College Audition Help

Mandera3 · Post by **Mandera3** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:22 pm

So I will be started my college auditions in a couple of months and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestion of music I should play. I was think the Mozart Concerto in G, The Chaminade and maybe a bach, but I'm not really sure. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:53 pm

Those three pieces offer a rather nice range in my opinion. A Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era piece always do nicely. My only concern is that the Mozart and Chaminade sometimes come across as boring because they are played so much.They seem stale sometimes.

Now, even though I am sounding hypocritical at the moment because I will be playing the Chaminade in a Michel Debost masterclass in a few weeks, in my perspective, the Chaminade and Mozart should be approached carefully. It is played so often, that it must be played well, with new phrasing ideas [that make sense within the context of the piece] in order to keep the auditioning committee's attention. A sloppy rendition of them will be most unsavory. So make sure that these pieces are VERY polished.

Another worry is about Bach. People have very strong opinions about Bach, so I would take a look at a few Telemann or Handel pieces before officially deciding that one.

Take a look at some Mucynski. Mucynski writes wonderful music, but it is not played nearly often enough.

So, even though it seems as if my post is mostly negative, I am not intending it to be that way. I personally really like all of your choices. But, because SO many people like them too, and play them all in auditions as well, depending on the individual, they aren't the optimal choice for an audition.

But, whatever you decide to go with, make sure that you represent yourself as best as you can. Don't go in poorly prepared. Do your research on the schools you are auditioning at for requirements, dates, etc. etc. Also research your pieces and composers. Listen to a lot of recordings to get an idea of what you like.

Best of luck!

asoalin · Post by **asoalin** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:50 am

fluteguy18 wrote:Another worry is about Bach. People have very strong opinions about Bach, so I would take a look at a few Telemann or Handel pieces before officially deciding that one.

Just curious - what kind of strong opinions do people have about Bach?

sidekicker · Post by **sidekicker** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:05 am

You can find my general take on audition choices here:

http://www.fluteland.com/board/viewtopi ... 8d85#16425

I was addressing a specific poster, but much of what I had to say to him/her is applicable in all auditions.

Good luck!

SK

sidekicker · Post by **sidekicker** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:21 am

asoalin wrote:
fluteguy18 wrote:Another worry is about Bach. People have very strong opinions about Bach, so I would take a look at a few Telemann or Handel pieces before officially deciding that one.
Just curious - what kind of strong opinions do people have about Bach?

What he means about Bach (I think) is that there are different schools of thought on how J.S. Bach's music should be interpreted. In most baroque flute music, particularly Handel, Telemann, etc., it is generally acceptable -- indeed, often expected -- that the piece be ornamented with mordents, trills, additional notes, etc. Many people believe that J.S. Bach is different; that his music should be played as written with no (or very, very little) additional ornamentation. One reason for this train of thought, although there are many, is that Bach's music can be quite complicated and adding too much detracts from the complex contrapuntal compositional style he used. Also, some players -- especially when playing without the keyboard part -- tend to over-romanticise the music (I hear this most in the e minor sonata).

So, fluteguy's warning is well-taken. You never know in an audition what train of thought is sitting at your audition table

. Having said that, I don't think it's all that risky to bring J.S. Bach to an audition. But I would be very careful with ornamentation, and stick to the sonatas that we know J.S. Bach composed (e minor, b minor, A major, E major, a minor Partita). The questionable ones are okay (g minor and Eb major); that's just my personal taste for audition purposes because it might hint to the panel that you know a little bit of history on the pieces as well; particularly, that it is doubtful (according to most scholars I've read) J.S. Bach composed some of what we attribute to him, and that when you choose J.S. Bach, you know that you are indeed playing his music.

SK

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:25 pm

Sidekicker, I couldn't have said it better myself.

Mandera3 · Post by **Mandera3** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:38 pm

Thanks to everyone that had givin me suggestions. I am definatly going to play the Chaminade and the Mozart seeing that I have those down really solid and I am happy with myself when I play. I only need two songs for most of the collegs but I still need to decide on a 3rd. I'm not positive if I want to do a Bach.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 4:55 pm

Take a good look at Baroque composers so that you have a good scope. Telemann, Handel, Vivaldi, Pergolesi, and so many others wrote some really great stuff. Or, you could also look at some Contemporary stuff with extended techniques. But, while those pieces do show a great contrast in your abilities, multiphonics, timbre trills, and general honking don't really impress an audition committee.

But there are several contemporary tonal pieces that are rather good as well. To be on the safe side though, I would audition on a Baroque piece in addition to the Chaminade and Mozart.