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Feb 6

Dear Symphony members,

Promptness matters!

My children were once members of a sports team that had a mantra that went like this:

"Early is on time.
On time is late.
Lateness is inconceivable!"

For the mature, sophisticated, responsible members of MYS Symphony, I'd like to think that this way of thinking is so ingrained that it doesn't need to be said aloud.

Unfortunately, recent experience has proven that it does indeed need to be said, emphatically. Being among other gifted musicians like the ones at MYS is a privilege. Show your colleagues (and your conductor) the respect they deserve by being fully present and ready to go at the start of every rehearsal -- even more so these final weeks, when every moment counts to the utmost.

Be prepared. Be present. Be ready to perform. And I promise you an unforgettable musical experience.

See you (early) on Saturday and (early) on Sunday!

Mark

Jan 22

Dear Symphony members,

Every player absolutely must write in the measure numbers for the Sarasate Ziguenerweisen by the next rehearsal.

It's a short piece and it will not take more than a few minutes to do this and will make rehearsal much more efficient.

Tony will be checking that you have this done when you arrive.

Jan 14

Dear Symphony members,

We're entering the last few rehearsals before our concert, which means 2 important things.

1) In rehearsals, we need to "zoom out" more and develop a feeling for what it is like to perform the music. You can expect that at every rehearsal we will touch on all of the music.

2) We will spend less time "woodshedding" the parts. Every member must come to rehearsal with their individual part fully prepared -- for all of the pieces. In fact, at this point, every member should not only know their part, but have a clear idea of how it fits with the rest of the ensemble.

We'll play Sarasate at every rehearsal -- and while this music looks simple on the page, the ink doesn't tell you how it truly goes. You need to know what to listen and watch for to really play it idiomatically. So, take your part, listen to a performance, and write in reminders to yourself about where it slows down, where you need to wait, what to listen for.

I'm looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Yours,

Mark

Nov 19

Hi everyone,

I'm glad we've gotten off to a great start with our next program of repertoire! I am so happy to be working on such great music with you all.

There are many wonderful recordings of all of the pieces, but I thought I'd share some highlights with you.

This link is to a video performance by an incredible orchestra -- it's literally all-stars from around the USA: the concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony, trumpet players from the Metropolitan Opera, violists from the NY Philharmonic...They know this music in their bones and play it incredibly well. https://youtu.be/AQ6-7mTqblM?si=a2N6GxgIyE5JtUR1&t=1158

For Voices of Spring, there are many, many great performances. This one is special -- Kathleen Battle singing the vocal part is just amazing! This is what every instrument should strive to sound like: https://youtu.be/TF0XSkb7TyM?si=nlcNVPa9bswOcbLI

Another performance with wonderful rubato is here, with Carlos Kleiber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqgGY6Zj3Hs

In any case, we're in for a terrific time playing this music! See you next week.

Mark

Rehearsal notes

Feb 1

Hindemith

General notes:

  • Don’t “feel” your entrances- be actively counting!

  • Even though the music is modern, you still have to be aware of phrasing.

First Movement

  • Strings @ m. 51: needs more articulation and sense of where the notes are going.

    • Note the accent!

  • 3 before G: don’t rush

  • G needs to be softer, then forte on the trills

Second Movement

  • Percussion entrance at B needs to be way softer

  • T: make sure eighth notes aren’t rushing here

    • When you have a string of eighth notes, focus less on phrasing, and more on making it sound like chatter. (Bassoon bar 3 of T)

  • Woodwinds @ X: don’t give up on any of these notes– keep up the energy! 

Last movement

  • m.6 don’t rush the end of the bar

  • 5 before C: try to create a wall of sound by sustaining each note as long as possible

  • Letter D: more horn

  • 2 before F: EVERY note needs to be forte here!

  • Should swell after letter H- forte! Last beat of the bar should be the loudest part.

  • Trombones @ I: the swell needs to carry all the way through to the last measure to have that release.

  • 3 before L: make sure you’re listening to others/landing together

Strauss

  • Make sure you have the new repeat written into your score @ the fermata trill 12 measures from the end to 4 measures before K

  • If you have any of the melody between K and L, don't play until the pick up to L. *SECOND TIME ONLY*

Jan 25

Hindemith-

Second Movement-

  • Cymbal crash @ P: let it ring out more.

  • Brass section, bring out Hindemith’s “german jazz” feeling a bit more. Lighter on most of the notes that are unaccented. On the notes that are accented, it should be a jazzy accent rather than an orchestral accent.

  • Brass- very important subito piano 3 before S!!

  • Flute @ 5 before U- check rhythm.

  • W: play softly, but not slowly. 

    • When it’s your turn to join in, your entrance doesn’t need to be accented, just slowly emerge and add a new layer to the group.

  • Brass @ tenuto after letter Y; it should stretch out more.

  • Brass @ X: careful not to drag, while still keeping clarity.

Last Movement-

  • 2 before D: the rhythm is getting mushy in the legato, especially the second bar.

  • Woodwinds: don’t cut off your crescendos (ex: 3 before I)

  • Downbeat of 5th measure of I needs to be the loudest point; build your sound more.

  • Woodwinds @ L-end: maintain fortissimo.

  • Brass: keep sixteenth notes precise, or else they start to become triplets.

Sarasate:

  • G: make sure to look up at Mark during the pause/transition

  • Don’t rush at m. 132!

  • Letter K: write in pianissimo for this section

  • m. 146 = letter M

  • Expect more accelerando at the end of the piece.

Strings Sectionals (Hindemith)

Last movement-

  • Cello and bass @ m. 63: careful not to rush here.

  • H: try to get back to the string as quickly/late as possible. “Work harder, but give yourself more time”

  • 128: attack the string together and make sure you’re using the bow the same way

    • Group scales have to breathe together; try to actually all breathe together in sections like this.

  • Last bar- notes could be shorter/more articulated.

  • 3 before L to end: basses, don’t drag.

Strings Sectionals (Strauss)

  • L: don’t get louder right away.

  • 324 - end: make bow movements as rhythmic as they can be.

    • Very last chord should have reverberation

    • Violas need a lot of energy, you’re the only one’s playing the off beat.

General note: when playing staccatos, the energy in between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves.

Jan 18

Hindemith:

First Movement:

  • 7 after B: dynamic drops down, this needs to be more exaggerated

  • Trombones more marcato on notes leading up to the endings

  • 4 before first ending, make sure A# is in tune

  • Strings @ 4 before first ending: marcato, then legato

  • During oboe solo, phrase the accompanying pizzicatos

  • The marcatos throughout the piece need to be chattering, and forceful. Emphasis on inner beats; the second part of the beat is just as important as the first. 

  • Last 3 measures: lower octave needs to come out more (cellos, basses)

Second Movement:

  • Winds, brass and percussion at Y: there needs to be sustained sound throughout this whole section.

    • The last 2 notes before the a tempo, dotted quarter notes are longer- tenuto marks on these notes.

  • Bass drum @ U: 3 entrances should be at 3 different levels; each one should be a little bit more in sound than the last

  • Strings practice section P for next week!

Third Movement:

  • Top of movement should be heavier, like a sigh

    • Play through all 3 beats rather than just the first and last. Diminuendo, on the last eighth note.

  • The 2 notes that lead into letter A need to be molto espressivo!

  • Violas and first violins @ bar before B: practice this rhythm!!

  • Second violins and cellos @ 4 before B: when you shift, don’t slide; just lift your finger up to make a clean shift.

Strauss:

  • General note: don’t take too many liberties with tempo, remember to get your head out of your score.

  • First ending- more sound, then repeat “a tempo”.

    • Really lean into the change in tempo leading into the first/second endings!

    • Think of your sound as a choir

  • No ritardando 5 before H

  • H: just a tiny bit slower! Note the poco meno.

Sarasate:

  • General note: don’t play ahead with your pizzicatos- wait for Mark’s cues to get it lined up with the soloist.

  • “a tempo” after A: it should be faster here

  • Un peu plus lent = m. 45. Make sure you have this written in.

  • Letter H = m. 160 double bar key change.

Jan 11

Hindemith:

First Movement:

  • Final chord of first movement: keep the sound as dark as you can

Second Movement:

  • Work accelerando at letter B- don’t slow down! Watch conductor

Third Movement:

  • B: exaggerate dynamics more

  • Everyone: listen for the flute soloist, don’t drown her out

Fourth Movement:

  • “Be the music” - embody it physically

  • More from the back of the violin section

  • Brass @ I: fill the hall with sound; more resonance

Strauss:

  • Strings accompaniment at bar 5: needs more energy/articulation

  • Bass: more “vocal” accompaniment

  • A: change color

  • B: you need to land together; you’re dancing together

  • m. 73-78, it sounds anxious. It should be lighter

  • C: think of steering motion

  • G: exaggerate the pp’s and poco rit

  • H: we’re sad here, embody that in your tone/color

Sarasate:

  • Allegro molto vivace: don’t rush!

Dec 14

Hindemith:

  • Strings: practice letter H!!!

  • First violins @ 5th bar of P: once you get going, try to hear this part in groups of 3. It works against the bar. Practice this part!

Strauss:

  • First note of the piece: don’t come in early! Watch Mark

  • First few measures of the piece: bring out those E naturals

  • Strings @ pick up to A: make sure you’re adding in those accents that Mark went over with you

  • B: needs to be stronger– note the forte

  • Beginning to letter D is the first waltz. Get to know this section as a whole, because it is a complete idea that resolves; we then move onto new material.

  • Opening first 4 bars should have a singable quality– really milk these notes

  • First waltz– it’s forte but you should feel some sort of resistance, “like you’re playing through molasses”

  • Pickup to A: focus on a light, “smiling” up bow whenever you have this gesture

  • A: exaggerate dynamic change from mf to f with a more forceful attack

  • General note: upbows need energy and speed in the stroke and then stop “like you’re hitting a brick wall”.

  • The attack should be taught, to achieve a more articulated, energetic sound.

  • 5th bar of D: each downbeat is a little different here, think about how each one is treated.

  • Don’t use too much bow on the second note, go to the next bar

  • Distinguish which notes require more bow vs. less

  • 5th bar of D: quarter note in bass accompaniment should have a nice “trail” to it, don’t cut it off too soon.

Dec 7

Hindemith:

First movement

  • Beginning: violas, cellos, and basses, bring out the lower notes even more (but don’t accent them!) If you’re playing really legato, the second note should come out.

Second Movement

  • E: Woodwinds, should be an emphasis on the beat 1 quarter notes, with sound not with attack

  • The quarter notes in the melody need to be longer/less separated from the eighth notes. Try to capture a longer phrase to make it less like a march.

  • 4–5 after M: bring out the harmony change more; change your color. Emphasize the C natural.

Third Movement

  • Practice conducting and singing along with your part

  • Observe dynamics and phrasing

  • General note: when you have dotted rhythms, always imagine that the 16th notes belong to the next main beat. Make them as close as possible.

  • Second bar of A: make this crescendo more extreme

  • When learning a difficult passage, think about how you group the notes. Look at the main notes of each group and create an inner pulse. Use these main notes to guide you if you get off.

Fourth Movement

  • Brass at top: every note should be forte

  • Brass after letter K: it drops from fortissimo to f, then the crescendo happens during the half note and the harmony shifts beneath it. It’s leading towards the downbeat of 127.

Strauss:

  • While Hindemith ends aggressively, the Strauss needs to be more “civilized”; everything should be rounded and polished.

  • Strings, flute obe @ 5th bar of D: the ties between notes need to have life to them, push through the ties

  • Trombone entrance after F needs to be stronger; should be a firm forte

  • Violins 2 before the first ending: should sound vocal (it’s a virtuosic solo moment in the original)

Sarasate:

  • Every note should have a very clear beginning-- you’re telling an important story.

  • 8 measures before ‘un peu plus lent”: wait for the soloist

Nov 23

Hindemith:

First movement

  • General note: check intonation! Play a little less loud so that you can hear the other voices and match their intonation.

  • Brass @ 51: crescendo through first 2 bars and then a little less on the third bar

  • Strings @ 51: you’re playing in octaves ornamenting a C major scale, so the most important notes should be C, E, and G; bring these out more.

  • General note: even when you’re not playing 16th notes, there are 16th notes happening in the room- they’re always happening.

    • Subdivide!!

  • Strings @ 61: major chords are moving around, it’s not “in a key”; be aware of parallel motion between parts.

  • Brass @ 59: major chords always come on the ends of the beat-- these should be emphasized “like a puff of air”

  • At 74 we’ve cadenced onto A– everyone with this note should be listening to each other to match pitch/blend (timpani, tuba, bass, cello)

  • 71 and 72: careful not to rush!!

  • 80: Violas are providing a pedal on A, so listen to them for intonation 

  • 118: make sure to observe the forte here

Second Movement

  • Improvisatory spirit

  • strings @ 28: needs to sound melodic/vocal, not instrumental. Avoid arbitrary accents. More connection between notes.

  • Woodwinds @ D: need to move together rhythmically. 

  • Last chord of the movement: second clarinet and bass clarinet have the A in the chord and should listen to each other/get this note in tune

Strauss:

  • Letter D- watch the conductor! Make sure it’s written in your score

  • “You have to learn to love these syncopations”

Nov 19

Hindemith:

First movement:

  • General note: everyone needs to be constantly subdividing into 16th notes throughout this piece

    • 16th notes after a tie or after a rest need to be precisely matching the 16th notes left off from someone else's part. Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle

  • Strings @ 6 measures before C: needs to be more precise with rhythm.

    • Resonant on any note that’s longer than an eighth note

  • Snare 2 before C: crescendo should be softer so we can hear the other parts

  • The 16th note groups can still be phrased in many different ways

Second movement:

  • S: note that the accents are on the short notes here, not the long ones

Fourth  movement:

  • Woodwinds measure 6: watch the dotted eighth and sixteenth notes, they need to be really close to the next beat without rushing

  • Woodwinds 2 before F: snappier 16th notes

  • Every time you have a sudden pianissimo, it should be misterioso

Strauss:

  • G: observe poco rit to a tempo- it’s like opera

  • Make sure you have the following written into your score:

    • I: fermata on beat 2

    • 8 after M: look at conductor

      • 3 bars after that: a tempo

  • In the beginning we want pure tone and a crisp attack

    • The eighth notes that lead to the downbeat are a little delayed and a little rushed. Over-phrase to the downbeat.

  • Early accompaniment on beat 2: we want a lilt to the accompaniment, rather than a square 3/4. It should mimic the way one moves/dances.

  • When you have the melody with eighth notes, the eighth notes come in off-kilter groups of four (hemiola). Don’t change the articulation but be aware of it.

    • The whole group needs to have a slight feeling of rushing through that phrase to the top of it. 

  • Downbeats with a dotted quarter or longer should be seductive (it’s a waltz!)

  • 7 before B: press ahead a little bit here

  • Don’t slow down before H