Playing in UMWO has been a very beneficial opportunity to me, and the Adams certainly made me start practicing piccolo again. Since my previous school doesn't have strong and serious ensemble program, I came in the first rehearsal of Adams very scared and not knowing what to do with counting and the technically hard passages. It was a big lesson to me, and I learned to be more responsible with my assigned parts.
The Adams is smooth and fun to listen to, but it's totally different while actually playing in it. After all these rehearsals in the past weeks, I found this piece very challenging in many aspects. The most noticeable ones are the constant mental concentration on what is going on in the music, the physical endurance to make it happen, and the ability to listen to other musicians while still keeping the beats steady.They are all my weaknesses, and I'm glad that I could train myself while having the real experience. Every rehearsal is a challenge itself, and tonight's performance also, but I'm sure we will achieve the best we could tonight!:)
-Angelina Ho, flute
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Blog Post: Nicholas Cohen
I I I I I I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY LIKE LIKE LIKE THE THE THE ADAMS ADAMS ADAMS ADAMS PIECE PIECE PIECE PIECE PIECE PIECE PIECE. Sometimes in life it takes a lot of repetition to get your point across, and John Adams really lives by that idea...There are some interesting musical ideas to be found in this piece but overall you might end up hearing a lot of the same sounds sounds sounds sounds.
-Nicholas Cohen, bassoon
-Nicholas Cohen, bassoon
Blog Post: Stephen Omelsky
When I first heard a recording of this piece, I found it interesting to listen to. When the first rehearsal came, I found it difficult to fit my part in with not just my section, but the entire ensemble. The steady pulse of eighth notes that are continuous from beginning to end forces each entrance to be exactly in time and locked in with the rest of the ensemble. I have found that once the parts are locked in a steady pulse, the effect that Adams creates is spectacular. Listening to the piece almost seems like there could be a type of visual to accompany it, to clarify the sense of stagnation that some people get when playing this piece.
I think this piece is challenging for us as performers in the sense that it forces us to play like chamber musicians. We have to listen to parts other than our own , even when we are playing. So we have to open our ears to the rest of the ensemble and become more aware of how our part fits into the other parts. With this steady pulse, there is no room for error.
-Stephen Omelsky, trombone
I think this piece is challenging for us as performers in the sense that it forces us to play like chamber musicians. We have to listen to parts other than our own , even when we are playing. So we have to open our ears to the rest of the ensemble and become more aware of how our part fits into the other parts. With this steady pulse, there is no room for error.
-Stephen Omelsky, trombone
Concert Day!
Tonight, at 8:00 PM in Dekelboum Hall at the University of Maryland, you can hear UMWO in performance. We hope to see you there. We will be putting up more student blog posts as the day goes on, so stay tuned. Below you can find one by one of our flute players, Christi Rajnes. Enjoy!
The first flute part of Richard Strauss's "Suite in B-Flat Major" is probably one of the most awkward parts I've ever played. First of all, because it's in B-flat major, a really awkward key for the flute in general. Some notes in that scale are very sharp...and the rest are very flat. In addition, the very high range of the piece makes it hard (even though I have noticed that Strauss seemed to enjoy putting first flutes on the spot quite a bit in all of his pieces...). High notes are always difficult to control; and if you miss them, or they don't come out, or they're out of tune, everyone knows it. And finally, the final major difficulty is Strauss's tendency to group everyone in octaves, which are also difficult to place so they sound sufficiently in tune-especially in the key of B-flat, in the high register.
This piece has compelled me to face some of the most common weaknesses in typical flute players. Even though it can be frustrating at times, I really am grateful for this learning opportunity.
The first flute part of Richard Strauss's "Suite in B-Flat Major" is probably one of the most awkward parts I've ever played. First of all, because it's in B-flat major, a really awkward key for the flute in general. Some notes in that scale are very sharp...and the rest are very flat. In addition, the very high range of the piece makes it hard (even though I have noticed that Strauss seemed to enjoy putting first flutes on the spot quite a bit in all of his pieces...). High notes are always difficult to control; and if you miss them, or they don't come out, or they're out of tune, everyone knows it. And finally, the final major difficulty is Strauss's tendency to group everyone in octaves, which are also difficult to place so they sound sufficiently in tune-especially in the key of B-flat, in the high register.
This piece has compelled me to face some of the most common weaknesses in typical flute players. Even though it can be frustrating at times, I really am grateful for this learning opportunity.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Blog Post: Linda Mabbs
See this blog post by our soprano soloist, Professor Linda Mabbs, who will be featured on "Sparrows." Enjoy!
I was delighted when Prof. Votta asked if I would sing with the UMWO…and to do such an incredible piece! It turns out that Joseph Schwantner studied with Alan Stout, my theory teacher at Northwestern University. Small world!!! Schwantner was a doctoral student there when I was an undergraduate. The fact that I am now performing this piece with students of my own seems to be a very fitting tribute to Prof. Stout and to all teachers…almost like passing a torch. And it has been a lot of fun! The UMWO players have been absolutely top rate and we have learned the piece together…a real team effort. The fact that the vocal parts (originally scored only for the instrumentalist) have the added voices of members of the Maryland Opera Studio has made the whole collaborative process a real joy.
When I first saw the score to Sparrows I was totally intimidated. It looked more like a piece of visual art than a piece of music. Although the notation on the page was traditional, the notes were “artistically” placed in different areas of the page that appeared to have no connection at all. My first reaction was -- “how the heck am I going to learn this?” I don’t have perfect pitch but when I began to impose my own tonal relationships on the notated pitches, the score started to fall into place. The notes were one thing – the rhythm another. Counting in 7 and then reading 16th and 32nd notes added to the angst of the learning process. And then I needed to add the rhythm and pitches of the other instruments. My colleague, Justina Lee, worked with me a great deal and the results of this performance owe a much to our collaborative work. Thank you Justina!
But now, all of my concerns have melted away in the joy of singing this remarkable music. It is obvious that Prof. Votta knows this score inside out and he loves is as much as I do. I think that when you hear Sparrows at the concert, you will not be able to forget its simplicity and extraordinary clarity of tone for a very long time. It’s truly wonderful.
I was delighted when Prof. Votta asked if I would sing with the UMWO…and to do such an incredible piece! It turns out that Joseph Schwantner studied with Alan Stout, my theory teacher at Northwestern University. Small world!!! Schwantner was a doctoral student there when I was an undergraduate. The fact that I am now performing this piece with students of my own seems to be a very fitting tribute to Prof. Stout and to all teachers…almost like passing a torch. And it has been a lot of fun! The UMWO players have been absolutely top rate and we have learned the piece together…a real team effort. The fact that the vocal parts (originally scored only for the instrumentalist) have the added voices of members of the Maryland Opera Studio has made the whole collaborative process a real joy.
When I first saw the score to Sparrows I was totally intimidated. It looked more like a piece of visual art than a piece of music. Although the notation on the page was traditional, the notes were “artistically” placed in different areas of the page that appeared to have no connection at all. My first reaction was -- “how the heck am I going to learn this?” I don’t have perfect pitch but when I began to impose my own tonal relationships on the notated pitches, the score started to fall into place. The notes were one thing – the rhythm another. Counting in 7 and then reading 16th and 32nd notes added to the angst of the learning process. And then I needed to add the rhythm and pitches of the other instruments. My colleague, Justina Lee, worked with me a great deal and the results of this performance owe a much to our collaborative work. Thank you Justina!
But now, all of my concerns have melted away in the joy of singing this remarkable music. It is obvious that Prof. Votta knows this score inside out and he loves is as much as I do. I think that when you hear Sparrows at the concert, you will not be able to forget its simplicity and extraordinary clarity of tone for a very long time. It’s truly wonderful.
Blog Post: Laura Bent
The second horn part of "Grand Pianola Music" by John Adams looks like the most boring piece of music ever created. When I initially flipped through my part (before listening to it, that is), I assumed Adams had some sort of personal vendetta against horn players. All the rests, repeated notes, and whole notes seemed unnecessary and just plain mean. Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to playing any part of this piece, much less listen to it. But, I did. I must admit, it's a great piece to listen to. Adams uses the repeated notes (which, by that point, I had convinced myself would be the bane of my existence) intricately and intelligently, all while maintaining the simplicity characteristic of minimalism. After listening to the piece, I was excited to play it.
I entered the first UMWO rehearsal with a new found enthusiasm. As Dr. Votta raised the baton, I excitedly prepared to start playing....
Until I looked at my part again. Sixty-three measures of rest, all leading up to a big, whopping, pp strain of whole notes. Muted, no less. Thanks, John Adams. Much to my dismay, I realized that no matter how refreshing and beautiful the piece is cumulatively, the second horn part still sucks to play. But, hey, at least I have plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the music being created around me.
-Laura Bent, horn
I entered the first UMWO rehearsal with a new found enthusiasm. As Dr. Votta raised the baton, I excitedly prepared to start playing....
Until I looked at my part again. Sixty-three measures of rest, all leading up to a big, whopping, pp strain of whole notes. Muted, no less. Thanks, John Adams. Much to my dismay, I realized that no matter how refreshing and beautiful the piece is cumulatively, the second horn part still sucks to play. But, hey, at least I have plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the music being created around me.
-Laura Bent, horn
Blog Post: Donnie Johns
Performing Schwantner's Sparrows has proven to be one of the most challenging musical ventures in my life. Percussionists (like myself) know that Schwantner is never easy, but this piece in particular could easily be performed by an entire section. My personal set-up includes: vibraphone, glockenspiel (bells), chimes, tam-tam (gong), bass drum, timbale (latin drum), two triangles, two small gongs, and a suspended cymbal! All of which are played within seconds of each other! Projects such as these are always beneficial because they train you to handle virtually any musical situation with any ensemble. It honestly does not get anymore challenging than this!! Along with the difficulty, however, is also the reward of conquering some of the hardest music ever written. I especially enjoy the sparse, pointillistic sounds that are created between the metallic percussion, piano, strings, and voice. Very spooky and alluring!
-Donnie Johns, percussion
-Donnie Johns, percussion
Blog Post: Pedro Paz
I became a fan of Strauss´ Suite in B flat the day before our first rehearsal. I listened to the piece and found the difference in musical writing in the movements of particular interest. The first and third movements are light and sound similar to something Mozart would have written, but the second and final movements remind me more of the Strauss I am used to hearing and performing. Through the rehearsal process the piece has taken new meaning for me. As we practiced the Suite, we began to learn what was going on around us and understand the piece on a new level. This allowed us to bring these parts together to form something bigger and much more meaningful than each individual part. I found this to be particularly true with the final movement because of the complexity of the part writing. This movement has many many things going on at the same time, and the challenge of making sense of this mayhem has been a great experience that hopefully you will appreciate and enjoy.
-Pedro Paz, horn
-Pedro Paz, horn
Blog Post: Michael Langlois
See another post by one of our pianists: Michael Langlois. Enjoy!
As a pianist who has never played in orchestra before, working with the UMWO has been a wonderful and tremendous new experience. I was presented with several new challenges, both as one new to the genre and as a pianist.
As most of my collaborative experience has been in small chamber groups and duos, the first issue that I had to deal with was the “orchestral problem,” which is the time delay between downbeat one sees coming from the conductor’s podium, and the moment the sound arrives from the orchestra. For instance, there is one key passage in John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music toward the end of the first movement where the brass and pianos together play several very loud, individually cued chords. If I play exactly with the visual downbeat of Maestro Votta, my sound comes early in relation to the brass - but if I wait just a split second until I actually hear the brass, I am able to blend my sound with theirs. The trickiest thing about playing with a large ensemble is that the attack of the piano speaks much sooner than the others (a problem compounded in the Adams, where two pianos are involved), so I have to find a balance between staying on top of the beat and playing with good ensemble.
Joseph Schwantner’s Sparrows demands some techniques of the pianist that are not frequently found in the traditional piano solo canon – cluster chords, palm slaps to the strings, sostenuto pedal used in conjunction with silently depressed keys, and harmonics. Among these, I found harmonics the most difficult to obtain. A harmonic is a sort of ghost note, in this case an octave higher, obtained on the piano by striking a key while lightly touching a finger to the corresponding string in at a precise point. Unlike string players, pianists are not accustomed to quickly finding the position of a note on a string, so they must be somehow marked. Because the small folded pieces of paper we initially used to mark positions tended to fall under the strings or otherwise stray from their position upon repetition in rehearsal, we eventually settled on a bit of red chalk applied directly below the place where my finger would need to be. The second difficulty was the supporting stick of the lid, which in its down position (the lid having been removed) visually obscures two of these markings. We were unable to have this stick removed, and so it has taken a bit of practice for me to execute the following procedure within four beats: stand up, get past the music stand of the piano, raise the support stick to see where the first harmonic has been marked, lower it, put my finger into precisely the right position, and finally play the harmonic from the keyboard with my other hand. The result, however, is well worth the effort
I look forward very much to this concert Thursday evening and am
grateful for the opportunity to work with Maestro Votta and the UMWO.
As a pianist who has never played in orchestra before, working with the UMWO has been a wonderful and tremendous new experience. I was presented with several new challenges, both as one new to the genre and as a pianist.
As most of my collaborative experience has been in small chamber groups and duos, the first issue that I had to deal with was the “orchestral problem,” which is the time delay between downbeat one sees coming from the conductor’s podium, and the moment the sound arrives from the orchestra. For instance, there is one key passage in John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music toward the end of the first movement where the brass and pianos together play several very loud, individually cued chords. If I play exactly with the visual downbeat of Maestro Votta, my sound comes early in relation to the brass - but if I wait just a split second until I actually hear the brass, I am able to blend my sound with theirs. The trickiest thing about playing with a large ensemble is that the attack of the piano speaks much sooner than the others (a problem compounded in the Adams, where two pianos are involved), so I have to find a balance between staying on top of the beat and playing with good ensemble.
Joseph Schwantner’s Sparrows demands some techniques of the pianist that are not frequently found in the traditional piano solo canon – cluster chords, palm slaps to the strings, sostenuto pedal used in conjunction with silently depressed keys, and harmonics. Among these, I found harmonics the most difficult to obtain. A harmonic is a sort of ghost note, in this case an octave higher, obtained on the piano by striking a key while lightly touching a finger to the corresponding string in at a precise point. Unlike string players, pianists are not accustomed to quickly finding the position of a note on a string, so they must be somehow marked. Because the small folded pieces of paper we initially used to mark positions tended to fall under the strings or otherwise stray from their position upon repetition in rehearsal, we eventually settled on a bit of red chalk applied directly below the place where my finger would need to be. The second difficulty was the supporting stick of the lid, which in its down position (the lid having been removed) visually obscures two of these markings. We were unable to have this stick removed, and so it has taken a bit of practice for me to execute the following procedure within four beats: stand up, get past the music stand of the piano, raise the support stick to see where the first harmonic has been marked, lower it, put my finger into precisely the right position, and finally play the harmonic from the keyboard with my other hand. The result, however, is well worth the effort
I look forward very much to this concert Thursday evening and am
grateful for the opportunity to work with Maestro Votta and the UMWO.
Blog Post: Ward Yager
See the blog post below by one of our trumpet players, Ward Yager. Enjoy!
This has been my first experience with Grand Pianola Music, and I can say it's been fun. Like other music of John Adams that I know, this piece can provide some challenges to the trumpets. Usually his music is a test of endurance and range for us; however, this piece calls for double brass, which makes those issues less of a factor. I think one of the greatest challenges for the performers is intonation. So much of the music revolves around fixed-pitched instruments and static harmonies, which means the winds, brass, and voices need to remain loyal to the pitch center they create. For me, I have found this difficult for two reasons. The first is that I'm playing on a piccolo trumpet, which is already an intonation nightmare in itself! The second is that as the piece goes on, it's easy for mental and physical fatigue to set in and cause pitch wavering. Each performer has to remain flexible and react to what he or she hears within the ensemble.
This has been my first experience with Grand Pianola Music, and I can say it's been fun. Like other music of John Adams that I know, this piece can provide some challenges to the trumpets. Usually his music is a test of endurance and range for us; however, this piece calls for double brass, which makes those issues less of a factor. I think one of the greatest challenges for the performers is intonation. So much of the music revolves around fixed-pitched instruments and static harmonies, which means the winds, brass, and voices need to remain loyal to the pitch center they create. For me, I have found this difficult for two reasons. The first is that I'm playing on a piccolo trumpet, which is already an intonation nightmare in itself! The second is that as the piece goes on, it's easy for mental and physical fatigue to set in and cause pitch wavering. Each performer has to remain flexible and react to what he or she hears within the ensemble.
Blog Post: Gabby Lambiase
See the blog post below by freshman horn player Gabby Lambiase. Enjoy!
Walking into the first UMWO rehearsal as a freshman was quite intimidating, as I had no idea what to expect, and when I saw the horn part for Adams’ Grand Pianola Music my first thought was, “you have got to be kidding me.” All I saw were hundreds of measures of ridiculous counting and endless repeated notes. The first time reading through the piece was definitely a challenge, but as soon as rehearsal ended, I went back to my dorm room to listen to a recording, and was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it. The minimalist style of the piece was something completely different to me, but I found myself only wanting to learn more about it, and as rehearsals progressed, I came to absolutely love it. Being in UMWO for the past few weeks has already taught me a lot, especially about ensemble playing, and it has been a wonderful experience and a great way to start off my freshman year here at the University of Maryland.
Walking into the first UMWO rehearsal as a freshman was quite intimidating, as I had no idea what to expect, and when I saw the horn part for Adams’ Grand Pianola Music my first thought was, “you have got to be kidding me.” All I saw were hundreds of measures of ridiculous counting and endless repeated notes. The first time reading through the piece was definitely a challenge, but as soon as rehearsal ended, I went back to my dorm room to listen to a recording, and was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it. The minimalist style of the piece was something completely different to me, but I found myself only wanting to learn more about it, and as rehearsals progressed, I came to absolutely love it. Being in UMWO for the past few weeks has already taught me a lot, especially about ensemble playing, and it has been a wonderful experience and a great way to start off my freshman year here at the University of Maryland.
Blog Post: Joe Marsala
Please see Joe Marsala's (trombone) blog post below. Enjoy!
I have found rehearsals to be generally good. We have made a lot of progress on this piece and It is beginning to come together. It has been very interesting balancing with singers and their microphones. Overall, executing my part has been difficult as I am acting very much as a bass trombone. It has been much easier since we have had a Tuba player coming to rehearsals.
I have found rehearsals to be generally good. We have made a lot of progress on this piece and It is beginning to come together. It has been very interesting balancing with singers and their microphones. Overall, executing my part has been difficult as I am acting very much as a bass trombone. It has been much easier since we have had a Tuba player coming to rehearsals.
Blog Post: Amy Huzjak
My name is Amy and I play cello on the Schwantner Sparrows. This piece has challenged me to become a better musician, pushing me out of my comfort zone. As the cellist for this piece I have several responsibilities. First, I have to play cello. Playing is usually the only responsibility I have in a piece of music. In this piece however, I also have to sing while playing the cello and play antique cymbals with mallets and my cello bow. I have never liked to sing and was, at first, dreading singing in front of other people. To add the final level of difficulty, all of the string players must tune their open strings a half step lower than normal, forcing us to read a transposed part. The combination of all these tasks creates a mental puzzle as well as a logistical challenge. As the rehearsal process continued I realized that I was learning and becoming familiar with the parts, starting to enjoy the music instead of being confused by it. Much of this rehearsal process was devoted to working out logistical things as much as musical things. I even feel comfortable about singing my lines now. Learning to do all these tasks simultaneously has given me new confidence in performing other works as well as be able to process more musical lines concurrently. This piece is a wonderful work, with a great colors and emotional variety. My favorite part is the last phrases of the piece. After taking the emotional journey through the piece, the joyous feeling at the end is really incredible. I have enjoyed working with this work and excited to share it with you, even the singing.
Blog Post: Keith Williams
See today's blog post from percussionist Keith Williams. As a reminder, the first UMWO concert of the year is tomorrow night at 8:00 PM. We hope to see you there!
As a percussion, contemporary music is always a challenge. When I first got this part, I tried to listen to it with a recording and could not follow along very well at all. Furthermore, I tried to figure out a workable set-up for the percussion section. I walked into our first rehearsal and within 10 minutes realized this set-up was not going to work. In the very beginning, I have to bow a vibraphone and quickly go to the crotales (tuned metal discs that are annoyingly loud out of context). Oops...they were 15 feet away from each other! Robby (another percussionist) and I both bow the vibes at similar times and then quickly go to crotales. This all happens within the first two minutes of the piece. What looked like half and whole notes were actually the hardest part of the piece to play with the ensemble. Be sure to listen in the beginning for shrills.
It took a few rehearsals, but eventually this piece did grow on me, with its forever lasting steady stream of notes by the wind and brass players. However, the end makes the tension and repetition all the more effective . The piece just keeps growing. Listen for the bass drums and suspended cymbal. In rehearsal, Dr. Votta described this part perfectly; a little kid trying to playing drum set.And now it is time to wake up for some Adams!
As a percussion, contemporary music is always a challenge. When I first got this part, I tried to listen to it with a recording and could not follow along very well at all. Furthermore, I tried to figure out a workable set-up for the percussion section. I walked into our first rehearsal and within 10 minutes realized this set-up was not going to work. In the very beginning, I have to bow a vibraphone and quickly go to the crotales (tuned metal discs that are annoyingly loud out of context). Oops...they were 15 feet away from each other! Robby (another percussionist) and I both bow the vibes at similar times and then quickly go to crotales. This all happens within the first two minutes of the piece. What looked like half and whole notes were actually the hardest part of the piece to play with the ensemble. Be sure to listen in the beginning for shrills.
It took a few rehearsals, but eventually this piece did grow on me, with its forever lasting steady stream of notes by the wind and brass players. However, the end makes the tension and repetition all the more effective . The piece just keeps growing. Listen for the bass drums and suspended cymbal. In rehearsal, Dr. Votta described this part perfectly; a little kid trying to playing drum set.And now it is time to wake up for some Adams!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Blog Post: Harmony Yang
See today's blog post from one of our pianists, Harmony Yang. Enjoy!
John Adams—Grand Pianola Music
Finally, I am playing a piano part in the wind symphony that is in fact audible to the audience! However, this was both an advantage and disadvantage to my colleague and me. Besides playing Stravinsky’s Petrushka or other piano concerti, I don’t think I’m used to being so exposed to all. We were about to be given a piece that required mental and physical endurance to pull together. Mr. Adams’s minimalistic repetitive structure throughout this entire piece ties together seamlessly, that it leaves the pianists almost without any break. However, I do find this rare experience rewarding, as it allows my imagination to take its course throughout the music.
John Adams—Grand Pianola Music
Finally, I am playing a piano part in the wind symphony that is in fact audible to the audience! However, this was both an advantage and disadvantage to my colleague and me. Besides playing Stravinsky’s Petrushka or other piano concerti, I don’t think I’m used to being so exposed to all. We were about to be given a piece that required mental and physical endurance to pull together. Mr. Adams’s minimalistic repetitive structure throughout this entire piece ties together seamlessly, that it leaves the pianists almost without any break. However, I do find this rare experience rewarding, as it allows my imagination to take its course throughout the music.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Blog Post: Adam Gallob
The post below by Adam Gallob, one of our clarinet players. Enjoy!
The Strauss Suite in Bb is quite a challenging work, though it doesn't seem so at first glance. There are a lot of octaves written between instruments, and at least for the clarinet, written for bad spots on the instrument. This makes tuning a huge challenge, but quite a rewarding one as the sound is full and round.
Another challenge within this piece is the last movement, the fugue. Fugues are difficult for several reasons. The main melody must be identified and present amongst thick counterpoint. It is sometimes an issue determining whether you have a melody or just the counterpoint. It is also difficult because there is no definite beat. A lot of the phrases are tied over barlines making it extremely difficult to count and stay in time.
Despite these challenges, it is very enjoyable music and fun to play. I look forward to this concert.
The Strauss Suite in Bb is quite a challenging work, though it doesn't seem so at first glance. There are a lot of octaves written between instruments, and at least for the clarinet, written for bad spots on the instrument. This makes tuning a huge challenge, but quite a rewarding one as the sound is full and round.
Another challenge within this piece is the last movement, the fugue. Fugues are difficult for several reasons. The main melody must be identified and present amongst thick counterpoint. It is sometimes an issue determining whether you have a melody or just the counterpoint. It is also difficult because there is no definite beat. A lot of the phrases are tied over barlines making it extremely difficult to count and stay in time.
Despite these challenges, it is very enjoyable music and fun to play. I look forward to this concert.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Blog Post: Matt Jones
Please see Matt Jones's (percussion) post below. Enjoy!
Keith told me we were playing a John Adams piece, and I asked him "The second president was a composer?" Nah. Too bad though, because this piece would have been way ahead of it's time in the 18th century. It's a bit lengthy, and my individual part is full of rests, but when I do play, it's definitely fun. The percussionists are basically running a 40 yard dash to get from part to part in some sections, and hardly have time to pick up sticks. With the beautiful piano harmonies and unique percussion parts, Pianola Music is definitely one of my favorite pieces I've played at UMD.
Keith told me we were playing a John Adams piece, and I asked him "The second president was a composer?" Nah. Too bad though, because this piece would have been way ahead of it's time in the 18th century. It's a bit lengthy, and my individual part is full of rests, but when I do play, it's definitely fun. The percussionists are basically running a 40 yard dash to get from part to part in some sections, and hardly have time to pick up sticks. With the beautiful piano harmonies and unique percussion parts, Pianola Music is definitely one of my favorite pieces I've played at UMD.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Blog Post: Graham Logen
Today's post is by Graham Logen, one of our bassoon players. Enjoy!
To hear one's voice and be startled is to drown in a lake of unfounded tears fallen from the fawn. The fawn is reserved-- and rightfully so, as a matter of security-- but never frolics without that reservation in the back of its mind.
Prepare yourself, audience, to contribute to the collective imagination that summons spirit to sonic structure.
For the dragonfly hovers but a day looking for sex. The bird flies into the window. The raccoon enters the highway. The fawn hides its youth. Invigorating beauty. And we meet to create an energy that turns lies into truth.
To hear one's voice and be startled is to drown in a lake of unfounded tears fallen from the fawn. The fawn is reserved-- and rightfully so, as a matter of security-- but never frolics without that reservation in the back of its mind.
Prepare yourself, audience, to contribute to the collective imagination that summons spirit to sonic structure.
For the dragonfly hovers but a day looking for sex. The bird flies into the window. The raccoon enters the highway. The fawn hides its youth. Invigorating beauty. And we meet to create an energy that turns lies into truth.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Blog Post on Strauss Suite by Mandy Maruchi-Turner
Mandy, who plays second clarinet on the Strauss Suite in Bb, wrote this posting yesterday for our blog. Enjoy!
The smallish instrumentation of the Strauss makes it exciting to play. Although it's not technically the most demanding piece we have played, things happen fast and parts of it are very exposed for each player. Right now we are working on making sure the melody is heard at all times, which is a little difficult in the last movement where it switches from instrument to instrument in short succession. We do sound 100x times better now than we did at the first rehearsal a week and a half ago, and with a week and a half still to go I think we will have refined our sound even more. As we are learning to play as en ensemble, we are also having some intonation issues, so Adam and I (the clarinet section!) are going to work together before the next rehearsal to make sure we are at least in tune with each other and aware of where we will have issues, and in which direction we will tend to land in certain spots. I think that by the concert we will be able to make this piece sound as fun and beautiful as it was written to be, and it should be a great opening to the program :)
The smallish instrumentation of the Strauss makes it exciting to play. Although it's not technically the most demanding piece we have played, things happen fast and parts of it are very exposed for each player. Right now we are working on making sure the melody is heard at all times, which is a little difficult in the last movement where it switches from instrument to instrument in short succession. We do sound 100x times better now than we did at the first rehearsal a week and a half ago, and with a week and a half still to go I think we will have refined our sound even more. As we are learning to play as en ensemble, we are also having some intonation issues, so Adam and I (the clarinet section!) are going to work together before the next rehearsal to make sure we are at least in tune with each other and aware of where we will have issues, and in which direction we will tend to land in certain spots. I think that by the concert we will be able to make this piece sound as fun and beautiful as it was written to be, and it should be a great opening to the program :)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
"Grand Pianola Music"-Robby Bowen
See percussionist Robby Bowen's post on John Adams's "Grand Pianola Music" below.
"John Adam’s “Grand Pianola Music” is definitely not a logistically simple piece for a percussionist. When looking at my music for the first time, I was slightly daunted by the wide variety of instruments one player was expected to manage while simultaneously keeping track of the frequent and rapid meter changes Adams features. However, after listening to the audio recording of the piece, the convoluted sheet music gave way to one of the most sublime sounds I had ever heard. After learning how absolutely beautiful the finished piece would sound, I no longer worried. I knew that I would do everything I needed to do in order to create such magnificent music. Music is all about the sound, and “Grand Pianola Music” sound is worth the multitude of percussion organization and coordination, along with intensive attentiveness with regards to following the entire piece (even if setup time may actually take longer than the rehearsal itself). So far, my experience with UMWO has been nothing short of exciting!"
"John Adam’s “Grand Pianola Music” is definitely not a logistically simple piece for a percussionist. When looking at my music for the first time, I was slightly daunted by the wide variety of instruments one player was expected to manage while simultaneously keeping track of the frequent and rapid meter changes Adams features. However, after listening to the audio recording of the piece, the convoluted sheet music gave way to one of the most sublime sounds I had ever heard. After learning how absolutely beautiful the finished piece would sound, I no longer worried. I knew that I would do everything I needed to do in order to create such magnificent music. Music is all about the sound, and “Grand Pianola Music” sound is worth the multitude of percussion organization and coordination, along with intensive attentiveness with regards to following the entire piece (even if setup time may actually take longer than the rehearsal itself). So far, my experience with UMWO has been nothing short of exciting!"
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
First Student Blog Post of the Year
See the first blog post of the year below from Noelle Drewes who will be playing first oboe on both pieces that she mentions. As always, you can find more information on all these pieces in previous posts. Enjoy!
Iidecided to start working on my new UMWO music this evening. i opened up the adams and thought "well this is going to suck." my part opens with basically an entire page of rest. on the next page all i have are repeated Ds. i'm used to playing the melody, as in the strauss, and wasn't too happy about the adams. (we're being honest, right?) so i figure, what's the easiest way to "learn" this piece without actually having to practice it...? answer: listen to it. well, i just got done listening to it on naxos, and i've gotta tell you, it's amazing. i had no idea something that looked so (for lack of a better word) boring could be so moving. i can't wait to play through this piece with the group on thursday.
though i'll still probably get lost in the rests...
Iidecided to start working on my new UMWO music this evening. i opened up the adams and thought "well this is going to suck." my part opens with basically an entire page of rest. on the next page all i have are repeated Ds. i'm used to playing the melody, as in the strauss, and wasn't too happy about the adams. (we're being honest, right?) so i figure, what's the easiest way to "learn" this piece without actually having to practice it...? answer: listen to it. well, i just got done listening to it on naxos, and i've gotta tell you, it's amazing. i had no idea something that looked so (for lack of a better word) boring could be so moving. i can't wait to play through this piece with the group on thursday.
though i'll still probably get lost in the rests...
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A New Year for UMWO
Classes at the University of Maryland started on Monday and we are currently in the process of auditioning wind players for the upcoming year. The blog will now transition to discussion of weekly activities and the rehearsal process. Students who are members of UMWO will be periodically posting on the blog to give you an update of how things are going from the performers' standpoint and this should give you an idea of what it is like to be a part of a high-level performing ensemble. We hope that you are planning on attending many if not all of our concerts this year as we have some fantastic repertoire planned. Enjoy and happy new school year!
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