V.com weekend vote: What music is on your stand right now, and what era is it from?
I thought it would be fun to just have everyone share what is the music currently on your stand - what is the very last thing that you practiced? And for the vote, what era is it from?
This week I'm caught practicing quartet music, and I've been practicing the first fiddle part for the Ravel quartet. I'm going to call that 20th-century music - though it barely makes that cut, having been composed in 1903. Nonetheless, the music was very forward-looking at the time, and it is full of interesting harmonies and colors. I'll add that it doesn't just "play itself"! Having never played it, I've had to put in some time coming up with fingerings and repeating passages. I've greatly enjoyed it, though.
What happens to be on your stand right now? What did you play last, or are currently practicing? Is it music that is new to you, or something you've played for a long time? Is it orchestra music? Solo? Quartet? Something else entirely? Please tell us about it in the comments, and in the vote, tell us what era the music is from.
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I wish you had an 'most of the above' category! Beethoven string trios and Vth; Mendelssohn violin concerto and selected quartets; Bac S&Ps, Bruch violin concerto (V1), William Tell (V1); Mozart quartets (V1); etc. etc...
My music desk is pretty pedestrian. I'm preparing for my upcoming lessons with my adult students. I've got Doflein Vol. 1 for my beginner and the Hal Leonard 101 Jazz tunes for the other. Just easy stuff and fun music all of which have their little challenges.
The last thing I played, still on my stand, is the viola solo part of the Sinfonia Concertante, which I had to classify as "Something else", "Classical" not, for some reason, being on your list of options (Did you object to the ambiguity of the term, meaning either the epoch between the baroque and romantic epochs, or the music performed nowadays that is not pop, "folk", jazz, rock, etc.?). Behind it, on the same stand, played the night before with some degree of practising, are the Bach 'Cello Suites arr Kosmala, which, I suppose, might class as baroque (I was looking at the 5th in C-minor).
Mozart and Haydn string quartets, Paisiello flute quartets, and Amy Beach's "Theme & Variations for Flute and String Quartet," and Beach's "String Quartet in One Movement."
Most recently: Schradieck's School of Violin-Technics, Book I. These are exercises I've played for a long time and work into my daily warm-ups. My goal is to play all 25 drills in Exercise 1 from memory. So far, I've memorized drills 1-12. The next page has the remainder of Exercise 1: drills 13-25.
I recently did the same thing with Dancla's School of Mechanism, Op. 74, memorizing Exercises 1-12. Both composer-pedagogues, Schradieck and Dancla, were born in the first half of the 19th century and lived into the early 20th century. Not sure which years they first published the above-named study books. So I voted Romantic era.
The Schradieck has been the only sheet music on the stand for the last couple of weeks. Everything else in current practice sessions - scales, shifts, double-stops, old rep review - is from memory, no sheet music involved.
I love these 'snapshot' surveys. Right now, on the music stand are Bazzini- La Ronde des Lutins, Sarasate- Jota Navarra, the violin insert of "Henryk Wieniawski Repertoire" published by Schott, and Tchaikovsky- Souvenir d'un lieu cher Op.42, as sections and passages of those pieces were practiced this morning. In a few minutes, etude books (De Beriot Op. 123, Dont Op. 37 [yes, the ones preparatory to Kreutzer and Rode studies], and Dancla Op. 73 will replace the pieces. My iPad will make it onto to the music stand later this evening so I can practice Elgar's Salut d'Amour (his version in D Major).
Bach Sonatas and Partitas; an extra copy of the Preludio from BWV 1006; James Ehnes' cadenzas to Mozart's violin concerto KV219.
You can always count on me to weigh my stand down with as much music as possible. On top, there's the Flesch scale book. Underneath, all-state excerpts/études, Bach's Sonatas and Partitas, Milstein's Paganiniana, a book of Fiorillo's 36 Caprices, and Heifetz's arrangement of Prokofiev's March from The Love for Three Oranges.
Decades ago, I played the Beethoven Spring Sonata for a home recital. It went rather well. But as I say, that was decades ago.
Now that I'm playing again, I thought this popular sonata would be appropriate to help rebuild technique.
As a new member in a college orchestra, I'll soon have that music as well on my stand. First rehearsal is this coming Wednesday evening.
At this time I have Symphony in E minor by Amy Beach on my stand. Our Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra is starting full orchestra rehearsals for the first time since Covid began. Last year only the strings rehearsed and performed with only a few soloist wind players for the concert season. It was worth every test and mask wearing to be playing again. A memorable piece was Alma de Tango by Adrianna Figueroa Manas of Argentina. This was a United States premier.
I always keep the Paganini Caprices on my stand, but other music I’ve had there recently has included the Biber 1681 sonatas, Telemann’s Fantasias for solo violin, a book of old English fiddle tunes, and George Boulanger’s Avant de Mourir.
There’s a lot on my stand but the most immediate is a set of viola parts for an upcoming gig. I voted other.
The two volumes of Mazas etudes are always on my stand. Plus right now Vivaldi sonatas op. 2. More than that wold make the stand keel over, so this is the whole inventory just now.
Revisiting Kreisler Preludium and Allegro. Also Loure from the 3rd Bach partita, 1st movement of Mozart's 4th vc, and 2nd violin part of Beethoven opus 18 number 3. Kreutzer #1.
Voted "other" because it's more than one of the above.
* Brahms E-flat major viola (clarinet) sonata - revisiting with a teacher after previously learning it while self-teaching.
* Hoffmeister viola concerto - being a lawyer, I feel like I now have to learn this concerto after recently finding that Hoffmeister was also a lawyer.
* Viola parts for Brahms 4 and Elgar cello concerto - for orchestra.
Bach Double concerto, first violin part, first movement. Kayser etudes (I'm on #11). Donkey Doodle for lightness and cheerfulness. Everything else is in a pile elsewhere.
Saint Saens #3, Dont Caprices, and I just got a hold of Martinu's Concerto for Violin and Piano (which I had been searching for for years).
I forgot to mention that I always have at least 3 stands _ and one is a triple. Anyone else ADHD :D
Telemann's 12 fantasias for viola da gamba, which I am transposing up a fourth or fifth and adapting for viola (da braccio!) (A leftover from the covid lock-down months..)
I have orch music: Beethoven’s 5th, Rachmaninoff’s 2nd, Magic Flute overture. Plus “Fiddling for viola” for Play Music in the Porch Day yesterday. I played more stuff on the porch but that came out of my head rather than off the stand.
I have a variety of pieces/exercises/scales: Walton viola concerto (can't play more than a few bars, but it's fun to try!), Kreutzer No2, Reger suites and old AB scales.
I'm trying the Milstein Brahms cadenza that Nathan Cole transcribed, recorded, and graciously shared online. It is my favorite Brahms cadenza.
Ah yes, The Ravel. The notes are under the fingers - the music is still over the horizon.....
Mozart K423, the violin/viola duet (vln part). Beethoven Romance in G. Corelli opus 5. Schradieck. Kreutzer. Bach S&P. I have two stands set up in my practice room, one with rep and one with studies.
Since symphony season starts after Labor Day,I have quartet music...Death and the Maiden, Haydn op 20 AND Crowdambo by Jeremy Cohen.
“Chanson Polonaise” by Wieniawski and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” by Gershwin-Heifetz. I like Galina Barinova’s recording of the first and, of course, Jascha Heifetz’s recording for the second.
most people mention solo repertoire, but I've been polishing the past week on my orchestra parts. we're giving a musical concert in a few weeks. it's really a fun experience to accompany singers with the orchestra. one of the songs we do is "If I can't love her" (Beauty and the Beast), I love this song. we also do the B&B title song (that one with a female singer) and I have two short solo moments there ;-) we also do some instrumental arrangements, one that is really fun and NOT easy is "symphonic dances from fiddler on the roof" arranged by Ira Hearshen. another brief solo there ;-)
Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata (Romantic era): viola/piano transcription. It's a stretch for me but I have 6 months before I'll have to play it and I'm going to have my teacher get me started at my next lesson. A childhood friend who is a professional pianist asked me if I wanted to play it with her (for fun) and it's an exciting opportunity.
- The Scottish Violinist by J Scott Skinner (a favourite)
- Violin Scale Book by Burton Isaac (has loads of modal scales, which I needed for inspiration for a recent, totally improvised solo gig)
- a folder of baroque pieces, one of which (a Haydn concerto) I'm about to start practising for a future recital
"YYZ" Electric bass sheet music by the Canadian Prog Group, Rush. I also have a Mel Bay method book also. Nothing Violin wise until I get home when I'll begin working on the violin part of the song, "Losing It," also by Rush on their album, "Signals." Ben Mink is the violinist on the recording. I also want to learn the violin parts to their song, "The Garden," very, very beautiful. They took a chamber orchestra on tour with them when promoting that album.
Bach's Sonatas and Partitas, Mazas Etudes vol 2, The Fiddle Music of Scotland (James Hunter collection). I'm at my summer cottage in Prince Edward Island. Currently polishing up The Bee's Wing Hornpipe and a few other traditional tunes for a Celtic (jam) Session.
On my stand today, Corelli sonatas for violin and bass op5 (1700), Telemann 12 fantasias without bass (1735) and Westhoff 6 suites for solo violin (1696) transcribed and edited by Dr. Sarah Jones-Hayes.
Nothing right now. I am in one of my fallow seasons, with orchestra season starting soon. During the first year of the virus shutdown I reviewed: 5 Mozart Concertos, Mendelssohn and Beethoven concertos, Etudes by Rode and Fiorello, and of course, Bach S. & P.
Viola parts from quartets of Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Saint-Saens.
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August 27, 2022 at 05:03 AM · On my stand right now - a folder for a chamber orchestra concert ( 1st violin parts to Handel Concerto Grosso Op 6 No 1, Marcello Oboe Concerto, Bach Concerto in E Major, Vivaldi Sinfonia RV146, Albinoni Oboe Concerto, Svendsen Romance Op 26, Tchiakowsky Serenade for Strings), Britten Simple Symphony (for a different chamber orchestra), Mark O'Connor's Poem for Carlita and Chen Yi's Memory, both for solo violin. Its a good thing all my music is on an iPad!