Dance Macabre

[lisa-fenwick]

Any thoughts on how to make letter E easier to play up to speed beyond not doubling the octave? While I have not yet been to a rehearsal, the recordings I have been listening to go by fast. Thanks.

[Sylvia]

I’m looking at it (just played it recently), and I guess you mean the gorilla section at E. I call it that because the composer thinks our arms are so long our hands hang down to our knees. I DID play the octaves. I just kind of scoonched down so I could reach it…the whole section is low, so you don’t have to go anywhere else at the time. It’s hard to get any volume down there (like the conductor wants)…because it’s both hard to reach and fast. I always practice with a recording.

[lisa-fenwick]

Thanks Sylvia, I am back to playing the octaves. I still think it is hard to play fast!

[paul-knoke]

Hi Lisa
You can leave out the lower note in the left hand if you want, since it’s doubled by the ‘cellos with sustained chords. I’ve had conductors suddenly speed up there, in performance, so I left out the last note of the right hand figure in every measure and just kept up with the downbeat. It kind of messed up the meter but the music was flying by so fast, I don’t think anyone noticed!
Paul

[rosalind-beck]

I do what Paul does, i.e., leave out the last right hand note in each measure at that spot. Goes too fast for those notes to be missed.

[lisa-fenwick]

Thank you all. Rehearsal went fine. Really appreciate all of your help.

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