# Moll Music in the Christmas Hols: decision time.



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I am widening the scope of this blog to include my violin lessons too, and the things I am learning about music. In fact, my fiddling will become the main emphasis. I am hoping it will be a sort of Adrian Mole for Codgers. I am certainly silly enough - as you will understand, dear reader, when I tell you that when I first came across Klezmer, I thought it was the name of a composer... 

This is fun for me, and helps clarify my thinking; which I hope will pay off in my playing. It may also be of interest to teachers of adults, and reflect on some of the issues raised in my thread Teaching Styles: http://www.talkclassical.com/30826-teaching-styles.html

Just before Christmas, my feelings about my music lessons changed. I am still smarting from the bust-up with my violin exam teacher in the summer. It came out of nowhere - his loss of temper with me, and finishing the lesson ten minutes early. I'd already been thinking that I didn't like the music he was setting me, or his approach, but I'd do anything to turn the clock back and finish our lessons in a more dignified, harmonious way...

I decided that I would take Grade 4 just to show that I could, and also because the music for the exam is quite nice and includes some pieces that I've already played, though not well. :lol:
I broached it with Fiddle Guru, my inspired but anarchic repertoire teacher - he is a professional performer in baroque ensembles and ceilidh bands - and he was unexpectedly enthusiastic for someone who once told me that he didn't do exams.

Of course, as soon as I had made my decision, I began to waver. I had hoped to get the pieces sorted out on a preliminary basis in the Christmas holidays, but first there was Christmas, which was a huge effort because my aged mother, who lives nearby, has dementia and can be querulous. Then, on Boxing Day, I realised that I was developing a cold, probably from the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve, and was on tenterhooks in case I passed it on. I am just about through it, but it was a very bad one, and I have had to quarantine myself for ten days - luckily Mum hasn't caught it. I felt too ill to practise, and only today have I decided on the pieces I want to do - *if *I do the exam.

I am preparing two from each section. From the early section, an Estampie, and a Musette by LeClair, a French Baroque wallah who got himself murdered by his nephew (they think) in his late sixties. I am practising them with Beau Noir, my black baroque replica bow, styled a la Lully. I hope that will be okay for the exam, because it's much easier to do the double stops in the Estampie with Monsieur Le Noir, and he does a good job of fading in and out for the Musette too. I'm quite torn between these two but I think it will be the Estampie.

The middle section - I'm preparing A. Thomas's Gavotte from *Mignon*, which I've already played in Suzuki Book 2 with Fiddle Guru. I can play it all right, but it is not a serious work. It's a 19th century composer having a laugh at 18th century conventions, and very arch and staccato. Not really my style, as I'm an earnest soul. The other one I like better - Kreisler's Sicilienne. This is rather sweet and soulful, but would be better if I could do vibrato.

That's the rub, really. Vibrato is not needed for grade 4, but slow pieces are not going to sound too good without it; and also, I have a history of getting sudden unexplained bow shake when playing long slow notes. It happened in my grade 3 exam, but I was able to compensate. But would it make sense to choose a slow piece where I could seize up again?

In the modern section, I'm preparing 'Congratulations to the Bridegroom and Bride' from Ilana Cravitz's Klezmer book which I worked through last year with Fiddle Guru. He was really pleased with my Klezmer - I produced a loud, vibrant, carefree sound totally unlike my timid dithering at other musics. But as I explained to him many times, it was because I didn't really care - I like Klezmer, but I don't feel passionately engaged with it, as I do with folk and baroque, and so I had nothing to lose by 'going for it'. It doesn't work that way in an exam, though; today I found it frustrating having to obey all the directions on bowing and dynamics instead of just doing my own thing. It's annoying that the fiddler on the Exam Board cd sounds quite different and much more mannered than Ilana does on her own cd. But presumably that's how 'they' want candidates to play it.

So I'd rather do my second choice, which is the absolutely gorgeous 'Sultan's Throne' from a book of Bosnian Folk Music. It has an oriental, gypsy-like and soulful flavour all wrapped up in dark chocolate. It's slow - rubato in the second section. So without vibrato?

I am thinking that if Grade 4 can *make * me learn vibrato, it will be well worth the nervous aggro. But if I can't hack it - maybe I won't enter myself. Can Fiddle Guru help me to learn vibrato? I just don't know. He likes it when I 'catch' things from his playing, but I think I'm going to need systematic coaching and exercises. Will he be up for that? Who knows! 

*In other news*: I haven't been well enough to do much piano either; but it's like the Klezmer. Since I don't really care all that much about it, I can relax. I am beginning to learn the notes and get the hang of some of the fingering. I also know that Rho will help me with the aural test part of my Grade 4 violin exam, which is a huge bonus - *if* I decide to do it.

Next week I start piano and violin lessons again, and Taggart will be going back to piano lessons with Rho too. His previous teacher is still unwell, but we hope she is making progress with her serious illness.

Taggart has been trying out the Grade 7 piano pieces, and has just about decided on what he's going to do. He is sounding quite good, as if rising refreshed like Excalibur from the Lake of Surgery - particularly a lovely piece called China Blue by Morton Gould, which is indeed both 'Chinese' and 'Bluesy' in its sound.

The only trouble is, the moment that I sneak into the lounge for my piano practice, with him in the Computer Room apparently engrossed with TC - is the moment that he suddenly decides that it's time to start *his *piano practice.

Guilty conscience, or Dog in the Manger? 
Reader, *you* decide!


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