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18th November:

Started learning Mazurka Dudziarz (Wieniawski, 1879) for assessment

Caroline suggested fingering and we went through the notes slowly

Discussed bow hold and wrist flexibility ease bow changes and improve technique

Caroline suggested opening up as I play and extending through shoulders

25th November:

Focused on transitions in Wieniawski, creating different characters for sections

Recapped setting up correctly, ensuring bow hold and posture is correct to start

Bowing exercises on open strings helped with technique and trying to manipulate wrist to invert on down bows

2nd December:

Fine-tuned intonation in Wieniawski, learning easiest way to get up there

Started learning Nigun (Bloch,1924)

Scalic exercises in School of Violin Technique Op.1 Book 3 (Sevcik, 1986) helped combat fingered octaves in Bloch

Caroline suggested more force with bow to produce richer sound

18th December:

Timed Wieniawski and it was 20 seconds under

Discussed ways to lengthen stylistically. Utilising ritenutos, pauses and breath, we extended the length

Caroline offered fingerings for string crossings in Bloch, to attain clearer sound across strings

Sevcik exercises dealt with scales on each string, applicable to sul G parts in Bloch

7th January:

Ran Wieniawski with Caroline playing accompaniment

Practiced necessary communication with piano to ensure each section starts together and tempo changes are in time

Discussed technique to correct bowing arm. Technical exercises like fast string crossings emphasised wrist movement

Focused on shifting smoothly to improve right-hand flexibility and shifting down in two movements, thumb then wrist

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18-25th Nov:

Started by looking in mirrors and adjusting my left wrist, enabling flexibility. However, it proved challenging to make a decent sound and I subconsciously kept returning to old habits

Practiced Scales for Advanced Violinists, (Barber, 1994) ascending by semitone each day. Allows practice of different scales and double stops to aid intonation

Familiarised with the Wieniawski, incorporating bowing and fingering. I felt happy with my progress but my intonation wasn’t always consistent with higher E-string leaps in A sections. Therefore, I practised slowly to feel where those notes were and increase probability of accuracy

25th Nov-2nd Dec:

Started by adjusting wrist positioning in mirror, however was still difficult to maintain and I often returned to old ways, forcing myself to reset

Practised bowing exercises on open strings to manipulate right hand. Whilst up-bows were improving and gaining flexibility, it felt unnatural to invert my hand on down-bows

Attempted to capture stylistic nuances of Wieniawski including increasing variation between sections and casting attention to musical details, creating further interest

2nd-18th December:

Practised fingered octaves in Sevcik exercises to learn hand shapes for accurate intonation in the Bloch. Whilst initially challenging, after practising consistently my hand started responding more accurately

I focused on achieving richer, clearer sounds to improve tonal quality in the virtuosic opening. However, by incorporating correct bowing technique, this was harder to achieve as I have adapted so firmly. I tried adjusting my bow hold in several ways but this felt less controlled and lack of strength and flexibility prevented the sound I wanted

For Wieniawski, I neatened corners, acknowledged musical interest and improved intonation. I recognised some progress which allowed me to increase tempo

18th Dec-7th Jan:

Practised Sevcik scales on one string to apply to sul G passages in the Bloch. These were challenging, especially on G but after slow practise it improved

Practised different methods to lengthen the Wieniawski tastefully. Previously, I frantically rushed but adding sensitivity and space created balance

Taking time in transitions and using rubato for Romantic effect extended time and enhanced character

7th Jan-now:

42 Etudes for Violin (Kreutzer, 2001) practised string crossings whilst focusing on wrist movement rather than arm but I still struggled creating wrist movement, only achieving this extremely slowly

Sevcik exercises of scales on one string practised smooth shifting, important for intonation for sul G section in the Bloch

Focused on awareness of relationships between violin and accompaniment in the Wieniawski and recognising where communication is necessary.

I felt happier about portraying stylistic elements and character in it

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This programme comprised of all-female composers and repertoire I didn’t know at all, so it was interesting for me to watch with no previous expectations. The first piece was a Trio for flute, cello and piano (Farrenc, 1857). The communication between the musicians and their effortless ability to move together was flawless. They were very generous in their performances and demonstrated high awareness of other’s parts, ensuring melody always dominated. Despite my unfamiliarity with Farrenc, this was very enjoyable and there were influences of Mendelssohn in the second movement and Bach in the finale but in a brighter fashion (Blumhofer, 2017). Furthermore, the use of instrumentation and ability to blend tones created a really magical timbre.

The following piece, Nocturne in F major (Schumann,1834) was played beautifully. The melodic phrasing was tasteful and every note had purpose. Any repetition held different intentions and contrasts were created stylistically to keep the audience engaged. Clara Schumann is often overshadowed by her husband but you could hear the sensitivity and intelligence of her music and it felt very natural. With Clara Schumann credited as the first soloist to perform from memory (Kopiez, Platz and Wolf, 2017), it felt fitting that Will Bracken did the same, and was the only performer in the concert who did.

My favourite piece was Adoration (Price, 1951), arguably the most beautiful of the pieces. Although Price originally wrote it for organ, it was performed on violin and piano, creating a warm, romantic feeling. The lyrical melody was very moving, appealing to its emotional title.

The main aspect I will be taking away from these performances was the ensemble communication and adding thought into every note I play. Furthermore, I will strive to listen to more female composers and familiarise with their works. This concert gave me insight into how many compositions are lesser-known because of a general reluctance for them to be performed but by spreading this music, their works become rediscovered and appreciated as they previously were.

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This concert celebrated Hungarian composers and musicians. The first piece was The Bartered Bride: Overture (Smetana, 1866) by Czech composer, Smetana and this proved a really grand opening. The conductor, Alexander Shelley, matched the energy of the music and with clear and enthusiastic beats, the musicians responded similarly. It worked effectively as an overture because it immediately grabbed the audience’s attention. With Smetana’s desire to create a Czech operatic genre, he had to be innovative and the beginning starts with strings entering a fugato texture rather than a typical orchestral tutti (Runyan, 2015). This was highly effective because an increase in texture gave the music a place to go and the vivacious string sections increased excitement.

Cziffra Psodia (Eotvos, 2021) followed, a piano concerto at its English premiere. Soloist, Janos Balasz is a Hungarian musician, which created a sense of authenticity. His technicality and musicality was impeccable. This piece was dedicated to Hungarian composer, Georges Cziffra and acts as his biography, narrating his tragic life (Eotvos, 2021). There are many personal details within the piece and Balasz demonstrated this sensitively and emotionally taking the audience on this journey.

Finally, Brahms’ Symphony No.2 (Brahms, 1877) was a really exciting piece. The variation in movements kept the music alive and the three-note melodic line in the first movement formed a thematic foundation for the entire symphony (Mangum, n.d.). This allowed a digestible melody to develop whilst also enabling the musicians creative expression. With Brahms’ frequent tutti uses, the full orchestral sound was impressive and it was evident that all performers were playing to their fullest by the way they held themselves whilst playing.

The main teaching I took from this concert was to always put in maximum effort, because when achieved collectively, the unity of sound is undoubtedly worth it. It has also made me consider the emotional journey and historical contexts of pieces I play so I can incorporate this and tell the story accurately.

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Date: 27th November, 1:10pm

Performers: Emily Ho, Jess Townson, Eddie Henning, Alistair Caiger, Neel Collin

Roles:

Assistants: Jodie Stace and I

Manager: Arthur Chan

Coordinator: Lewis Livingstone

By wearing black, we assumed a level of professionalism like performers. My role included folding programmes, welcoming audience members into the hall and giving them programmes

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Last term, orchestra repertoire included Finlandia (Sibelius, 1905), L’Automne (Glazunov, 2005), Le carnaval romain (Berlioz, 1901), Lieutenant Kije Suite (Prokofiev, 1935) and Variations on a theme by Tchaikovsky (Arensky, 1904). These pieces all differed in style and the repertoire was being rehearsed for performance in the Christmas concert. Being in large ensembles is very useful because it teaches me to listen and blend in with a collective sound. Orchestra definitely helps develop my listening abilities and ensemble skills and also forces me to take responsibility for practice. More than once, I have been moved forwards desks because of people missing, proving you are not protected by people in front and everyone has a responsibility to perform their best.

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Arensky, A. 1904. Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky. [Score]. Moscow: P. Jurgenson

Barber, B. 1994. Scales for Advanced Violinists. [Score]. Los Angeles: Warner Bros. Publications Inc

Berlioz, H. 1901. Le carnival romaine. [Score]. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Hartel

Bloch, E. 1924. Nigun from Baal Schem B.47. [Score]. New York: Carl Fischer

Blumhofer, J. (2017). Farrenc- Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano. Online: Jonathon Blumhofer. Available at: https://www.jonathanblumhofer.com/writings/program-notes/farrenc-trio-for-flute-cello-and-piano/ Accessed: 30th November 2024

Brahms, J. 1877. Symphony No.2. [Live performance]. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 28th November 2024, Cadogan Hall, London

Eotvos, P. 2021. Cziffra Psodia. [Live performance]. Janos Balasz and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 28th November 2024, Cadogan Hall, London

Eotvos, P. (2021). Cziffra Psodia premiere. Online: Peter Eotvos. Available at: https://eotvospeter.com/cziffra-psodia-premiere/ Accessed: 1st December 2024

Farrenc, L. 1857. Trio for flute, cello and piano in E minor Op.45. [Live performance]. Amy Yule, Rebecca Gilliver and Sophia Rahman. 22nd November 2024, LSO St Luke’s, London

Glazunov, A. 2005. L’automne. [Score]. Leipzig: Belaieff

Kopiez, R, Platz, F and Wolf, A. (2017). Small Influence of Performing from Memory on Audience Evaluation. Ohio: EMR

Kreutzer, R. 2001. 42 Etudes (Caprices) for Violin. [Score]. Leipzig: Edition Peters

Magnum, J. (N.d). Symphony No.2. Online: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Available at: https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/3936/symphony-no-2 Accessed: 3rd December 2024

Price, F. 1951. Adoration. [Live Performance]. Claire Duckworth and Sophia Rahman. 22nd November 2024, LSO St Luke’s, London

Prokofiev, S. 1935. Lieutenant Kije Suite. [Score]. Paris: Gutheil

Runyan, W.E. (2015). Overture to the Bartered Bride. Online: William E. Runyan. Available at: https://www.runyanprogramnotes.com/bedrich-smetana/overture-bartered-bride Accessed: 1st December 2024

Schumann, C. 1834. Nocturne Op.6 No.2 in F major. [Live performance]. Will Bracken. 22nd November 2024, LSO St Luke’s, London

Sevcik, O. 1986. School of Violin Technique Op.1 Book 3. [Score]. New York: Schirmer

Sibelius, J. 1905. Finlandia. [Score]. Helsinki: Fazer & Westerlund

Smetana, B. 1866. The Bartered Bride: Overture. [Live performance]. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 28th November 2024, Cadogan Hall, London

Wieniawski, H. 1879. Dudziarz from 2 Mazurkas Op.19. [Score]. Mainz: B. Schott’s Sohne