August 11, 2007 at 6:51 AM
It's the bane of our existence, yet so irresistable, the first-violin part from "Don Juan" by Richard Strauss. Audition committees seem to love it; it's a must in every orchestral rep class the world over. But how to start the thing? Tell us which bowing you have marked over the very first note!I start it downbow, but have been on occasion forced to do it up-bow in orchestra.
I know it seems counter-intuitive at first. But try it down-bow...it's strangely addictive....
The first "first beat" that anyone gets to play on is actually on the F sharp. Starting the piece down bow places that F-sharp on a down-bow, which helps greatly with orchestral togetherness.
However, in view of what Dessie said, it would be a good idea for an audition to practice it both ways.
A critical edition of Don Juan proofed from the manuscript in the Morgan Library, NYC and 3 other original sources was published in 1993.
Edited by Nieweg and Bradburd, Kalmus A2119 -- Score $55.00, Set $135.00, individual parts $4.00 each. Available from any music dealer or by calling Kalmus 1-800-434-6340.
Always being at a loss if I'm doing good bowing beyond Suzuki, this is also insightful in other ways too. hmm.
Is it going too far afield to go beyond the first bowing and get into a little more of this redoubtable piece? I'm wondering if most people at an audition would play - or auditors expect to hear - the repeated notes B and F# together in m 17f? I think the trickiest passages on the first page are the more delicate triplets, starting 3 bars after C. Do most people play them off, on, brush, etc.?
Thank you for the info about where to get the music. It's daunting, when you first discover that most major orchestras don't provide the audition music and you have to track it down yourself. Luck's music is also a good source for individual orch parts.
Another set of triplets surprised me recently: the ff runs in the third and fourth lines. I'd always played them quite on the string and in the middle/upper half, as many well-known orchestras do. Then, I got a hold of a copy from one of the top orchestras here in Germany - they play the passage off, with a kind of heavy spiccato! Completely different effect - and you never know who's looking for what...
If v.com issues are getting into my dreams, I'm really in trouble!
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