JAVS Spring 2006

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character strikes me as becoming increas ingly unsettled, so rhe vibra to can develop from slow and slightly wide ar rhe beginning to a more narrow, faster speed at the end of the excerpt. The second passage is one of the more challenging in the reperroire for rhe viola section. The tremen dous leap to the high 0 rivals the shifr in Shostal<.Ovich #5, and get ring back down is no simple msk. Every instrument and hand is dif ferent, and so the fingering l offer to you is for a relatively large hand on a 16"- 16.5" instrument. Be sure to connect all notes, as the shi frs/back extensions ofren show themselves in the bow. The dynamic rise fi·om p- mf-f and back should be dramatic, with care nor to crush the notes on the A string. The sfz. before figure 13 are similar ro those in the first excerpt- expressive, but with sligh tly more bow emphasis. Be sure to put rbe stress on the 16th note, nor on the grace note that precedes ir.

Approaches to Lyrical Performance Hurdles

a successfu l excerpt and frequently leads to an early exit for a promis ing auditionee. We all get nervous when there is a prize or position at stake, hut we can examine a specif ic element of the nervousness in order to better control ir. Shal<.i ng is the result of the muscles being deprived of oxygen-most likely because we don't breathe ofren enough under pressure. The other irem 1 notice in students under duress is a raised ri ght shoulder. This suspends arm weight and pre vents us from putting adequate pressure into the stick, increasing the chance of shaking. Try to remember just before beginn ing a slow excerp t or passage to rake fre quent rhythmic breaths and lower the shou lder through down bows and you will find more conrrol and success in your performa nces. fl Basd Vendryes, instructor ofviola at the University ofDenver's Lamont Schoof ofMusic, is aLso pr-incipal violist fin· the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded on the Naxos and C'RJ LabeLs.

A suggest ion I have for helping in big shi fts is to not fully release weight in the shift ing finger. A player needs to precisely measure the distance from low ro high pitch, and an improperly weighted lower finger creates a potentially 'sli ppery' surface to shifr on. Timing shifts-deciding on the actual duration of the shi fr in real rime-is another critical element in consisrenr shi fting. For example in the Ravel excerpt, three meas ures after figure 161 , if a player decides rhat the duration of the shi ft from F# to C# is a 16th note (ta ken fi·om the length of the F#), they can practice a smooth, timed motion th rough the interval instead of a lasL minute, jol ted one. Playing slow material in auditions, whether the opening passage of the Walton Concerto, Roman Ca rnival or Mahler # 10 can be very trying on the player. T he shaking bow during longer note durations ofren gets in rhe way of

OURNAL O F -I ' H E AME R I CAN VIOL/\ SOCI ETY 36