Thank you to all the area flute students who attended the masterclass on Sunday! The notes that follow came from information from lessons with my main teachers (Dr. Frances Shelly & Mr. Keith Bryan) and various experiences I have had practicing and performing the Mozart G Major Flute Concerto (K313, written in 1778). I also consulted Nancy Toff's, The Flute Book, second edition, Oxford Press, 1996.
Here are some notes that were given out if you missed the class:
MNU Masterclass/District Auditions
The Concerto in G Major by W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) is considered one of the most expressive Classical era concertos written for the flute. Among flutists and other musicians, it is probably the best known of all the flute concertos. It is the number one piece asked for in any orchestral flute audition; and almost everyone who studies flute at a college level is required to know it and even memorize it!
Movement I
- Tempo: Allegro Maestoso (Fast / Majestically, military march-like) It would be good to be able to play this up to quarter note = 110 - 126, but pick a tempo that YOU can play cleanly and precisely.
- Trills: All trills start on the note ABOVE and ON the beat.
- Appoggiaturas: All are played ON the beat, EXCEPT for measure #46 (2 A# grace notes) which can be played OFF the beat
- Dynamics: It is generally understood that the solo flute part should be played out a bit stronger than what you might think when following the dynamics in this edition. Remember that this is a concerto that shows off what the flute can do, and you should play strongly and elegantly when performing this piece.
Practice Tips for Movement I:
- Know your A, D, & G scales, and your thirds in A & D
- Practice the trills separately so you will know them when you play through the excerpt
- Play with the most beautiful sound you can manage
- Practice with a light, forward tongue in the mouth, (NOT the roof of your mouth)
- Plan your breaths
Movement II
- Mistake: In the 16th measure of this second movement of the Concerto in G, the quarter note E should be an eighth note.
- Tempo: Adagio ma non troppo (Slow, but not too much) Most recordings that I like are somewhere between Eighth note = 66-70. (My personal favorite is 69.) Remember that all the values of the notes are doubled in this movement since the eight note gets the beat. (Thus, you’ll have 8 beats per measure.)
- Trills: All trills start on the note ABOVE and ON the beat. The b-c# trill is done with the regular fingerings UNLESS you have a C# trill key on your flute.
- Appoggiaturas: All are played ON the beat.
- Dynamics: Play out with a beautiful and sweetly, singing tone. Keep in mind that the last crescendo before letter “G” should last all the way through the trill and down beat of “G.”
Practice Tips for Movement II
- Mark the counting & rhythm
- Make sure you know all the accidentals and can play them correctly:
A# = B-flat G# = A-flat
D# = E-flat E# = F-natural
- Plan your breaths
- Play with the most beautiful, singing tone you can manage!
- Put in some of your own dynamics to be more expressive
Antonio Vivaldi’s (1678-1741) Largo (movement II) from the Concerto in C Major (RV443) can be played on the piccolo as well as the sopranino recorder as can be witnessed when looking for examples of performances on YouTube (see “Video Suggestions”)! The concerto is probably the most commonly asked piece on piccolo orchestral auditions, which includes this Largo movement.
- Tempo: Largo is slow, and you should count this in 12 beats per measure with the eighth note = 70-76 (All note values are doubled since the time signature is 12/8.)
- Trills: All trills start on the note ABOVE and ON the beat.
- Appoggiaturas: All are played ON the beat.
- Pitch & Dynamics: Although the dynamics tend to be various degrees of “soft” in this edition, please play out a bit more on this movement, especially if the pitch is easier to control at a bit stronger dynamic. Work with a tuner to see what pitch issues are associated with the piccolo you will be using to perform. Each make of instrument has it’s own pitch tendencies, so learn what they are on your instrument and make adjustments.
Practice Tips for “Largo”
- Mark the counting
- Get some ear plugs! It protects your hearing and also can help you relax to play those high E’s in tune! (Work with a tuner as well!)
- Try and feel the lilting of the 12/8 when playing this piece so there’s a smoothness and ease to the rhythm and the tone.
- Play with a sweet sound/tone, but be expressive with a touch of sadness or melancholy.
Auditioning & Nerves, & some advice for success:
- Be competing with yourself for a better audition experience by preparing your mindset and your flute skills.
- Take some deep breaths while you are in the audition to release some of the tension you may be feeling.
- Know that the judges have your very best interests at heart, (If only EVERYONE could earn a spot in the bands!) and that everyone is trying their best to make honest and fair decisions.
- Try not to think about whether you can get in the band, but rather play the excerpts, scales, and sight reading to your very best for that day.
- Be proud of the fact that you are willing to put yourself through this process to improve, and be honest with yourself about your mistakes: accept them and LEARN from those mistakes! That is how we all improve!
Video/YouTube suggestions
Mozart YouTube videos:
Emmanuel Pahud: https://youtu.be/suHLLTTtDCg
Jean-Pierre Rampal: https://youtu.be/71CugOCzcrQ
Julius Baker: https://youtu.be/ewNCmw-bYxc
Jasmine Choi: https://youtu.be/rF6JTI55Yr8
Amy Porter: https://youtu.be/C8IIAuZzYuQ
Paula Robison: https://youtu.be/MSdAjofmqak (second mvmt only)
https://youtu.be/ih_cRrqGSYQ (first mvmt only)
Vivaldi YouTube videos:
Sarah Jackson:
https://youtu.be/3rr0wA0KgFM
Michala Petri (recorder):
https://youtu.be/DXs2q9_PMfA
William Bennett:
https://youtu.be/nc7kp6eIYyg
Hanneke van Proosdlj (recorder):
https://youtu.be/6CScQh8jG-s
Julius Baker:
https://youtu.be/AJeTLIYVcnY
