Recorded this after teaching for 6 1/2 hours (one student sightread it with me on violin and asked why it’s an excerpt if all you have to do is count!) Perhaps all the caffeine still in my system was a factor in choosing this tempo, but it also helps simulate the adrenaline on stage. I’ve long believed that 100 bpm is ideal for an audition. It’s within the ballpark as far as recordings go, and the faster you play, the easier it is to play in rhythm and show phrases. I’ve never been asked to play it slower by a committee. As we know from the end of his first piano concerto, Shostakovich‘s tempo markings are not meant to be taken literally.

I used to taper off at 112, but after playing this accompaniment, I now see it as more of a continuation. The F minor chord at 111 is far too unexpected to feel like a resolution, which doesn’t come in any way until 113. In general I try to avoid overphrasing, in honor of the intentionally bleak, monotonous socialist realism. Playing comfortably with the pedal down between chords is a good place to start.

115 should grow into 116 - the volume builds up until the pedal is released and there’s no harmonic argument that this is a resolution or end of a phrase. I’ve fallen into the trap before of getting softer and slower into 116 and then taking time before the 8th notes. Similarly, I wouldn’t get too slow or soft at the end of the excerpt, as the cellos continue the phrase downwards. Don’t repeat my mistakes!

What about the elephant in the room, rhythm? We all know to count quarter-eighth-eighth internally, but for me the secret is to also think bigger beats. At my best moments during recording, I managed to let the 8th notes move with a little bit of randomness while simultaneously keeping track of the half note beat. An even better feeling was slowing down very slightly during 116 but making the left hand enter on time (interrupt) on beats 1 and 2 of 117. Good rubato feels intuitive, mindful and self-forgiving. I’ve been there in every peak performance.

#shostakovich5 #violaexcerpts #orchestra #orchestraauditions #violist #violateacher #duetme #duetchallenge #practice #practicewithme #practicechallenge #pianoreduction

Recorded 10/10/2024