 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: sneakers
Date: 2001-09-14 23:33
Next month I will be playing the second movement of the Mozart concerto with our community orchestra. We rehearsed together for the first time last night and the tuning was rather excruciating along with problems of staying together. It wasn't just that I was out of tune with the orchestra, but the orchestra was not in tune with each other. What can I do to make the situation better? My A clarinet had been sitting for an hour while we rehearsed a piece using Bb clarinet. I know that clarinets get sharper as they get warmer, but what happens to the rest of the instruments in an orchestra? Should the orchestra tune to me? There appears to be a piano part, should we tune to the piano? I have a 64(mm?) barrel that I use with my Bb clarinet, should I use it with my A clarinet?
How can I help with the problem of staying together? The orchestra seemed to get faster and faster as the piece went along. How can I keep them at a slower tempo?
Hope these questions are not too stupid, but I have never played a solo with an orchestra before.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Pam
Date: 2001-09-15 00:35
Yes, the conductor, if there is one, should keep the orchestra with you. Your tempo can't wander either if you are accompanied by a group that size. Can you warm up both instruments a bit before the concert and then check the tuning of both when everybody does? Maybe you can learn to adjust a little as you play longer into the concert, as everybody should.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kyle Jubenville
Date: 2001-09-15 01:19
about staying together..well that will just come with more practice of you hearing the orchestra along with yourself..but, just as important, the orchestra hearing you as well. The more practices you have together the better you will be able to perform as ONE and you will know the quirks of the orchestra and how to adapt and they will learn yours as well.
You should get there early and warm up on both instruments but more specifically the A clarinet. Then Tune yourself to the Piano(just to be certain). then DON'T TOUCH IT...but be sure to warm your instrument and just keep a warm stream of air as much as you can before you play the song.
And yes when you are properly warmed up and in a "tuning" mood after you have tuned with the piano..the orchestra should tune to you..since you are the one being accompanied.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: susannah
Date: 2001-09-15 02:44
The mozart concerto?? there shouldn't be a piano part. Its way better just to use the original music. Talk to your conductor, but don't take on anything, (ie. tuning the orchestra, moving the tempo) yourself, and definately not before you've talked to him.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim
Date: 2001-09-15 04:29
If there is a piano, then all, including you must tune to the piano. Otherwise, the orchestra would tune to you, but local custom within the group often dictates tuning. In an orchestra, the concertmaster (1st chair violin) is usually given tuning responsibility before each section of the program.
Ideally, the orchestra would follow your tempo... But this requires both an able director (who is used to working with soloists,) and musicians who follow him/ her carefully. So in the real world, the best option often is to maintain a steady tempo, and to play the piece as close as possible to the same way each time so the group is able to become accostumed to your playing in rehearsal.
This is some of the most beautifully melodic music Mozart wrote (in my opinion, of course) easily as melodic as the best of his choral music like the "Ave Verum." Good luck, and have fun with it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-09-15 13:16
Sneakers -
An A clarinet needs a shorter barrel than a Bb. Usually, Bb barrels are 66 or 67 mm., while A barrels are 65. I use a 64 mm. barrel on my A, which gives me room to pull it out a little if necessary. It's hard to find a good 64 mm. barrel, though.
You should definitely try the 64 mm. barrel on your A. Sit with a tuner and listen really hard to the intonation. If it's not right, ask your teacher to borrow a barrel. You have to be in tune with yourself, even if the orchestra isn't. It will also help to practice with a pianist, playing the piano reduction. That will show you where you need to adjust.
As the soloist, it's definitely OK to speak with the conductor about intonation. You have to be diplomatic, though. Don't say "They're out of tune." Ask "What can we do to improve the intonation? Is mine OK?" etc.
You can also get together with the concertmaster and ask to play a couple of passages together, to see how to adjust. The key is to ask what you can do to help yourself, not what other people can do for you. They'll catch on fine.
You really need to get your A clarinet warm before you play. Put at least the barrel under your arm or in your waistband. Wrap the instrument in a baby blanket or a large towel, make friends with the tuba player or a percussionist who's not playing the preceding piece and have that person warm it up for you.
It's the conductor's job to keep the tempo even. Again, be diplomatic and say something like "I'm feeling rushed toward the end. Can you help me get some breathing room?"
The first couple of times through, you need to hold back on nuances. Be really metronomic about landing exactly on each beat, no matter what you do in between. Once you and the orchestra get that down, then you can take a little freedom.
You probably learned the part alone, in a practice room. It's a very different thing to play it with a piano, let alone an orchestra. You need to let the orchestra carry you in its arms -- you can't do it all yourself. When you're not playing, you need to put yourself in as part of the orchestra, singing (silently) along. When the solo part comes, you need to do 2 things -- be the soloist, but also be part of the solo-and-orchestra as a whole. As you've found, this is very different from practicing alone. It's not easy, but it's absolutely possible, and it's the next big step to becoming a better player.
Courage! Great things are happening. I wish I could hear your performance.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2001-09-15 14:00
Hi Sneakers,
I agree with everything Ken says. Some additional thoughts:
As you probably know, in a professional orchestra, the normal expectation is that the orchestra will follow the soloist. As you are finding out, however, in many (recreational) community orchestras, this expectation does not hold, particularly if you don't have an outstanding conductor. You need to know your part, the orchestral accompaniment and how the parts fit together so well that you can compensate if the orchestra gets out of sync.
Go to:
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Music/Seely.html
and download the midi version of the Mozart. Whether you intend to use music or not, memorize your part and play along with the midi accompaniment until you can hear it in your sleep. If you have a music notation program, you can mute the solo part. (I think Oliver's version has the solo part in.) If you don't have a notation program, let me know and I will e-mail you an accompaniment without the solo part. (BTW, I think this is infinitely better than music minus one.)
At the performance, before you put the mouthpiece on your A clarinet, warm the outside a little with your hands and blow some warm air through the barrel to help warm the instrument. Depending on the venue, perhaps you can leave the stage with the conductor following the piece right before yours, take a minute or two to do the warming up procedure offstage and then make an entrance with the conductor.
Certainly, the orchestra should tune before this piece. If you are using a piano to fill in missing parts, the piano should give the tuning note. I think normal convention would be for the piano (oboe, if no piano) to tune the concertmaster and the concertmaster to tune the orchestra while you are still offstage. You can tune (quietly) offstage while this is going on and then again onstage to the piano (oboe). Or, if that isn't working, you can tune to the piano (oboe) when you come onstage and then tune the orchestra, yourself (hey, it's a community orchestra and having everybody in tune is more important than following formal conventions.)
Best of luck with the performance. Relax and have fun!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
