Our spring Chamber Strings performance will be on the Dessert Concert on June 9th. On this concert, we plan to play:
Be Boppin' Bourree
O Mio Babbino Caro
Dance of Iscariot
Today, we worked mostly on Be Boppin' Bourree. When playing in the jazz genre, it is fun to break some of the "rules" of classical music. Some of these rules include:
- Not adding glissando (slippy-slides) between notes that call for use of the same finger.
- Playing 8th notes as straight du-de's that can be futher divided into du-ta-de-ta's.
However, in order to break the rules, we must know how to follow them properly. As an ensemble, we had great difficulty playing our parts to a metronome set at quarter=80bpm. As Be Boppin Bourree consists only of eighth notes and quarter notes, playing with a slow metronome tempo should be an easy task. Remember: tempo is in YOUR hands. I can conduct, I can tap, I can count out loud, but what it comes down to is that you must be able to know where you are, where you're going, and how long it takes to get there. Practice with metronomes! I want to be able to break some rules really soon!
In contrast to the hurried tempos in and careless articulations in Be Boppin', O Mio Babbino Caro was really beautiful this week. Cellists are now getting a good sense of what I have been asking for in those measures with 3 notes slurred (and marked with tenutos). We discussed and tried a lot of dynamics in rehearsal. The piece doesn't have many dynamics marked, so we should ask ourselves:
- Do few dynamic markings mean little change in dynamics?
- Are phrases marked with dynamics or do we have to add them in?
- How do I know what is a phrase? (Hint: watch the youtube video of Renee Flemming singing this!)
- How do I get from one dynamic marking to the next? (crescendo vs. subito)
- How does my dynamic compare to the markings in other sections?
- How can my bow help me achieve a good sound at this given dynamic?
- Is there anything I should write in to remind me of dynamics?
Speaking of bowing, we can also pay attention to when bow changes occur. Are you changing at the exact same time as your stand partner? As your section leader? As your friend in another section?
In attendance were:
Arianna Barnum
