otello - act IV solo
My YouTube video
clip is:-
OtelloSolo
This one should be learnt, as it comes just up all the time, one of the most
common excerpts in the repertoire, whether for a symphony or opera orchestra
job.
It comes at a key moment in Act IV of the Opera. Otello, the moor king, has been
sold a story by the dasterdly Iago, that his beloved Desdemona has been
unfaithful. This music is played as Otello enters the bedroom to go and strangle
his beloved. I guess this tells us a lot of what Verdi thought about the colour
and meaning of a double bass solo! It is dark and combines two of Otellos
feelings, tenderness towards Desdemona and anger at her percieved infidelity.
These are written in the music, as a lyrical line with the aggressive rising
scale passage at the end.
And as Corin Long points out on his video on the RPO website, at
CorinLong
this piece is marked for "contrabassi a 4 corde", implying that at the time
there were still plenty of 3 string basses in the Italian opera pits when Otello
was written in 1887.
What is being tested - tuning, tempo and the ability to keep in
time thro rests, lyrical playing, huge dynamic range
Notes written on the part - I put reminders to myself to read
in the audition just before I play. For this excerpt they are:-
Tempo - not too slow, keep it moving, count thro the rests
Mute on
extension closed
3x quavers = portato, not too short
How to prepare
Tempo and Rhythm - my version
is marked crochet = 80, which is quicker than you might think. Its important to
keep this going and not get bogged down, especially in the rests, keep the tempo
going in your head. And play thro the 3 quaver anacrusis figure, dont let it
drag. The tendancy to play this too slowly or to be late in entries after the
rests must be avoided.
Bow control - big issue in this one, both speed and position on
the string. Bar 9 (3 before V) goes from p to f in 2 beats - the bow needs to be
saved at the start of the bar, then moved towards the bridge as quickly as
possibly without it being heard on the string. Bar 10 has the opposite, a dim
from f to ppp in 4 beats, then morendo in bar 11, where I end up well over the
fingerboard. I use a portato stroke for the three anacrusis quavers (except the
ones in the bar of X).
Dynamics - huge range.
Accel - though it is not marked, it is common to do an accel
some time in the last 3 bars. Do you do it, or play what is on the part? That is
up to you. I playa what is on the part, but be prepared to accel if asked to do
so in the audition.