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- Herausgeber: tredition
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Sprache: Englisch
These guidelines are aimed at string players in the early music scene and focus on orchestral technique and codes of practise. This book gives extensive support and information to student string players starting out in the world of freelance baroque orchestras. It could, of course, be of interest to other orchestral performers. Rachel Harris, member of the Brook Street Band and director of Ensemble Schirokko Hamburg has collated her many years of experience and observation in this set of guidelines.
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Seitenzahl: 70
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
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Violinist Rachel Harris has been a member of the English chamber music ensemble The Brook Street Band since 1997 and is the leader and director of Ensemble Schirokko Hamburg, which she formed in 2007. She has produced numerous CDs to critical acclaim with both ensembles.
As well as teaching privately, she is frequently invited to coach both baroque and modern orchestras. She is a guest coach and lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg.
This book is dedicated to my friends and colleagues, with whom I have had the pleasure of many years (decades!) of wonderful music-making, as well as countless informative conversations. In spite of the present difficulties, I look forward to many gigs and projects with you in the future!
This book has been over nine years in the making and does not claim to follow historical sources. It is more the result of decades of joy, frustration and observation in the world of freelancing.
I would like to thank my sister Jennifer Harris for her invaluable advice on the wind section and for her help with the proof-reading. It was an enthusiastic Emily White who gave the text a final polish, many thanks indeed! I am also especially grateful to Christoph Harer for his willingness to give continuo cellists a voice. And a huge thanks to all those who have supported me with their enthusiasm for seeing this finally get published: it couldn’t have happened without you!
Hamburg, December 2020
Rachel Harris
Rachel Harris
ORCHESTRAL TECHNIQUEin action
Guidelines for playing in a historically informed orchestra aimed at student string players
ORCHESTRAL TECHNIQUE in action
© 2020 Rachel Harris
© photo Rachel Harris: Valérie Wagner
Verlag und Druck: tredition GmbH, Halenreie 40-44, 22359 Hamburg
ISBN
Paperback:
978-3-347-04494-4
Hardcover:
978-3-347-04495-1
e-Book:
978-3-347-04496-8
Printed in Germany
Das Werk, einschließlich seiner Teile, ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung ist ohne Zustimmung des Verlages und des Autors unzulässig. Dies gilt insbesondere für die elektronische oder sonstige Vervielfältigung, Übersetzung, Verbreitung und öffentliche Zugänglichmachung.
Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek:
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.
Contents
Introduction
1 PREPARING FOR A PROJECT
2 HOW AN ORCHESTRA MIGHT WORK
2.1 Hierarchy
2.2 A word on rotation
2.3 Body language
2.4 Personal input versus following placidly
2.5 Following the conductor
2.6 Concert master/continuo cello advice
2.7 Rehearsal flow
3 TUNING AND INTONATION
3.1 Tuning
3.2 My personal tuning order
3.3 Handling gut strings
3.4 Winds
3.5 Group intonation and sound
4 BALANCE
4.1 Who wins?
4.2 Seating
5 FUNCTIONS OF THE SECTIONS
6 TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
6.1 General difficulties
6.2 Technical problems for strings
7 PSYCHOLOGY
7.1 The team
7.2 Difficult desk-partners
7.3 Handling (someone else's) nerves
7.4 Friendly sections
8 STAMINA
9 MANNERS
9.1 Work climate
9.2 Manners on stage
10 WORKING WITH CHOIRS
11 SURVIVAL TIPS FOR COLD CHURCHES AND ACCLIMATISED CONCERT HALLS
12 INTERVIEW WITH CELLIST CHRISTOPH HARER
13 SOME FURTHER READING
14 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Introduction
Setting out to become a professional musician generally leads to a career within an orchestra. And we usually prepare for this by ensemble practise and playing lots of orchestral music, mostly in ‘modern’ orchestras. Tutors are often there to guide the sections during rehearsals, repertoire is expanded and concert experience gathered. However, I feel that a practical guide seems to be missing as to how we can best survive in the tough world of freelance orchestral playing. As this is a field of many areas, these guidelines concentrate on the necessities of freelance string players, especially within the world of historically informed performance practise. It might, of course, be of interest to other orchestral performers.
Although I have attempted to gather some of the things necessary for playing well in an orchestra, this book does not pretend to be comprehensive, or answer all questions encountered during rehearsals or concerts. I have used both the terms ‘leader’ and ‘concert master’ as they are interchangeable.
1 PREPARING FOR A PROJECT
It is one thing to practise at home, another to play an exposed part in a group! There is nothing comparative to rehearsing as a section, however here are some suggestions how to prepare:
• Make absolutely certain that exposed bars are perfect – e.g. use ‘safe’ fingering. When playing in a group it is very hard to hear yourself, so tactile knowledge then becomes so much more important.
• Playing in a group IS more stressful than at home! Try practising with the metronome (yes, a VERY good aid!) many notches higher to simulate the added adrenaline.
• It is sometimes harder to read the music because of having to share a stand so that the music is no longer directly facing us. Read the music from an angle to get used to the new picture.
• Fingerings in the part might help … until the copies are replaced by real music where there is nothing written in… Memorise the fingerings! Try not to write anything in the part, but memorise as much as possible. This also gives more flexibility when rotating.
• Search out the difficult bits (with Bach it is very often a middle section in a horrible key!) and give them extra attention.
• Listening to recordings is one of the best ways of getting to know a piece!
• Playing along to a recording (especially on headphones) is a great simulation of how it might work in a group where you hear more of others and less of yourself.
• Get hold of a score.
• Know what the choir or soloists are singing. Know how their words and need to take breaths affects the line you are playing (especially if you are playing the same line).
• Trying to visualise the situation and the rehearsal room, church or concert hall as much as is possible is a great asset in reducing nerves. Especially helpful before a concert.
Leaving early enough to get to the rehearsal on time always makes a good impression and means you are not stressed from travelling. You can even have a nice chat before it all starts (all part of our work!). Rather a bit too early than arriving just in time, especially on Fridays because of heavier weekend traffic.
2 HOW AN ORCHESTRA MIGHT WORK
2.1 Hierarchy
To allow a rehearsal to flow well and to keep everyone happy (especially those up front!) it is helpful to understand the hierarchy of an orchestra. This is different for the winds and strings, as the functions of the groups are in themselves different.
Wind players work individually and yet have to create a unified sound. In the classical build-up of a wind section the seconds play with the firsts, and the firsts try to play equally together. The best set-up is one that easily allows this. That is why winds always want to sit in two rows, the firsts grouped in the middle. It can be that the first oboe takes the reins when something has to be said, but that is more down to what type of person they are. Seconds are very important within the ensemble, often doubling other firsts, e.g. second clarinet with first bassoon, and to create a homogeneous sound they have to be able to gauge how much input they should give. Wind parts doubling the strings (especially oboe and flute) are particularly tricky, because of the tuning. A bad set-up (i.e. no platform) between the winds and strings can make this much more difficult. For baroque music there is less of the hierarchy, it is much more individual and depends on the piece played, especially in early baroque. Winds need to be able to blend with the tutti sound of the strings when playing their line, such as the oboe d'amore in No. 3 of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, or the bassoon in the bass line generally. Here in particular the cellist leading the bass section must be careful not to ‘go it alone’ but to take the double bass/ violone and the bassoon with them.
