VTSO Nov 26 Notes

For Symphony Rehearsal on Tuesday, let's aim to take tuning A/Bb at 3:15. Symphony may need to go a little past 4:00. If you play in Symphony and Strings, please set up both instruments right away so we can have a quick transition between ensembles so as not to lose too much Strings rehearsal time.

Focus will be on Mountain King first, 48-end. Bassoons still need to work on tempo and pitch in intro, and playing confidently but a bit softer, but that won't be worked on in today's session...you can work on that at home, and maybe Ms. Riegert could lead a sectional later in the week? 🙂

Cellos, we worked on that in your DOS...take the feedback you received to clean it up. Please work on tempo and tuning 76-83 upper winds, and upper strings m. 80-82. Have all bars numbered for both movements. Tempo from D to end should be within 176-184 for Tuesday's rehearsal. Violin 1's especially - B-D needs work to get in tune/lots of volume. I think you should consider playing it with eighth notes instead of 16ths, if you can't get the 16th's up to tempo for Tuesday. Tempo at B is a minimum of 144, and C more like 168. The two bars leading into B are really important for establishing excitement. If you can't play all of the pitches upper strings, just play the beginning of each 32nd note grouping, with really strong accents. After Mountain King, students not playing on Morning will be dismissed.

For Morning, focus attention in home practice with correct tempo: dotted quarter equals 54 (slowest)-60 (max). Be really attentive to E major key signature (4 #'s!), and all accidentals written in. Violas need to be super confident with entrance at pickup to m. 5, etc. Upper winds need to play with exceptional tone, lots of phrasing. Cellos really need to know how their part goes from B-D. Entrances from everyone, and counting, needs to be extremely secure from 62-end. Definitely everyone needs to come to this rehearsal with bars numbered. Upper strings who can't play the 16th notes, need to practice landing on beat 1 and 2 of the 6/8 pattern (or rather, 1 and 4) at B onward.

-Ms Kilburn