The Orchestral Violinist's Companion, Volumes 1+2

Today professional orchestral musicians are highly specialized and highly qualified instrumentalists. While the traditional study at universities and music schools gives students an excellent foundation for orchestral playing, it has long been acknowledged that it often does not prepare a musician for all the challenges of orchestral life. This volume imparts knowledge and skills essential forthe orchestral violinist, extending on the musicianÆs high school or university education. This advice and training manual is intended to serve as a guide for the full course of a musicianÆs career ûfrom the preparation for an audition to the long-term heavy work load in an orchestra. The volumes cover an abundance of themes, including: - Practice techniques - Sight-reading - Daily practiceroutine - Looking after your body - Bow technique and tone production - Left hand technique - Pizzicato technique and other special techniques - Rhythm and ensemble playing - Notation and performance practice - Preparing of orchestral parts - Italian, French and German terms and abbreviations - Knowledge of style - Development of a core repertoire - Preparation for auditions - Coping with stage fright - Coping with orchestral life - Appreciation for the orchestra as a social environment - Coping with the long-term physical and mental pressures in an orchestra Included is a detailed, annotated index of orchestral excerpt collections, thematically relevant books and articles, and recent important studies on ôPerformance Scienceö. Chapters on essential practice and performance techniques include hundreds of examples from over 300 orchestral works, which encompass the areas of symphony, oratorio, opera, operetta and ballet from the period between c. 1750 and 1950. In addition, there are exercises specifically designed to advance a playerÆs orchestral technique. As well as serving as useful teaching material for courses, these volumes are geared towards students currently in graduate or postgra...