Saturday, January 15, 2011

My homework for Monday


Here's what I'm working on in the next couple of days. I've already mentioned we're playing Verdi. Also on the program is Leonore No. 3, which has some fast stuff. But the 2nd part is mostly not too exposed, and besides I'd gotten the music just before rehearsal, so I had an excuse, even if only inside my head. Monday's rehearsal will cover the Stokowski version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue. The piece I know, and have played in a band version, but the Stokowski version looks like it has lots of really tough stuff. I put a picture of one section here, based on the video I found on YouTube, the tempo is about quarter notes = 112 or so. And sextuplets. Yikes. There's also a ton of slurry stuff, things much easier to play on the organ than the bassoon. And, since I've now had the music for days, I no longer have any excuses for not being prepared.

Other things on the program: a few opera type things that I don't know but don't look hard, and ... oh yeah, Marriage of Figaro. I played it in high school, but I fear the tempo here will be ferocious. Plus, I'm going to miss the one rehearsal on Figaro, so I'll get one runthrough at the dress, then the show. So: lots of slow practice, every trick fingering I can find (I don't know many, since I'm not used to needing them, but M showed me a few this morning), and a general attitude that it's okay to hide or even drop out if it'll improve the overall sound of the orchestra.

The good news is that I'm not worried about playing Mozart at the music club next week.


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