HOFFMEISTER, Franz Anton

Concerto for viola and orchestra in D major (viola and piano reduction)

I. Allegro

Gérard Caussé, guest professor 

Candela Arancón Gonzalo, student

Antonia Valente, accompanying pianist

Professor Caussé enjoyed the student's performance of the first movement of Hoffmeister's Viola Concerto, both in terms of tempo and technique. He asks why she sometimes begins her trills with the upper note and other times with the lower one, explaining that the reason should be the direction of the melodic line at that moment. It’s a simple detail, but an important one to keep in mind.
Caussé explains that Hoffmeister belonged to the Mannheim School, like Stamitz, and that she needs to become familiar with the characteristics of that style—which they will explore further by revisiting the movement from the beginning.
At the start, she should pay close attention to the open A string so that it sounds just as elegant as the rest. At the end of the theme, there are two options for the ornament. They also review the articulation of the opening notes (which should be slightly shorter), and of the double-stops section. They discuss the edition the student is working with and the choice of playing quarter or eighth notes when the theme is repeated. One ornament sounds more Middle Eastern than Classical, so Caussé recommends changing it. For repeated sections, the second time should sound different.
Later, he describes a moment where it feels like two different characters are singing—as if in an opera—and encourages the student to reflect that in a more expressive and emotional interpretation. Then, he suggests trying a spiccato bow stroke. They also review a somewhat unclear passage to make the execution more precise.
In this kind of music, it’s important to have your own ideas in order to bring a personal touch. Although they don’t go over the cadenza, Caussé notes that she can compose her own instead of using the standard one.

Language: English