Very annoyed

October 21, 2006 at 11:54 PM

I had a chance to perform part of my recital program in front of one of my lecturers yesterday, and receive comments back on it. I brought my mini-disk recorder along, and set it up to record. However, when I came to listen back to it today, the tape was blank. GRRR!

Performance was ok, some good things, some things to work on. However, I need to figure out how/where to stand. I was standing in the bow of the piano, however this gives me almost no communication/sightlines with the pianist. I was told that because I couldn't see the pianist, it can make the audience feel slightly nervous.

So some suggestions: go further towards the end of the piano, but turn around so that I can see the pianist. Or stand behind the pianist (Which my teacher had advised against because apparently it was only used by violinists when they had learnt the sonata by memory, which I won't be doing).

I had a bit of a search on YouTube for violin sonatas to see where most people were standing - it's actually behind the piano, and most of them using music. I even found two with Oistrakh playing with the music.

I've got a performance on Wednesday, in which I'll be able to do another run through of my Beethoven and my Sarasate, I'll try the position of standing behind the pianist, see how that works, and hopefully I'll get a recording that I can listen back to.

From Graeme Norris
Posted on October 22, 2006 at 4:02 AM

Ben, good to hear the prep's going well...have you tried lining up your music stand with the stand on the piano and being parallel with the pianist?
G

From Ben Clapton
Posted on October 22, 2006 at 10:59 AM

Graeme -I was considering doing that, but it obstructs the view of the audienve with the pianist - which for a sonata (Beethoven actually titles his Sonatas "Sonata for Piano and Violin") isn't being kind to the pianist.

From tara murphy
Posted on October 23, 2006 at 8:49 AM

yo dude, i think i'm gonna have to side with graeme... i dont think your gonna hide the pianists glory... after all ... they have more notes than you anyway...

From Graeme Norris
Posted on October 24, 2006 at 12:28 PM

Ben, just give it a go...if it feels strange then don't but it'll probably give the best balance of sound and the best chance of good communication. Just my 2 cents.

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Very annoyed

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