tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5930988849407292582.post2617384219762695869..comments2008-09-22T21:41:30.075-07:00John Broughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836876751710988224noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5930988849407292582.post-24411786589356258932008-09-22T21:41:00.000-07:002008-09-22T21:41:00.000-07:00Nice post, John!<BR/><BR/>Marking score/parts is incredibly important and can save all sorts of expensive time in your orchestral rehearsals.<BR/><BR/>I think too many choral conductors don't realize how much time they can save. For example, I have a fairly good sense of bowing principles, but I find it worth every cent to pay for an extra service for your concertmaster (or I often have an extra service with concertmaster and principal cellist to set bowings, since bowing is often considerably different between violins and bass line parts--viola parts may pair with either violins or the bass line, so it's nice to have both perspectives).<BR/><BR/>There will always be adjustments in the rehearsal, but they will take much less time than fussing over how to bow a particular passage when there are no bowings in the parts to begin with.<BR/><BR/>And other markings (dynamics, articulations, breath marks, ritards and other tempo modifications, plus practical instructions such as "in 3" or "in 6") can save enormous amounts of time. <BR/><BR/>I'm jealous that you can turn over markings to an assistant--most of my scores are marked with my own shorthand (an articulation or dynamic marking, for example, extrapolated from the chorus; or a breath marking for one woodwind, when it will apply to all; or an articulation in one wind part which has to be transferred into other parts at other times)--so I usually need to do the marking.<BR/><BR/>As you know (since you're singing!), I'm currently doing Haydn's Harmoniemesse (first orchestral rehearsal tomorrow evening!) and in such a work there are markings in one part but not another (do you give all the same articulation, for example?), or at one point in the score, but not later. There are all sorts of interesting questions that come up with this kind of study. I won't pretend to solve all of them absolutely before the first rehearsal, but the more I've solved (or at least considered), the faster things will go and the orchestra will get much more quickly to a secure, musical performance.<BR/><BR/>It's a fun part of the process for me--at least if I'm not as pressured for time as I was last week!Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910774133392443899noreply@blogger.com