Bars!102!!108! Issues:! Intonation! Bowing!! Articulation! Structure!

Transcription

1 Bars Issues: Intonation Bowing Articulation Structure 1. Intonation First,Ihadtogetthenotes.Workingbar;by;bar,note;by;notevery slowly,ignoringallthebowingpatterns,articulation,notevalues,etc.the firstprioritywastheintonationbecauseitissodifficultinthispositionof theviola. Iseperatedthispassageintotwosections(102;104and105;108)in ordertogetcomfortablewitheachpositionslowlyandconsciously. Doublestopswereparticularlyimportantforthepositionofthefingers, especiallyforthefifths.keepingthefingersdownforaslongaspossible, evenwhennotplayedwiththebow,helpedtostrengthenthehandand getitfamiliarwiththehighposition. 10Bartók, Béla 1949, Viola Concerto, Op. posth. Ed. Tibor Serly. Boosey & Hawkes. London. Music score. Pg 5. 23

2 Double2stopping IfrequentlycheckedthetopB intonationbycheckingitwiththeoctave below. 2. Bowing Afterbeingcompletelycomfortablewiththepositionofthelefthandand theintonationistartedtolookatthebowing,whichisoverallfour strings. AtfirstIignoredthearticulationandjustplayedeverythingonthestring legato(stillfollowingtheprintedbowing)withtheminimumamountof bowpossibleforthecontrolinthefingertips.doingthisatdifferent pointsinthebowreallysecuredthepositionoftherighthand. Afterthis,practisingtheprintedbowingarticulationwithopenstrings helpedtofocusallmyattentionontheright;handtechniqueasit removedtheaddeddistractionoftheleft;handdifficulties. Oncethemovementbecamemorefamiliar,Istartedaddingaccentson differentnotesinthepatterntostrengthenthepositionoftheright;hand (andinadvertentlysecuringthelefthand).ifoundthataddingaccentson specificstringsalsohelpedstrengthenthemovement.forexample, wheneverimovedtothegstringiwouldaddanaccent. Rhythmpractice 24

3 Openstringbowingexercise.Thenpractisewithaccents(bluemarking)andisolating patternsinthemotif(redmarkings). 3. Articulation Thisrequiredthesameprinciplesasbars67and100;101,wherethe staccatowassubdividedintoassmallavalueaspossibletoencouragethe flexibilityofthewrist. Alsousingthecollébowstroketobitethestringandemphasizethe articulation. VisualExample 4. Structure AttheadviceofthepianistIwasworkingwith,whenIstudiedthispiece, MichaelHampton,findingthestructurewasveryusefulforthe coordinationofthehands,whichmeantisolatingnotesandbuildingup thepatterngraduallytogainabiggerpictureofwhatishappeningwithin thepassage.inasimilarfashiontotheworkonthetripletpassage(bars 41 54) Theuseofametronomewasofgreathelpinbuildingthespeedand structure puttingtheclickoneverysubdivisionofthebeat(inasimilar waytousingaccents)ataslowtempotoencourageevennessinplaying. Atthefinaltempo.Takingawaythemetronomicsubdivisionasfollows: onceeverysemiquaver,quaver,crotchet,minimandsemibreve.this encouragesthelongerlinesandmoremelodicmovement. 25

4 Bars Issues: Double;stops Chromaticstepsandshifting Bowing 1. Double;stops(bars ) Themosteffectivewayofpractisingthesewastofirstisolatethelower notesandgetanideaoftheirpitches,thenisolatetheuppernotesfor theirs. Secondly,playingthelowernotesagainwiththenecessaryfingeringto playthedouble;stop,butwithoutsoundingtheuppernote.this encouragedgoodintonationinadouble;stoppositionwithoutthe distractionofplayingbothnotestogether.ifollowthisbyswappingthe voicesaroundandonlyplayingtheuppervoice. TheIfinallyplayeditwiththefulldouble;stop. 11Bartók, Béla 1949, Viola Concerto, Op. posth. Ed. Tibor Serly. Boosey & Hawkes. London. Music score. Pg 5 26

5 Playingthevoicesindependently(markedwithdifferentcolours)beforeaddingtogether. 2. Chromaticstepsandshifting(bars ) Asusual,Iisolatedthenotesandplayedthemslowly,separatebowsto securethepitch. Ipractiseddouble;stopstostrengthenthehandpositionandintonation inafastertempo. Practicingwithdouble2stops. Finally,Ipractisedtheshiftswiththedouble;stopsoundedsincethis againpreparedthehandforthefastertempo. Example 3. Bowing First,Iworkedonopenstringssincethebowingismostlyover3strings perbeatandneedstohavethepatternautomaticallybuiltinbeforethe lefthandisadded. Openstringbowingexercise. Primrose sbowingexerciseswereveryusefulinthiscoordination. Isolatingnotegroupings(eg.1+2,1+3,1+4,2+3,etc),justlikethe previoussectionhelpedtobuildupthestructureofthemotif. Followingthesebars,Ipractisedasusual withstaccato,portato,accentsandrhythm variation. 27

6 Bars Bartók, Béla 1949, Viola Concerto, Op. posth. Ed. Tibor Serly. Boosey & Hawkes. London. Music score. Pg 6 28

7 Issues: String;crossing Voicing Double;stops Structuring 1. String;crossing(bars129,133,cadenza) Thisisaverysimilarproblemasthevoicing,butonatechnicallevelitcan bepractisedwithamotionlessbowonthestring soishiftedthe positionofthebowfromstringtostringtogetthemovementfamiliarin thewrist,bowarmandfingertips. IPractisedthisexerciseatdifferentpartsofthebow. VisualExample 2. Voicing Toemphasizethevoicing,whichisplayedagainstastaticnote,whether throughstringcrossing(bar129)ordouble;stop(bar131),iwould isolatethevoiceonit sowntofollowthemusicalline. Thenwiththebow,Iplacedheavyaccentsonthemovinglineandbeing extremelylightonthestaticnoteinorderforitnottooverwhelmthe overallmelodicmovement,especiallywiththetheopenstrings. Bartokmarksthisanywaywithtenutolines,butIpractisedittothe extreme. Isolatingthemelody 3. Doublestops Inbar135thereisatriple;stop,sofindingtheCinthemiddleofthe chordhelpedtogiveacoretothechordandmakedthetuningofthe notesarounditeasiertosecureaswellasthepositionoftherighthand (althoughthelowernoteshouldstillbegivenmoreweightwiththebow) Allthedouble;stopswereworkedinthesamewaysbars ,taking awaythestaticapedal. 4. Structuring Thereisaclearsequenceoftwoalternatingvoicesinbars , thereforeiisolatedthevoicestoseewheretheygo,startingwiththe lowervoiceandthentheuppervoicetodothesamehelpstobuildthe relationshipbetweenthemandgivethechromaticascensionabetter direction. 29

8 Thetopstaveshowsthelineoftheuppermelodyandthebottomstaveshowsthelower melody.thedoublestopsshouldbepractisedaspreviouslydemonstrated. 5. FurtherIssues soundingtheopenastring Inbars theviolapartisanaccompanimentthemelodythatis nowintheorchestra. IfoundthattheopenAstringneversoundedveryclearwhenIcameoff theoctaveharmonicbecausethesonorityalwayscarriedthrough,so thereisasuggestionbywilliamprimrosetousealightleft;hand pizzicato.thismeantthaticouldcomeofftheharmonicandaccurately playtheopenstring. 13 Thecrossesshowwherethelefthandpizzicatocanbeapplied(thisisstandardnotationforthis kindofarticulation). 13 DaltonDavid.1988,PlayingtheViola.CoversationswithWilliamPrimrose.OUP:NewYork.Pg

9 Bars Issues: Fifthsinchromaticascension Bowing 1. Fifthsinchromaticascension TheseareverydifficulttotunesoasIwaslearningthisconcertoIadded practisingscalesinfifthstomydailywarmupscaleroutinejusttoget morefamiliarwiththesensationofthem. InthispassageIlearntitinthesamewayasanyotherdouble;stop startingwiththelowernotefirst,thenupper,andfinallybothtogether. Ihadtomakesurethatthepadsofmyfingertipswereflatagainstthe stringandaimingforthespacebetweenthestrings,sincethisgivesan evennessoftonetoeachnote. Anote;by;notebuildingofpassagewasveryimportantforsecuringthe directiongradually. Mypianistalsosuggestedstartingfromthefinaldouble;stop(G + E )in bar162andthenworkingbackwards,buildingthescaleupbygetting comfortablewiththenotesinthehigherpositionfirst. Buildingupthemelody,startingattheendandworkingbackwards. 2. Bowing Thiswasworkedinthesamewayasitcomesbefore,incorporatingthe colléstrokeforaddedbite,sinceitishardertoarticulateonthedouble; stop. VisualExample 14 Bartók, Béla 1949, Viola Concerto, Op. posth. Ed. Tibor Serly. Boosey & Hawkes. London. Music score. Pg