Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto

• Nice
• Too much vibrato, need to shape first 4 bars more, pitch on second half of bar 11
• A little pitchy, vibrato skews pitch. A couple iffy attacks
• Pitch changes after breath
• Doesn’t feel dolcissimo
• 8
• Good- one crack

Leonore opening

• Nice start, not convinced about rhythm
• Loud notes go sharp. Pitch/too much vibrato, careful- don’t let vibrato get in the way of attacks
• Control- sharp, and missing the color of the piece. Pitch on arpeggios
• Forced in upper register, pitch
• Cresc. too soon 24-25. Don’t push cresc. through each 8th note F in m. 30
• 6. Pitch!
• Opening scale C natural sharp. Too loud in pp m. 20, pushes sharp in F

Leonore solo

• Not as good. Rhythm? Control?
• Careful on attacks. Last note seems flat
• Technical bobbles- cracks
• Not clean. Bit frantic
• Extra noise. More staccato at the beginning
• 7
• Good last D, a little wild in 342

Brahms 4

• Nice color changes, vibrato, rhythm
• Too much vibrato as it gets louder/higher
• Dull musically
• No dim. or legato in descending scale. Forced sounding. Last note flat
• Check
• 8
• Good first 4 bars, very lovely solo

Mendelssohn Scherzo

• Nice rhythm. Thanks for not rushing
• Last 2 notes- fuzzy attacks. Otherwise good
• Clarity
• OK
• Check
• 8
• Good!

Debussy Faun

• No comment
• Take more time in opening, for long crescendo save some for the end. Vibrato doesn’t have to happen all the time
• No comment
• Pitch sags after breaths
• Timing and pacing 2nd measure of 2 feels awkward. Longer line
• 8
• Too much rubato in too many places

Strauss Tod und Verklarung

• Nice
• Pitch 8 after B (A1) is out. *In general, vibrato is too constant
• Pitch and vibrato
• Pitch changes
• No comment
• 8
• Good intonation

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Summary

Obviously, the major issue I need to work on is pitch!

What I really focused on in preparing the audition was style (by arranging and playing duets), and rhythmic consistency (by recording and checking with a met). Since there weren’t many comments in those departments, I think I was successful there. I did neglect the intonation aspect a bit, though. I have previously done intense tuning work, but didn’t for this particular audition.

Mendelssohn Scherzo was my strongest excerpt, which I already knew. I am always happy when I get to play it for an audition, which is actually quite often. For some reason, it always comes out consistently.

I had a lesson two days before the audition where we discussed the speed of my vibrato (too slow and deep), and I spent the two remaining days focused on speeding it up. As a result, I may have ended up a bit heavy handed with the vibrato on audition day!

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