Performance opportunities are quickly approaching, and so this is the time to focus attention to detail. Chamber ensembles are wonderful learning experiences for young listeners whose individual preparation can allow them to look past the notes on their own pages and recognize what is going on around them.
As you practice, think about the music that is happening around you:
Is yours the most important (melodic) voice?
Are you providing the ensemble with divisions or subdivisions of the beat?
Is your articulation the same or different from that of other sections?
What can you do (especially as a harmonic/bass instrument) to help establish a phrase?
As we rehearsed Allegretto, we discussed some of these concerns. While the concertmaster cues the ensemble, the busy notework in the violin sections are really divisions of the beat and should be beneath the viola/cello melody.
Technical concerns were mostly a result of pizzicato vs. arco in the opening section. Violists and cellists should take the 8th note pickup as an up-bow in the lower half of the bow. This way, it sounds like a pickup and the bowing does not cause the tempo to drag. Conversely, pizzicato has a tendency to push ahead, so violinists must listen to how their part fits in with the melody.
We will continue to play in small groups, with various leaders until our listening skills improve.
I was very pleased with the run-through of Winter. Continue to practice not only the passages in the lower half (the 32nd notes), but practice getting to the lower half of the bow in the measures prior.
In attendance were:
Joe Sipzner
Ali Gohlke-Schermer
Katie Gonick
Arianna Barnum
William Wang
Bill Dong
Marko Crnkovic
Rachel Swyer
Erin Templeton
Emma Pearson
Catie Rafferty
Karthik Ramesh
Andrea Long
Cody Ingraham
Naila Brown
We're sorry we missed:
Gloria Zhao
Katie Yang
