I'm glad to be back at Farnsworth today, and I am thankful for the good substitute reports I received.
This past weekend, I observed the orchestra rehearsals of some of my talented former teachers. I learned a lot by watching their students from the Hudson Valley region rehearse and practice together, and I will be implementing some ideas over the next few weeks. The newest change came for the 6th grade today, and the other half of the 6th grade will experience it tomorrow: a new seating arrangement!
The 6th grade is learning to work together as an ensemble. To play well together requires careful listening and attention, and in a European-style seating plan, each section has the opportunity to sit next to another instrument, hear a different range of pitches, and experience different parts of the music. This seating plan will also reduce the need for movement between violin sections (as firsts and seconds switch depending on the piece), and it will help instrumentalists develop independence of parts.
What exactly is European (German) seating? What were we doing before?
We, as string players, are often arranged in the standard American seating arrangement, with violins next to violins, violas between cellos and 2nd violins, and basses behind cellos. This is what this arrangement looks like. The American style is often referred to as "standard seating," and has evolved due to symphonic demands.
Some may refer to our new arrangement as the Furtwangler formation, but it is rare to find someone who requires distinction between the European/German and Furtwangler arrangement. Traditional European/German seating looks like this. The Furtwangler formation differs in that the viola and cellos sections are switched, and the basses orient themselves at different points in the back of the ensemble.
For those who desire more information, remember that our goal is always to produce a good sound. This website has recordings made by both orchestras in both formations. Listen for yourself and decide which sounds you like!
