Recovery and catching up

Saturday was a really good day with lots of playing....but it does seem to have completely upset my practice routine.  Obviously I couldn't practice on Saturday and Sunday my lips were so sore that playing was not an option.  By Monday I thought I would have recovered but my embouchure stamina seemed to have gone completely and even at orchestra yesterday I was struggling.  I have my lesson tonight and don't really feel as prepared as I should be. 

Due to the missed days of practice, I tried to spend Monday's practice session really focussing on the Luft study.  I spent a long time on this one - which is in Ab major.  This is my least favourite key as the fingering is rather awkward on the oboe, so this study has been good for practising fluency of left hand Eb fingering and use of the side Ab key.  It did make my head spin a little trying to sort out which fingers to use. Hopefully I'll get another stab at it, I would like another couple of weeks to consolidate.  I have had some play throughs of the third movement of the Telemann Fantasia but have not done as much on this as I'd have liked.  My embouchure gave up on Monday before I could really get stuck in.

Orchestra last night was a night of two halves.  We spent the first half working on Sleeping Beauty.  This could definitely do with some sectional rehearsal because in places it frankly sounds pretty dreadful at the moment.  There are a number of places with repeated staccato semiquavers from the wind (clarinet, bassoon, oboe, cor anglais) which need to be precise and give support to the tune.  These are difficult to play well at the right volume -  and we don't play them well, or together, or in time with the rest of the orchestra and they are generally too loud.  Hopefully we can get it sorted before we have to perform it.  Having said that, the last movement is sounding really rather nice now.

The second half was spent looking at Night on Bare Mountain. This is probably, on paper at least, even more difficult -but somehow it seems easier to play. The fact that it is so loud and fast and almost aggressive makes it  possible to just launch yourself at it and see what happens.  Getting each note  in place isn't as important as  the overall gist and the attitude.  It seems to work.  This is really good fun to play and feels like it is coming together.