So, I have decided to start a blog, nothing big, and if you don't like it, you don't have to read it.
Yesterday, the Miami University Brass Choir was asked to play at the New Now Norse New Music Festival at North Kentucky University. Before we went on, I was asked to play the Penderecki Capriccio for solo tuba. I agreed, since it is good experience. It had been over a week since I worked on the piece...and it is an extremely difficult piece. As I returned home yesterday afternoon, I spent a few hours on the piece working it back up.
So today comes, I wake up at 7am (which is the earliest I have woken up in weeks) and drove to NKU. I warmed up a little, and my face let me know it was too early, and I was a little dehydrated. I decided to take what I learned from the last 2 auditions and apply it here, and not to make excuses. I was asked to talk about the piece, and as I was walking up, 50 minutes without playing a note, I didn't feel nervous, however I was when I started talking because my voice sounded like I was shaking. I sat down and began to play.
I fudged the first pedal Eb on the first line, but I kept going. I fracked a couple high notes, and kept going, and finished. I didn't feel focused like I wanted to, something I worked on at my final audition with the professor. My interpretation for the piece includes an ongoing conversation of the Polish peasants cries against the communist regime, and that is what I have been working at, but not all of those might have come out. I don't know what really came out, but I finished, and I was pretty pleased with the performance. There are a couple things I want to improve upon, and better physical conditions will help those, but just to convey my interpretation even more clearly and shape the phrases even more.
After the performance, all the composers that were present congratulated me on a nice performance. One of the composers afterwards said she had heard many pro players "crash and burn" on the piece, and I was afraid I had done that, but then she said I played it very musically and accurate on such a hard piece. Other composers were asking me questions on extended techniques and what would work after the performance. I know I still have stuff to work on in this magnificent work, and one of the things that is going to help is spending an hour a week (thats all I need) in two 30 minute sessions keeping this up and keep going with it.
Most importantly, I learned a lot today. I have heard a few pro players play this piece who played it very accurately in a live setting, and no one yet has played it note perfect note wise, or without cracking a note. The impressive performances I have heard of this piece have cracked notes and missed notes, etc., but the musical line and interpretation is what I really like about those performances, and what makes it a great performance. I feel, after my recital, I could rent a studio for 3 hours and make one heck of a recording of this piece. I might not want to release it on a CD yet, but I think the recording would be really good and would be releasable.
James M Green, from Oxford, OH
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