Philosophy of Preparation
There is a mistaken belief among orchestral musicians that the “deadline” for having one’s individual part learned is the performance. Nothing could be further from the truth. To borrow a quote from a past mentor of mine, “the first rehearsal is your performance.” As an ensemble musician, your deadline for having your individual part learned is the first rehearsal of that concert cycle.
There is a mistaken belief among orchestral musicians that the “deadline” for having one’s individual part learned is the performance. Nothing could be further from the truth. To borrow a quote from a past mentor of mine, “the first rehearsal is your performance.” As an ensemble musician, your deadline for having your individual part learned is the first rehearsal of that concert cycle.
It is almost never appropriate or acceptable to be sight-reading in a full rehearsal. This can be interpreted as disrespecting your colleagues by not being prepared, and it inhibits the collective ability of the group to go beyond notes and rhythms and access deeper layers of music. The only time it is appropriate to sight-read in a full rehearsal is when logistical circumstances beyond our control result in a situation where we must pass out a piece of music and read it through on the spot.
It is almost never appropriate or acceptable to be sight-reading in a full rehearsal. This can be interpreted as disrespecting your colleagues by not being prepared, and it inhibits the collective ability of the group to go beyond notes and rhythms and access deeper layers of music. The only time it is appropriate to sight-read in a full rehearsal is when logistical circumstances beyond our control result in a situation where we must pass out a piece of music and read it through on the spot.
The first rehearsal, then, equates to a table-read in a theater, television, or movie production. The actors sit down having learned their lines, and work together to find a unified interpretation of the work. That is our job as musicians. When we are performing works that can be considered standard repertoire, recordings of these works are widely available, and I would expect you to consult a variety of recordings (not just one!) to get a feel for how your part fits in with the whole, and how different orchestras and conductors might play the same notes and rhythms but reach a different musical interpretation.
The first rehearsal, then, equates to a table-read in a theater, television, or movie production. The actors sit down having learned their lines, and work together to find a unified interpretation of the work. That is our job as musicians. When we are performing works that can be considered standard repertoire, recordings of these works are widely available, and I would expect you to consult a variety of recordings (not just one!) to get a feel for how your part fits in with the whole, and how different orchestras and conductors might play the same notes and rhythms but reach a different musical interpretation.
Full scores of standard repertoire are usually available on the International Music Score Library Project website, and I would encourage you to check these out as well. There really is no better way to see how the piece fits together than to look at the full score. When recordings and/or full scores are not readily available, I will do my best to provide these resources where possible. Sometimes, however, we will not be blessed with these external resources, in which case we will need to trust our inner musicianship.
Full scores of standard repertoire are usually available on the International Music Score Library Project website, and I would encourage you to check these out as well. There really is no better way to see how the piece fits together than to look at the full score. When recordings and/or full scores are not readily available, I will do my best to provide these resources where possible. Sometimes, however, we will not be blessed with these external resources, in which case we will need to trust our inner musicianship.
Whatever the circumstances, it is imperative that, in an ensemble setting, every member of the team does their homework so that, together, we can embark on a journey towards making something beautiful.
Whatever the circumstances, it is imperative that, in an ensemble setting, every member of the team does their homework so that, together, we can embark on a journey towards making something beautiful.