Re: Orchestra opinions...


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on December 04, 2000 at 09:55:00:

In Reply to: Orchestra opinions... posted by SirC on December 03, 2000 at 14:49:04:

One of the most effective things you can do is follow the pitch of the ensemble as it changes moment to moment. No ensemble I've ever played with exactly maintained the pitch that we all tuned to at the beginning of a given piece/concert. As temperature conditions change, pitch changes. A multitude of things that happen during the concert can affect the pitch of the ensemble. Good ensemble players stay in touch with what direction the pitch goes throughout the performance and adjust accordingly. One thing I like to do is listen to the ensemble just prior to any entrance I have and see if someone is playing the pitch I'll be coming in on. One of the most noticable pitch errors in an ensemble is when a player enters the music playing a pitch that someone else in the ensemble is already playing and is out of tune doing so. We just finished a set of concerts which included Till Eulenspiegel and this sort of thing happens all the time in that piece. The bottom line is that intonation is all about attitude. If you play like you are correct all the time and expect people to just adjust to you, you won't make any friends. It isn't about being right, it is about matching your colleagues.

My opinion for what it's worth...


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