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Status Reports
Status: Music (2021 - December)
(Text as at 03/01/2022 23:58:34)
(For earlier versions of this Note, see the table at the end)
Rationale for this Project- This is now more than adequately covered by my Music Page1.
Summary of Progress during October - December 2021- I spent 30.5 hours in 21Q4 on this Project, or related work (30.5 hours YTD, where for "YTD" - Year to Date - I mean the (academic) year that commenced in October 2021). That's 58.8% of the planned effort (58.8% YTD). Overall, 4.4% of my Project effort in the Quarter was directed towards this project (making 4.4% YTD) - as against 6.2% planned (6.2% YTD).
- As can be seen, I’ve not yet recovered my focus, lost in 20Q3, and am not likely to now that I’ve returned to Bridge.
- Things were particularly bad in December when, as noted in my Summary Report, I was unwell, which made playing impossible for much of the time. However, I now seem to be recovering.
- That said, … while I’ve been focusing on Grade VII oboe, I have now started to look at Grade VIII. Unfortunately, of late – while I practice almost every day – it has only been for 15 minutes, which just about keeps things ticking over.
- Until mid-March 2020, I had oboe lessons every two weeks during term-time, but these came to a stop in on account of Covid-19. I had the opportunity to continue them via Facebook Messenger in May 2020 but decided against it for two reasons:-
- I wanted to prepare acceptable recordings for review.
- I wanted to try playing by ear, which would take time away from preparing set pieces.
- I was making good progress on my own – aided by my friend Dave providing me with piano backing tracks for pieces by Schumann. Unfortunately, I seem to have a couple of cloth ears for music, and attempts at playing by ear are in abeyance after about a day’s effort, spread over some weeks.
- Also, I got “stuck” on the 3rd Movement of the Saint-Saens – it’s supposed to be played at 140 bpm, and I couldn’t manage it at 60 bpm, especially with the piano accompaniment that Dave had prepared for me, as the synchronisation is really awkward. This led me to lose heart a bit and hence practice less, though I’ve subsequently found that the piece has been presented as a graduation piece at the RSM (according to a BBC R3 presenter). I do seem to be making some progress, however, so it’s been retrieved from the “must be joking” bucket.
- All things considered, it doesn’t look as though I’ll be returning to Oboe lessons any time soon.
- I signed up for the $4 / month version of "Earmaster - Ear Training & Sight-singing" in September 2020, though didn’t use it much, and have now cancelled my subscription, as I never even used all the free lessons.
- The Enigma Ensemble is trying to emerge from hibernation, and will allegedly do so on 10th January 2022.
- As a substitute, Julie and I fairly regularly (December 2021 aside) play through a number of duet books for a variety of instruments, Julie playing the violin (or, occasionally, the recorder).
- I record and report time spent practicing individual pieces on my oboe: here2.
- Further details follow:-
Music (Total Hours = 30.5)- Music - Administration (Total Hours = 5)
- Music - Oboe (Total Hours = 25.5)
- Albinoni (Tomaso) - Concerto in D Minor Op. 9/2 for Oboe & Piano - 1st Movt (Allegro e no presto) (0.25 hours)
- Albinoni (Tomaso) - Concerto in D Minor Op. 9/2 for Oboe & Piano - 2nd Movt (Adagio) (0.25 hours)
- Albinoni (Tomaso) - Concerto in D Minor Op. 9/2 for Oboe & Piano - 3rd Movt (Allegro) (0.25 hours)
→ See "Albinoni (Tomaso) - Concerto in D Minor Op. 9/2 for Oboe & Piano" (0.75 hours) - Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe: No. 28 (0.5 hours)
- Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe: No. 49 (0.5 hours)
- Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe: No. 62 (0.5 hours)
- Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe: No. 66 (0.25 hours)
- Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe: No. 70 (0.25 hours)
→ See "Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe" (2 hours) - Cimarosa (Domenico) - Oboe Concerto in C minor - 1st Movt (Introduzione: Larghetto) (0.25 hours)
- Cimarosa (Domenico) - Oboe Concerto in C minor - 2nd Movt (Allegro) (0.25 hours)
- Cimarosa (Domenico) - Oboe Concerto in C minor - 3rd Movt (Siciliana) (0.25 hours)
- Cimarosa (Domenico) - Oboe Concerto in C minor - 4th Movt (Allegro giusto) (0.25 hours)
→ See "Cimarosa (Domenico) - Oboe Concerto in C minor" (1 hour) - "Friedrichsen (J.M.) - Grandfather's Duets: Book 1 (for 2 oboes / recorders in C)" (2.5 hours)
- Miller (Vojislav) & Liebermann (Winfried), Eds. - Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions (Orchester Probespiel) - Oboe - G8 (0.25 hours)
→ See "Miller (Vojislav) & Liebermann (Winfried), Eds. - Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions (Orchester Probespiel) - Oboe" (0.25 hours) - Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe - 'Answer the Question' (0.25 hours)
- Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe - 'Dop Dop Doobah' (0.25 hours)
- Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe - 'Enlightenment' (0.25 hours)
- Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe - 'Jauntless Jig' (0.25 hours)
- Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe - 'May The Fourth Be With You' (0.25 hours)
→ See "Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe" (1.25 hours) - Nicholas (Morgan): Rhapsody for Oboe and Piano (0.25 hours)
→ See "Practice - Oboe - General Practice" (0.25 hours) - Nielsen (Carl) - Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 2 for Oboe and Piano: Humoresque (0.25 hours)
- Nielsen (Carl) - Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 2 for Oboe and Piano: Romanze (0.25 hours)
→ See "Nielsen (Carl) - Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 2" (0.5 hours) - Oboe - Enigma Ensemble (4.25 hours)
- Oboe - Enigma Ensemble - Practice (7.5 hours)
- Oboe - Enigma Ensemble: Travel, Lunch, Interaction (3 hours)
→ See "Practice - Oboe - Enigma Ensemble - Playing & Practice" (14.75 hours) - Saint-Saens (Camille) - Sonata Op.166 in D Major for Oboe & Piano - 1st Movement (0.25 hours)
- Saint-Saens (Camille) - Sonata Op.166 in D Major for Oboe & Piano - 2nd Movement (0.25 hours)
- Saint-Saens (Camille) - Sonata Op.166 in D Major for Oboe & Piano - 3rd Movement (1.75 hours)
→ See "Saint-Saens (Camille) - Sonata Op.166 in D Major for Oboe & Piano" (2.25 hours)
Plans for the Near Future- To reflect pressure from other projects, and the realities of what I do, I’ve had to maintain the planned hours / week at the reduced 4, rather than the ideal 7.
- I’ve not been able to reinstate the 2 hours a week to be spent on Music Aural and Music Theory, on account of pressure from other projects and a general lack of enthusiasm. But I’ve left the items in the lists below.
- I doubt this will leave me much time for the piano, though I’d like to spend some time trying to learn to play by ear.
- A plan for the coming quarter is to record – or upgrade the recordings of – myself playing the graded pieces on my oboe: See here3.
- These are the items I intend to pursue:-
- Oboe:-
- Practice the oboe for two 15-minute sessions each and every day4 – focussing on the items below and …
- Occasionally combine into an hour-long session to build up stamina further.
- Work through, and perfect, scales & arpeggios5 for Grades I-VIII, using
→ "Trinity Guildhall - Trinity Guildhall Scales & Arpeggios for Oboe (Grades 1–8)", and
→ "ABRSM - Scales and Arpeggios for Oboe, Grades 1-8 (ABRSM Scales & Arpeggios)". - Improve sight-reading by playing through
→ "Trinity Guildhall - Sound at Sight Oboe Grades 1-8", and
→ "Davies (John) & Harris (Paul) - 80 Graded Studies for Oboe: Book 1". - Occasionally review Grade VI pieces, in particular
→ "Boni (Giovanni) - Sonata in G" (Prelude, but also 2nd, 3rd & 4th movements for interest),
→ "Davies (John) & Harris (Paul) - 80 Graded Studies for Oboe: Book 2" (Blatt - Study No. 52),
→ "Morricone (Ennio) - Gabriel's Oboe (Piano Solo Or Oboe/Piano)"
→ "Miller (Vojislav) & Liebermann (Winfried), Eds. - Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions (Orchester Probespiel) - Oboe" (Eroica, Aida, Der Freischutz),
→ "Nielsen (Carl) - Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 2" (Romanze only) - Prepare Grade VII pieces, in particular6
→ "Albinoni (Tomaso) - Concerto in D Minor Op. 9/2 for Oboe & Piano", 1st movement (but also 2nd & 3rd for interest)
→ "Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe", Items 49 & 70
→ "Cimarosa (Domenico) - Oboe Concerto in C minor", All, but particularly 1st & 4th movements
→ "Davies (John) & Harris (Paul) - 80 Graded Studies for Oboe: Book 2" (Ferling - Study No. 62)
→ "Fiocco (J.H.) - Arioso - Oboe + Piano",
→ "Head (Michael) - Presto for Oboe & Piano",
→ "Hinke (Gustav Adolf) - Elementary Method For Oboe", Items 14 & 18
→ "Miller (Vojislav) & Liebermann (Winfried), Eds. - Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions (Orchester Probespiel) - Oboe" (Mozart Jupiter, Tchaikovsky Pathetique, Stravinsky Pucinella),
→ "Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe" (Nos. 28 & 35: 'Jauntless Jig' & 'May The Fourth Be With You'; also No. 30: 'Answer the Question'),
→ "Nielsen (Carl) - Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 2" (Humoresque),
→ "Saint-Saens (Camille) - Sonata Op.166 in D Major for Oboe & Piano" (1st Movement),
→ "Schumann (Robert) - 3 Romances, Op. 94 for Oboe and Piano" (1st & 3rd Movements; 2nd for interest). - Prepare Grade VIII pieces, in particular7
→ "Bach (J.S.) - 105 Difficult Passages from the Works of J. S. Bach. For oboe", Items 62, 66 and 28
→ "Davies (John) & Harris (Paul) - 80 Graded Studies for Oboe: Book 2" (Harris - Study No. 74; Luft - Study No. 77)
→ "Miller (Vojislav) & Liebermann (Winfried), Eds. - Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions (Orchester Probespiel) - Oboe" (try various),
→ "Mower (Mike) - The Good Tempered Oboe" (No. 44 - 'Dop Dop Doobah'; also No. 45: 'Enlightenment'),
→ "Saint-Saens (Camille) - Sonata Op.166 in D Major for Oboe & Piano" (2nd & 3rd Movements), - Read and apply oboe practice techniques recommended by:-
→ Martin Schuring, and
→ "Benedetti (Nicola) - My five tips for learning an instrument". - Read "Caplan (Stephen) - Oboe: The Breathing Book".
- Piano: Try to develop some minimal competence as an aid to theory, so:-
- Continue practicing "Rhodes (James) - How to Play the Piano" (Bach's Prelude #1),
- Work through "ABRSM - Selected Piano Exam Pieces 2009-2010: Grade 1", and
- Try to play by ear, using for inspiration:-
→ "Cannel (Ward) & Marx (Fred) - How to Play the Piano Despite Years of Lessons: What Music Is and How to Make It at Home".
- Theory: Prepare for Grade 5 Theory, so:-
- Study
→ "Taylor (Eric) - The AB Guide to Music Theory - Part 1", and
→ "Taylor (Eric) - The AB Guide to Music Theory - Part 2", - Whiz through8 the exercises in
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 1",
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 2",
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 3",
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 4", and
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 5",
- Aural:
- Run through:-
→ "Trinity Guildhall - Trinity College London Aural Tests Book 1 (Initial to Grade 5) 2017", and
→ "Trinity Guildhall - Trinity College London Aural Tests Book 2 (Grades 6 to 8) 2017". - Get a grip on the process of ear-training by
→ Reading "Deutsch (Diana) - Absolute Pitch", and related material9, and
→ Try out "Earmaster - Ear Training & Sight-singing". - Try out "Boytim (Joan Frey) - The First Book Of Baritone/Bass Solos".
- Also follow up items in:-
→ "Various - Music - Aural - Various On-line Training".
Progress to Date
The lists of items performed is cumulative, so I’ve hived off the history to a separate document10, which needs a minor update.
In-Page Footnotes:
Footnote 4: - Well, maybe with the occasional holiday, and excluding days on which I have the Enigma Ensemble.
Footnote 5: - I don't intend to present these for the Trinity exams, as I can present Orchestral Audition pieces instead; but they are essential for technique.
Footnote 6: - I've yet to decide which to present for the Exam, so this long list will get whittled down in due course.
Footnote 7: - These are just the ones from the Trinity schedule that I happen to have. Some look rather fearsome.
- The only one I've had assigned is the Second Movement of the Saint-Saens.
Footnote 8: - The earlier grades are very elementary, but I need practice writing musical notation.
Footnote 9: Ie. The following:-
Table of the Previous 12 Versions of this Note: (of 66)
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Text Colour Conventions
- Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2022