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 Preparing for a audition
Author: eduardo94 
Date:   2012-11-27 20:51

I have exactly 12 days to study for a orchestra audition.
I was studying alot (long notes, scales, arpejos and pieces, around 5 hours everyday) but i stopped one mouth because some problems.
I wanna recover my sound and technique. I have around 5 hours in day to study, so, whats your advice for me? I dont know if its better study scales and arpejos now, or just the piece and long notes?

And about the piece, i still dont know what piece is better to i play in the audition.
The orchestra has 3 vacancies, probably 5 clarinetist will apply for audition.
The clarinetist "A" will play Debussy Rhapsody (the audition is without piano), the clarinetist "B" will play Rossini introd. them and variations or Weber concerto N2, the clarinetist "C" will play Debussy Rhapsody or Weber concerto N2, and the clarinetist "D" will play Mozart concerto or Weber concerto N1.
I have 3 pieces that i can play: Mozart concerto, Weber concerto N2 and Debussy Rhapsody. But i dont know what is better to play, probably i will play just the two first pages, so i wanna show my sound, interpretation and technique.

I want alot join in this orchestra and i have just 12 days before audition, so please answer my question, any help is welcome!

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: cigleris 
Date:   2012-11-27 21:08

Eduardo94 wrote:

"i wanna show my sound, interpretation and technique."

If that's the case go with the Mozart. You can show all these in the first 4 bars.

Toi Toi

Peter Cigleris

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: crnichols 
Date:   2012-11-28 03:36

My suggestion is to continue a regular technical regimen as you describe above. In 5 hours of practice, you may find it challenging to productively work on only long tones and a single piece. I would continue mixing things up and take care of all aspects of your technique and musicianship. You certainly want to ensure you spend adequate time on your audition literature (and make this a priority), but you also want to keep yourself engaged during your practice.

In regard to literature selection, this is a fantastic opportunity to choose what you will play. I suggest that you select the work that you feel showcases your best attributes, which will require a bit of self examination. We all know and love these core works of the clarinet literature, but make sure you pick the one that represents YOUR clarinet playing and musicianship at its best.

An audition is a job interview...and you want to give them every reason to hire YOU.

Christopher Nichols, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor of Clarinet
University of Delaware

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: reed and MP dude 
Date:   2012-11-29 10:03

I'm not sure what the people will ask. My guess is they won't want to hear the whole pieces.

I'd think that they would want to hear slow movements for sound and the faster movements for the technique. Maybe 10 to 30 bars.

After hearing you play the Debussy Rhapsody you have the technique, but I question your understanding of the composer. As said before even the opening few measures of debussy you blew by these notes at least twice as fast as an F 16 jet! Yes I'm joking. Hopefully you listened to Sabine Myers recording of it. One of my favorites or perhaps my favorite that I've heard. It was so expressive and it wasn't played at 250 with the metronome. Just kidding here too. You did a very good job at the age of 18. This could work well for you.

I'd probably also go with Mozart. With the second slow movement think of a ballet performance. Slow and graceful. Every note counts. Watch for the crescendos and the de-cresendos. When you aren't sure what to do, as the notes go up the scale so does your sound. notes going down the same.

The first and 3rd movements need to sound very musical, not just a bunch of notes played as fast as you can. I heard you play fast and I would slow down the speeds of all 3 movements, knowing you can rush through pieces.

Forget about the metronome speeds thats on the Mozart sheet music. Also forget about tonguing, slur 2 tongue 2. The reason is he, Mozart, never wrote anything about these subjects. So you have a lot of liberty. I'd go back to playing musically. If you are off a few clicks on the metronome, based on your performance playing Debussy my guess is to lower the clicks on the metronome. Be over expressive with all 3 movements. Once again remember Mozart just wrote the notes. He didn't even put tempos or accents, not even the speeds of the movements. The first movement has somewhere around 112 for the speed written on the manuscript. 100 - 104 "Feels," right for me. 100 may be too slow, bepending on how close the metronome is set up.

So have fun. If you want to articulate the 16th note running scale parts of the 1st and 3rd thats OK, but not all of the time. People hearing you will know you can play fast. With Weber I wouldn't pust it, but surely show off you fast tonguing. I think it's a good showy piece.

OK last bit about practice. Don't ever, ever play more then 30 minutes. Research shows your brain needs a break. Walk away for 10 minutes or so, then dive back in. Your mind clears and you progress faster compared to 5 straight hours of practice.

Thats your homework. Post a sample a few days before you audition, for some extra professional help, if needed, just like you did with Debussy.

My guess from hearing you play you should get into the orchestra.

A and Bb r13's new.
Bb r13 1963 backup
Vandoren 56
Ciaccia custom mouthpiece
1.07mm facing amazing mouthpiece
2 Kaspers as spares

Post Edited (2012-11-29 10:09)

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: eduardo94 
Date:   2012-11-29 14:58

I think the Weber is out xD
My only doubt about Mozart is if the jury will think its "a easy piece" compared between Debussy, Rossini, Weber ...
I dont know if the Debussy "show better" my technique or if Mozart show my technique too and musicality.

Few days before my audition, i will post a video with my Mozart or Debussy!

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: Clarimeister 
Date:   2012-11-29 16:47

Personally, I don't think the Mozart is easy...

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: cigleris 
Date:   2012-11-29 17:33

Eduardo

If the jury think that the Mozart is "easy" then they should not be on the jury and give up music altogether!

I also wouldn't do what 'reed and MP dude' says regarding the Mozart, it's all tosh.

Be happy with what you decide and just perform.

Peter Cigleris

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: eduardo94 
Date:   2012-12-06 14:34

Ok, i decided play Mozart!

I recorded a video of me playing the concerto.

Watch the video and say what you think, you can be honest. My audition is next Tuesday, so criticism are welcome xD


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS5pNrZBDtk&feature=youtu.be

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: Ken Shaw 2017
Date:   2012-12-07 02:45

Sorry, but my advice is not to play the Mozart. It's nowhere near ready for presentation. As you work on it, you'll need to pay much more attention to exact rhythm, precise articulation and scale passages with well-matched notes.

You desperately need to work with a teacher who can point out problems and help you overcome them.

Ken Shaw

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: Jack Kissinger 
Date:   2012-12-07 04:06

Unless he's from Italy, where spaghetti and meatballs apparently are not served in the same course, just about every man alive thinks that he makes the world's best spaghetti and meatballs. (They are all wrong, of course, because I make the world's best... but that's another story.) Similarly, just about every serious clarinetist who plays classical music thinks s/he knows how the Mozart Concerto ought to go. It looks so innocent and simple there, sitting on the page. In truth, however, anyone who would attempt this mine field must make hundreds, if not thousands of decisions. Should I tongue, should I slur, should I tongue two, slur two or slur two, tongue two? Should I play a passage as written or drop certain notes an octave? Should I begin trills on the note or above the note (and should I always do the same thing). What tempo should I choose? Should I improvise ornaments or play exactly what I see on the page? What should I play for the eingangen? (I once had a noted clarinetist tell me that there is only one way to play the first movement eingang. I disagree, BTW, but I would be dead in the water if I had to audition the movement for him.) And so it goes. If there's a clarinetist on the audition committee, you'd better make the same decisions s/he would make or you'll be going home early. OK, some clarinetists are open-minded toward variations in interpretation as long as those variations are intelligent and the performance is polished. Are you willing to bet your audition that one of those will be on the committee? And you are still working just to get the notes.

In your recording, I heard some nice licks but I also heard some things you just can't do in public. Listen to Ken. Don't play the Mozart. IMO, your Debussy, with a few adjustments that others have suggested, stands a much better chance.

Best regards,
jnk

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 Re: Preparing for a audition
Author: Nessie1 
Date:   2012-12-07 08:11

You don't say what the audition is actually for but there has to be a reason why professional auditions virtually always specify the Mozart - make of that thought what you will!

Vanessa.

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