BAX, Sir Arnold
Sonata for Viola and Piano GP 251
II. Allegro energico, ma non troppo presto
Antoine Tamestit, guest professor
Xiaoti Guo, student
Juan Barahona, accompanying pianist
The student needs to improve the quality and clarity of the sound, working on the first notes until they achieve it. The body gestures have to be small, so they do not hinder. The pressure has to be the minimum to achieve the sound we want. Before repeating several times, it is necessary to identify where the problem is.
They also make a small parenthesis to put resin on the bow and the professor explains to the student the correct way to do it.
Tamestit insists a lot on the correct position of the viola. They also work on tuning, stability in each tone. When playing on the high strings, it is necessary to release pressure, articulate well and use a long bow. For the low notes, it is necessary to relax the arm well so as not to exert too much pressure on the bow, so that it is a thick sound but not strangled. In the pizzicati, it is necessary to completely block the string so that the resonance comes out.
Language: English
