ORCHESTRA AND ENSEMBLE PLAYING, THE ITALIAN STUDY PACK in English
The target
How to use national heritage musical repertoire - from the classical and not classical repertoire - in teaching ensembles such as chamber music, orchestra and choir.
The Italian tradition of V.I.V.A.Verdi, connected to the Italian indipendence wars period, is used as an example, but the study pack will explain how to benefit the own tradition of every and each country. This connection with the National musical heritage will be able to give a significant benefit to the practice and study of playing and singing together.
The Fiesole method: study and practice of ensemble playing (orchestra, chamber and ensemble music, choir) in musical teaching at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole.
The practice of playing together plays a central role in the teaching and musical practice of the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole (SMF). Through this intense activity, the passion necessary to pursue the goal of deepening the study of a musical instrument is nourished.
The young and very young people who begin to study an instrument at the SMF immediately begin to play together, in more or less numerous musical ensembles.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a7YcTzJdANfjFCiy4ERZ_Ith7D9y6Krn/view?usp=share_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DojRm9raaebX1mqhitvlFJhQo2yjclB7/view?usp=share_link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XwxIVDO9UM
The traditional method involves a rather long phase of studying the instrument in a strictly individual way, without any collective activity.
At the SMF, children combine individual instrument lessons with an intense musical ensembles activity. They immediately begins playing in a rather large group of instrumentalists of the same level and, possibly, age. This allows the sharing of difficulties and the achievement of objectives, avoiding a large part of dropouts due to boredom and loneliness.
This practice is increasingly expanded over the years, starting to have chamber music, orchestral and choral experiences as soon as possible. All this intense activity makes the learning of theoretical knowledge easier.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YtgADAQQkmgul24jxcveatM8fQ5Ft-Hz/view?usp=share_link
The musical repertoire used is initially mainly composed by reductions and transcriptions from the classical and popular repertoire. Most of the musical tracks come from the national, classical, popular and folkloric repertoires. The use of these repertoires helps to make the music to be performed more recognisable. That makes easier reaching the goals to be pursued in musical ensembles at the beginning of the learning path.
As soon as instrumental skills make possible to study and perform the original repertoires, without the need to use reductions and/or transcriptions, the use of the great Italian repertoire becomes predominant. Most of the scores are from the Baroque and Classical periods, through composers such as (for instance) Vivaldi, Corelli and, above all, Boccherini. Luigi Boccherini wrote a large amount of beautiful chamber music of not excessive technical difficulty. Having been one of the creators of the great chamber repertoire for strings, and strings and piano, Boccherini frequently used melodies and rhythms coming from the Italian and Spanish popular musical tradition (sometimes also from the French and Austrian ones). This combination of elements gives the chance to study and perform entire pieces of the main musical repertoire.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OfbhzZxL5mA5CMLZKcd5LpyHK3UvUVmV/view?usp=share_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/150ntnEEABghUT1KwfGLbpX68hschvu0U/view?usp=share_link
Even in the choice of orchestral music repertoire the great Italian baroque and classical scores, more or less famous, become the center of the chosen repertoire.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nzqQ-vToMFvYvtwv3_HKz2BuU8nDREtl/view?usp=share_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jNtWd8aYsBcVgqhRt_1iTs7iKYd5d0Wx/view?usp=share_link
This intense but pleasant work allows us to achieve notable results, managing to study and refine compositions from harder repertoires as well as from the great symphonic repertoire. This path involve also pieces from the famous Italian Opera composers, first of all Verdi, where we can also involve vocal soloists and choirs in the activities.
In this way the Italian tradition exemplified by the V.I.V.A. Verdi motto, connected to the historical moment of the Italian indipendece wars, manages to give a significant benefit to the practice and study of music. But at the same time, the entire National repertoire becomes the musical literature used in the educational path of young students. It gives a decisive contribution to the transmission of music making to a large portion of the youth population and to the development and diffusion of practicing and listening to music among young people, their friends and families.
Liitteet:
Musical repertoires to be used in the educational-training path
It is therefore desirable to choose scores of famous music belonging to the shared musical tradition of the different countries. This will definitely contribute to the development of the passion linked to playing an instrument and playing - and/or singing - together.
This refers to both orchestral and ensemble music experiences.
The results of combining ensemble practice with individual study, spurred by the desire to play, together with others, the music they know and love, are truly surprising.
Gradually, with the refinement of instrumental skills and musical knowledge, we move on to tackling original repertoires, without the need to use reductions or transcriptions of any kind.
In this delicate phase, the use of scores from the great Italian baroque and classical repertoire allows a gradual and pleasant entry "into the world of the adults". Most of this repertoire does not require great instrumental virtuosity, but still a strong attention to detail, intonation, rhythm and style. Composers such as Vivaldi, Corelli, but also such as Boccherini and many others less well-known provide an almost infinite quantity of music that can be used in this intermediate range of musical and instrumental knowledge.
Most of this music has strong references to national, Italian and other countries' popular and folkloric traditions.
Making the objective of so much work recognizable through the choice of repertoires inspired by different national musical traditions can become a turning point in the musical and cultural growth of young people and their families.
Italian study pack guidelines - IO1, IO5 - EN
IO1
Best Practice Teaching Guide in Music Education
Young and very young people who want to study at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole immediately find themselves growing in musical knowledge and awareness by playing together with others, both in small groups and in orchestral ensembles. Proceeding in this way, they develope a naturalness in playing together which contributes to the blossoming of musical and instrumental passion.
If in a very early stage the musical repertoire is mostly composed by reductions and arrangements of music and/or melodies taken from well known repertoire (from classical music rep. as well as popular and folkloric one), we move on to the original repertoire as soon as possible.
This repertoire is based on music of the baroque and classical period, largely using music by Boccherini and other authors of the Italian eighteenth century, as well as Mozart, Haydn and other great composers who however had close connections with the Italian music of that stylistic period, given the leading role that the Italian instrumental tradition has had in the history of music, combined with the invention of string instruments and piano which took place in Italy.
Students’ musical growth develops following two parallel but contiguous study-lines: instrumental music and ensemble music, which includes both chamber and orchestral practice and/or for large instrumental groups.
After several decades of experience following these didactic lines, the results achieved in terms of training of future professional musicians and aware amateurs attentive to the heritage of art music are excellent.
IO5
Innovative pilot courses in Music Education - Advanced Level
The Scuola di Musica di Fiesole study-pack included the practice and study of a chamber music and orchestral repertoire focused on the Italian repertoire. Teacher training was realised through a small series of lessons given online by prof. Petru Horvath and Riccardo Cecchetti, who illustrated a teaching practice consolidated over the years in the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. Fiesole’s students start very soon to play together, both in chamber music and orchestral ensembles, as part their study program. Trying to develop a natural relationship in sharing the musical language through one's own instrument, training lessons began in each country before the mobility in Italy which took place from 2 to 6 May 2022.
During these intense days, students from Finland, Latvia, Spain, and Belgium, well prepared by their own teachers, integrated with the Italian students and their own instrumental and choral ensembles, contributing to the creation of relevant musical results.
After three days of orchestral and choir rehearsals, on the fourth day an orchestral and choral concert was given by a group of almost 100 elements who performed a repertoire of Italian music – Overture from Giuseppe Verdi's Opera Attila, and Waltz in F by Verdi/Rota – and other European countries – Sinfonia by J.C. Bach and Valse Triste by Sibelius, together with pieces from the Italian choral repertoire – Palestrina and Molfino.
Link from the Orchestra rehearsal: https://fb.watch/n1fcCRLLBO/
The artistic result of this concert was greatly appreciated by the large audience who attended the concert, held at the Rogers Auditorium in Scandicci (Florence).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c5NrkXJnYohgXdTW6zJU4iqi9ouXEi2E/view?usp=share_link
The following morning it’s been given a concert dedicated to the chamber repertoire, where ensembles made up of young musicians from different countries played together Boccherini music – string quartets and piano quintets. After this concert there was a final moment of discussion among all the participants, where the need to continue playing together arose, promising to explore the possibility of continuing this practice by exploiting the possibilities offered by new information technologies.
This was achieved thanks to the fundamental contribution of the Belgian friends of the "Academic door Muziek, Woord en Dans" of Bornem and in particular of professor Pieter Stas.
After an in-depth technical rehearsal held on Tuesday 25 October, on Friday 28 October 2023 an ensemble formed by a pianist connected from Osuna (Spain), a violin from Bornem (Belgium) and a violin, viola, and cello from Fiesole (Italy), have implemented playing together remotely and simultaneously, under the guidance of prof. Riccardo Cecchetti, who gave them a lesson from the Fiesole Music School. Until recently playing together at a distance was simply impossible, given by the even slightest delay on the internet. Through the use of an open-source software, Jamulus, which works to reduce this specific delay, some external microphones and good, stable but normal internet connections, this dream became real and concrete.
If the practice of playing together remains an activity that strictly requires face-to-face sharing, these new concrete technological possibilities open up interesting future possibilities.
Use of new technologies in the practice of playing together
Nowadays, there are several softwares that make it possible to carry out music lessons from distance. It just needs a good and stable internet connection, the use of external microphones and other small precautions. At the same time, it remains impossible playing together, being physically distant. Even the fastest network connection gives a latency that, although minimal, makes it impossible to play together from remote. If a web conversation is fluid with a latency of up to 40 ms, to play together the latency should tend towards 0.
According the need to delve deeper into the topic and practice of playing together, after the multiplier event concerts in Italy on 5 and 6 May 2022, it was unanimously decided to explore the possibility of continuing this practice from distance, exploiting the new era offered by new technologies IT. Since then, work has begun to explore the possible techniques and softwares to be used for the realization of this project.
In collaboration with the Belgian partners of A.L.C.H.E.M.I.A. - “Academie door Muziek, Woord en Dans” of Bornem - and in particular of prof. Pieter Stas, it was possible to have a beautiful and fascinating experience of chamber music remotely, through the use of the Jamulus software (https://jamulus.io/). This program is specially created to eliminate network latency and allows you to play together despite being in different geographical locations.
Although it is not an intuitive program to use, the technical requirements for its use are rather basic:
- a fast, but above all stable internet connection (via ethernet cable / not via WIFI)
- headphones and external microphones (from USB microphones to microphones used with a sound card)
- download the program from the following link https://jamulus.io/wiki/Getting-Started
The musical program consisted of the second movement from the Quintet Op. 57 n.6 for piano, 2 violins, viola and cello, "Variations on the nocturnal military retreat on the streets of Madrid", music of clear popular origin, and also on the Quartet for 2 violins, viola and cello op.40 nr.4, both pieces by Luigi Boccherini.
Students from Italy, Belgium and Spain were involved (1 violin, 1 viola and 1 cello from Italy, 1 violin from Belgium, 1 piano from Spain) and their respective professors and technicians.
A test was carried out on Tuesday 25 October 2022 from 10am to 1pm to test the connection and the system, ensuring correct functioning and adjusting the audio levels. Everything worked rather smoothly, concluding the test with satisfaction and quite soon.
The concrete experience took place on Friday 28 October from 2pm to 6pm, with everyone present and connected, students, professors and technicians.
The lesson was held by professors Riccardo Cecchetti and Petru Horvath of the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, with the collaboration of prof. Pieter Stas of the Academie Muziek Woord Dans Bornem (Belgium). The students alternated in the different pieces, playing the different scores several times, following the musical corrections given. The result was surprisingly effective and beautiful. The feeling of making music and interacting with an ensemble playing together despite being at a great distance was beautiful. The ability to interact by teaching, correcting and suggesting other artistic and/or technical solutions was almost natural and certainly fluid.
The software instructions said that the maximum distance tolerated was 800 km. Our experience, which involved musicians from Fiesole (Florence) - Italy, Bornem (Antwerp) - Belgium and Osuna (Seville) - Spain, definitely went beyond this limit. Actually, we have to admit that when playing with musicians from three different countries, the sound from Spain had a very slight delay, while it was perfectly synchronous between Italy and Belgium, but also between Belgium and Spain, as well as between Italy and Spain. But, as can be seen and listened from the short attached example, this delay was practically unnoticeable when listening to the sound recording.
We can certainly say that the experience was very positive, a concrete look towards the future and possible concrete current and undoubtedly future solutions. Considering the rapid improvements in the IT world, it can be stated without fear of contradiction that this method will be accessible and usable in the near future, especially when the need to contain network latency will allow the use of the video signal as well as audio.
This experience, subsequently widely shared with the other A.L.C.H.E.M.I.A. partners (Finland and Latvia), was a significant moment in the path of our project and an important signal of how new technologies can and will become an integral part of the educational-training-artistic path also in the musical field.
