Interview or long essay questions Flashcards
When purchasing or extracting an aria from an opera, what should you be aware of or watch out for?
Starting and stopping points, cuts, keys/transposition, lack of rehearsal/measure letters or numbers, page turn layout, identification of instrument keys, instrument changes (from flute to piccolo, for example), make sure you have banda parts, solo or choral vocal parts that might need to be skipped or added to instrumental parts, make sure that the vocal scores match your set of parts (rehearsal letters/etc) even when it’s the same edition.
After receiving program information from a conductor or management, what else would you need to know besides the composers and titles of the works?
Edition, does the conductor have their own materials, does the conductor have special markings (cuts, bowings, dynamics, etc) that will need to be added to the parts, are the strings reduced, is there any woodwind or brass doubling, or any “optional” instruments that will be left out.
What is meant by the “Suite from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet?”
There is no standard “suite.” There are 3 separate suites taken from the complete ballet, and they are often done in various combinations. Make sure you get a list of movements in the order desired.
What is meant by “standard cuts” in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto?
There are no such thing as “standard cuts.” You have to check every time with each soloist, even though there are certain cuts that are often used.
After you have received a new set of parts that you have rented or purchased, in addition to bowings, list what else you might do to prepare the piece for performance.
Mark string stand numbers, number non-string parts, check against the score that all parts have arrived, check that all parts have all pages and are clearly printed, bind loose pages, proof parts, fix page turns, add measure numbers or rehearsal letters/numbers, add anything the conductor has requested to the parts, clearly identify all instruments/keys (especially percussion), mark divisi, make practice copies for inside strings.
What should you include when returning rental music to the publisher or agent?
All the parts and scores, the packing slip or instrumentation sheet, several copies of the program page.
What composer often wrote for 4 bassoons? Are all 4 always needed?
Berlioz. Often not.
What is your idea of the most important responsibilities of the orchestra library?
(some of the following: have the right music in the right place at the right time; helping the orchestra make music by clarifying the intent of the composer/conductor (consistency, legibility); cataloguing/tracking information
A semi-staged performance of Tchaikovsky’s Iolante is being planned. It will be sung in Russian, using young American singers. There is no listing of this opera in any reference source available to you. You need to find orchestral parts, full scores, and vocal scores (assume that these do exist). Identify any potential problems or questions that would need to be answered.
Transliteration of the Russian text (might need to hire someone to create one, or use one from another ensemble), grand rights, copyright, keys/transposition, quality of materials, instrumentation, vocal scores match orch materials? Could ask Lyric/Met librarians for advice or materials.
The orchestra is playing a pops concert featuring a performer who is providing their own arrangements for the show. Identify any potential problems or questions that would need to be answered.
Confirm that they have permission to make/use the arrangements they’re providing. Confirm arrival date of parts - potential for parts to arrive late, or missing parts/scores. Double-check instrumentation with the performer.
What are some things to consider when preparing a work with basso continuo?
You need to verify which keyboard will be used: harpsichord, organ, both? Sometimes the organ plays for choral movements while the harpsichord is used for solo movements. You have to make sure the keyboard player can read the part. Most can’t read a figured bass part, so you need a realized version. Also need to know what extra instruments might be used: bassoon, theorbo, cello, lute? You might need extra parts.
List the standard instrumentation you would expect to find in a major orchestra such as the Chicago Symphony.
4444 - 6441, timp 4perc harp (piano?) str 18.16.12.11.9
List the transposing instruments normally used in a symphony orchestra in score order and indicate sounding pitch relative to written pitch.
Piccolo sounds octave higher Alto flute sounds 4th below English horn sounds 5th below Bb clarinet sounds major 2nd below A clarinet sounds minor third below Eb clarinet sounds minor third above Bb bass clarinet sounds major 9th below contrabassoon sounds octave below F horn sounds 5th below Bb trumpet sounds major 2nd below D trumpet sounds major 2nd above Celeste sounds octave above double bass sounds octave below
What simple allocation of a 2-part string divisi would ensure that both parts would be played during page turns?
Divisi by stand
Without doing a complete note-by-note proofing, what are some fast and easy ways to check for major errata in a clean, unused set of parts?
Look through a set of parts used by another orchestra, or use a MOLA errata list.
