March 21, 2005 at 11:01 AM

Well a new week has started, and I had my lesson today. Worked on the Mozart Concerto. My teacher told me that I needed to hold my violin higher and memorise the Mozart so I didn't need to look at the music on a stand that didn't go high enough. I'm really coming along with the Mozart, I'm pleased with how It's sounding 4 weeks into learning it.

After that I went to the lecture. It's "Project/Production week" at my uni. The vocalists are in rehearsals preparing for Opera Scenes. The rest of the students are attending video lectures by Leonard Bernstein when he was at Harvard. The Lecture series is on "The Unanswered Question" and although I came in late, it does look really interesting. Shame though, as I was hoping that it would be boring so that I could plough through my book on the fugue. Oh well, I'm sure these lectures will be worth it.

I spend some time with my girlfriend before starting practice today. When I got started, I worked first on my String Quartet stuff. I'm preparing the first Quartet from Haydn's Op. 20, and I'm playing first violin, which means I have a fair bit of practice to do. Haydn's early quartets (up to Op. 33) rely on the first violin alot, where as after this the other parts take on more of a role. Admittedly, some of the quartets in Op. 20 have more weight on the other parts, with 3 quartets having fugues as the final movements, but not the one we're doing.

After the quartet, I started on my Bach (seeing as it's his birthday and all). Worked on the Largo mainly. I need to get the chords cleaner, I'm not liking the tone that I produce.

Then worked on the Mozart. Started to work on memorising the first movement. I got through the exposition, so I thought I was doing pretty well. I just need to make sure that I ensure that it's still there tomorrow.

I'm about to start another hour of practice now, working on my Suk. I haven't really practiced it for a bit, but I feel I should start preparing it now so that it's an option for the Fremantle Eisteddfod in May. I'd really like to perform the Mozart, but only if it's ready. I think the Suk would be the better choice, as I've already performed it, and it's a fun piece to play.

After the suk, I might do a bit of work on the Mozart Cadenza. I don't have a lesson for two weeks, thanks to the Easter Monday Holiday, but I'd really like to be able to play the whole first movement, with cadenza, from memory when I get back.

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March 21, 2005 at 11:01 AM

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