Klarinet Archive - Posting 001238.txt from 1999/04

From: Jeff Chan <Jeff.Chan@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Performance Preparation
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 20:24:11 -0400

Fellow Clarinetters,

I'd like to start a discussion regarding preparation for performance.

My question revolves around the different methods of rehearsing for
performances and the depth of preparation. For a recent chamber music
performance, in which I participated, two different groups were going to
perform. There were distinct differences in the length of rehearsals
and the depth of study of the music to be performed among the groups.

One group was a woodwind quintet which was going to play a Taffanel
woodwind quintet. This group met weekly for about three months and
rehearsed the quintet for about one hour each rehearsal, then sight read
other music for another hour. The one hour was all that some members of
the quintet could stand to rehearse that particular piece. It seemed
like the members of the group were satisfied if there were no major
crashes during any one run-through. They did not seem to want to work
in very much depth on rubato or other musical issues.

The other group was a piano quartet (violin, viola, cello, piano) which
was to play a quartet by Brahms. They also met weekly for five months,
rehearsed the Brahms for two hours each time, and scheduled coaching
sessions with a teacher from a local conservatory. Each rehearsal
consisted of intense playing and discussions about individual phrases,
playing styles, etc. This group seemed intent on trying to communicate
to the audience as much as possible about the music.

My question is this -- Does my experience with these two groups, one a
woodwind group, the other a string group, match the experiences of other
members of this list? I sometimes wonder if string players, as a group,
rehearse more intently then woodwind players, at least in chamber music
settings. I realize that the last sentence involves a great generality,
but I would like some discussion on this topic. If I've been long
winded, I apologize, but I couldn't think of any shorter way to describe
my premise and concerns.

Jeff Chan
jeff.chan@-----.com

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