Brahms Notes on Classical Music

Riverbottom Euphonium Quartet

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:48:00 +0000

The Riverbottom Euphonium Quartet played a concert last night and did two masterclass sessions today for the students at OSU. Several points of their masterclass reminded me of several lessons that I have learned recently and bear repeating and posting here.

1. The dynamics that we as performers think that we are playing are probably not what the audience is hearing. For instance, what I think is pianissimo is probably "inaudible" to the audience and makes me sound overly timid and unsecure in my playing. Even though voices scream out to me that I am not playing a true soft dynamic (aka "I can play softer than that!"), it is what the audience or audition committee hears that matters!

2. One member of the REQ mentioned that "when we are rehearsing as a chamber music ensemble, we all choose to check our ego's at the door and agree to both give and accept criticism amongst each other freely." I think that this is not something that we should only do in chamber music. Regardless of whether or not I personally agree with/embrace what someone says about my playing, I should still give it fair consideration. This openness and ability to do whatever is asked of a musician is what will impress conductors and fellow musicians--resulting in a more likely possibility of being asked to play again or more often.

3. Another piece of advice which the REQ guys gave was to record yourself and your chamber music ensembles OFTEN. This is a great idea. You learn new things about your playing when you are able to have a third-person perspective of your own work. Great idea, but as they mentioned, it might be hard to afford for college music students.

4. When slurring and playing legato music, think of the back-end of each note pushing into the next note. This will ensure a smooth, connected sound. Also, when playing legato, make sure that the air never 'dips' or 'wanes'. This is true. We shouldn't let phrasing or dynamic nuances slow or cut-off the air. Keep it moving.

5. When speaking about dynamics, the statement was made that, 'the hardest thing to do on a brass instrument is play soft.' I don't know if I fully agree with that, but what they said about how to fix it is so true with most anything you try to do on your instrument...'if you don't go there each day, then it'll never happen.' What he means is this: if you don't attempt to DO the skill that you are trying to learn ON A DAILY BASIS, then you will never make progress. So if you are trying to gain more dynamic control, then you MUST practice playing soft each day and you will see progress. Simple concept, but buying into it is sometimes difficult.

So, that is what I took away from the Riverbottom Euphonium Quartet!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:55:00 +0000

I haven't posted in a while...sorry. To those of you who might be receiving this via email subscription, just wanted to wish you all a very happy new year. 2009 should be a most interesting year!

Happy Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:53:00 +0000

As I write this post, I am working at the front desk of my residence hall on Halloween. In honor of this momentous occasion, I am providing, as always, the highest quality classical music for Halloween.

The playlist has been as follows:

- Night on Bald Mountain
- Bach: Tocatta and Fugue in D minor (both of them!)
- Orff: Carmina Burana (entire work, not just the first track...)
- Carter: String Quartet No. 2
- Crumb: Black Angels
- Verdi: Requiem (selections)
- Mozart: Requiem (selections)
- Zimmer: Pirates of the Carribean 2: The Kraken
- R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra - Opening
- Shostakovich: festive overture
- Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
- Bizet: Farandole

Happy Halloween to all!

How do YOU make music?

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:47:00 +0000

What's your philosophy of music making?

Stravinsky was a fan of simply playing the notes and dynamics and "the music will take care of itself."

Others might take issue with Stravinsky and say that emotion and musicality comes first as opposed to the rigidity of simply focusing on producing notes.

I have written a blog post about this before, but as I focus on re-learning a new range of the horn for the new principal horn position I have this year at school, I am beginning to agree with Stravinsky. It seems that just creating what is written on the page has a unique character and musicality. Perhaps just letting the music speak for itself is enough.

What is your philosophy? I'd love to hear!

Auditions today for Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:17:00 +0000

Today I partook in my fifth & final audition at OSU as an undergraduate student. I was excited to take the audition and be done with it! I re-learned a valuable lesson today: I like professional auditions with a screen! :)

I know that as a Performance Major, there are no excuses for mistakes, but what I re-learned that I needed to learn is the ability to concentrate amidst distractions! As I went into the audition hall, the two conductors and the horn professor at OSU made a few comments to me that did not really pertain to the audition and I suddenly found myself unable to "come back to reality." As I started to play, all I was able to concentrate on was the comments that they had made. I had a few quibbles and a couple of missed high A-flat's. The playing wasn't atrocious, but I know I can do better...and should have!...the feeling that most everyone has after an audition. We'll see what the results are...

So, I take away from the experience of this audition the fact that I am thankful for the screens in professional auditions! I have seldom faced a lack of concentration on the music while behind a screen. Anonymity clears my mind and allows me to play the music uninhibited. I should not downplay the necessity of learning the skill of playing right in front of people as they copiously comment on your playing and mistakes because I face a slew of experiences like this in my upcoming foray into graduate school auditions!

As I noted in my previous post...we learn best by re-learning time and time again!!

What CAN'T Be Done...

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:45:00 +0000

In life, there are things which people proclaim "can't be done!" But then in a matter of days, weeks, months, or sometimes years, SOMEONE finds a way to "do the unthinkable."

A prime example can be found in the world of sports. The 2008 Olympics just passed and it seemed that in almost every event (including even the qualifying matches) a new Olympic or World Record was being set. This astounds me, but yet it doesn't. In order for an athlete to leave their signature on history, they must achieve the "unachievable."

Another example rests in the technology we use each day. Just when we think that computers and data processors can't get any faster or more complex, they do. There is always a new "improvement" or "upgrade" just around the corner. What you buy today will be "outdated" in a matter of weeks or months.

So, where am I going with this? How does this apply to music?

I recently have adopted this mindset of asking myself "what can I NOT do?" or "what SCARES me when I see printed on a page?"

We all have this experience in our musical lives--some more often than others. We are handed or assigned an etude, excerpt, or solo that, when we peruse, gives us an initial moment of sheer panic and terror. We think, "Wow. Ya' win some, and ya' lose some. Today's not my day."

But what separates the athlete who merely qualifies from the one who set the new world record? What separates the musician who has conquered the instrument and displays jaw-dropping technique from the one who does not have vast control over their instrument? What stops me from doing what I think I cannot do?

My answer: fear of the unknown and a lack of inspiration to persevere even though the task may require painstaking experimentation and patience in order for a solution to be discovered. Some reading this may say, "well duh!" A life lesson to learn indeed.

Often in my own playing (as I've discovered recently) with a little patience and a lot of perseverance, solutions to technical problems often present themselves. And the feeling after they are solved is one of this: "why didn't I just persevere and accomplish this sooner? It wasn't THAT bad." And then tackling the "scarier" challenges seems fun and exciting!

This post may have seemed "elementary" to some, but in life it seems that we truly learn as we remember and re-learn previous discoveries. The more we experience something, the more it is ingrained into our being. This is something I've learned AGAIN. (Maybe now I won't forget this lesson so soon!)

History and where we are going...

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:36:00 +0000

I find it interesting to think about where music has been and where it might be going.

Consider some of the great pieces of classical music which we esteem because they have stood the test of time thus far: the works of Bach, Brahms, Beethoven (our common practice composers), Mozart, and many more. Sometimes I hear a piece of music and think about what it might have meant to people of a different generation. What might those audiences have felt and thought about upon their hearing of it? Fascinating to ponder upon.

But my real question is this: will the works of the great composers still be performed in 100, 200, or even 300 years? Will people still want to hear Brahms 4 or Beethoven 5? Will the repertoire lists be narrowed even further? Will orchestras one day simply play only "Classical music's greatest hits" over and over again? What will it take to bring us to a point like this--and are we already there? Will the popular art music overtake the fine art music?

Hmmm...

Where I've been...

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:29:00 +0000

VACATION!!

What makes playing easy? (Why is it mysteriously easy sometimes?)

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Sat, 24 May 2008 13:16:00 +0000

Recently, I had an epiphany.

Why is it that in a lesson or when working with a conductor that sometimes playing can be spectacular...both in miraculous ease of execution and in quality of result?

I think that it has to do with our heightened attention to what result we are striving for. For instance, I am playing the Hindemith Horn Sonata this coming Thursday in a recital of mine. I went to my lesson this past week and played the first movement fairly well. Then my horn teacher just said "think about the emotion of the piece and not the physical execution so much. Try to communicate to me the passion of the music [there's that word again...passion!? :) ]" I played it again and it was instantly "spectacular." My horn teacher told me that it was "like a different horn player was playing it the second time" I played it.

Why is this? Because I was intensely focused on the preparation needed to produce a spectacular product! At times, my brain seems so overwhelmed with the mental preparation that I lose track for a brief moment of what is coming out the bell of my horn. At these times it feels so easy and efficient to play, though. I therefore humbly submit that precise/spectacular playing is a result of MUCH preparation. I think that on the spot, it is 75% preparation and 25% actual thought about execution (if that).

Granted, this post is a bit nebulous. My apologies for the, as my conducting teacher puts it, "touchy-feely thoughts." But in my quest to be a very accurate and precise horn player, this is a discovery on the path to my goal.

Polling results are in

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:59:00 +0000

The poll on this blog has officially closed. The question I asked was about whether or not the public understood and appreciated the need for professional symphony orchestras.

The results were 13 (81%) voting no and 3 (18%) voting yes. This is what I thought it would be. I think in general, the public is lacking in awareness of the genre of the symphony orchestra. The more I think about this puzzle, the more I am convinced that it is through personal connections to the music that people are attracted and committed long-term to attending orchestra concerts.

I was recently quoted in the Columbus Dispatch as saying, "Live music touches your soul. Once you experience it, it's addicting." I personally do believe that this IS true.

If you have come from a website like SymphonySTRONG (or some other website related to the issues with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra situation) and haven't yet come to a concert (or haven't attended in a while), try coming out for the Marvin Hamlisch concert on May 30 & 31. This is the last scheduled CSO concert ever as it stands right now. Don't miss the opportunity to attend and EXPERIENCE what everyone is talking about!

SymphonySTRONG link (updated)

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:46:00 +0000

The link in my previous post about SymphonySTRONG appears to have been broken somehow.

So here is the link to the SymphonySTRONG website.

Enjoy!

Fulfilled!

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:22:00 +0000

My great expectations were fulfilled! :)

Yo Yo Ma is truly a MASTER performer. Music sings from his cello whenever his bow gets near the actual cello! He ended up playing both the Haydn and Saint-Saens Cello concertos. For his encore, he did the slow movement from the Schubert Quintet. He performed with the Carpe Diem string quartet, which is comprised of members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

The music was truly great (everyone enjoys the Saint-Saens!). An absolute pleasure to hear!! The Columbus Symphony played a tremendous role as well. Their dynamics and attention to detail were never unnoticed! As Yo-Yo Ma put it, "These people are great people. They truly put passion into each note at every rehearsal and performance!"

Great Expectations

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:57:00 +0000

In a few hours, I am going to go see Yo-Yo Ma perform with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Earlier today, I made the mistake of making my Facebook status the following: "HOURS until I get to see Yo-Yo Ma perform!" All day I have been having people ask me if I was going and everybody says, "He is SOOOOO great. You will have a fantastic time! I wish I was going!"

I agree, but yet I have reservations and a few questions about statements such as these. At first, I didn't expect such an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response. Now I am very interested as to why this kind of response comes out for Yo-Yo Ma??

Many people go to see the performer of a work and for that reason alone. What I am perplexed about is why people are super-excited to go and see an individual person perform, but not the entire orchestra? When I try to get people to go to a normal classical subscription concert, they make excuses and show a general apathy to the mere suggestion that they attend a symphony concert!

Perhaps it is the name, perhaps it is the "experience" they are going for...I don't quite know. It is a great mystery to me. But what I do know is that I go for the MUSIC. Seeing Yo-Yo Ma will be an electrifying experience because he is a master of making MUSIC. But ultimately, it is the MUSIC that is what matters most!

Just thoughts...

Getting out of the way

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:10:00 +0000

I was struck by something Maestro Haddock said in my conducting lesson (I was playing my horn for him when he said it...). He made this statement: "You know, it seems that most of our problems on our instruments involve us being in the way too much. If you can figure out how to 'get out of the way,' then most problems you have on an instrument will be solved! It just takes some people longer than others to 'get out of the way.'"

That has been floating around in my mind and I have been turning it over and over like a Rubik's cube. It simply is a fantastic statement to make...that we are our own worst enemies! As I have been practicing, when I encounter a problem, I immediately now ask "what am I doing that is 'in the way of' me making music?"

So...here's the thought..."what are you doing that is in the way of you making superb music?"

Preparing for a professional audition: the day before

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:36:00 +0000

So I am taking the Columbus ProMusica Chamber Orchestra audition tomorrow for the second horn position. My former teacher, Charles Waddell, currently is the Principal horn--it would be a pleasure and an honor to play with him again! But there will be some heavy-hitting horn players there as well (especially in light of what the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is going through...).

The audition list material is as follows (this is interesting!):

Exposition of a first movement from the solo concerto repertoire.

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
Movement 1 – Horn 2: all measures
Movement 3 (Allegro) – Horn 2: measures 1-17
Trio II – Horn 2: all measures

BEETHOVEN Overture To “Fidelio”
Horn 2: measures 47-55 and measures 234-247

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3
Movement 3 – Horn 2: measures 171-205

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4
Movement 2 – Horn 2: letter G for 6 measures

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 – Horn 2: measures 84-110
Movement 3 – Horn 2: measures 185-238

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 8
Movement 3 – Horn 2: measures 44-78

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9
Movement 3 – Horn 4: measures 82-99 and 107-121

HAYDN Symphony No. 31
Movement 2 – Horn 2: measures 12-16 and 35-38

MOZART Symphony No. 29
Movement 4 – Horn 2: last 21 measures plus the pickup

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 9 “Great”
Movement 1 – Horn 2: measures 1-8

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
Movement 2 – Horn 1: measures 8-28

Sight Reading as required

So I have prepared as thoroughly as I am going to be able to for the audition at this point. I feel confident that I'll play well. But as I anticipate what is going to occur tomorrow, I am having the following thoughts:

1. I am going to play lightly today. Just run through the repertoire and polish minor spots. Beating up the chops would do little, if any good.
2. Use a metronome today to make sure I have the correct tempos drilled into my head.
3. Warm up well and warm down well.
4. Play at the same time of the day.
5. Remember to have a quick review of the following things before each excerpt:
- desired tempo
- character/spirit of the piece
- a quick review of tricky spots that I need to mentally "read-ahead" and remember as I go through the excerpt

I think that following those guidelines will set me up to play well tomorrow.

I am also remembering what someone once told me: "You don't have to play your A+ 'game' for an audition. Just play your best, which may only be A-/B+ 'game' and that will show the committee that you are a qualified candidate. Trying to bust out A+ game will make you try too hard for perfection and will hinder you!" Good advice.

Also, I am trying to have the attitude of "creative not-caring." This idea is one of just playing the music and not caring too much about what happens during the audition. Just play the MUSIC! Imagine that...it can be that simple!

Looking forward to a good time tomorrow and a time of learning more about how I cope with audition pressures!

SymphonySTRONG

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:18:00 +0000

So I'm not sure if I've written on my personal blog yet about the new website www.symphonystrong.com. I'll do that now!

SymphonySTRONG is an organization that has recently formed to support live music by networking those who are PASSIONATE about music. Right now the issues of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra are the "ground zero" for SymphonySTRONG. But the website is trying very hard to not take sides (board vs. union musicians). The sole purpose is to create excitement about and network that excitement amongst citizens of Columbus and the surrounding areas!

SymphonySTRONG was actually just written about in the International Musician magazine.

This is a major thing for a grassroots organization! There are roughly 900 people signed up through SymphonySTRONG. These people get somewhat regular email updates from the organization about the issues which SymphonySTRONG is involved with.

The newest idea that SymphonySTRONG is currently testing is "Cooking meets the Maestro." Once a month, Maestro Junichi Hirokami and Sushi Chef Masa meet to discuss the ways in which cooking is similar to making music as a Maestro. A unique idea, to say the least.

SymphonySTRONG is also selling orange wristbands which resemble the Armstrong "Live Strong"wrist bands, but are designed as saying "Symphony STRONG" instead. "Passion" t-shirts are also coming very soon for the community to purchase to show their proud support of SymphonySTRONG and the Columbus Symphony.

Their website also allows any registered user to post videos, events, comments, etc. so that the rest of the community can remain informed about new events of any musical genre!

If you haven't given the SymphonySTRONG website a look, I would highly recommend it! If you still don't understand what is going on with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, then please check out this blog and read all about it. If you feel like weighing in on the issue, there is a live vote count occurring on the SymphonySTRONG website about whether or not people think there is a need for professional orchestras like the Columbus Symphony. Signup and vote!

OSU Students with PASSION!

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:37:00 +0000

Brahms: Quintet for Clarinet and Strings Op.115

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:41:00 +0000

I've been thinking recently about how as musicians, we can get so caught up in the technical aspects of music, that we forget the true purpose of music! We can sell ourselves out by forgetting the true music.

This is not good, in my opinion.

I heard Kenneth John Grant (clarinet) play the Brahms Quintet for Clarinet and Strings Op.115 and I sat there in awe of just the MUSIC. Not the "ooh, wow, that is technically brilliant!" appreciation of music. The type of appreciation where it was almost as if they were speaking something through the music. It was refreshing to just enjoy that sensation of music. The second movement was very sad, almost like saying goodbye to a long-time friend. Quite moving.

I say all of that to say this: we as musicians should every so often take a step back and evaluate how we appreciate music. Technical proficiency is a great thing to enjoy in a performance, but I think it should be balanced, if not given a bit lesser weight than what the composer has written.

Let me approach the issue with a different bit of an angle. What has stood the test of time? How the player plays or the content of the music? I would argue that the content of the music is what has stood the test of time. Therefore we need to appreciate both how the player plays and what is being performed.

I have just had this thought again, and I have been refreshed by it. I have found that I can reach this level of appreciation quickly by closing my eyes in a live performance until I am concentrating on the music only. Then when I open them, I am not focusing on the technical aspects as much.

FYI, Kenneth Grant was BRILLIANT. Wow. He definitely is a master of the clarinet. I appreciated his playing and musicianship greatly. His technique was at such an outstanding level that it was so easy to hear music and not his technical fluency. I do not mean this post to criticize him in any way. He was fabulous.

Just a few thoughts.

As Beethoven wrote in the Missa Solemnis, "From the heart it has come. To the heart may it go."

New header graphic

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:49:00 +0000

The new header graphic is up!

A New Look

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:31:00 +0000

This afternoon I decided to take the plunge and experiment with a new template design for the entire blog. Some customization is definitely in order, and I'll tackle that as time allows.

Thoughts and comments from the readers are welcome!

PS - the transfer from one template to the other went super-surprisingly smooth! Kudos to Blogger.

Orchestral Bowings (The ART)

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:47:00 +0000

My conducting lesson this week was all about learning about the ART of string bowings. It was a very interesting trip, to say the least. My objective was to bow the first violin part of Mozart Piano Concerto 25. I have learned several things about bowings in general--some from Maestro Haddock and some from the book "Orchestral Bowings" by Elizabeth Green.

1. Bowing is about balance and conservation.
2. There are rules about bowing, but most are made to be broken.
3. The bowing should serve the musical idea intended, not just be a technical creation (although this can be a point of starting)
4. There are MULTIPLE solutions for each measure. It is the conductors job to sort out what he thinks best serves the musical idea.
5. Accomplished players like the Cleveland's, Chicago's, and Vienna Phil's of the world have players that can play any bowing they choose and still have it sound the exact same as what the "party-line" bowing is.
6. Bowing doesn't necessarily have to be a strict and rigid thing. Stokowski had his policy of "free bowings" that he used in Philadelphia to create the "Philadelphia Sound." He trusted his accomplished players enough to give them license to vary the bowings.
7. Bowings are important in all pieces, but more important in thinly textured pieces and all pre-Romantic works. The clarity needed in these pieces calls for a more dramatic use of the same bowings. In Romantic works, it is less important because the sound is intended to be much larger. (Some may contest this point, and I would definitely see their point of view)

So that was my excursion into the realm of orchestral bowings. I have definitely learned about and have gained a new appreciation level of paying attention to bowing in performances I see and in my rehearsals.

NOTE: String players reading this are probably thinking, "Yeah, DUH!", but thanks for bearing with me.

Beauty and the Beast observations

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:09:00 +0000

What have I learned from playing Beauty and the Beast?

1. My high range accuracy improves with repeated repetition. (I know...duh!)
2. Playing broadway shows are definitely a wonderful study in endurance.
3. Broadway composers are definitely good craftsmen. They make short, recognizable tunes which they then spin out and use over and over in different ways that you don't realize they do until you actually think about it.
4. You meet and get to know some really great people in the pit.
5. Seeing how adjustments made by the actors/singers over time affect the audience's response.
6. Thorough warm up and warm down are important!
7. Sightreading is a good habit to learn--though it can only improve by doing it.
8. Playing in the pit is actually fun...if you make it fun! :)

Just some general observations about my week-long run of Beauty and the Beast.

A slight drift

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:03:00 +0000

This week I am drifting into the world of musicals. I am playing Beauty and the Beast here in Columbus. Playing for musicals is similar to playing in an opera, on the parts are trickier. Not so much rhythmically (although there's a fair share of that as well), but more technically. Beauty and the Beast music has A LOT of stopped and muted horn passages (50% at least) compared to open/normally played passages. The horn is either the melody or the percussive rhythmic accompaniment...not in between. :)

Off to play it!

The fine printed line

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:25:00 +0000

So a thought that I have been thinking a lot about recently is how much variance performers should take from the written page.

For instance, I was playing the Hindemith Sonata for Horn and Piano in my horn lesson this week. At one point in the end of the second movement, my teacher recommended that on these three quarter notes, I should make a huge ritard (slowing down) on each of them and then pick back up the pace after I play the high note that they lead to. None of what he said to do was printed on my music, so I asked him why and how he knew about doing that and he said that it was just "tradition."

So how much "artistic license" should I take as a performer with a piece? Which begs the question: how much "artistic license" would the composer want/allow me to take?

Just thoughts...

Music of the day...

noreply@blogger.com (BrahmsNotes) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:36:00 +0000

I'm currently studying Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 5 in my conducting class. What a piece.