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Accuracy in orchestral auditions

Author: Morrigan
Date: 2019-11-15 13:02

Can we just talk about absolutely accuracy when doing orchestral auditions?

At the moment I’m preparing to do a recorded audition (because it’s on the other side of the world). So I’ve been recording myself a lot and listening back, as well as sharing these recordings with friends for feedback.

Now, let’s take Mendelssohn’s Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream which I’m sure we all know and hate. The notes aren’t a problem, and the tonguing isn’t a problem. What’s happening is the rests are sometimes a tad longer, a tad shorter, and on some takes, downright incorrect. It’s happens in some other excerpts as well, when counting rests.

One friend made a good point. Even when “the best of them” do an audition, just HOW ACCURATE are they with this particular issue? And surely if these rests aren’t 100% accurate (but pretty close), isn’t this what the trial period is for, to make sure you can play accurately in context?

I had an interesting audition a few years ago where my teacher at the time was on the panel. Another member asked me to play an excerpt about 4 times, because I wasn’t counting the tests accurately. My teacher later told me that by his ears I played the excerpt accurately 4 times in a row.
In another example, I was waiting to go in for an audition and I could hear the person before me. His Scherzo has exactly what I describe above: not entirely accurate rests (not terrible by any means) but you’d have trouble tapping along to it. This person went on to get a trial with this orchestra.

So I guess my question is... Just HOW accurate do I need to be, and how does one go about improving the parts where they’re NOT playing?

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Accuracy in orchestral auditions new

Morrigan

2019-11-15 13:02