Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2018-03-06 02:46
Hi Philip,
I am delighted by your fascination. Thanks for taking time to explore.
And here is a thought to add difficulty to the already difficult nature of the etude. Try playing it slow. Perhaps the 8th note = 72.
In a conversation with my dear friend Ronnie Reuben, I remember him recalling his frustration with the famous conductor Ormandy. When the Philadelphia orchestra played Bolero, Ormandy liked to do it at a very slow tempo of 52 beats per minute.
Yikes, that makes it so much more difficult. To play in the pocket within the snare's precise time at such a slow tempo requires everything. Great wind control, speed of air, and lung capacity, Intonation. flexibility, impeccable response, fluid fingers, warm and rich legato, rich expressiveness, even and fluid control crossing the break. And at such a slow tempo, an already extremely exposed solo within the transparent texture becomes the more difficult.
Interesting how difficult things become, the slower things get!
That sort of precise, under the magnifying glass perspective, and analytical thinking is perhaps what made the Philadelphia Orchestra pull of the piece off at such a slow tempo. A wonderful group for sure.
And no doubt, the Rose 40, no. 1 will be on my desk the week I have to perform Bolero...
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
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