Letter from Diane (9/30)
Hello Camerata Con Brio,
It was good to have everyone back together for rehearsal tonight after last week’s sectionals. The chance to spend time on all four pieces in our folder–Dvorak, Mozart, Bizet and Galante was great. Next week we will zone in on sectionals again with string coaches for all string sections, and a separate coach for combined winds and percussion. Strings, come with your questions about bowings and fingerings! Winds, please be ready to play your audition material for your seating auditions. Find them here. Strings, you will get your audition material next week.
Our fall festival repertoire is the Mozart and the Galante, so these are the pieces that we will focus on the most in the next few rehearsals. With that in mind, here is your GTCYS 10:
YOUR GTCYS 10
It’s Metronome Week! Meet Johann Maelzel, the German engineer who designed the first mass-produced metronome. His wind up pendulum-style invention had a place in everyone’s practice room until the electric versions that most of us use now took over. If you don’t have a metronome at home, you can easily download one on your phone or digital device. I really like “Tonal Energy” (which doubles as a tuner and metronome) or the “Tempo” app. Let’s make Herr Maelzel proud this week and engage in some serious metronome practice!
Mozart: Start with a tempo of half note=80 or below. Can you play cleanly at that tempo with correct bowings and articulations? If not, slow down and start again. Once you have control, bump the tempo up and try again. Our goal is at least mm=120. It is more important for you to play under tempo with even fingers and accuracy than to play sloppily at a fast tempo so if you can’t reach 120 yet, don’t push it until you are ready.
Galante: The marked tempo for this piece is quarter note=84. If you have a solo in this piece, the metronome will be especially good for you to practice with. Wind players, have you planned your breath marks so you can play without losing a beat for your breath? Strings, are you preparing your bows in advance so you enter rhythmically after rest? (YES! You should have the metronome help you count the rests as well as the notes!) We practiced with some rubato phrasing (purposely letting the piece rush or slow down for dramatic effect) this week, but metronome practice at home will allow us to make these artistic decisions from a place of rhythmic stability.
One final announcement–this week is the last chance for Camerata Con Brio players to sign up for our Chamber Music Program. Click on this link for more information. I hope you will consider this fantastic opportunity.
See you next week! Until then, always live your life CON BRIO!