 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Atari
Date: 2002-10-06 17:38
In our orchestra, we're going to play Dvorak's symphony in E minor. Guess who has to play the solo theme for m the New World? I've never played cor anglais before, just oboe. Any tips would be very welcome, both for transferring to cor anglais, and playing the actual piece. Many Thanks.
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Author: Torus Tubarius
Date: 2002-10-07 00:59
The hardest part about that solo to me is the breathing, and making it sound smooth (the breathing with the solo I mean, not the solo itself). You have to remember to pace yourself. But there are other deceptively tricky things in it as well.
For instance, pretty much every phrase in that solo ends with a change from Bb to Ab, and you have to be extra careful to make sure there are no blips in the sound as your fingers move from one of those notes to the next. Nothing will ruin that slow, beautifully pastoral solo faster than a huge "blip" right between the last two notes of the phrase.
Another thing to be mindful of is the last phrase of the first part of the solo when you go from Eb to high Ab, Bb, C, and then back to finish it with Bb, Ab, Bb, F, and Ab. On English horn, just as on oboe, there is a natural marked difference in the timbre of all those notes, and it will greatly add to the musicality of the solo if you can try and minimize this effect. It's really distracting to hear a player play that solo, and hear his high Bb and C be these wild-sounding bright notes, and then immediately hear him move to a more stuffy sounding F, and then back to a brighter Ab. Some difference in the timbre of all is to be expected, and may even add to the phrase if slight, but it definitely should be under control so that the phrase comes across as a single thought. You have to play the English horn, not let the English horn play you. English horn always sounded squirrely on high notes to me anyway, don't let them be as bright as they'd like to be.
As for playing the English horn, as long as it's in fairly good shape, I think you'll adjust rapidly. It takes a rather larger volume of air to play than the oboe, which makes sense since it is longer tube with a larger bore.
Enjoy your solo.
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