Things I Have Learned as a Violist in the Ballet Pit

I recently had a gig doing a ballet on viola. As I'm playing more concerts on the viola, there are things I've noticed and have had to adjust to, physically and mentally. Here's a list of a few of them!

1. It's possible to get more tired playing the viola, as it is larger and heavier than the violin. Luckily I haven't had this problem yet and the viola is still more comfortable for me, but I am aware that it is common for this to happen, and maybe once I'm doing more serious concerts with full-length symphonies I'll experience this too.

2. Opposite desk sides...this means that the "outside" is the "inside" and vice versa. So, one has to remember whether they're the one turning the pages, and who's playing top/bottom and generally get used to the opposite setup!

3. Different orchestral positions - while the first violins never move (that I have seen, anyway) from their position in the front at stage right, the violas often play on the outside stage left, and also often play between the second violins and the cellos, in the middle.

4. Violas do actually have the ability to make more sound than violins. This is why there are fewer violas in the section. It takes more effort to get a good sound out of a viola than a violin, and this extra effort translates to a louder sound. (Whether that sound projects as well is another story, however.)

5. Sometimes, the viola part may not make sense. Within itself, that is. Unlike the first violins who almost never have a line that doesn't musically make sense, the violas seem to often have combinations of notes that seem musically illogical, making the part harder to anticipate. In context the viola part (usually) makes perfect sense, so we violas have to get used to interpreting the music as more of a whole than the violins, who can get away with knowing it on a more superficial level and living in their own, self-absorbed world.

6. The violins sometimes sound pretty...interesting. As everyone knows, they're the ones with all the high stuff and when first reading/rehearsing these parts, it can sound rather...well, awful. More so than one can appreciate when playing as one of them! Luckily they also improve quickly, but hearing a first run-through brought me thoughts of "That's what we sound like!? Glad I'm not doing that anymore!"

7. Finally, even though it is the violins who have the melodies and show-offy stuff, the violas have more fun!

Music is Alive...with the Goldner String Quartet and Piers Lane

Last Monday evening, I went to see the Goldner String Quartet, an ensemble from Australia. They performed a commissioned piece by NZ composer Gareth Farr, the Elgar Piano Quintet and to start the programme, Schubert's very popular Death and the Maiden String Quartet No. 14.

Overall the Goldner Quartet (click to see their website and images!) struck me as a very talented group even compared to the last international quartet I saw, which was the Tokyo String Quartet - undoubtably a hard act to follow. The friend I was with remarked that after seeing the Tokyo String Quartet, the ensemble of other less-established groups seems lacking - just in that the perfection of the Tokyo quartet was so absolute and unattainable, not that the other groups are lacking anything in actuality.

I had actually never heard the Elgar Piano Quintet before, and hearing it on Monday was really great, and now I know what a great piece it is. In the genre of piano quintets it seems that it will inevitably be difficult to integrate the piano part into the already well-established string quartet group, and that it may often seem that the string quartet and piano are in opposition. Elgar makes use of this right from the start, with the strings sharing the same rhythmic accompanying part while the piano takes the melody. The strings often have a role together against the piano, but Elgar also knows how to integrate all of the instruments masterfully as well, though perhaps not in the same way as in some of the other piano quintets that I am more familiar with.

What really impressed me was their rendition of the old favorite, the Schubert. (Though the Gareth Farr piece was nice too, not intending to belittle that too much.) I had heard this piece a few times before, but never had it seemed so alive. The feeling of constant motion and flawless continuity was always there, and it was as if the music was a living, breathing being created by the four players together. These players rose beyond having a good dynamic within the group to being able to create one whole entity from their four parts (almost as if there was in fact no dynamic within the group), which was amazing. The second movement especially was palpably full of life, a little faster than I'd heard previously (in fact, all movements were a bit faster) but lacking none of the emotion. The other movements showcased the players' effortless articulation and there was never a moment where an important part was covered, and even the inner voices were always discernible and individual, while still being part of one whole. It didn't seem like they had to try to make sure the melody was heard, (for example, the first violin wasn't a separate entity in melody passages) but the melody was indeed heard at all times...along with the rest of the music. Which is what made it so great.

The rests in the music were alive too, not necessarily "full of electric energy" as is so often said of rests, but alive, and each containing varying different qualities of life, if that makes sense! Rests are a feature which musicians often find the most difficult. (Which is ironic, considering that we're not actually producing sound during rests.)

It had been awhile since I had been to a concert, and I'm glad the Goldner Quartet came along to refresh my musical awareness and renew my inspiration for chamber music.

Musical Inspiration and Motivation: After the Nelson Symphony

After playing the first movement of Walton with the Nelson Symphony on Saturday night, I returned to Wellington on Sunday morning with a renewed sense of passion for the viola and motivation to practice and learn new music. (And also very tired, had an early flight, and forgot about Daylight Savings, so it was even earlier than anticipated!)

Having the chance to play solo with an amateur orchestra is a great privilege for aspiring young soloists. It's a great atmosphere, with a great audience, a lively and supportive young conductor, and fellow musicians who share the same goals as you do. There's a little article from the Nelson Mail here about the concert, the people, and the programme.

It's important for musicians to support each other like this, and remember that we do share the same goals and can help each other get there. It's easy to forget that life is not always about competing against one another - and for music especially, things so often are competitive. Orchestral auditions, getting into schools, and competitions themselves present situations where we have to pit ourselves against one another and try to be better than all of our colleagues to make a name for ourselves.

But sometimes the most inspiring situations are when musicians are united in one goal, and achieve it together. When it's not about winning or losing.

On Sunday afternoon I also got to attend a Wellington Chamber Orchestra concert (Delius, Bottesini, and Beethoven), which had the same atmosphere of amateur determination and genuine love of music, conducted by another young, aspiring conductor whose professional career is just beginning.

Professional musicians out there, do try to go see what the amateurs are up to and be reminded that although it is your profession, music isn't just a job. Don't stop going to concerts once you've made it into a professional career and don't stop being inspired to strive to do more, and better. For us, it's one of the things that makes life worth living.

Tips for Audition Day

I recently had an orchestral audition on viola. So, I thought I'd share some of my audition-day tips with you!

1. Dress at least somewhat professionally
Yes, auditions are usually screened and they'll probably let you know whether there's any possibility of taking screens down for final rounds. But nevertheless there are a few people who will see you regardless of screening, like the managers or coordinators of the orchestra (whoever has a part in organizing the auditions) and you want to make a good impression on them as well - you don't want to get into the orchestra and then have the administration people make fun of you for showing up in sweatpants or worn-out tshirt.  

2. Be healthy in body and mind
Don't do anything stressful beforehand if you can avoid it, stay hydrated, eat healthy foods during the day (and days before if possible), and get plenty of sleep. Musicians are athletes too, so keep that in mind - our bodies need just as much maintenance as those of professional basketball players or runners.

If it helps, take along some peppermints or essential oils if those clear your mind. Everyone has their own little calming rituals, and this is definitely a time when you want to be calm. Make sure you've got everything you need before you get to the audition venue as well - you don't want to discover after you arrive that you are missing a page of music, or don't have a mute or rosin or your beta-blockers (if you take them). This brings on the next point...

3. Arrive early! (Or at the very least don't let there be any possibility of being late)
This is going along with being calm and relaxed - make sure you've got enough time to get to the audition venue comfortably, and try to get there at least half an hour early so you can warm up and relax a bit before the audition. (And if you've forgotten something, you still have time to go get it now). Some people do find that if they arrive too early they'll over-practice and stress out, so know your own tendencies and plan accordingly - just don't let there be any chance that you'll have to rush there and not be ready to play when you have to!

4. Don't play faster than you can play.
If anything, take a few notches off your top speed, think "slow" to combat the audition adrenaline rush. You are going for rhythm and clarity, both of which will suffer if you are going at breakneck speed. You've presumably practiced with a metronome beforehand, so you know exactly what your comfortable speeds and capabilities are.

5. If you make a mistake, don't give up!
If you play a note out of tune or stumble over a rhythm, don't automatically think you are written off. Just make sure to prove you can play in tune or do the rhythms correctly in the rest of the excerpt, or following excerpts. Everyone makes mistakes, but your recovery from a mistake can show the judging panel that you don't consistently make mistakes.
The other thing to remember about this is that things often don't sound as bad as you think, or don't come across as bad as you felt it did in context. It's not over until they've told you to leave, so don't stop trying.

6. Try not to encourage nervousness
It's difficult especially with auditions for actual jobs, not to be nervous. I ended up being more nervous than I had expected to be for my audition, even though I'm not in a situation where my livelihood may depend on this job as others sometimes are. The thing is, though, that auditions will come again. There will always be another orchestra and another audition somewhere, so even if you do mess this one up or don't get the position, you haven't totally blown it. Just keep practicing and try again!

Orchestral diagram 

NZSQ: Bravo Britten!

After writing a not-so-positive review of The Flying Dutchman, it's nice to get back to recommending and having a bit of a rave about an entirely pleasurable event. Last Friday and Saturday I did some front of house/ushering work and got to attend two New Zealand String Quartet (NZSQ) concerts, from their "Bravo Britten!" tour of NZ.

I am also fortunate to have two of the quartet as teachers (the second violinist and violist, you can read more about them and the other members at their website).

These concerts were a tribute to the centenary of composer Benjamin Britten's birth in 1913. The first concert was made up of a piece by Stravinsky (Concertino), some short pieces by Frank Bridge, Britten's Quartet No. 1, and a Mozart quartet (K. 589 in B-flat major). The second concert featured two fantasias by Purcell, Schubert's Quartettsatz, Britten's 3rd quartet and the Ravel quartet. I really enjoyed the programming in that both of them had a great variety of works, in addition to both ending with famous and familiar works (Mozart and Ravel). All of these composers inspired Britten in his composition career at some point, and the quartet did a little introduction to each piece to tell the audience how or when Britten encountered the work, and the impact it had on him. These tidbits of inside information were great to have as well, and really engaging for the audience to hear the quartet speak about their programme.

My personal favorite piece from the two programmes turned out to be one that I'd never heard before, the Britten Quartet No. 1. Described as being from the period of Britten's composition when he was "old enough to have great skills, but young enough to want to show them off", this piece really resonated with me. (Perhaps it was the "showing off" aspect!). Beginning with dissonance in the high strings, Britten's first quartet captivates from the first notes, whether one likes it or not. The contrasting rhythms and ideas provide interest and stimulation throughout the work. 

Another favorite moment was the beginning of the second movement, with the outbursts of energy from each musician in turn, with a background of staccato chords, which although they have momentum, are relatively calm compared to the outbursts. The first entry is taken by the violist, and Gillian Ansell of the NZSQ did this so effectively that as a first-time listener of this quartet I had absolutely no warning of what was to come, and after the entry, she played on with the staccato notes so calmly and good-naturedly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, creating a slightly amusing and extremely enrapturing effect. After that first entry I couldn't wait to hear what would happen next in the rest of the work.

Also in this quartet is an unusual instance of the two violins and the viola all being in unison against the cello, and later the cello gets a turn at playing the unison tune while the others do something different. The quartet executed this splendidly and the virtually flawless intonation of the (quite long) unison passage was very impressive!

The NZSQ is a real asset to New Zealand. In addition to performing in NZ and overseas, they take the time to teach and run a summer chamber music course for young people. They each have their own individual strengths that, when combined, make them a unique and dynamic group. And, they are at a standard that undoubtedly rivals that of the international ensembles we see come through Wellington. Finally, having met and had lessons from them I know firsthand that they are all very encouraging and dedicated individuals who genuinely care about the wellbeing of their students. Long live the NZSQ!

From the Theatre: The Flying Dutchman, Wagner

On Thursday night I attended the dress rehearsal for an upcoming opera, Wagner's The Flying Dutchman. Opening night was on Saturday.  

Promotional image used by NZ Opera for The Flying Dutchman

I've only been to one other professional opera in my life, and that was Madame Butterfly. These works were quite different in many ways! And I have to say, I'm glad that I got to see the Puccini (Madame Butterfly) first, as The Flying Dutchman had a few qualities that would not make it a good show for first-time opera-goers. I don't like to write less than commendatory reviews, but to stay true to my honest opinion it must be done, in this case. And it's not that I regret going, I still enjoyed seeing the performance and having the experience.

Firstly, while the plot lines of operas are notoriously slow, The Flying Dutchman was still unexpectedly slow-moving, and didn't really have much of a story at all. The plot is, as one may have guessed, the story of the Flying Dutchman, who has been condemned to an eternity at sea. He can only be saved if he finds a wife who will stay faithful until death, but he is only allowed ashore to seek a wife once every seven years. 

The opera begins at sea, with a vessel full of sailors headed home. The Dutchman comes across this ship and speaks with the captain, offering all his riches for shelter for one night, and the captain's daughter's hand in marriage. The captain accepts, and they head ashore. 

This concludes the first act. No female roles have been introduced yet - the second act begins with the women's choir and the female lead, Senta, working away making clothes (and nude male dummies to put the clothes on...). Senta is the captain's daughter, and as it happens she is infatuated with the story of the Flying Dutchman, and has a picture of him on the wall. She sings the ballad of the Flying Dutchman, which is perhaps the high point of this opera. 

Just so that things aren't too straightforward, Senta does already have a "lover" of sorts. There is a hunter who believes that he and Senta are to be married, and who has taken care of Senta while her father has been away at sea. Naturally he is very upset by Senta's infatuation with the Flying Dutchman, and has dreamt that Senta will marry the Dutchman when her father returns. However, the audience isn't really given much opportunity to feel sympathy for this hunter, and indeed we don't really feel much sympathy for the Dutchman either. This lack of connection to the characters didn't help the show's overall effectiveness, and unlike Madame Butterfly, I didn't leave this opera feeling as if I had witnessed something powerful, even though Senta and the Dutchman both kill themselves at the end. 

There are several choral numbers, and a large male and female choir. They sing separately (as in, male numbers and female numbers) and together. The abundance of songs featuring the choir seemed to make this opera lean undesirably towards the "musical theatre" genre, and the modern dress and mannerisms of the choir in the third act especially did not help this at all. 

The theatrical effects were very cool, complete with "visions" of a (nude) female lover and a sailor spitting up blood. Especially effective were the Dutchman's sailors with their long hair, who stood up after many motionless minutes (silent through a large choral number) to reveal black, skull-like faces. The curtain that made up the back wall of the stage moved forwards to signify the waves of the ocean, and this backdrop softly fell at the end of the show to indicate the death by sea of the lead roles. Amusingly, the front curtain at the beginning of the show had the word "Overture" projected onto it as the orchestra was playing, which seemed a little unnecessary and even a little bit degrading.

The set was also very well constructed for the audience's benefit. The "ship" at the beginning was a minimalist-style box, with a ladder that went through the box's roof as the watchtower. This housed all the sailors (male choir) and captain. Impressively, the leads occasionally sang from the top of the ladder, on what must have felt like unstable grounding! Additionally, the stage was on a slope, so that the whole of the choir could be seen (which was probably not great for the singers' comfort either). 

As for the actual music, well, there was nothing exceptionally moving and nothing exceptionally memorable. The orchestra is full of stormy strings doing chromatic runs, as Wagner often is, and calls from the horns, (some of whom were offstage), nothing too revolutionary. The songs were okay, nothing too impressive there either, even in the soprano's role. The "Ballad of the Dutchman", one of the soprano's songs, was one that I remember being good, but other than that, not much of the music stayed with me. 

Overall, although the singers were fantastic and the production's set was very well constructed, this opera failed to live up to the high expectations that NZ Opera had set up for me with Madame Butterfly. The odd juxtaposition of the very modern with the non-modern didn't work for me and cheapened the experience, and for a Wagner opera, this was not the best choice to put on, especially here in New Zealand where we don't have the luxury of having the choice of multiple operas to go see and might appreciate the chance to see a lesser-known work (as may be the case in New York or bigger cultural centers).

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What I'm Playing...Solo with the Nelson Symphony

On the 28th of September, so a bit less than a month from today, I will be performing the 1st movement of the Walton Viola Concerto with the Nelson Symphony.

The Nelson Symphony puts on a "Solo Spotlight" concert every year, showcasing young soloists from around New Zealand who send in audition tapes and are selected to perform with the orchestra. Usually there are around six to eight soloists, on a variety of instruments. I have previously played with them three times in these concerts, (mainly due to living in Nelson and playing as a member of the orchestra). I performed all but the first movement of the Telemann concerto for two violas in 2009, and then the following year I did the third movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, and after that, the second movement of the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, on violin. Now, two years after the Mozart, I'm going back to make what feels like my "real" viola debut, playing Walton. I'm really thankful that the Nelson Symphony gives young musicians this opportunity, it can really show us whether a solo career is something we want to strive for or not. And as an added plus, Nelson is a beautiful little place.

Smudged and scribbled-on copy - clearly much loved!

Those concerts with the Nelson Symphony, or any amateur orchestra really in my experience, always end up being so absolutely magical in that the performers and the audience so enjoy the music. All the players are trying their best to produce greatness together, even outside of their daytime professions, and they always succeed admirably.

It's a great thing to be a part of and a very special feeling to have after a concert, going outside into the darkness, walking along the streetlamp-lit pavement to drive home and tumble into bed, with souls satisfied by the uplifting experience and inspiring young artists. It's what music is truly all about.

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