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 Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Bob Phillips 
Date:   2006-03-05 03:31

I just witnessed four young women playing bassoon in a master class over at Eastern Washington University. The teacher was Francine Peterson, who is the principal for the Seattle Symphony, and several other orchestras, chamber groups --and who claims to work 7-days a week, carring 82 students.

The first player was about to graduate with a degree in Bassoon Performance and head off to grad school in the fall. She played the Mozart Basson Concerto masterfully. Great phrasing, proper dynamics and apparently flawless execution. THEN, Ms. Peterson made some points: The concerto is in Common time, often taken as 4/4. She suggested that we think of the piece as being in 2/2. This change of perspective dramatically altered the player's execution of the piece. Further coaching produced more colorful dynamics (louder crescendos, particularly) and extended releases --like an em-dash or slurping a single strand of spaghetti.

Ms. Peterson noted that the player was counting the rests and pointed out that is absolutely necessary. She said that the judges are reading the music and counting, too. Further, players from other sections are imagining their parts as the auditioner plays --and will notice immediately if the soloist interrupts the flow of their part by entering early or late.

Next up was an even more dynamic player doing (the bassoon part only) of an absolutely awesome duo for piano and bassoon. A very dramatic piece. Ms. Peterson, once again encouraged more dramatic colorings. This player seemed calm as ice cream, but raised her shoulders in self-disgust when missing a note in a complex riff. Ms. Peterson admonished her for that, explaining that the notes actually played probably made good sense in the context of the piece and would go unnoticed (particularly in a litle known piece like this one). (Later the performer told me that her habitual treatment of slips is to stop, raise her shoulders and loll her tongue out of her mouth.)

The increased playing confidence, "exaggeration" of the piece's dynamics, careful releases and bigger accents took very competent playing to a simply stunning performance.

Next up was a player who undertook a similarly (very) difficult set of jazz variations. Superb technhique brilliant playing. Ms. Peterson's stopped to make some comments about a-capella playing. She said that, when done well, they will go home with the audience as favorites. BUT, it is difficult to get your message over to the listeners without a rythmic and harmonic accompaniment. Therefore, Ms. Peterson says that the player must transfer the rythms to the audience. She first had the student re-play the first few bars and challenged the audience to recognize the rythms. We didn't get it!

Then, she had the player exaggerate the pulse; and the whole thing clarified. Once again, Ms. Peterson encouraged the performer to do more with the dynamics, and that helped greatly. The composer's markings were sparse, so Ms. Peterson gave some hints for picking dynamic levels. One hint: when the composer marks something new (e.g. grazioso), its a signal to the player to bring out the start of the phrase. She suggested coming up to mf in honor of something new.

The final masters' class student was a 9th grader with only 2-years in the bassoon camp. She was recruited to play the school's new bassoon from the clarinet section. After agreeing to take over the instrument, she went home and "bassoon" to find out what it was/is. She is starting now for next year's All-whatever orchestra auditions. This young woman, being 7 or 8 years behind the others still had a full and impressive tone quality. Whe was working toward mm 1/4 = 152 from a playing capability of 96 or so.

Ms. Peterson took time out to explain what students should be concious of in learning to play and making audition tapes. She said: Rythm first, phrasing second, then tone (probably not reliabley reproduced on the student's recording equipment anyway).

Ms. Peterson took the student back through the piece pointing out weak phrasing --particularly mild accents that should be forceful.

All four of these students have the impression of being in control and not nervous, but all claimed to have performance nerves.

It is clear that all benefited greatly from the good advice of a seasoned player. We, in the audience, benefitted, too; but the real action was on the hot seat up front in the classroom

Bob Phillips

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Tyler 
Date:   2006-03-05 03:47

Thank you; a great reminder that all musical learning opportunities, whether clarinet-related or not, can be beneficial to us as musicians.

-Tyler

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: allencole 
Date:   2006-03-05 07:42

Thanks for your meticulous reporting of the clinician's advice. So often, we get mired down in the specifics of the instrument it self, and need great pedagogues to return us to the realities of live performance. Bravo to this lady who has her priorities so well in order!

Allen Cole

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Ken Shaw 2017
Date:   2006-03-05 14:27

Bob -

Really excellent report, with plenty of material for clarinetists. I wish I could have been there, but you make me feel as if I was.

Ken Shaw

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Bob Phillips 
Date:   2006-03-05 15:14

It slipped my mind, but:

The master class teacher had nothing to say about making notes on the bassoon. No alternate fingerings, no airstream, embochure coaching. Each of the students demonstrated good technique, and a few random notes were missed, but these young women could play the instrument.

I love the bassoon and spent my senior year of high school with one, so I know that it is a demanding instrument --at least as difficult to play as the clarinet (or maybe a basset horn with all those keys for the thumbs.)

The focus was completely on interpretation.

Bob Phillips

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: hartt 
Date:   2006-03-05 17:22

Yes. Bob, THANK YOU ! Excellent

This could apply to any instrument. The keynote of improving phrasing: dynamics, accents, extended releases, coloring and markings......overall execution.

Due to a mild stroke, I rely heavily on other instrumets 'coming in' and mark my music accordingly: it greatly helps with my counting during longish rests.

Thanks again for your effort.

dennis

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: DaveF 
Date:   2006-03-06 05:12

The master class clinician mentioned here, Francine Peterson is not one of the Seattle Symphony bassoonists, but a freelance player in the area, on faculty at Western Washington University, but is mainly involved with her enormous studio of students........literally every serious young player in the Puget Sound area. As a coach of the Seattle Youth Symphony, she also goes to many, many schools in the area teaching bassoon for the Youth Symphony's Endangered Instrument Program. She and the horn coach have stimulated incredible interest in these instruments in the schools here, and have instructed many great players. Hats off to Francine, who I have no doubt works 7 days a week. Last year her two top HS seniors had their choice of conservatories who all wanted them, and both entered Oberlin.

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Bob Phillips 
Date:   2006-03-06 15:09

Dave,
Thanks for the correction. In the informal environment of BASSOONarama, I assume-d.

Incredibly, she finds use for Frank Sinatra.

Bob Phillips

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: crnichols 
Date:   2006-03-06 15:15

One of my coaches, Doriot Anthony Dwyer, had some interesting things to say about Frank Sinatra, and she incorporated something she noticed about his performances in her playing. Before she assumed her position with the Boston Symphony, she did a great deal of back-up orchestra freelance work in the Los Angeles area in addition to her work with the LA Philharmonic. She said that every night he sang everything differently, making it exciting and spontaneous, so she aspired to do this in her flute playing. What did Ms. Peterson have to say about him?
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Terry Stibal 
Date:   2006-03-06 16:39

While Frank was a bit weak in some of the "pure" musical areas (particularly in range and timbre of his "instrument"), he more than made up for it in the phrasing ("timing") of what he did.

"Late Sinatra" is different than "early Sinatra". As Frank aged, you can hear the added "support" in his backing arrangements. As time went by, it was less and less "Ringa ding-ding" and more and more Nelson Riddle that made the Sinatra franchise a continuing success.

Last Saturday, we (my group) worked up a late in his life Sinatra arrangement (Nelson Riddle again) of Love And Marriage, nowadays also known as "The theme from Married, With Children. Unlike many of the early arrangements, I was struck by how many "musical tricks" were included in the background to make up for what was (in the final analysis) a very mediocre vocal line.

But, you can't fault Frank for keeping on in the one line of work at which he was an unqualified success.

leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Grant 
Date:   2006-03-06 23:29

The great Bud Herseth who retired after decades as principal trumpet for Chicago Symphony lists Frank as a major influence in his playing.


Peace on Earth and May You always have a reed that PLAYS.

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 Re: Master Class: Take the heat
Author: Bob Phillips 
Date:   2006-03-07 00:36

OK, Chris, but first, a story.

When I lived in the Detroit area, I had access to CBC Radio 1. It supports the classical music listener, while CBC Radio 2 seems to have more contemporary stuff.

On April Fools, day a few years ago, Radio 1 had a special broadcast supporting a new-on-the-scene soprano that they promised would knock the listeners' socks off. Much hyperbole was devoted to this upcoming splash leading up the actual broadcast.

I, and thousands (millions) of others tuned in to hear this prodigy's debut. SHE ABSOLUTELY SUCKED --a parody of musicianship. Afterwards, the announcers held a discussion of her performance. Amongst her credentials was her degree in vocal performance from the Frank Sinatra School of Music! I laughed my head off.

NOW,
Ms. Peterson said that Frank Sinatra is so "laid back" that he's about as far behind the rhythm line as it is possible to be --an example of retarding without slowing the tempo! She said that one of her bassoon students, during his audition at Julliard was stopped by the judge and told to "lay back" on a phrase. The student said, "You mean like Frank Sinatra?" The kid got in!

Personally, whenever Old Blue Eyes comes into my ears, I instinctively hit the mute button. On the other hand, I'll turn up the volume for Acker Bilk and stop what I'm doing and sit down for Emma Johnson.

Bob Phillips

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