Posted by tt the Effie fan on January 21, 2001 at 13:29:06:
In Reply to: Re: VW or Effie? posted by Justin Beish on January 20, 2001 at 23:04:55:
"Played correctly" is the key.
Number one, both of these pieces require a certain degree of musical maturity to truly perform them effectively. Many times, not always, but many times, a high school student overlooks the necessary entities that make these pieces true music, and not just physical notes. With Effie, one of these entities is style. With the Vaughan Williams, an example of an overlooked task would be researching the background and giving an historically accurate sense of the true style intended by the composer. Look up the history of the pieces, listen to recordings... it will help.
As far as choosing between these two pieces, you must consider they are entirely different! (Incidentally both are technically difficult.) To say the Vaughan Williams is more musical.. well, it is opinion, but, one needs to remember that music is what is heard when depicted by the player, not what is printed on the page. Alec Wilder's music, (he has written more than just Effie), has a very real sense of musicality if you look into it. In my opinion, and only my opinion rememer, comparing Wilder and VW is like trying to pick the better instrument between a Stradivarius violin and a / an *insert name of your favorite tuba here*. They are too different, and are both precious in their own way. It is the individual that decides which is more meaningful to his or herself. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... a piece which may be a jumble of atonality and tone clusters to one may be beautiful to another...
So, to Ryan, my advice is this... don't limit yourself to what "everyone else" is doing. Research the rest of the tuba repertoire as well! There are many great works out there that you may have never heard of. You have until May, go check it out! Be different! That will make you stand out from the rest, if that is what you are seeking for this audition. Play through different pieces, and find one you can make an emotional connection with. Music is about this, and finding the right piece for you will surely help to portray the best of your abilities. Good luck, and keep us posted.
Justin is entitled to his opinion, as am I. No hard feelings, (I hope), just my opinion!