The Morning After...Or the Evening After the Morning During

Holy crap am I tired. Today I had an audition. In another state. Then I drove to still another state for lunch. Then I drove back to Boston. Did I mention that I'm tired?

The audition had a pretty interesting format, just me onstage for a while. I spent very little time playing music from the repertoire list that was sent me. Instead, I was playing solos from alternate movements in the same pieces and solos from other pieces altogether. I wasn't perfect by any means, but I'm happy that I got the chance to play. In fact, I think it's a wonderful idea to have a player go through other repertoire. So many players have ages to learn specific excerpts and can sound great on them. Of course, this could explain why so many positions filled by this excerpt means have been opening back up after the trial period.

Instead, perhaps we should find a way to go back to the Szell period, when it was just assumed that a player could play the repertoire. After all, concert repertoire changes all the time. For Elvis' sake, look at the Boston Pops. They hardly look at most of the repertoire before taking the stage. They know it. Of course, they have fantastic sight-reading skills as well. Much of the Pops repertoire consists of new arrangements that couldn't be found elsewhere. You've gotta stay on your toes.

This is interesting enough to me that I'm going to go into repertoire specifics:

Initial Repertoire List given about 3 weeks ago

Rimsky Korsakov Capp. Espagnol
Kodaly Dances of Galanta
Schubert 8
Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
Rimsky Korsakov Scheherezade
Ravel Daphnis and Chloe

Revised List about 2 weeks ago:

Mozart Concerto 2nd and 3rd mvts
Beethoven 6 2nd and 3rd mvts
Beethoven 8
Brahms 3
Stravinsky Petrouchka
Strauss Heldenleben
Wagner Siegfried Idyll
Bizet Carmen Suit #1
Shostakovich 9

What I actually played (that I can remember):
Mozart Concerto 1st (recap) and 2nd mvts
Beethoven 6 1st mvt
Beethoven 8 Trio from 3rd mvt
Brahms 3 1st and 2nd mvts
Shostakovich 9 3rd mvt
Mendelssohn Scherzo (Midsummer Nights Dream)
Respighi Pines of Rome last mvt

Someday, I'll admit to my Respighi con. I'm shameless about that piece, I guess. When I've played it sitting near (within sight) other clarinetists, they always stare at me and my clarinet in disgust/disbelief. I'll wait before I admit to my trick. No one cares as long as it sounds good, right?



I probably ought to have changed reeds as the one I had was a little flimsy for the articulation. As my Grandmother says, though, "You dance with them what brought you." If you need me to translate from "Feisty Southern Woman" back to English, just let me know.

Oh yes, a reminder: If you show up an hour (or more) early for an audition (as you should), be prepared to find a locked door. That's what books are for, right? It was a beautiful day outside, though. I actually just used it to pace a bit and work off some excess energy.