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- Conductor's Notes - Oct. 4
Conductor's Notes - Oct. 4
- By Jennifer Holcomb
- Published 09/28/2009
- Alabama Youth Symphony
Jennifer Holcomb
Administrative Assistant
Music Opportunity Program
Conductor’s notes -
As I write this, it is two hours after the end of a good rehearsal, and I am watching the Ken Burns special on The National Parks on PBS. I hope you will watch this series of telecasts. The subject is fascinating, the production is outstanding, and the soundtrack is captivating. Did you know that one of the composers of the soundtrack lives in our area? Mr. Bobby Horton has contributed to soundtracks for several Ken Burns specials, including this one. He lives in Vestavia Hills and is one of the nicest, most engaging people you will ever want to meet. Among the other instruments he plays are fiddle and trumpet. I am honored to call him my friend. Maybe I can get him to come visit you at one of our rehearsals. Today’s Birmingham News has a very nice article about him on its front page.
You obviously did some great work in your sectionals. Ballet Parisien was especially much improved, but everything was better. Please note the following tempi as goals for Ballet Parisien:
1. quarter = 144
2. dotted half = 56 (quarter = 168)
3. quarter = 152
4. dotted half = 56 (quarter = 168)
5. quarter = 168
We will look to do run-throughs and quick touches on Ballet Parisien, spending about 5 minutes on each movement.
For Bratislava, we will continue to work to understand transition sections, particularly rehearsal M (m.21) – m.146, rehearsal G-H (m.60-71), and rehearsal C – E (m.25-43). If there is time, we will put these sections together, but that will probably happen the following week.
On Marche Militaire, we will begin at rehearsal 16 and go to the end. That should go quickly (please make sure it does). We will then compare that with the beginning to rehearsal 7. If there is time, I hope for us to work on rehearsal 11- 16, then rehearsal 7-11. Once this is completed, we will be able to begin putting the piece back together in a week or two.
I hope you were beginning to understand the Stravinsky as much as it seemed you were. We still have a lot of harmonic exploration to undertake, especially between rehearsal 15 and 16 and from rehearsal 19 to the end. For this week, we will review the first two measures of rehearsal 20 and explore the next four measures. We will concentrate our time between rehearsal 19 and 21.
We will end the last hour of our day on L’Arlesienne. There’s a lot to do. We will start on the 1st movement with a review of the sections: (m.113-end, m.90-112, m.65-89, m.50-64, and m.1-49), then put the first movement together. We will concentrate primarily on precision of rhythms and notes. Time allowing, we will work the 2nd movement by section of the piece, then run the 3rd movement. On the last movement, we will work m.107 to the end, and m.62-106, then run the movement.
I hope to have chair audition excerpts and dates by next Sunday, if not before. Watch your email for updates.
Finally, for those who did not previously read the information on Berceuse and Finale and for those who would like a reminder, please read the following, mostly taken from an article written by E. Daniel Long, Director of Orchestras at Slauson Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan:
Igor Stravinsky was the son of a famous opera singer in St. Petersburg, Russia. As a child, he met most of the great Russian singers and composers of his time. After his father’s death when Igor was a young man, he was cared for by his father’s friend Rimsky-Korsakov, who taught Stravinsky how to earn a living as a composer.
Stravinsky composed The Firebird as a ballet for the famous impresario Serge Diaghilev. The first performance was June 25, 1910 at the Paris Opera. It immediately established Stravinsky on the international music scene and in an association with Diaghilev that would last until Stravinsky’s death. Stravinsky wrote a concert version of the ballet in 1911 and a suite in 1919.
The Firebird is the story of a brave young prince who, with the help of the magic Firebird, destroys an evil wizard, thereby freeing the princesses that the wizard’s magic had turned to stone. The best-known part of the suite is the “Berceuse and Finale”, when the princesses slowly come back to life. Berceuse is the French word for lullaby, which is why this part of the piece starts slowly, softly, and magically. It increases in intensity and then suddenly explodes into rays of luminous fire at the finale.
The plan for next week is as follows:
2:30 – Tune, Warm-up
2:45 – Ballet Parisien
3:10 – Bratislava
3:35 Marche Militaire
4:00 – break
4:15 – Berceuse and Finale
4:30 – L’Arlesienne
Many thanks to the great majority of you who are letting me know about schedule conflicts far ahead of time. A few of you still have opportunity to improve. The link to my MOP email is http://www.musicop.org/ws/pages/Message-To-AYS-Conductor.
I look forward to seeing you next week!
As I write this, it is two hours after the end of a good rehearsal, and I am watching the Ken Burns special on The National Parks on PBS. I hope you will watch this series of telecasts. The subject is fascinating, the production is outstanding, and the soundtrack is captivating. Did you know that one of the composers of the soundtrack lives in our area? Mr. Bobby Horton has contributed to soundtracks for several Ken Burns specials, including this one. He lives in Vestavia Hills and is one of the nicest, most engaging people you will ever want to meet. Among the other instruments he plays are fiddle and trumpet. I am honored to call him my friend. Maybe I can get him to come visit you at one of our rehearsals. Today’s Birmingham News has a very nice article about him on its front page.
You obviously did some great work in your sectionals. Ballet Parisien was especially much improved, but everything was better. Please note the following tempi as goals for Ballet Parisien:
1. quarter = 144
2. dotted half = 56 (quarter = 168)
3. quarter = 152
4. dotted half = 56 (quarter = 168)
5. quarter = 168
We will look to do run-throughs and quick touches on Ballet Parisien, spending about 5 minutes on each movement.
For Bratislava, we will continue to work to understand transition sections, particularly rehearsal M (m.21) – m.146, rehearsal G-H (m.60-71), and rehearsal C – E (m.25-43). If there is time, we will put these sections together, but that will probably happen the following week.
On Marche Militaire, we will begin at rehearsal 16 and go to the end. That should go quickly (please make sure it does). We will then compare that with the beginning to rehearsal 7. If there is time, I hope for us to work on rehearsal 11- 16, then rehearsal 7-11. Once this is completed, we will be able to begin putting the piece back together in a week or two.
I hope you were beginning to understand the Stravinsky as much as it seemed you were. We still have a lot of harmonic exploration to undertake, especially between rehearsal 15 and 16 and from rehearsal 19 to the end. For this week, we will review the first two measures of rehearsal 20 and explore the next four measures. We will concentrate our time between rehearsal 19 and 21.
We will end the last hour of our day on L’Arlesienne. There’s a lot to do. We will start on the 1st movement with a review of the sections: (m.113-end, m.90-112, m.65-89, m.50-64, and m.1-49), then put the first movement together. We will concentrate primarily on precision of rhythms and notes. Time allowing, we will work the 2nd movement by section of the piece, then run the 3rd movement. On the last movement, we will work m.107 to the end, and m.62-106, then run the movement.
I hope to have chair audition excerpts and dates by next Sunday, if not before. Watch your email for updates.
Finally, for those who did not previously read the information on Berceuse and Finale and for those who would like a reminder, please read the following, mostly taken from an article written by E. Daniel Long, Director of Orchestras at Slauson Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan:
Igor Stravinsky was the son of a famous opera singer in St. Petersburg, Russia. As a child, he met most of the great Russian singers and composers of his time. After his father’s death when Igor was a young man, he was cared for by his father’s friend Rimsky-Korsakov, who taught Stravinsky how to earn a living as a composer.
Stravinsky composed The Firebird as a ballet for the famous impresario Serge Diaghilev. The first performance was June 25, 1910 at the Paris Opera. It immediately established Stravinsky on the international music scene and in an association with Diaghilev that would last until Stravinsky’s death. Stravinsky wrote a concert version of the ballet in 1911 and a suite in 1919.
The Firebird is the story of a brave young prince who, with the help of the magic Firebird, destroys an evil wizard, thereby freeing the princesses that the wizard’s magic had turned to stone. The best-known part of the suite is the “Berceuse and Finale”, when the princesses slowly come back to life. Berceuse is the French word for lullaby, which is why this part of the piece starts slowly, softly, and magically. It increases in intensity and then suddenly explodes into rays of luminous fire at the finale.
The plan for next week is as follows:
2:30 – Tune, Warm-up
2:45 – Ballet Parisien
3:10 – Bratislava
3:35 Marche Militaire
4:00 – break
4:15 – Berceuse and Finale
4:30 – L’Arlesienne
Many thanks to the great majority of you who are letting me know about schedule conflicts far ahead of time. A few of you still have opportunity to improve. The link to my MOP email is http://www.musicop.org/ws/pages/Message-To-AYS-Conductor.
I look forward to seeing you next week!