Author: Noel Prokop-Seaton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Performing arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
Although the United States had a rich musical culture prior to the 19th century, the first permanent symphony orchestras were not formed until the mid-1800's when an influx of German immigrants prompted the establishment of ensembles and festivals in cities across the country. Concurrently, the United States shifted from individual entrepreneurialism to corporate ideals. World War I further impacted the sound of American orchestras as repertoire shifted from largely Austro-German to French, Russian, and American compositions. Additionally, technological advancements such as the radio and television increased the symphony orchestra's popularity. These same advancements brought about new genres of music, and in the 1970s, the symphony orchestra's popularity saw a decline. Today, orchestras can still be found throughout the United States, with larger ensembles in more densely populated areas such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Musicians are typically appointed to these orchestras through a lengthy audition process. Prior to any demonstration of skill, candidates are often required to submit materials such as a resume, references, or even a prescreen recording. Only after the submissions are reviewed will a musician be invited to the live audition. Larger orchestras will often use multiple rounds of playing, sometimes over several days, to reduce the plentiful number of applicants. Many auditions are also blind or screened, meaning the panel of judges are unable to see the players in an effort to reduce biases or favoritism towards different genders, minorities, or person. When the day of the audition begins, each musician is asked to play a series of short excerpts from a predetermined list distributed prior to the audition, which consists of sections from famous symphonies, solos, and/or chamber works. Musicians will spend weeks, if not months, preparing hours of repertoire for a 10 or 15 minutes time slot in front of the judges. Every oboist studies a list of "standard excerpts" which consists of those pieces most often found on auditions lists. However, there is little to no research regarding the origin of these lists. In the forward to his book, Orchestra Excerpts for Oboe, John Ferrillo discusses his experiences as an auditionee, taking 23 orchestral auditions before being offered a job. Although not discussed outright, it is safe to assume he compiled this list based on his plethora of experiences. There is, however, no literature regarding exactly how orchestras compile these lists of excerpts, yet many of them contain the same materials. Furthermore, auditions today will often specify the solo work as Mozart's Oboe Concerto in C Major, K. 314. This concerto, while most-likely written in 1777, was lost for almost 150 years. It was only discovered in 1920 by Bernhard Paumgartner, who then published a version in 1948 based on the discovered manuscript. This indicates that there is over a century worth of oboists in professional orchestra positions who never played the Mozart concerto. This modern system developed as a result of different social, political, and economic conditions. The purpose of this project is to identify the development of audition repertoire, etiquette, and protocols through a variety of sources, including previous audition announcements, historic and current news articles, interviews, and publications, to formulate a coherent idea of how auditions worked prior to the modern 21st century system. It is meant to be a valuable resource for undergraduates or those entering the audition circuit by identifying standard procedures and how they are effected by current events.