 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clariphant in Bb
Date: 2007-07-14 03:43
With college auditions being soon (well, kind of soon), I need to finalize what exactly I'm going to play. I've already taken care of the specific scales/etudes requirements of the various schools I'm looking at (mostly liberal arts schools), and I'm now to the point of picking pieces of contrasting styles and period (basically technical/lyrical and old/new). My private teacher has recommended to me that I play these two pieces: Mozart Concerto Mvt. I and Hindemith Sonata Mvt. III. I greatly enjoy both of these pieces and have already worked on them quite a bit, so if they are suitable choices, I will happily use them. Ignoring for a moment the fact that "everyone" plays the Mozart (and few play it well, etc...), I'm concerned about how well these pieces match the criteria. Namely, how "technical" is the first movement of the mozart? My teacher insists that it is a great piece to show off technique, because it doesn't "hide your mistakes" like some other works can. I am tonguing a lot of the slurred parts in the Schirmer edition I have, so lack of tongued passages is not an issue. The rhythms aren't the most complicated, but I suppose that's made up for somewhat by the rhythms in the Hindemith. That was long....... anyway:
Let's suppose for a minute that I am able to play both of these pieces perfectly, and I am not too generous with the articulations or slow with the tempo (probably 120-130) in the Mozart. Would they be acceptable, contrasting pieces? I have other technical works that I could choose, but I've worked on the Mozart first movement more (and more recently) than the others.
***The reason I'm using the Hindemith is because it's the District/Regional band audition this year, so using it means I don't have to add another thing to my plate. If I replace it, I'll still have to learn it for Districts anyway, and, obviously, I wouldn't be able to practice each piece as much.
Thanks for reading all of that! I await your reply.
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Author: 2E
Date: 2007-07-14 03:53
Those two pieces would make fine contrasting works for an audition. When I did my conservatory audition I played the first mvt of Webers 2nd (technical) and the first mvt of Poulencs Sonata (lyrical) and they were fine. Also look at a few studies, most of the Rose Etudes are great unaccompanied works of music in their own right. Good luck! 2E
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Author: Clariphant in Bb
Date: 2007-07-14 03:56
Thanks for the quick response!
I am indeed looking at the Rose Etudes as well. I know at least one of the college I'm looking at specifically asks for a Rose etude in addition to the contrasting pieces.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-07-15 01:31
"My teacher insists that it is a great piece to show off technique, because it doesn't "hide your mistakes" like some other works can."
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That's possibly not a positive point........... The Mozart is really, really hard to play really, really well. It's like a clear plate of glass - any smudges show very clearly. Not sure if it's possible, but you may want to talk to current students and ask if the teacher has any pieces that they "hate to hear yet again".
I remember one of the Indiana Univ. teachers saying that he hates hearing the Poulenc played so often (and so badly).
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: claritoot26
Date: 2007-07-16 18:53
Mozart first movement is the first thing judges will hear in any professional audition, so preparing it for college audition will be good practice. Your tempo is a good ballpark figure. You say the rhythm isn't complicated, which is true, but I think that's one of the things that makes it tricky. It's hard to play it rhythmically accurate all the way through. Lots of ties connected to sixteenth notes, etc. Try to hear the underlying bubbly bouncy rhthm of the orchestra in your head as you play, and use the metronome frequently. I'd say the technical level is plenty difficult enough. IT is a grade 6 piece.
Hindemith IIIrd movement is also fine, if you like it and play it well. If you want to try a different modern piece, try Bernstein sonata, Debussy Rhapsodie, or Copland Concerto. (Debussy and Copland are pretty hard, though...Copland requires a lot of control with wide interval leaps.)
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2007-07-16 21:06
I think you're on the track to making excellent choices.
Since you're preparing to take the next step in your life to college, you're going to be nervous at your audition, and it's important to feel very comfortable with the music you're going to perform.
This will be a first impression, so you want to play your best. I think that using music you know well would be an intelligent choice for you.
Good luck!
Christopher Nichols, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor of Clarinet
University of Delaware
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