eliminates players from auditions:

Mendelssohn Scherzo: Unsteady tempo, articulation not clean, rushing
between the beat.
Beethoven 6, mvt.2: bad counting in rests or on long notes in solos.
Beethoven 6, mvt.1: (see Mendelssohn Scherzo)
Mozart Concerto: no musical line, unsteady tempo, nerves, playing with
practice room dynamics instead of concert hall dynamics.

I've never been to an audition that hasn't asked for the
Mendelssohn and Beethoven 6 in the 1st round.

I think that Daphnes is sometimes put on audition lists to scare
away the people that really shouldn't be there - the "I play pricipal in my
university orchestra so I must be realy for the CSO". I'm not saying don't
have DC II ready to be played. IMHO you can divide the players up at an
audition into thirds: 1/3 really shouldn't be there- they're not ready, 1/3
are getting their act together and do benefit from the experience, and 1/3
could equally well do the job - sorry only one winner!
Tone never counts till the final round. Most conductors are not
clarinetist and are only concerned that it sounds like a clarinet - it's
the truth, only we (clarinetist) are obsessed with tone (light, dark,
charcoal). The two main things (among others) that eliminate people are
bad rhythm and bad intonation. Other things are: small dynamic range, not
knowing the piece (correct tempo, style, etc), nerves, no musical line, bad
articulation, etc. As far as getting the right notes goes, if you can't
play the notes, don't go. Everyone there will have the notes down cold.
You're not in Kansas anymore Toto.

Dan

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Daniel A. Paprocki

Instructor of Clarinet
Kent State University - Stark Campus
Malone College

dap@-----.net

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