Week One

August 20, 2007 at 1:18 AM

Well, it’s been just a bit over a week since I made my decision. Here’s an update on how my week has been going.

I focussed my practice this past week on the Bach E Major Partita - the prelude. Now, in the past, I probably would’ve needed a couple of weeks to be able to get my way through the piece. But working more efficiently, I’ve managed to learn all the notes, and get the piece up to about 75% concert tempo.

Unfortunately, my teacher has been unwell, so I haven’t had a lesson recently. I’ve taken the Prelude about as far as I can without a lesson, so I’ve decided that this week, my practice shifts focus.

My University is heading into a “Project” week in which normal classes are suspended, and a much lighter schedule is imposed. Thankfully for me, I’m involved with the Opera Orchestra for Britten’s Mid Summer Night’s Dream, so it looks like I’ll only have some sectionals on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week. Hopefully, they’ll be shortish sectionals, and I can still get a fair bit of practice done on those days. But it does allow me to get a fair bit of practice done today and tomorrow. So what I’m doing is still doing a little bit on my Bach so it’s kept up at the level it is now (and possibly raise it a bit further before whenever my next lesson is), and then for the rest of my time, I’ll be learning the 3rd Brahms Sonata - Op. 108. Again, I’m hoping to have all the notes under my fingers by the end of the week. I’ve also got to be careful with my learning not to get to into the musical aspects at this point, because I’ll be using the Brahms as my musical examples in my class “Performance Practice Research” - looking at how to do a HIP (Historically Informed Performance) of Brahms. The main thing I’ve picked up at the moment is (Shock! Horror!) Vibrato was still used as an ornament at this time.

I’m considering picking up some Gut strings to perform this piece on for my class… as that’s what was used when Brahms was writing. I’m also lucky to be performing on an instrument that was made around 1900 - just after the time of Brahms, and also using a bow that’s about 100 years old. However, if I switch to Gut strings, I’d need to get onto them soon, as I’ve heard it takes a bit of experience to get to know how to get a good sound out of them. So I don’t know about that.

Anyway, I best be off now and get onto my practice. I’ll probably update again on Monday.

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Week One

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