Violin Technique?

Violin Technique?.

Violin Technique?

“In instrumental music, the relationship of the percussive elements to those of the purely singing sound is analogous to that of the consonants and vowels in speech and song.”
I have worked with many different, unique ensembles around the world and coming from a background of both choral and instrumental I developed an understanding of the sounds and how they impacted interpretations. Going back to the Bach/Reminschnieder analysis book, I found a lot in the figured bass that has carried forward into present day jazz improvisation and miasmatic accompaniments.
The inclusion of dip thongs in clarinet technique has bode me quite well through my performing career. Personally, I do my best to match sounds with the different ensembles I am performing with. With string players, realizing the different effects of the bow technique and the caliber of the performer, I adjust accordingly. Spicatto, Pizzicato, for the clarinet denotes a tonguing approach with a “du” or “dut” vocalization and incorporates the raising and lowering of the soft pallet with a delicate yet solid tongue. The oral cavity comes into play in these vocalizations without moving the jaw or affecting the embouchure and is internal instead of external. The joy in performing comes from it appearing effortless to the audience or other performers and yet many mechanizations are involved in minute increments.
Forming the “du” is one of my standards with the German umlaut coming into the picture. How you might ask? With the solid V embouchure intrinsically in place, the back of the tongue is raised and there is a slope much like a ski jump with the end of the tongue coming up to the reed instead of down to it. The whole purpose of tonguing is to shape the vibration of the reed, not to attack the reed with a kW force of power and massive control. In other words, it does not take that much to stop that vibration and produce a delicate light tongue stop. There is, on the other hand, a prevailing thought of tonguing technique involving anchoring the tongue. My personal style involves a combination of all these things into one very exquisite sound.

Jere Expansive Life

Jere Expansive Life.

Bio

Bio.

Upcoming Performance Repertoire

Why is it so hard to find pianist in Houston that can handle this type repertoire on a regular basis?
Richens Prelude and Dance
Brahms Op 120 E flat
Fenzi 5 Bagatelles
Williams Folk Song Suite
Poulenc Sonata
Schumann Fantasiestucke
St. Saens Sonata
I have taught over 150 professional (Grammy and Tony award winners) in my sharing career and consider this aspect of my life as a personal gift from a much higher power than all of us. Perhaps it is time to look at the growth value of an “education” and not at the judgmental part of Academic life.
Thank You Mr. Marcellus for summing things up for me!

Rehearsal Notes Benjamin Britten

Hymn to St. CeciliaRehearsal 18
Something that is confusing is the constant rhythm expressed in the bass line. I do not hear or feel that consistency to set up the other lines above that quarter note rhythm. As an instrumentalist I think of precise articulations and a minute separation between the notes. Even though it is sustained, it has to be very clear to make the other lines fit. Problems with that in rehearsal. Repeated Notes beginning in the second measure need that separation to set the sync so to speak. I think of alignment of the score when working on this section and how the various rhythms fit together.
Dynamics throughout are not there yet and the dipthong’s are varied from person to person as of yet. Mental subdivisions of the beat are sometimes vague.
Page 32, great writing, hard to perform without intense mental and listening concentration as the lines play off each other, hope to work on that and hearing each part as it interacts rhythmically.
Prep for entrances is what I am personally working on in this piece.
Rehearsal 22
I am beginning the tenor E at piano and pushing the phrase rhythmically and expression wise to the A in the second measure of this section, otherwise it does not make sense to me. I refer instrumentally to this concept as building intensity to the A, holding the intensity to the F natural and accenting there. The final statement on the G natural I am trying to do a subdued SFZ and subito piano on the C natural leading into the dimuendo on page 36, preparing for the sudden exciting forte at rehearsal 23, each note there with a jazz type accent and a bit of articulation, enough to set the rhythm.
That’s it for now…….

Sacred or Secular

Sacred or Secular.   The Messiah and Jesus Christ Superstar.  Performing Artists making a living.

Messiah and Jesus Christ Superstar

Messiah and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Messiah and Jesus Christ Superstar

The Messiah, 1741
“In the summer of 1741 Handel, depressed and in debt, began setting Charles Jennens’ Biblical libretto to music at a breakneck speed. In just 24 days, Messiah was complete (August 22 – September 14). It was premiered during the following season, in the spring of 1742, as part of a series of charity concerts in Neal’s Music Hall on Fishamble Street near Dublin’s Temple Bar district. Right up to the day of the premiere, Messiah was troubled by production difficulties and last-minute rearrangements of the score, and the Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Jonathan Swift, placed some pressure on the premiere and had it cancelled entirely for a period. He demanded that it be retitled A Sacred Oratorio and that revenue from the concert be promised to local hospitals for the mentally ill. The premiere happened on 13 April at the Music Hall in Dublin, and Handel led the performance from the harpsichord with Matthew Dubourg conducting the orchestra. Dubourg was an Irish violinist, conductor and composer. He had worked with Handel as early as 1719 in London”.
Professional realities come forward, Handel was broke and this was an effort to create income to financially support himself. The libretto is exquisite and working with his friend, it produced a great staged version of a sacred text for a secular audience. The hoopla that surrounded this great work by the Sacred Theology of the day, almost prevented it’s premiere.
Jesus Christ Superstar, 1970’s
“The Broadway show and subsequent productions were condemned by some religious groups. Tim Rice was quoted as saying “It happens that we don’t see Christ as God but simply the right man at the right time at the right place. Some Christians consider these comments, as well as the omission of the resurrection, to be sacrilegious. They also found the character of Judas too sympathetic and some of his criticisms of Jesus offensive. At the same time, some Jews said that it bolstered the anti-Semitic claim that the Jews are responsible for Jesus’ death by showing most of the villains as Jewish (Caiaphas and the other priests, Herod) and showing the crowd in Jerusalem calling for the crucifixion. The musical was banned in South Africa for being “irreligious.”
Superstar opened at the Palace Theatre in London in 1972, starring Paul Nicholas as Jesus, Stephen Tate as Judas and Dana Gillespie as Mary. It was directed by Australian, Jim Sharman. This production was much more successful, running for eight years and becoming the United Kingdom’s longest-running musical at the time (it was later surpassed by other works but remains the fifth longest-running). During its 20th anniversary, the production featured Paul Nicholas from the original cast as Jesus.”
This is from a different era, and yet the same type denouncements coming betweent the Sacred and Secular.
Pulling all this together, the performing arts is a profession just like any other profession. Do not take it for granted and just expect it to be there without recompense.

Bibliography
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Christ_Superstar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah (Handel)

Alan Balter And The Die Cast Machine

The power of a liberal arts education (thanks Michelle)

Today, I am laughing at a wonderful awareness that has been ruminating in my convoluted mindset. Alan Balter not only taught me some things about playing the clarinet but also how to set and run a Die Cast Machine. Of course, digging into the brain wave functions of a disturbed traumatized practiced performing artist could be delving into major uncharted fearful territory.

Minute Evaluation

Picture this, a person, a clarinet, a metronome, a stack of music in a 4 X 4 cubicle for hours on end each day, trying to get fingers, wind column, rhythm and intonation all in sync at the same precise millisecond can lead to total ‘brain fry” at times. However, it’s important to realize the thought and analyzation skill sets that are also being developed during this intense process. In this unique process there are times when even the slightest variance in finger height or hand position can cause and irrefutable catastrophe lasting only a second but destroying the performer mentally and emotionally.

Situation Analysis

Moving forward one step at a time, perhaps we over analyze a situation that we as performers deem to be important, but there is a sideline to all this. Yes, I am getting to the point, eventually; this finger moves a millimeter too far to the left as I raise it making the mathematical formulation of the 32nd note run seem infinitesimally gross. In other words, it’s just not working the way it should fit into the complexities of the rhythmic structures around it.

Troubleshooting

Sight, Sound and Mechanics now come into play in this scenario. Verbaciousness aside, slow methodical working through each and every motion will give the performer a different aspect of each action and reaction. This is really becoming an explanation on the theory of relativity I do believe.

From A to Z

A – Air

B- Breathing

C – Nothing Here

D – Dense

E – Eureka!

F – Fine’

Found the problem and eureka, it’s working again. Complete and total analyzation skill set developed. Now, take that into the workforce along with a knowledge of computer’s (this is where Alan fits in the picture). Combined together, the challenge with the 7000 Ton Die Cast Machine is in the programming, the parabolic curve on the plunger or injection force is not compatible with the mold itself, adjust using these concepts and while you are at it, check the coolant flow in the hot die, clean it out and WALLA, perfect parts. The KISS Priniciple comes into play here, Keep It Simple Stupid.

Personal reality, I topped out in an industry where 3 to 5 years was the standard time frame for aquiring knowledge and skills in 6 months, the rest took me to midlevel management in a multinational corporation within a year. There is a lot more to this experience, if you would like to know just ask for the rest of the story.

A Liberal Arts Education, what a Roadmap to success!