Short Notice Audition

February 8, 2007 at 6:11 AM

I found out today that my uni is going to be auditioning all students over orientation week for ensembles and chamber music groupings. Smart idea - and best to get it out of the way quickly so we can get into practising as soon as possible.
However, orientation is next week. As in starting on Monday. As in 4 days time. And I have to present two contrasting pieces.

Two.

Contrasting.

Ok, I've been practising over the holidays, I've been a good boy, and kept it up... mostly. However, what have I focussed on? Scales and Studies. What haven't I focussed on? Pieces.

In fact, it's basically been only this past week that I have started learning a piece. Despite considering the Bach Double, I ended up choosing Summer from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Now, for only a week's work, it's not doing too badly. The notes fall under my hand (for the first movement anyway), so there's not a lot of tricky parts for me to work out. And thanks to the scales and studies, my intonation has improved a lot, so there's only one part that I need to really go over and just make solid. So I think the first movement of Summer will be an ok audition piece - despite only having been learning it for a week. Shall I tell them this? It might look impressive if I manage to pull it off. It could be an excuse if it falls in a heap.

But...

Two.

Contrasting.

What am I going to do?

Hmm, pieces from my recital... Bach G minor last two movments, Beethoven Sonata, Sarasate Romanza Andaluza. Haven't touched any of them since my recital. Comments on my recital was that the Bach was probably too difficult for me. So while I hope to keep studying it, it's probably not something that I should perform with a week's notice (auditions will probably be towards the end of the week).

The Beethoven, the slow movement isn't really an audition piece. And the Sarasate, while impressive, will more than likely need some serious cleaning work.

So what then?

I had a look through some past pieces, see what I thought I might be able to pull out. Mozart... Haydn... no. Suk... possibly, if I had 9 hours a day to practice. No... maybe 6.... Dvorak Sonatina... I never really mastered the second or third movements... easy but never mastered... maybe another time...

The last piece I found - Meditation from Thais. A fantastic piece, really contrasting to the Vivaldi. But here's the catch... is it too easy?

One of the toughest things to consider when preparing a program for a concert or an audition... a performance of any kind, is "How will the music come across?"
Is it better to get through a tough piece by the skin of your nails, or to sit comfortably with an easier piece? I feel that for the past couple of years, the pieces in my program have been just above my level. The idea is that by having something just above your level, you can strive to get it and improve. But for me, I don't think that was the right way. For me, those pieces were tough, and so I spent my time practising them because I was having trouble with them. It made me loose sight that going head down into those pieces wasn't the way. Instead, had I spent my time focussed on scales and studies, then when I came to those pieces, it wouldn't be so much of a struggle.

I have noticed that even in this past week when I have gotten back into the pieces, Vivaldi's Spring has come incredibly easy for me, even though it is listed in the AMEB Manual at Associate level - the same as all of my pieces from last year. I put this down to my work over the holidays on Scales and Studies.

But I digress... I was wondering what you, my fellow v.commers feel of my program... Vivaldi and Massenet - is it a suitable audition program, so should I be working my little (or not-so-little) butt off to pull up something else for the audition?

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on February 8, 2007 at 11:51 AM

I think for an audition it's always better to play an "easier" piece well than a challenging piece imperfectly. I once tried to audition on the Introduction and Rondo Cappricioso. I'd been working on it for a year, had learned a lot from it, loved it, knew it wasn't perfect, thought that I'd get some points for challenge or something. Um, no.

I auditioned for the same person two years later on Bach Preludio from Partita in E and he said "you've really improved."

Technique-wise, I hadn't improved at all. I had barely practiced in those 2 years. But I had always been good at the Preludio; I'd gotten 100/100 points on it in a competition in high school. It fell under my fingers well almost the very first time and I loved it. Maybe I'd "improved" in terms of being wiser about audition pieces. I don't know all of the pieces on your list, but if I were you I'd choose an old friend.

From Patricia Baser
Posted on February 8, 2007 at 1:17 PM

You should play something you play well and feel very comfortable with, even if you think it is "too easy". A committee might interpret "I've been playing it for a week" as "thrown together". You also should identify a concerto and some solo Bach that you are willing to live with for a long time-learn them really really well so you always have an audition piece at the ready. Good Luck!

From Hope Paolotto
Posted on February 8, 2007 at 6:51 PM

I think Vivaldi-Massenet is a good idea. It shows fast and slow. Even though the Massenet is not a hard piece, it is a very emotional piece. Many people can play it, but not everyone can play it the way it should be.

Another piece you could consider would be the Haydn Concerto in G Major. It's moderate in difficulty and almost every violin professor loves Haydn.

I would stray away from letting them know you have only had a week. Music professors sometimes interpret that as not committed and serious about your studies.

Good Luck!

From Mendy Smith
Posted on February 9, 2007 at 4:54 AM

I agree with Patricia. Auditioning is like going for a job interview in many ways. Play your strengths. Pick pieces that reflect the expected difficulty level for what you are auditioning for that you are the most comfortable with.

Even if you down the technical difficulty notch by one or two but play those pieces perfectly with all the personal style you have, then you will demonstrate you strengths, not your weaknesses.

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