Klarinet Archive - Posting 000768.txt from 1997/10
From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: auditions
Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 08:40:21 -0400
Auditions
Some comments on the listings about auditions reveal what the writers
believe it is really like to audition.
To think that beginning of Daphnis is just a blurry wave is incorrect.
Albert Pratz, former member of the NBC orchestra told me, that
Toscannini used to subdivide the beat there, so that the instruments
could play it together in time. And these were good players.
Daphnis is not put in as an "eliminator" but as one of the technical
aspects of playing in an orchestra.
I remember reading a story about a private audition, where the clarinet
player had to play the Coq D'or three times in succession and got the
job. But that's not the way things are done.
One of the works omitted from the list was---the Mozart concerto.
That's usually the first thing a candidate has to play. With piano, of
course.
I've sat on audition committees where opinions of people varied greatly.
For instance, I would think that so-and-so played with a bright sound.
Reedy, or whatever. Other players would say"the auditionee played with a
dark sound" Or vice versa, when I thought that somebody had a dark
sound, they would say bright.
All in all, auditions were an agony to some of the auditors.
Firstly, we have to decide who is suitable and we don't always know.
The other thing we might think of, our not needing to do all this
ourselves.
>From year to year, auditions get tougher.
Generally speaking, anyone aspiring to be an orchestral player should
start looking at the excerpts NOW! It's no good waiting until close to
audition time.
I remember one pupil at the university coming with a pile of excerpts
for the university excerpt exam.
The pupil asked whether we could go through them. I asked, "when is the
audition".
"Tomorrow"! There was no way to cope with that whole pile of music in
one lesson.
For an audition there are many applicants. They are screened to begin
with.
When they choose whoever is going to be there, they allot a certain
amount of time for each one.
If the applicant can't hack it, they'll say, "thank you".
In the TSO, the personnel manager was always nice, gave the auditionees
some time to play a bit.
I've heard of other places where a few notes will bring a "thank you
"right away. (for lack of time)
I mentioned the Mozart, because in it, the auditors (hopefully) can
tell right away what they're dealing with. It's a tough business.
Avrahm Galper
Auditions
Some comments on the listings about auditions reveal what the writers
believe it is really like to audition.
To think that beginning of Daphnis is just a blurry wave is incorrect.
Albert Pratz, former member of the NBC orchestra told me, that
Toscannini used to subdivide the beat there, so that the instruments
could play it together in time. And these were good players.
Daphnis is not put in as an "eliminator" but as one of the technical
aspects of playing in an orchestra.
I remember reading a story about a private audition, where the clarinet
player had to play the Coq D'or three times in succession and got the
job. But that's not the way things are done.
One of the works omitted from the list was---the Mozart concerto.
That's usually the first thing a candidate has to play. With piano, of
course.
I've sat on audition committees where opinions of people varied greatly.
For instance, I would think that so-and-so played with a bright sound.
Reedy, or whatever. Other players would say"the auditionee played with a
dark sound" Or vice versa, when I thought that somebody had a dark
sound, they would say bright.
All in all, auditions were an agony to some of the auditors.
Firstly, we have to decide who is suitable and we don't always know.
The other thing we might think of, our not needing to do all this
ourselves.
>From year to year, auditions get tougher.
Generally speaking, anyone aspiring to be an orchestral player should
start looking at the excerpts NOW! It's no good waiting until close to
audition time.
I remember one pupil at the university coming with a pile of excerpts
for the university excerpt exam.
The pupil asked whether we could go through them. I asked, "when is the
audition".
"Tomorrow"! There was no way to cope with that whole pile of music in
one lesson.
For an audition there are many applicants. They are screened to begin
with.
When they choose whoever is going to be there, they allot a certain
amount of time for each one.
If the applicant can't hack it, they'll say, "thank you".
In the TSO, the personnel manager was always nice, gave the auditionees
some time to play a bit.
I've heard of other places where a few notes will bring a "thank you
"right away. (for lack of time)
I mentioned the Mozart, because in it, the auditors (hopefully) can
tell right away what they're dealing with. It's a tough business.
Avrahm Galper
Auditions
Some comments on the listings about auditions reveal what some writers
believe it is really like to audition.
To think that beginning of Daphnis is just a blurry wave is incorrect.
Albert Pratz, former member of the NBC orchestra told me, that
Toscannini used to subdivide the beat there, so that the instruments
could play it together in time. And these were good players.
Daphnis is not put in as an "eliminator" but as one of the technical
aspects of playing in an orchestra.
I remember reading a story about a private audition, where the clarinet
player had to play the Coq D'or three times in succession for the
conductor and got the job. But that's not the way things are done.
One of the works omitted from the list was---the Mozart concerto.
That's usually the first thing a candidate has to play. With piano, of
course.
I've sat on audition committees where opinions of people varied greatly.
For instance, I would think that so-and-so played with a bright sound.
Reedy, or whatever. Other players would say"the auditionee played with a
dark sound" Or vice versa, when I thought that somebody had a dark
sound, they would say bright.
All in all, auditions were an agony to some of the auditors.
Firstly, we have to decide who is suitable and we don't always know.
The other thing we might think of, our not needing to do all this
ourselves.
>From year to year, auditions get tougher.
Generally speaking, anyone aspiring to be an orchestral player should
start looking at the excerpts NOW! It's no good waiting until close to
audition time.
I remember one pupil at the university coming with a pile of excerpts
for the university excerpt exam.
The pupil asked whether we could go through them. I asked, "when is the
audition".
"Tomorrow"! There was no way to cope with that whole pile of music in
one lesson.
For an audition there are many applicants. They are screened to begin
with.
When they choose whoever is going to be there, they allot a certain
amount of time for each one.
If the applicant can't hack it, they'll say, "thank you".
In the TSO, the personnel manager was always nice, gave the auditionees
time to play.
I've heard of other places where a few notes will bring a "thank you
"right away. (for lack of time)
I mentioned the Mozart, because in it, the auditors (hopefully) can
tell right away what they're dealing with. It's a tough business.
Avrahm Galper
By the way-the trick in Daphnis of keeping the Db key open is a good
one. It can also be done by actually holding down the Left hand Db
during this passage.
