Symphony Orchestra Page
Resources
Tchaikovsky
For the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet, there are many fine performances available. Here is one excellent example.
Barber
The Barber piece we're playing is the 3rd version of the Medea music that Barber created. There was an original ballet for small ensemble (11 players), the Medea Suite for full orchestra (25 minutes) and finally the tone poem, Medea's Dance of Vengeance (c. 13 minutes). Here are some sample recordings for comparison.
Medea's Dance of Vengeance from the world premiere of this version by the NY Philharmonic with Dimitro Mitropolous conducting.
Movements from the original ballet incorporated into Medea's Dance of Vengeance (original title of ballet: "Cave of the Heart". But Barber called his music "Medea" on all of his published scores).
MEDEA production at Macalester College. A film from a live performance of a unique production combining the play by Euripedes, choreography inspired by Martha Graham and the Barber Medea Suite for full orchestra.
Dvořák
For the Dvorak Slavonic Dance, Op. 46 No. 8, there are, again, many fine performances. Here are 2 of them: in Berlin and Cleveland.
Rehearsal Notes
September 27
General
It's a delight to work with such a talented group of students! You are making progress and we will get there. But now is the time for the real work to be done! Careful, thoughtful, patient work now will yield the results we want later on.
Overall, there is too much "guesswork" and not enough preparation.
Meaning, know your part -- not just the "main theme" but all of it--work on the rhythms and counting and the transitions.
You need to *know* your part, not *read* it. Which will allow you to listen to everything else that's happening at rehearsal. That's the real work in rehearsal -- putting it together, not learning individual parts.
Learn to scrutinize your playing at a deeper level, which develops your ear.
Tchaikovsky
after letter H: pay careful attention to dynamics.
letter K–N: this is one of the most problematic sections. The entire section needs to be played in ONE TEMPO, no matter what that is. Practice this with a metronome -- and keep time with the metronome. Don't speed up when getting louder, or when playing shorter note values.
Winds and strings: practice the long melody against a drone and check the intervals
R: this is a good example of *knowing your part—it isn’t difficult, yet it falls apart at every rehearsal because it has not been properly *prepared*. LEARN IT at home. Listen to the recording—of this specific spot, and figure out how your part fits in.
Barber
#12 practice this section -- how will you get from one note to another and finger harmonics accurately? Mark in with a pencil whatever you need in order to count correctly
#18 - 20 practice rhythms slowly and correctly (even hyper-correctly!). You need to *know* your part so that in rehearsal you can fit it together with everything else.
#30 once again, practice rhythms slowly and rationally. Really work out where in the beat these entrances and accents fall, start without grace notes, and then add them in
September 13
Barber
Woodwinds & strings: practice mm. 20–end. Learn each individual motive, especially the rhythms.
Dvořák
Practice with a metronome
Don’t rush the quarter notes
Tchaikovsky
Pay attention to the key signatures!
Check intonation on all notes
September 6
Barber
The Barber has many tricky rhythms -- they are all relatively simple to play, but maybe a little hard to read. So, carefully go over your part with a teacher and listen to the recording with your part in front of you and it should become clear before too long.
Dvořák
Same as above—review tricky rhythms and follow along with the recording.
Tchaikovsky
For the Tchaikovsky, everyone (and I mean that literally: everyone), needs to practice their 16th-note passages slowly, and gradually increase the speed. The goal is to practice it slowly and without mistakes -- meaning all correct notes, with correct fingerings, in correct positions, where it makes for the most facile playing. Practice it every day. And gradually, week-by-week, increase the tempo. We will expect to hear these passages played without mistakes by every individual at the following metronome marks (i.e. quarter note = x) on each of the dates below. You will be called on to play these passages in rehearsal with your section, with your stand and perhaps even individually. Practicing slowly, with a relaxed physicality, which allows your brain to learn the connections between each note and phrase -- this is what will eventually give you the most freedom and expression and ensemble in performance.
Gradually increasing tempo marks for Tchaikovsky 16th-note passages. (The number on the right is the metronome mark for the quarter note.)
9/13 = 60
9/20 = 72
9/27 = 80
10/4 = 92
10/11 = 100
10/18 = 112
10/25 = 120
11/1 = 128
11/8 = 136