I didn't get a chance to update this about my recital yesterday, but as I'm supposed to be writing a paper for English, I figure I can do this while I procrastinate.
Three recitals per year are required by the conservatory I go to, and today was my first out of the eventual six I'll do before I graduate. I played the first movement of the Mozart Concerto in C for oboe, which I'd used for my NYSSMA (a sort of jury evaluation, to be brief) the year before. Needless to say, I had it down to a science, although I still made many errors.
Apparently, I was the only one that noticed.
Upon leaving the small recital hall ("room" is a better word), I was very nearly literally assailed by compliments from people I'd never met. A very outgoing and enthusiastic Asian woman and her husband positively raved over how I had done. Their son was easily the best pianist there, and I regret somewhat that I didn't reciprocate by saying how well he had played. Anyway, that was only the beginning.
The dean (now executive director; it'll take me a while to get used to that) didn't offer criticism for once, and instead said that I did well. It was a little reserved to the extreme, and I'm still unsure as to whether she meant it or not.
The assistant dean, whom I'm assuming is still assistant dean, was more enthusiastic and had praise. I got more specific feedback from the registrar that I befriended, in a way, in my theory class. Apparently, I phrase consistently well, shaping broader phrases without disregarding smaller bits. Er, thanks? As far as I know, I just play.
A little bit of confusion ensued when the dean/executive director said she wants me to play more of the "standard repertoire". As far as I know, Mozart is, well, pretty standard. After a bit of digging, I discovered she's one of the believers that the concerto I played was originally written for flute, and transposed for oboe. I'm fairly sure that it's the other way around (and Wikipedia agrees with me), but just in case, I halfway conceded. Wikipedia can always lie.
They want me to do English horn next, and I personally have nothing against that - I'd rather do English horn; it means I can sit when I play and everything seems more stable on it. Notes come better, the sound is never thin and whiny, and plus the music seems to have a somewhat lower technical demand, which is never a bad thing.
Three recitals per year are required by the conservatory I go to, and today was my first out of the eventual six I'll do before I graduate. I played the first movement of the Mozart Concerto in C for oboe, which I'd used for my NYSSMA (a sort of jury evaluation, to be brief) the year before. Needless to say, I had it down to a science, although I still made many errors.
Apparently, I was the only one that noticed.
Upon leaving the small recital hall ("room" is a better word), I was very nearly literally assailed by compliments from people I'd never met. A very outgoing and enthusiastic Asian woman and her husband positively raved over how I had done. Their son was easily the best pianist there, and I regret somewhat that I didn't reciprocate by saying how well he had played. Anyway, that was only the beginning.
The dean (now executive director; it'll take me a while to get used to that) didn't offer criticism for once, and instead said that I did well. It was a little reserved to the extreme, and I'm still unsure as to whether she meant it or not.
The assistant dean, whom I'm assuming is still assistant dean, was more enthusiastic and had praise. I got more specific feedback from the registrar that I befriended, in a way, in my theory class. Apparently, I phrase consistently well, shaping broader phrases without disregarding smaller bits. Er, thanks? As far as I know, I just play.
A little bit of confusion ensued when the dean/executive director said she wants me to play more of the "standard repertoire". As far as I know, Mozart is, well, pretty standard. After a bit of digging, I discovered she's one of the believers that the concerto I played was originally written for flute, and transposed for oboe. I'm fairly sure that it's the other way around (and Wikipedia agrees with me), but just in case, I halfway conceded. Wikipedia can always lie.
They want me to do English horn next, and I personally have nothing against that - I'd rather do English horn; it means I can sit when I play and everything seems more stable on it. Notes come better, the sound is never thin and whiny, and plus the music seems to have a somewhat lower technical demand, which is never a bad thing.
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