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Double Bass What's an orchestral audition like?

P

Peder Waern

Feb 17, 2009
62
0
Sweden
www.myspace.com
#1
Couldn't really find this info....as a jazzer I'm curious what the classical audition situation is like. I understand you are usually required to play a solo as well as excerpts from symphonies etc.
Do you play behind a screen usually? Not allowed to talk, or anything to reveal who you are?

Please enlighten me... :)
 
#2
Peder Waern said:
Couldn't really find this info....as a jazzer I'm curious what the classical audition situation is like. I understand you are usually required to play a solo as well as excerpts from symphonies etc.
Do you play behind a screen usually? Not allowed to talk, or anything to reveal who you are?

Please enlighten me... :)
Click to expand...

I think it depends on the audition. I have had to usually play 3 orchestral section examples, 1 whole note big deep arco tone example, 1 rhythmic arco section with potentially a few measures of pizz, and 1 more technical phrasing section. Some have asked for solos, some haven't. They usually are looking for the big Mittenwald tone (although I don't own anything close), and your ability to project as well as transition smoothly. Then again, I have only played in community orchestra and theatre settings which are smaller and not on the same level as the NY Philharmonic, etc.
Either way, relax, have fun and enjoy playing...that usually comes through really well in your music, just like being tense, nervous and tight will as well.
Good luck!
 
#3
It depends on what you're auditioning for, but it could be anything from just a solo, to a solo and a few excerpts, and maybe some scales and an etude.

Or, if you have a few college degrees under your belt, and you're aiming for a major orchestra job it could be this-

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#11
#15
ILIA said:
I forgot about this classic:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=445427903289


As for practicing too much. . . . it's never too much practice as long as it's the right kind of practice. I, myself, would find it difficult to do the right kind of practice over more than 3 hours, not including breaks.
Click to expand...

That's a funny one-
"My sixteenth notes sounded like machine guns!"


In terms of the time- I agree. Every teacher I've ever worked with has agreed on the 4 hours as being the most productive maximum amount of time to practice a day
 
#17
If anyone practices more than 4 hours, they are probably dicking around. If you can't clean up an excerpt in 10 minutes time, not saying it needs to be perfect, but must improve, you aren't up to the level. You should probably be in top shape at least three weeks before the audition. if not, you're betting on luck and not confidence. People say luck plays the only role but that's not true. Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness.
 
#19
He's saying, if you can't make discernible progress on something in 10 minutes, you're wasting your time.

He's right. And given that you can't really think about more than 20-odd such passages in a day, you're running into diminishing returns at about 2 hours. You do sometimes need to play a bit longer to get the physical conditioning.
 

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