 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Joselito
Date: 2013-12-14 06:41
Hello,
Great to hear you are auditioning for one of the great youth orchestras in the country! I was a member back in the day and it was a joy to be around students who really cared. I think I was in the orchestra with Amy Zoloto, a fantastic clarinetist who now plays bass clarinet, I believe, in the Toronto Symphony.
As for the two contrasting pieces, I would suggest the first and second movements of the Mozart Concerto (you'll need an A clarinet.) The Erland Von Koch, Monolog #3 has two contrasting movements as well, and Stravinsky's Three Pieces is also pretty good. I would even say no. 1 of the Rose 32 etudes as well as no. 2. These are my suggestions, but the possibilities are endless!
I am not sure if current audition practices for this orchestra are behind a screen. You might want to double check. I know I played for the conductor face to face. Yikes!
Keep practicing your scales, arpeggios, tonguing, long tones, etc. to keep your fundamentals in check. Start off slow (mm=60) and work gradually up to tempo. And do so with a metronome and tuner. Slow methodical practice for difficult passages is the key to success (don't practice your mistakes!)
In addition, if you can check out a rehearsal that would be a great opportunity to hear the clarinet section as well as the orchestra. Do you have a private teacher? He or she would be able to further guide you in your quest. If not, David Tuttle (professional clarinetist in the Chicago area) and John Bruce Yeh (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) would be great to get in touch with. I studied with both of them and they are very knowledgeable.
Listen to recordings of the excerpts you will be playing. You need to hear how your part fits in with the orchestra. Make sure you have the proper clarinets available (Bb & A) for the excerpts/pieces and be prepared for sight reading. Be true to what the composer has written and follow the tempo and dynamic markings. If you don't understand some of the markings, reference a music dictionary or go online. Play for your conductors, non-music folks, and record yourself, if possible.
I know this is quite a bit of info and I hope some of the suggestions are useful. As long as you are prepared, you have nothing to fear. Have fun, stay humble, and practice, practice, practice!
Joselito
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2013-12-16 05:26
I'm one of many former principal clarinetists of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and Encore Chamber Orchestra. Before that I had spent two years in the CYSO's Concert Orchestra. CYSO was one of the most special organizations I was ever apart of. Alum of the organization carry great pride for being apart of it.
Congrats on getting principal clarinet in of the top three districts in the state is no easy task. Do it two more times and go on to all state honors orchestra!
There are few auditions I remember that I ever wanted so badly than to win entry in to the symphony orchestra. I worked long and hard. The repertoire I prepared was:
Weber 2 exposition
Scheherazade 2nd (and 3rd)*
Brahms 3rd Symphony 2nd Mvt
Mendelssohn Scherzo*
Asterisks are because I can't remember if was one or the other.
If your aim is for entry into the symphony orchestra, I'd highly recommend preparing the exposition of a concerto like Weber two. It was great in the fact that it wasn't Mozart, it sounds entertaining even without accompaniment, and it demonstrates technical facility in addition to musicality.
Enjoy everything that the Chicagoland area has to offer. It has some of the finest teachers, organizations to play in (and to listen to) and it is easy to find others whom will share your love and passion for music.
James Garcia
Bass Clarinet/Clarinet III, Des Moines Symphony Orchestra
Post Edited (2013-12-18 19:12)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-12-16 09:01
James -
Brahms 2nd Mvt of what? Symphony, Sonata, Quintet, Trio?
Ken Shaw
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Author: joe423
Date: 2013-12-17 15:54
I am actually a principal player in CYSO's Concert Orchestra right now. We just had our concert on Sunday actually. (Brahms 1 4th mov., Russian Easter, and Berlioz Roman Carnival) Send me an email if you want and I can fill you in on how the audition process works and give you some tips. Hope to see you there!
Email: joe423@comcast.net
1975 Buffet R13 Bb Clarinet
1968 Buffet R13 A Clarinet
Pyne Clarion Mouthpiece
Vandoren V12 3.5 Reeds
Vandoren Optimum Ligature
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