 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: fantasmacantos
Date: 2013-07-09 17:57
Juilliard:
Major and minor scales and arpeggios through four sharps and four flats
Two contrasting solos or etudes
Sample Repertoire: Guilhaud First Concertino; Mozart Waltz Fantasy; selection from Rose 32 Etudes for Clarinet; selection from Rubank Method for Clarinet
Curtis:
the Mozart clarinet concerto
two contrasting pieces from the Rose Thirty-two Études
a prepared piece of the applicant’s choice
a 20th-century piece of the applicant's choice
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-07-10 00:49
Jason -
Every Curtis and Juilliard applicant can toss off the Nielsen Concerto or even the Corgliano Concerto as if it were a C major scale, one note per beat at 60.
The audition committee sweats the "easy" stuff. In your first lesson, Leon Russianoff would demand a C major scale at 60 without even the slightest unevenness. Nobody could come close. Daniel Bonade would spend the entire first semester on the first two bars of the Rose 40 #1. If you couldn't master it by then, he gently told you to get lost, because you were wasting his time. Other, more talented students needed his time much more than you did.
I went to Interlochen in 1958 at the age of 15, a whale in the swimming pool of my home town. I was absolutely certain that I would succeed Robert McGinnis as principal in the New York Philharmonic and play on TV in Lennie's Young People's Concerts. Needless to say, I got the stuffing knocked out of me on the first day.
Keith Stein put me through hell on the passage (not even a solo) in the Beethoven 3rd Scherzo. Go to http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.3,_Op.55_%28Beethoven,_Ludwig_van%29 and then to the top of p. 3 in the scherzo score. I played it at every lesson for eight weeks, and all he said was "not good," "uneven" and "lighter articulation."
And, oh yes, the ghosts of Larry Combs and Gene Zoro (from the summer before in 1957) and the supernova of Stanley Drucker quickly showed me how naive I'd been about the NY Phil.
A few years later, as a young adult, I started practicing six hours a day and went to Kalmen Opperman. He told me the same thing. Six hours a day isn't nearly enough. The clarinet is a jealous mistress, who will barely accept 24 a day and wants 25. "Your friends are worse than your enemies. You want to spend time with them, but that time belongs to more dedicated people. Give the clarinet and me your whole life, and you may make it. Otherwise, let me continue my life's work, training the next generation of great players."
THAT's what it's all about.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2013-07-10 04:38
Just audition what you think is going to please the committee. Don't listen to people that try to scare you off. Be musical to the best of your ability and they'll love you.
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2013-07-10 13:13
For me it was quite direct and decisive. George Silfies was my friend and fellow clarinet player in high school. I sat next to him. So, I went to an engineering college and played as an amateur for the next 70 years.
richard smith
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Author: antaresclar
Date: 2013-07-10 13:15
I am sorry but Juilliard does not ask for things from the Rubank method. Perhaps those are the pre-college audition requirements. The college requirements are:
Major and minor scales.
Two etudes showing the applicant’s level of technical and musical ability.
At least one major solo of the applicant’s choice. Must be performed from memory.
A representative number of standard orchestral excerpts.
GZ.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-07-10 13:37
Thanks for the clarification -- I was having a hard time trying to resolve that little bit there. Rubank Etudes? Juilliard? Really? No.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Danny Boy
Date: 2013-07-10 14:21
I'm with Clarimeister. A lot of nonsense is talked about these auditions. You are exhibiting your potential.
What you choose to play is almost irrelevant, because it is impossible to know exactly what is being sought by each member of an audition panel. There may well be a number of things that you'd never expect.
Practising 29 hours a day, spending another 4 working on reeds and designing your own prototype fingering system in your spare time certainly wouldn't impress any of the teachers I've ever worked with, nor would the absence of this result in being dismissed from their teaching. Show enthusiasm, willingness to learn and reliability. After that try and show yourself in your best light - you'll spend a significant period of time with these people so they need to know that when they've rushed through rush hour traffic from a rehearsal specifically to teach your lesson you'll be there on time, ready to learn and quite possibly have got the coffees in.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-07-10 15:53
"you'll spend a significant period of time with these people so they need to know that when they've rushed through rush hour traffic from a rehearsal specifically to teach your lesson you'll be there on time, ready to learn and quite possibly have got the coffees in."
If you think you're in the caliber to compete for these schools, do yourself a favor and do what you have to do to arrange a lesson with the clarinet faculty.
You may discover that although you could be accepted to the school the fit between you and instructor isn't great. If you're not going to get along with the instructor you can't commit four years to that school.
Fit between teacher/student is important for some and irrelevant for others.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2013-07-10 16:45
David and James bring up a perhaps interesting side issue to this thread. Juilliard's clarinet faculty list includes six teachers. Curtis traditionally has had one teacher for each non-string instrument, often (but not always) the principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra, but I know in the case of the clarinet class that both Montanaro and Morales, retired principal and current principal in Philadelphia, are teaching students there.
I don't think Juilliard has a limit on admissions for a given instrument, so it may be that potential Juilliard entries are competing against a standard rather than each other. If that's the case (I have no background there, so may completely misunderstand their process), it may not matter which teacher you go to in preparation - they're all excellent players and perhaps you just pick one who by reputation may be the best fit for your own learning style and playing preferences. But Curtis limits its classes of orchestral instruments to the number of players needed to populate its orchestra - I think 5 of each woodwind. So auditionees are definitely competing with each other and it's assumed that anyone auditioning there can meet their minimum standards, which then become moot.
James, if a student were to pursue the idea of trying to "arrange a lesson with the clarinet faculty" or even a series of sessions - which I think is a good idea if it can be worked out, which teacher should he try to contact?
Karl
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-07-10 17:48
You can be sure that your competitors will be 100% comfortable in every major and minor key. Be prepared to open Baermann III at random and play any exercise at random.
Rhythm is much more important than finger speed.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-07-10 17:49
I'm in complete agreement with David on this -- I think that being able to arrange a lesson is a long shot. I wrote "do what you have to do to arrange"...I was thinking contact them now with an eye towards arranging anything you can between now and Nov/Dec, auditions for most schools being Jan/Feb/March.
Another option -- find out what masterclass schedule, if any, they are teaching in the fall and attempt to attend the classes. Better still -- figure out how to perform in the masterclass (again, a long shot).
Karl -- who should he contact? I think that depends on Jason (OP) and his goals. If he's simply attempting to determine if he's on that level -- any of them could, in theory, provide that insight.
Better than that: What does Jason think his career path is? Looking at that list you have several performers who "mostly" orchestral/opera musicians or soloists. I know that the distinction I'm stating is not really correct -- they're all orchestral and soloists -- but nonetheless it's a starting point.
Alternatively: does Jason already believe that his playing falls "in line" (another dubious evaluation) with one of them? Does one of them have a reputation for being an excellent instructor?
You could certainly find more questions to guide you through this.
Realistically, however, it's really a matter of whether any of them can provide him the time.
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-07-10 17:54
...although if I may...
Jason -- a quick google search of your name shows up that you were first RI all-state clarinet AND bassoon?
Really? Do you consider yourself a clarinetist first, bassoonist second?
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-07-16 00:06
I'm certain many of the BB contributors would look forward to hearing any video you had to offer!
My question about bassoon was a serious one -- the field of bassoonists just isn't anywhere near as large as that of clarinetists. But if you are a clarinetist first and a bassoonist second you have to go with the voice that you feel is yours.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: hartt
Date: 2013-07-16 04:44
Regarding Ken Shaw's comments: he's dead on about Leon and Kal and Gene's ability.
Kal openly verbalized his expectations / demands of a student.
Gene Zoro was a monster of a player. Reserved, quiet and flawless playing. His teaching was more on the "quiet" side but equally demanding.
Leon;.....yes, he was a rhythm fanatic (many know why as it's been written here and in THE CLARINET).
At the time.....mid 60's, Leon used the Pendulum metronome sitting atop the piano. Invariably, he would stop a student at or before open G and tell them they could not count.
Responses ranged from: what do you mean, to, I thought it was even on to a sheepish 'Oh'.
When I would leave a lesson, the single pouchette case was tucked under my arm as my fingers and forearm muscles ached too much to hold the handle.
I would J walk across the street to the old Metropole café for a draft and reflect on the beating I just got..........and paid $65 to get it (1965-68)
I smile when thinking back to those days and times.
dennis
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