Ericson – Day 2
1) “caress” the air as if through water, then make attacks (not in a pattern) gradually more marked , then back to caressing motion – check to see that your shoulder muscles stay relaxed as you beat more marcato
2) he then does other exercises to show changes in the size of the beat:
- 5/8
- 7/8
- 6/8
3) more exercises for "co-ordination of opposites" conduct 3 (3/4), but count 2 (6/8)
("now walk around – not in tempo – just gentle")
4) conduct 2 (6/8) count 3 (3/4)
5) do both exercises 3 and 4, counting legatissimo, beating marcato (and vice versa)
6) more exercises for left hand independence:
- 4/4 giving cues
- one conductor is in front of class, conducts 4, cues with l.h. at his or her choice – group responds with “bop” ( if short), "bah" (if conductor indicates long)
(E. says you could also try to cue one side of the chorus with a nod from the head , the other with the l.h.)
7) E. improvises, asks everyone to change character with the music
then speeds up, asks to go into 2, slows back down, go into 4 again – "lighter … heavy … marcato … leggiero … light with your faces … darker again"
8) Conduct hemiolas
9) plays Bach “Der Geisthilft” (one of the rep pieces) while we conduct
10) Then we conduct in 3 while he plays a minuet, then a Swedish “Hambo” (which has a very heavy downbeat), then in 1 a Kreisler waltz.
11) "try to give a preparatory beat with just your breathing . . . try it different ways … feel the difference in the quality of sound . .. remember to give a deep breath with your preparations, use time (but not too quick)"
Day 3
reminders about posture
1) “take a breath, hum on ‘m’ . . . deeper breath … move your head a little … lift your arms as you breathe … relax, no strange things, very natural … do it again, but prepare from diaphragm
… now do it the wrong way"
2) conduct a small , but intense 4, while the left hand is out in front , still
3) count 2, conduct 4 (and vice versa); then do same counting 2, conducting 6; counting one, conducting 3 (more of “exercise in opposites”
"move around"
4) more of the cueing exercise from previous day:
"right hand very intense … l.h. stop dead with cue"
5) plays while alternating 6/8s (in two and six) and 3/4 – calls out changes while playing
“make the beat bigger . . . smaller"
6) conduct 3, count 2 (3 vs. 2)
"move around … move your left hand freely, out of tempo … pick up imaginary music"
same, conduct 2 , count 3
7) Conduct 12/8 while E. plays:
"swinging beats, friction against the air"
"it's like playing the violin: too much tension (bow against the string)= scratchy sound , too little tension= airy sound – get just the right tension)"
8) E wants the sound to be characterized in the body as a whole "be friends with your body"
9) uses 12/8 for a sense of flow from beat to beat – E. improvises as we conduct: he starts with jazz – then moves into the opening chorus from the St. Matthew Passion – impressionistic – jazz again – then “heavier, darker”
10) conduct fast , small 4 with r.h. only:
"emphasize the down, don't rebound so fast with your left hand:
- now while you conduct, arrange your hair . . . walk in 2, conduct in 4 . . . walk in 4, conduct in 2 . . . conduct in 6, but walk in a free tempo . . . continue to conduct in 6 and turn enormous score pages constantly and slowly . . . now speak very dramatically some common text"
"the goals of this are to relax, and to think and do different things"
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