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Sheet Music - £10.99 - Boosey & Hawkes Edition - Edited by Paul Silverthorne. Arranged for viola and piano, with a separate viola part.

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This piece is on the Grade 7 Viola Syllabus - B7

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A final step, supporting pupil’s self-assessment skills, would be to ask them to record either a complete performance of ‘Vocalise’ or a few musical phrases. Helpful questions that would prompt their reflection might include “is all the shaping and dynamics you planned audible on the recording?”, “what do you particularly like about your playing?”, or “is there anything you want to try to improve, and how might you attempt to do this?”

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What can your pupils discover about the history of ‘Vocalise’? Why did Rachmaninov not add words? Understanding more about the composer and about Russian art song more generally will get pupils into the zone. Here are two excellent examples of Russian art song: I am grieving and I still love him. When listening to these or other examples, draw attention to the expression of the voice, the use of rubato, obvious and subtle changes in dynamics and tone, and the balance between the piano and voice.

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Ask pupils to imagine that ‘Vocalise’ belongs to a soundtrack to a film. What do they think is happening on screen while the music is heard? Similarly, what descriptive words might students choose to describe the music’s mood? ‘Soulful’, ‘melancholy’, ‘mesmerising’, and ‘lamenting’ and just a few of the descriptions you might discuss, reinforcing the idea that music conveys emotions and that pupils can uses their performances to communicate their musical choices to their listeners.

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Listen to different performances of ‘Vocalise’, whether for voice or arranged for other instruments, to give students an understanding of its aesthetic. This 1932 recording by Italian-American soprano Anna Moffo is a particularly expressive example.

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Examine phrases across the entire piece. Can pupils locate them independently? Are there any differences of opinion about phrase lengths? You might model fluctuating bow speeds (i.e. changing the speed during a single stroke) to “phrase off” effectively as well as annunciating the bow stroke (i.e. using finger action to start phrases), as when you sound a consonant or vowel clearly with the mouth shape.

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Once the piece is known well, try singing it together. Don’t be afraid of going wrong or changing the register when required! ‘Vocalise’ is clearly very challenging to sing, so a light-hearted approach is advised, perhaps using the backing track accompaniment as a support. Useful questions to ask before or after this activity might include “where do you need to breathe?”, “where does the phrase naturally rise and fall?”, and “how does this phrasing compare with the markings in the score?”

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It is often helpful to try out extremes of tonal range, asking questions such as “what is the quietest/gentlest/boldest/strongest sound you can make on your instrument?” or “what could you do to achieve it?” When this is established, explore dynamics in between these extremes as well as transitioning from one type of sound quality/timbre to another.

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A wide tonal range is required for an expressive performance of ‘Vocalise’, so experiment with sound points, varying the distance from the bridge, as well as bow speed and arm weight to achieve different tonal colours. (This step can be seen in the accompanying video.)

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At this slow tempo, consider counting in quavers to check that rhythms are accurate and that long notes are sustained for the correct lengths. Move to a crotchet pulse when this is secure to improve the musical flow. You might model for pupils how to practise with a metronome, helping to develop a practice strategy.

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Ask pupils to prepare ‘Vocalise’ using the fingering and bowing provided in the copy. Are they able to work out independently where a position change is advised and follow the written guidance? You can be ready to follow up and provide support if there any doubt. Encourage discussion about alternative fingerings and bowings and experiment with these both for comfort and to change the musical character.