“Imagine what we could accomplish if we weren’t scared.”

CAPRICCIO ESPAGNOL

movement I:

Four bars before Rehearsal A, be careful not to drag–feel it in 1.  

Those who have a quarter note followed by two eighths at the beginning, play tenuto on the quarter and staccato on the eighths.  

Be softer at Rehearsal A.  

Seven bars after Rehearsal C, violins “dig in” to the open E’s.  

Try not to “land hard” on the final note of the movement.  

movement II:

Twenty nine bars after Rehearsal E, mark as ‘Rehearsal E1’.  

Rehearsal E1 should be more ‘chorale-like’.  

Four bars before Rehearsal G should be a ‘subito piano’ (except bassoon).  

Sixteen bars before Rehearsal F (4 bars before ‘Tempo I’), violins shouldn’t play so aggressively that the sound lacks warmth.   

Hold the tempo steady at Rehearsal G.

movement III:

“Throw the triplet away…strum it.”

Horns play lighter at Rehearsal K.  

movement IV:

Rehearsal M should sound like “one instrument”.  More “sting” on the accents on beat 5.  More “bravado”.  

 

GAZZA LADRA

The downbeat of bar 4 (and similar spots) should be heavy, non-staccato, but with slight space before beat 2.  Beats 3 and 4 should be fairly short.   

Bars 11 & 12 (and similar spots) need to be softer and lighter.   

Two bars after Rehearsal A (and similar spots), back off dynamically on beat four to achieve a more effective crescendo.  

Six bars after Rehearsal B, dig into the accents on beats 2 and 4 equally.  

Twelve bars after Rehearsal B will be immediately faster (no accelerando) and conducted in 2.  

At Rehearsal Bb, violas play on the downbeat and not again until ‘a tempo’.  

Six bars before rehearsal C, back off a little dynamically to afford a longer crescendo.  

At rehearsal D, oboe/bassoon/clarinet/horn should feel like one instrument.  

More 3rd horn at Rehearsal E.  

In general, don’t get bogged down with the fast-moving notes and lose time and stylistic feel.   

 

SIBELIUS CONCERTO

movement I:

Six bars after Rehearsal 3 (‘Largamente’) will continue to be conducted in 6.  

Eleven bars before Rehearsal 4 will be conducted in 6.  Eight bars before Rehearsal 4 will be in 2.  Rehearsal 4 will also be in 2.  

Five bars after Rehearsal 4, violins emphasize beats 2 and 4.  

Don’t slow down at Rehearsal 5.

Rehearsal 6 will be conducted in 4.  

Rehearsal 9 can be bigger (soloist is tacet).  

movement II:

Rehearsal 1 will move ahead.

Two bars before Rehearsal 2, drop down dynamically on beat 3.  

There will be a slight hesitation before the downbeat at Rehearsal 2.  

At Rehearsal 3, back off dynamically so as not to cover the soloist.