Last night’s rehearsal started with a run-through of the entire piece, which I recorded, meaning that there’s plenty of work for me to do this week to be ready for next week.
It went well, given the number of rehearsals we’ve had (six), the number remaining (four, plus the concert), and the length and difficulty of the work. We had to stop and regroup three times, and the places most in need of attention remain the first movement (the hardest) and the fourth (the one we’ve spent the least time on in rehearsal). We had a debrief after, where I probably talked too much (I always hear Dr. Rene Boyer-White’s voice from my elementary general music methods class: “Too much talk!”), but really dug into what I’m trying to accomplish with the controlled aleatory section in the second movement.
In the first movement, three apothegms:
- When a note is tied across the barline or to the next beat to an eighth note, don’t try to play the eighth note: lift and prepare the next note.
- Keep the quarter note in a 5/8 or 7/8 bar separated.
- Count rests and come in decisively when they are done.
I may have exhorted the musicians to tattoo these onto their sleeves.
That said, I’m optimistic. One musician told me that he can tell it’s coming together because we are learning how to get lost and find our place. A useful skill to have both for making music and for life.
Tags: apothegms, Lakeland Civic Orchestra, Rene Boyer-White, rhythm, Symphony in G "Doxology", Too much talk!