A little over a week ago, I had the pleasure of being with the SAKURA Cello Quintet as they rehearsed for a video shoot and their upcoming Spring 2024 concert tour. Along the way, I witnessed the group employing some skills that make the music better and rehearsals more efficient. Today I want to share some of what I saw and heard. Here are five actions you can take to improve your chamber music rehearsals and performances.
Rely on the score
Every member of any high-level chamber music group knows that they cannot really learn a piece of music by just practicing their own parts. Learning one part without knowledge of the whole piece will lead to inefficiency in rehearsal and limited success in performance. Knowing a composer’s intent can only be accomplished by studying the score.
Without score study, a violinist in a string quartet may not be aware that his melody is secondary to the main melody in the cello part. Understanding the role of one’s part in the music can and should affect decisions about, for example, bowing and vibrato. A trombonist might only realize, through score study, that her mezzo forte line cannot be as loud as the horn player’s mezzo forte since the horn player has the leading line.
Many of the best groups benefit by reading directly from the score using iPads or other electronic tablets during rehearsals. I observed the SAKURA Cello Quintet using this rehearsal technique. When all members of a group read directly from the digital score and use pedals to turn pages, they can achieve an unprecedented level of efficiency in rehearsal. This eliminates the need to pass a single copy of the score around the group to check a note, rhythm, or dynamic. It also avoids the time-consuming chore of checking another musician’s part for basic note information.
Listen
Besides listening to recordings as an adjunct to score study, musicians must learn to actively listen in all directions while they rehearse. While listening to one’s own internal pulse and subdivisions, musicians must also strive to align their own rhythms to the rhythms they hear from their colleagues. Active listening must also include listening for intonation and balance. This assumes that the musician is aware of what is happening in the other instruments in every measure.
Lead and follow
Communicating as you play is a sure way to improve your chamber music. The most successful ensembles understand the importance of using their bodies and eyes to communicate. Instead of relying on a conductor as we do in larger ensembles, chamber musicians must assume the responsibility of leading each other. At any given place in the music, any player can be called on to cue another musician or lead a tempo change. The SAKURA Cello Quintet spends much of its rehearsal time working out such details. Of course, this means that every member of the group must open his or her awareness to include all members of the ensemble.
Make decisions that everyone can live with
The best chamber music ensembles know that every decision, both musical and non-musical, must be made to serve the interests of the group. In rehearsal, musical choices require open discussion and compromise. Sometimes, non-musical decisions can be even more difficult. It is hard work to sort through an issue and arrive at consensus. To become a successful ensemble, musicians must set their egos aside and decide what is best for the group.
Make music that makes sense
The prime directive of every ensemble is to actualize the score, to bring the implied sound of the notes into real sound. For every musical decision, you should ask, “Does this decision honor the composer’s intention?” “Could the composer live with this decision?” But it’s also important to ask, “Can we live with this decision?” Every group needs to understand that successful performances are achieved through negotiation and compromise, and no situation is perfect. Skill levels vary from musician to musician. The acoustics of a given room may not favor some tempos, dynamics, or note lengths and shapes. Composers writing in an earlier era may have imagined sounds that aren’t easily recreated on modern instruments. Sometimes, a composer has a limited understanding of what is playable on a given instrument. All these variables require careful consideration to make intelligent choices. A successful ensemble understands that the music as it reaches the audience’s ears is the most important consideration.
Mastering one’s own part in a piece of chamber music is only the first requirement of a chamber musician. We must also accept the responsibilities of working together to achieve performances we can be proud of. Being a chamber musician is not for the faint-hearted! It’s hard work, but the rewards can be immense. Paying attention to these five actions can help you improve your chamber music and give great performances to your audiences.
