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 how long to learn a piece?
Author: J-MB 
Date:   2017-06-17 19:43

i was wondering if from now to early september would be enough time to learn Weber Concerto 1/Adagio Tarantella/Rabaud Solo De Concours. i was thinking of doing one of these for my upcoming symphony audition in the fall as well as a local wind symphony. So my question is, which one would be easiest to learn in this time frame?

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: ClarinetRobt 
Date:   2017-06-17 21:23

Just to be a traditionalist, sometimes if you have a choice other than the Mozart Concerto for a symphony audition, you can play the first movement of Weber No2 or perhaps the third movement of No 1 (recitative and polacca).
If you don't have to prepare the entire concerto, I'd vote for the later...recitative and polacca. That'll give some slow lyrical music and the last page of of the polacca is impressive sounding.
Go break a reed! Best of luck!

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: kdk 
Date:   2017-06-17 21:59

Is this a college audition or high school? Is the local wind symphony an adult group or a student group? (If you're in high school) are you also preparing for a state MEA audition?

Which would be "easiest to learn" by early September is one of those questions you'd be best qualified to answer for yourself. We don't know your playing or your practice ethic. None of them would, on a superficial level, be "easy" to learn. It depends on how skilled you are to begin with and how much time you dedicate to it.

If you were also preparing, as an example, for a Penna. MEA district audition in late November to early December (depending on the district), you'd be preparing the Cavallini Adagio and Tarantella anyway, so maybe you'd want to use that to get the most mileage on it that you can. Likewise for any other state MEA audition that uses one of the three you mentioned or another comparable piece. Otherwise, with a clear field to choose anything you want, you should quickly become familiar with all the candidates (listen to them, read through them) and pick the one you like best. They'll all sound flashy. They all have opportunities for more lyrical, expressive playing. They'll all need to be practiced carefully. You'll learn something from each of them.

Karl

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: Wes 
Date:   2017-06-17 23:41

I recall learning that Rabaud piece when I was in college. It was assigned at the beginning of the quarter and was played at the exam at the end of the quarter. The teacher was the late Earl Handlon of the Minneapolis Symphony.

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: J-MB 
Date:   2017-06-18 04:18

it’s high school, and no adults. it isn’t for an mea it’s completely independent. all it says is a piece that has contrast.

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: WhitePlainsDave 
Date:   2017-06-18 05:14

What do you already know? A contrasting piece, like you point out, might be best.

Do you know what the symphony that your auditioning for might like? Who sits on the review committee?

What parts of the skillset of clarinet playing are your strong and your weaker attributes?

Which of these piece do you like, figuring your apt, all else equal, to work on what you like?

IMHO, the Ribaud Solo de Concurs (not the Messager!) leaves you with the most flexibility to make, with tempo and interpretation, a window of harder or easier play, not to imply that any of these pieces are easy.



Post Edited (2017-06-18 05:15)

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: J-MB 
Date:   2017-06-18 06:53

i have a really nice sound and my technique is good. i jus have trouble with articulation and tounging speed. the conductor doesn’t really have a preference which is whom sits on the auditions

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: Cappuccino 
Date:   2017-06-18 07:23

That is plenty of time if you practice consistently.

Weber 1 is the most difficult of the three.

Alexander May
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFZta2RG4iM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh8O5DC4Tqs

"Looking at art, you're looking at the result of a philosophy." - John Emmett

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: Hank Lehrer 
Date:   2017-06-18 16:10

J-MB,

Perhaps you could use one of the etudes in the Thirty-Two Etudes by Rose. Look at #9 and #10. You have some nice technical passages, a contrasting mid-section, varied dynamics, opportunities to be a little bravura, etc.

Don't overthink what is needed for a high school orchestra audition. Pick something that is within your grasp and work it to perfection. Sometimes, simple can actually be more.

HRL

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: ClarinetRobt 
Date:   2017-06-18 19:29

"all it says is a piece that has contrast"

This seems pretty open to me then. Hank might have a great suggestion with an etude, maybe two different ones. I still vote for Weber I, Recitative and Polacca...perhaps only preparing parts of the third movement (if you got the fingers, definitely do the last page)..as time allows.

I get the odd feeling at the audition, you're going to tell them what you're playing and they'll gladly listen to what you offer. I've been in similar situations with vague outlines for audition music. It usually seems, at the end of the day, no one really cared what I played, they just wanted to hear something performed.

Suffice to say, pick something that's challenging and will move your playing forward, but you want always show off your best attributes.

~Robt L Schwebel
Mthpc: Behn Vintage
Lig: Ishimori, Behn Delrin
Reed: Legere French Cut 3.75/4, Behn Brio 4
Horns: Uebel Superior (Bb,A), Ridenour Lyrique, Buffet R13 (Eb)

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: WhitePlainsDave 
Date:   2017-06-18 20:17

"I have a really nice sound and my technique is good. i jus have trouble with articulation and tounging speed."

Thanks for sharing. I don't doubt your statements, likely ones others have told you, such that you've reduced self bias.

Assuming you were trying for all movements on Weber 1, the 3rd, as you might know, features a lot of articulation--so maybe of those you have suggested as pieces, it might not be the best for you.

I like what Robert said above about contrasting pieces. To my mind, there, like Robert points out, is a large window of interpretation here as to what constitutes "contrasting" that is larger, the more introductory the orchestra is, IMHO.

In light of your contributions as to your skill set, I stand, even more firmly with the Ribaud work: not that I mean to imply that any of the three, or others, as long as acceptable to the audition committee, should be bad. Better though to play an easier piece you can manage, than one only a true virtuoso can handle, that you (I, anyone not superhuman at clarinet) only can muddle through.

As Hank points out, that I'll further touch upon, if a clarinetist sits on your panel, they're likely to be very familiar with one of the classic etude studies--which can be a good thing if you have done your homework to create the best version of it that you are capable of.

Some suggest we play best that we like. What pieces, all else equal, do YOU like, either of your list, or outside it, otherwise acceptable to the committee?


As to your September time frame, while this is useful information, it is also hugely limited (no offense intended) for any of us to make comment on as to your ability to be prepared. I will share with you though the questions many of us would ask ourselves?

At what level is your current skillset. What etude books, how successfully, and what solos do you already perform?

How well do you perform them?

How much time during the Summer do you have to work on this? What other time and/or energy consuming tasks also take priority with you?

What is it about your articulation that makes it not your strong suit as a player? Some things are easier corrected than others.

Who, if anyone, are you studying with--and what is their degree of proficiency?

How "hungry" are you for this? And this is NOT to imply that more hungry is "better." You may prefer a more relaxed summer than orchestra entry, and none of us should judge that: just facilitate that which is YOUR goal.



Post Edited (2017-06-18 20:26)

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: J-MB 
Date:   2017-06-18 23:55

I’m currently doing the Rubak Advanced 2, And i have all successfully have done, Stamitz Concerto 3, Movement 1, JeanJean Arabesuqe, And Weber Concertino. I really want this orchestra. and it says it has to be a solo not etudes. so again, this limits me to just doing a solo piece.

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: J-MB 
Date:   2017-06-18 23:58

Well, i rather not say who i study with, for their privacy, but my teacher has produced principal players in all state and regional ensembles. they have told me that the solo i do is 100% my choice.

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: kdk 
Date:   2017-06-19 05:16

You are the only one in this discussion who knows your skill level. Taking you at your word that your weakest technical area is in articulation, the Rabaud is the least difficult in that respect. Weber wrote many unarticulated passages to which subsequent editors have added articulations freely, but you can't play everything slurred. The difficulty of the Cavallini depends a lot on which editor's tempos you use. The three editions I own have the Tarantella dotted quarter marked from 126 to 160.

But beyond the articulation, they are three different styles, and your preference may be the difference between practicing your choice carefully and not. So my advice is to pick one and then do your best. And don't take too long to decide. Delaying a decision will use up practice time you'll need regardless of which you choose.

Karl

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 Re: how long to learn a piece?
Author: Tony F 
Date:   2017-06-19 10:25

Articulation is probably one of the easiest things to improve, at least in my experience. You only have to know what you want it to sound like and then play it that way. Practice until it does. If you improve your articulation you'll considerably expand your choices.

Tony F.

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