TMEA ALL-STATE OBOE MASTERCLASSES 2011-2012 Hello, my name is Amy Anderson, Oboe Professor at Texas Tech University. For the 2011-2012 All- State Tryout Music, we have recorded performances, practice tempos, as well as Masterclasses for each selection. I am pleased to introduce Texas Tech University graduate, Susie Rockett, who recorded as well as selected the music for us this year. My master classes will precede each performance; a PDF is also available online. The tryout music is from Selected Studies for Oboe by H. Voxman, published by Rubank. I wish you good luck in your preparation, and hope that this recording helps you to become more confident in your audition process and in your musical growth. Before we begin with the selections, following are general suggestionsfor preparation: Play the scales in the key of each study slowly; build endurance and control by playing the scales in legato half-notes. Learn the fingering patterns required for each study. Focus upon your most beautiful sound in the slow etude; practice vibrato. a. Practice for large contrasts in the different dynamics. b. Pay attention to the beginning and ending of notes as well as phrases. Prepare tempos that enable the fast etude to be played well. a. Practice the fast etudes slowly in order to learn finger patterns. b. Repeat difficult patterns slowly and accurately. c. Practice thinking/singing your tempo before beginning to play. d. Practice playing fast etudes musically as well as technically. e. End each practice session on a positive note- Congratulations on your progress!
2 Etude #1: A minor Allegro brillante byluft, pp. 4-5 Tempo: Quarter note = 124-132 The fun and interest in this study lies in the changing articulations and the rise and fall of the line. This study offers us an opportunity to play with clean technique in a steady tempo. Select a tempo allowing for your personal best. If your best tempo for clean technique and musicality is quarter note=116 or 118, that is the tempo I would recommend to you. The goal is clean technique to allow the musical line to flow easily. Fingering considerations: Mark all F fingerings throughout the etude. Even though fingerings may seem logical, marking them is part of the process to solidify technique. The full or long fingering for high E should be used, and is fingered: ½ hole, 2, 3 with the 1 st or 3 rd octave key; and 2, 3 plus Ab and Eb keys In meas. 4, Use the short F rather than the full fingering, and is fingered 1 st or 3 rd octave key, 2 3; and Right hand Ab. In meas. 15, the long fingering for high F is: ½ hole, 2, with the 1 st octave key and 2, 3 in the right hand, plus the Ab and Eb keys Use forked F when needed, such as in m. 25 where F precedes Left Eb. There are spots in this study that do not allow for forked f to be played with the Eb key added. Left F should be used in mm. 11 and 26
3 Etude #1: Musicality: Dynamics and phrasing This study in A minor has one printed dynamic marking inmeasure one; however, there are implied dynamics as follows: An echo in m. 11 sounds natural, with a crescendo in m.12. Build to the high point in m.15-16; and at the double bar in m. 17, begin again in piano. M. 17 builds again to the first forzando; this forzando measure is the high point of this piece. In measures 21-26, I would recommend the broad dynamic shape of a gradual diminuendo. M. 27 can begin piano, then building louder with each measure. Exaggerate the articulations think of them as creating phrase shapes. Exaggerate the slurs and think of the notes with dots as leading to the next beats. Rhythm: Set the tempo with a clear upbeat to arrive on time with a good sound on the downbeats; and subdivide rests with the metronome so beat one starts on time with a clear sound. Set the tempo and downbeat as follows: Count 1, 2, 3 prepare embouchure, 4 breathe, play A potential rhythmic pitfall is to cheat the quarter rests; these should be full value and subdivided. Breathing: Breathe in the quarter rests as marked; relax the embouchure and body in the rests.
Etude #2: C minor Adagio (in 8) by Heinze, p. 28 Tempo Eighth note = 68-80 4 This study encourages the oboist to develop command of the extreme registers, control of the wind, dynamic range and expressiveness. Learn the rhythms with care and patience as well as the fingering patterns for the upper register. After the technical matters are learned, approach this as a song with a dramatic flair. The rhythmic variations give this a sense of drama, like a damsel in distress. Breathing considerations: Plan the breathing carefully and practice that it is graceful like the mood of this study. Following are suggestions for breathing in addition to the rests in mm. 8, 20, and 23: MM. 4 and 6 after the downbeat C M. 11 after thedownbeat D M. 13 after the eighth C M. 17 after the downbeat G M. 18 after the downbeat C M. 25 after the high C on beat 7 Fingerings considerations: MM. 3, 5, and 19 require forked F to Left Eb. The short fingering for high F should be played in m. 19 and works best for m.16; for the other F, I would recommend the F fingerings that work best for you as given for Etude # 1. Musicality: Style, phrasing and dynamics: Lead across the bar line to the next downbeat; it is okay to break a slur to breathe as outlined above or instructed by your teacher. Accents for this style are achieved with breath accents. Staccatos in this style are gentle and lifted articulation, and not too short because of the Adagio style. We may also interpret these staccatos as phrase marks that help lead or finish the phrase.
5 Etude #2: Dynamics: M. 9 begins in piano and each sequential measure is louder. In m. 13, save room in the diminuendo for the low C in m. 14. M. 14 can have a wonderful overlapping effect this is the C melodic minor scale and a great warm-up. Though m. 26is marked with a diminuendo, it s important to not get too soft too soon to encourage pacing and control until the end. Opportunities for expressiveness: Having phrase goals often includes emphasizing a note or notes within the phrase. This can be achieved through stress ofdynamics, vibrato, length and breath emphasis. Following are several suggestions: M. 3- the B natural is a leading note and can vibrate; G on beat 7 is expressive-this emphasizes the change in the pattern and direction of the line. M. 6- the lower notes create the line to emphasize that leads to a tenuto C in m. 7. M. 8- closes the first section of this piece with a slight rallentando. M. 13- take time to finish the C on beat one, then breathe. The high point in M. 19 can be sustained by slightly stretching the Eb, Db and F. In m. 23, the last three eighth notes can be placed with length. Subdivide the dotted quarters and eighths and fill the subdivision with a beautiful sound. There is no one correct way to play expressively; or to group phrases and articulations as in Etudes # 1 and 3. Generally, what sounds natural and allows for easier playing is a good interpretation.
6 Etude 3: A-flat Major Allegro by Luft, p. 34 Quarter note = 100-110 This playful study incorporates many rhythmic and articulation changes that are based upon scale patterns. The changing rhythmic patterns should be learned with the metronome. The practice recommendations suggest using the scales located in the back of the Selected Studies book. Practice theses scales in thirds slowly for clean intervals.isolate problem intervals to prevent blips. Isolating intervals in slow practice is key to developing clean technique, plus this is a time efficient practice method. Mark and exaggerate the articulation groups to create phrases. Each phrase leads to the arrival points below, which precede the breaths. Articulation: Tongue close to the tip of the reed. Practice on the reed alone for clear articulation. Breathing: It will be necessary to plan strategic breathing and practice it. Following are suggestions: M. 9 after the Eb sixteenth downbeat M. 12 after the Eb sixteenth downbeat M. 14 after the Ab sixteenth downbeat M. 18 after the Ab sixteenth downbeat M. 22 after the F sixteenth downbeat M. 28 after the Ab sixteenth downbeat M. 31 after the Ab sixteenth downbeat Fingering considerations: Forked F should be used any time left Eb is required. It is very helpful to mark the fingerings left Eb and forked F.I would also mark Regular f in m. 5, with Left F on beat 4. The special fingering for this study is found in m. 7: the left Eb precedes Ab. Both keys should be depressed on both notes, often called the double Ab /Eb.
7 Phrasing: I invite you to experiment with the following examples of phrasing ideas that add to the playful, light character and clean technique: M 1 begins with a march-like idea leading to a measure 2fanfare, like a trumpet call. MM. 5-8- bounce off of beats 1 and 3 to keep the triplets light. MM. 10 and 31- the three 16 th notes lead to beats 2, 3 and 4 leading to m 11. Then measure 11 can glide without rushing. M. 12-13-leadwith a gradual crescendo to M 14. M. 17-anchor this measure with the accents so as not to rush; these are produced with the tongue with added breath accents. M. 22-show the change in down/up motion and exaggerate the articulation changes. Playing in the High Register: This study offers us an opportunity to further develop a strong and confident high register. Many of us understandably shy away from the high register; let s practice it to develop control and enjoy the sound of the oboe in the high register. To develop control in the high register, practice the fingerings slowly. I recommend practicing the three octavesin whole notes on Db, Eb, and Ffor this study, usinga flexible embouchure to produce the wide leaps.play the high notes with sufficient air speed to support the pitch, and listen for fullness and resonance of tone. Following are several practice strategies: Warm up on slow scales of the etudes Have a clear plan for practice session Focus upon the most difficult passages Practice in small chunks Identify the blips between notes and practice those intervals slowly Practice slurred passages articulated Practice slowly, increasing the speed of the metronome Practice in triplet rhythms and in 4 measure groupings End each practice session on a positive note~
Congratulations on your progress. 8 Following are severaltips for taking auditions: Play your personal best and focus upon the music rather than anyone else or nervousness. Breathe deeply to relax. Take 3 breaths that are slower and exhale slowly through the mouth. Select and practice a short 1-3 note warm-up in advance for each etude that helps focus your concentration. Play your prepared tempo. Select your reed based upon the response of the low register, while maintaining stability in the high register. Practice these tips in your practice sessions. Trust your preparation. Best wishes with your oboe playing and progress; if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: amy.b.anderson@ttu.edu