Tempo Check!

posted Mar 23, 2014, 12:22 PM by Ms. J   [ updated Aug 28, 2014, 4:35 AM ]
Here is the link to our recording from class on Friday. It's one long track.

Friday, March 21 Run Through

Everyone is required to listen to the recordings. The tempo survey is optional (but helpful).
You can also click at the bottom of the survey to check on the other responses.
My thoughts are below the survey.

Tempo Check!


My thoughts:

MOZART:

Intonation is coming along. Most of the enduring problems occur in the melody part, higher in range. Inner voices are balanced  (and in tune) with each other but are still overpowered by Violin I and Cello. The melody still lacks shape, we'll work that in class tomorrow.

 The tempo starts out appropriate but slows every time we approach a section with half note ties (like mm. 8-12ish). It then continues to slow until we have a slight rit. (mm. 30, 97). Then it pops back up to the original tempo. It's a neat effect, but it's not at all intentional. 

 The coda has improved an enormous amount, but the penultimate chord is still out of tune in the violins.

CRESTON:

Great energy from the violas in the beginning. There are still intonation problems in the second and third  measures. The second violins rushed immediately after entering but recovered before the first violins entered. Our balance is much better in this piece than the Mozart but there is still an overwhelming amount of cello. Dynamics and articulation have improved greatly. We have to be careful not to drop down from loud dynamics too early. During the 1st/Vla long soli, 8th notes are rushed but 16ths are steady. Both sections are listening better. When seconds enter around mm.68 the rest of the orchestra needs to drop down.

Choreography I:

Totally my fault. I started this WAY TOO FAST. Kudos to you all for keeping up. The blazing tempo caused sloppy articulation but rhythm held together very well. The dynamics are starting to show but outer voices are still dominating. We need a larger drop to mp near the end of the movement. Great energy.

Choreography II:

This movement has come so far since our performance at Winter Orchestra NIght. Intonation is much stronger, as well as rhythm, and phrasing. Unfortunately, our tempo is totally out of control.

We begin the movement at 1/8=80 then begin to speed up after about 3 bars. Usually this happens when sections have 8th notes at the end of a measure. We crescendo through the notes (lovely phrasing, intentional) but also rush to the downbeat (unintentional, inadvertently releasing the tension that our lovely crescendo created). By the end of the movement we're at 1/8=95

Fortunately, we stay together very, very well. It is clear that you are all listening to each other and that you are aware of what other sections are doing. The end of the movement needs to be softer.

Despite the drastic tempo shift, this movement is very musical.

Choreography III

Also a little fast. We need to articulate in the same part of the bow. All of the staccato 1/8 notes need to happen in the lower half. This will also crisp-up our rhythm.  Cellos did a great job with their off beat 1/8 notes (+2+. +4+). Great job keeping the energy up! Balance is better but violas still get lost in the mix. We can also add more dynamic contrast (especially near the end of the movement when we have our only drop to piano).
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