Orchestra+Journal

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** Sight Reading **
- Key Signature / Changes - Time Signature / Changes - Accidentals - Solo / Soli / Duet / Trio - Repeats (ll: :ll, D.S., D.C., etc.) - Tempo / Changes - Style Markings - Problem Rhythms &/or Ranges - Dynamic Markings || O = Important Things
 * = **Sight Reading** ||= **Markings** ||
 * *Build a Road Map

= Practice Areas

[ ] = Bring Out

/// / = Break / Grand Pause// //' = Breath Mark (Small Break)// ||

** Practice vs. Rehearse **
**Practice Time:** individual time working on such things as scales, technique, and problem areas. **Rehearsal Time:** ensemble time working on such things as balance / blend, musicianship, and other group related musical concepts.

1. Tune by ear 2. Scales with a tuner 3. Technique Exercises 4. Problem Areas 5. Fun Music * Listen to recordings to develop aural concepts of the style, articulation, and good tone. * Make recordings of yourself playing to offer constructive criticism of yourself.
 * Practice Effectively = Develop a Routine **

** Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) **
- Baroque Period (1600-1750) - Better known as a virtuoso organist than as a composer during his lifetime. - His use of counterpoint was brilliant and innovative, and still amaze many musicians today. - Many consider him to be the greatest composer of all time. - He was taught to play the harpsichord and violin by his father, Johann Ambrosius, a court trumpeter. - 1700 - Bach attained a position at the Michaelis monastery at Luneberg because of his excellent singing voice. His voice changed shortly thereafter, but he stayed on as an instrumentalist. - 1703-1707 - His relationship with Neue Kirche church council in Arnstadt was tenuous as he would often shirk his responsibilities, so he could practice the organ. - 1707 - He married his cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, and seven children (3 died in infancy). - 1720 - He married soprano Anna Magdalena Wilcke, and had 13 children (8 died in infancy). - 1723-1750 - Became Kantor of the Thomas School in Leipzig. He later became dissatisfied with this position due to its meager financial rewards, burdensome duties, and inadequate facilities. Because of this, he took on other projects, such as the directorship of the city's Collegium Musicum (an ensemble of amateur and professional musicians who gave weekly concerts) and music director at the Dresden Court. - July 28, 1750 - He died besieged by diabetes.

** //Fugue in G minor//, BWV 578 **
- Baroque Period (1600-1750) - Also known as Little Fugue - changed by editors to avoid confusion between this piece and the later //**Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor**//**, BWV 542**, which is considerably longer in duration. - One of many works which Leopold Stokowski had arranged for orchestra. - The 4 1/2 measure subject if one of Bach's most recognizable tunes. It is written in four voices. - During the episodes, Bach uses of of Arcangelo Corelli's most famous techniques - imitation between 2 voices on an eighth note upbea figure that first leaps up a 4th, then falls back down one step at a time. - Remixed as part of "Rumpel's Party Palace" in the 2010 movie **//Shrek Forever After//**.
 * - ** organ music written by Johann Sebastian Bach sometime around his time in Arnstadt (1703-1707)

**Elliot Del Borgo (1938-Present)**
- Contemporary Period (1900-Present) - earned a bachelor of science degree from the State University of New York, a master of music education degree from Temple University, and a master of music degree from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. - he studied theory and composition with Vincent Persichetti and trumpet with Gilbert Johnson at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. - he was granted the doctoral equivalency by New York State University in 1973, and was elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association in 1993. - Del Borgo taught instrumental music in the Philadelphia public schools. Later he was professor of music at the Crane School of Music, where he held teaching and administrative posts from 1966-1995. - as an award winning member of ASCAP, he is a frequent consultant, clinician, lecturer, and adjudicator in the United States and abroad. - he is an internationally known conductor of both bands and orchestras. - He wrote music for the 1980 Olympics inLake Placid, and published nearly 500 compositions for a variety of media. - his music reflects the aesthetics of the 20th century musical ideals through its eclectic nature and vigorous harmonic and rhythmic style.
 * - ** born in Port Chester, New York in 1938.

**Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961)**
- Romantic Period (1820-1900) & Contemporary Period (1900-Present) - he started to learn piano from his mother when he was five years old. When he was 12-yrs-old, he made his first concert tour. - after his first tour, Grainger spent several years with his mother in Germany, where he continued his piano studies, became friends with Cyril Scott and Balfour Gardiner, and showed a profound interest in composition. - 1901-1914 - Grainger and his mother lived in London, where he published a number of works and maintained a very busy concert touring schedule. During this time, he became friends with Delius and Edvard Grieg. - during this time, Grainger became interested in English folk music, resulting in the setting of a large number of songs for a variety of ensembles. - 1914 - Grainger and his mother moved to America, where he continued a lucrative and active touring schedule. - he became an American citizen and joined the army for a short time, serving as a U.S. Army Band director. - shortly after he left the army, his mother committed suicide by jumping from a New York skyscraper. Her tragic death was difficult for him to accept. - Grainger took several trips to Sweden, finding solace in collecting Danish folk music. - he developed an interest in amateur performances and became involved with community, school, and college ensembles, where his teaching and compositions were welcomed. - he served as chair of the music department at New York University from 1932-1933 and taught for more than ten years during the summers at the Chicago Musical College. - Grainger continued to lecture, compose, and perform until 1960. - he died from cancer in 1961.
 * - ** born in Brighton, Australia, on July 8, 1882.

** //Irish Tune from County Derry// **
- Contemporary Period (1900-Present) - the tune was found by Grainger in //**The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland**// printed in Dublin in 1855. - the original melody had no title, which is why Grainger used "Irish Tune" in his title. - he originally wrote the tune in 1902 for piano and performed it often on solo recitals; however, it was not published for piano until 1939. - the first published setting of the tune was for six-part mixed chorus in 1912. - 1913 - he arranged a setting for string orchestra with optional french horn. The horn part occurs in the last 5 bars of the piece and is doubled by the cellos and 2nd violins. Grainger indicated that the setting can also be performed by 10 single string players because each of the string sections are divided for a portion of the work resulting in 10 specific parts. - beautiful counter melodies using contrasting motion and parallel 3rds and a solid harmonic bass line accompany the primary melody. The tune occurs twice with varying harmonic accompaniment and texture. Performance time is approximately 5 minutes. - the string orchestra version, dedicated to the memory of Edvard Grieg, was first performed on May 3, 1913, in Bournemouth, England, under Grainger's direction.
 * Composition: **
 * - ** probably best known as //**Danny Boy**// but is also referred to as **//Londonderry Air//** or simply //**Derry Air**//.

- the tune is in E major. - 1st violins, 1st violas, and 1st cellos will be required to play in 5th and 6th positions with liberal use of extensions. - the balance of the string sections will need to be comfortable playing up to 4th position and using extended 3rd fingers and low first fingers (half position for double basses; forward and backward extension for cellos). - 1st violas and 1st cellos must be able to read treble clef. - a clear conceptual and aural understanding of the E major scale and arpeggio using a variety of slurred bowing is necessary to prepare for performance of this work. - both primary and counter melodies comprise moving 8th note passages that contain many slurred string crossings. - the tempo is slow and phrases are long, thereby adding to the difficulty of maintaining a solid tone while slurring over string crossings. - bow placement and speed is critical for a beautiful tone in all sections. - dynamics range from //ff// to //ppp//, with many crescendos and decrescendos in between. - balance among string sections may be a challenge because Grainger has divided harmony into as many as 8 parts. - inner melodies must support but never overpower the primary melody.
 * Technical Considerations: **