Hi there.

In a few days, I'll have to audition for my seating in the Peabody Chamber Orchestra.

One of the required audition pieces is Strauss' Death and Transfiguration Letter T (I think). It isn't all that difficult, but the problem is I don't know how fast I should play it. My teacher's out of town, and will remain so untill after the audition (I think), so I really have noone else to ask, and nowhere else to turn.

I don't know how many orchestral bassits are on this forum, but does anyone have an idea of what the concert tempo is for that spot (Letter T)?

I just need a general idea. Any help would be appreciated.

Does your metronome have the Italian tempi names?
Oooops; first you have to translate the German into Italian. Borrow a CD?

Yep, my metronome does have the italian names. Unfortunately, the part that I'm playing from is kinda ghetto-rigged, and doesn't have anything like that in it.
As for borrowing a CD, I've been trying to track one down, and still AM trying.

In the mean time though...

When you say letter T i am assuming that you are referring to the triplet passage and into the Tempo I section.

In the Oscar Zimmerman book it is marked as Allegro molto agitato before letter E and as Meno mosso, ma sempre alla breve after letter L. Hope that could be of help.

Meaning no disrespect, but don't you think you should know a piece of music before trying to perform it before an audition committee? I strongly recommend you purchase and study a recording of every piece on the audition list, if you're not already intimately familiar with it. This will certainly give you a better understanding of the music as a whole, which can do nothing but improve your performance of it. Just my humble two cents. Good luck.

As for borrowing a CD, I've been trying to track one down, and still AM trying.

By the way, this audition was MONTHS ago.

Assuming you already know a piece when you get close to the audition day, you should be preparing to play the excerpt at a speed that demonstrates you know the piece, but more importantly, shows that you can execute all the technical challenges of that excerpt - and make music, not just notes.

For example, though Beethoven 5 trio performances may go as fast as 85bpm, some go along at about 70, so you are certainly in "fair territory" playing it in the auditon at about 70 bpm. Especially if that's the speed at which you sound best under stress.

Dont be afraid to play at *your* tempo. If the committee likes you but wants an excerpt faster (or slower) they'll ask for it that way.

[i]
As for borrowing a CD, I've been trying to track one down, and still AM trying.

In the mean time though... [/B]
check this site out :for $9.48 it can be yours. This took me three minutes, by the way...http://r1.us.rmi.yahoo.com/rmi/http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp/rmivars%3ftarget=_top?userid=4WXVKHHNTI&sourceid=00395376355080093262&bfdate=11%2D29%2D2002+17%3A41%3A39&ean=74643672122

I do have to agree that before performing ANY piece of music that you should do some research. And listening to a sample doesn't have to cost you anything. Everyone, get the KAZAA Media program. With that you can download ANY song for free. It's the best Napster Alternative around. And there are plenty of users to find ANY song you want. Whenever I have an audition I look up the piece I want and download it. It's 100% FREE and I've gotten tons of required music for auditions. Not to mension every Beethoven symphony and all the required Mozart symphonys the judges will ever ask to hear. It's all there. You just have to be willing to do he work and research to find the music you want for free.

wierd, KaZaA (c) is now targeting the double bass demography? :)

just playin, man.

wierd, KaZaA (c) is now targeting the double bass demography? :)

just playin, man.

LOL!:bassist:

I do have to agree that before performing ANY piece of music that you should do some research. And listening to a sample doesn't have to cost you anything. Everyone, get the KAZAA Media program. With that you can download ANY song for free. It's the best Napster Alternative around. And there are plenty of users to find ANY song you want. Whenever I have an audition I look up the piece I want and download it. It's 100% FREE and I've gotten tons of required music for auditions. Not to mension every Beethoven symphony and all the required Mozart symphonys the judges will ever ask to hear. It's all there. You just have to be willing to do he work and research to find the music you want for free.

wow, i'm really surprised to see somebody whose future career might be in the music industry actively supporting pirating. if you need a recording, spend $1 on itunes for the track, or around $10 for the whole cd. not that big of an investment

In my country, we are given exact tempi from the orchestra we audition for. You will not win if you can't play their tempi.

itunes. no excuses.

I don't know about anybody else, but i've never been able to afford all the recordings I would like to use in preparing for auditions. As a college student studying music I don't feel that I have the means to purchase all the CDs I need for preparation. $10 for a CD is a lot, and it usually costs more than that even.
Seriously, there's no excuse for pirating. Your college library has all the recordings you need. You don't need to OWN all the recordings. How many times do you need to hear a piece to get an idea of how to play it?