The song was well done overall, but with multiple flaws throughout. Even though it was the last part of the song, the error that seemed most obvious was the last note. Most people started it at different times and ended at different times. Many people had the wrong bowing, and finally, those who had to play the octave on the 'e' struggled to find it. You could easily here people trying to find the correct note, while it was supposed to be playing. I also noticed something at the beginning. At measure 2 when the violas and the violins came in, their tempo was noticeably faster than the tempo the cellos had been maintaining. Otherwise, the notations sounded pretty much correct, but often slightly behind or ahead, and the a and b parts often sounded out of sync with each other. I know there were supposed to be different melodies playing with each other, but for many parts of the song the melodies didn't come together well.
Overall, the piece didn't sound too bad, but there were many obvious mistakes that even an audience with limited musical knowledge would have noticed, especially at the beginning and end of the performance. For instance, the harmonics at the end were very squeaky and un-harmonic-ish, meaning they sounded like someone sliding their finger on the fingerboard right around the place to play the harmonic but not quite finding it. Another thing I noticed was that the song did not sound like we were drifting in the mist blanketing the beautiful mountains that appear in Asian paintings of spreading ink on parchment paper that evoke ethereal feelings of nirvana and mystical Asian-ness. I think that could be achieved if, like Chris Hecq mentioned, we were TOGETHER a lot more as an orchestra instead of individuals playing to their own beat (which is fine in like, politics, but not in orchestra!). The breathless quality of the music could then be pretty cool to behold.
Some of the obvious things I noticed were once again the bowing, which weren't that bad, but at times were going in different directions. The last harmonic was not a good way to end the piece. Maybe if everyone was in third position for the 2nd to last measure that would improve the accuracy because it's closer to the harmonic. Also, the some of the intonation, especially the sounds sounded really off. Overall it was a decent performance.
I agree with those before me. I’m also surprised that no one has mentioned what seemed to me to be an obvious problem, the pizzicato. People were not plucking together and some people appeared to be plucking during the rests, as I heard plucks at random intervals in the middle of the piece. Not many people seemed to be following the dynamic markings in the music because there were no obvious crescendos or decrescendos. The last note definitely needs to be improved. People seemed to be struggling to find that harmonic on the E string for violins. The last note of the piece is probably what the audience remembers most, we don’t want to end the piece with a high, squeaky, out-of-tune note.
Ok, it was alright, but in all honesty, and I don't want to sound like a jerk, the cello's were pretty messy. There's one point in the song in the middle-beginning where it's just a sludge fest, but it was pretty solid otherwise. Also, there was quite a lack of dynamics throughout the song, which would have helped the kind of smoothness and lulling quality that the song should have. I don't think I need to say anything about the end with the "harmonics", which was seriously like listening to death, it was pathetic. Aside from that, and some little note errors it wasn't too bad, the melody was intact and everyone more or less stayed together.
i personally thought that we played the piece alright. although there were some places where we could have improved it was still alright. Also, through out the entire piece it seemed that some people were not entirely with the group. also one very obvious mistake was that on the last note a lot of people struggled to find the note and not everyone started/ended together.
The peice was pretty good. When doing the open strings we should use 4th finger cause the open strings sound nasty. Also the end note was not in sync. That harmonic needs to be more in tune. It a hard note to hit and people were having difficulty finding the note. I thought the volume or dynamic of the piece were good. We also kept a steady beat thought the whole song. Haley Rissolo
The playing was okay... but we weren't exactly playing together, especially with the pizzicatos, and I couldn't hear the changes in dynamics. We could have done MUCH better. We need to work on watching the conductor for dynamic cues and staying together.
In the beginning, I think the cellos need to start together and play together. Instead of each note sounding as one, everybody transitioned to the different notes at different times. This happens to the whole orchestra throughout the piece too. around time 1:08 and 1:31, the lower instruments sounded out of tune. Last,the whole group needs to work on the dynamics.
I agree with everyone so far. The song sounds okay. We need to work on dynamics, pizzicato, bowing, and harmonics. But I think our biggest weakness right now is the beginning and end of the song, which are especially important in a recording. They are the first and last impression on the audience. In order to fix the beginning, the cellos need to find their first note before we start recording the piece. Practicing the first few measures wouldn't hurt either. And to fix the end, we need to practice shifting from 1st position to the harmonic or from 3rd to the harmonic, as Haley noted above. We also need to watch Miss Minnis for the last note cut off. This piece can be really good if we put the work in!
Seeing as the video simply won't load for me, I'll have to do this from memory. There weren't enough dynamics in this piece. In a piece that's relatively quiet throughout, dynamics are extremely important. People (including myself) simply couldn't seem to find the harmonic at the end of the song, with the end result that it sounded rather bad. Also, the beginning (with the cellos) sounded a bit odd to me, but considering I don't know the part I honestly can't say whether or not that's the right playing or not.
I thought that the song was played okay. There were some obvious problems though. The pitch was ify at points , and there were some parts where the notes were very wrong. I thought the intonation was not very good. At the parts were people were plucking, we were not together. The cellos need to work on thier part because at some places it does not sound very good. The bowing at some spots were off. Overall, there are just minor problems that we can easily fix.
In spite of all the negativity, I think that we played the song pretty well for our first time on video. Sure, there were some problems with the intonation(last harmonic in particular,) bowing(Direction/amount used,) and rhythm(keeping the Orchestra together,) as well as the start and the end of the piece. A problem that I noticed (that would really only show up in video or live performances) was the posture of the orchestra, and you can see that some people are slouching.
I feel like this was good, being one of the first times we've played the piece (the first time that morning too). But there is still some to improve. I feel like the piece is layered with the different instruments and melodies they have. Because of this, different sections have been coming in at different times at their own pace. It is very important that every few measures or so, especially when we slow down or speed up that we look up because there seemed to be confusion over that. Of course, it is tricky for Ms. Minnus to be filming and keeping the tempo at the same time. There were a few other errors, like the final note, which was a bit squeaky and not together both at the beginning of it and at the cutoff. Otherwise it was pretty good, and if we smooth out the bumps and layer each of the melodies together it will come out very nicely. And on another note, we need to close the cabinets if we are filming for real.
I think that the overall performance was okay. The beginning was nice and steady when the cellos were playing however when the violins joined in, the beat was faster than it should have been. Also there were times when we would slow down and people would get lost in the notes and therefore play the wrong notes. Bowing was also a minor issue but still important. If we don't have good form then we will look like a sloppy orchestra, i think we should really pay attention not only to the notes but to the up or down symbols. No major errors occurred throughout the video except the last note, which i think we all know was not too good! We should probably work on that transition from the second to last note to the last note so that we don't sound as bad. So overall i personally think that, improvement can definitely be made but for having just really begun the piece, we have made excellent progress. We just need to work on a slower tempo for the violins and violas, bowing, and that last note. I know we will make this piece sound professional in no time at all!
The video was not too bad, but there were some obvious flaws. The biggest one was the last note, with the harmonic. Everybody was trying to find the right note, and this resulted in many different tones of the note, which was a very noticeable error. Also, in the first few parts of the song, you could tell we just seemed kind of apart, not very together. There was nothing visual you could really notice about that, but you could hear that we weren't quite together, though almost there. All in all, could be better, could be worse.
Overall, I thought it was played pretty well. However, there were some sections in the piece that didn't have good intonation. The most obvious was in the beginning where the cello enterance was. It could have been the way it was written, but it just sounded a little funky. Also, the harmonics weren't really coming out from the violin sections, especially on the last note. All in all, the piece could get better with a little bit of work including dynamics and where to sing(realize where the melody is).
I think that overall, the piece was okay, but could be improved in multiple parts. First of all, the bowing direction was not together in many parts. Besides staying together with bowing, people didn't stay together when plucking. It sounded gross. The most part that should be improved was the last note. It was so gross and sounded like everyone was playing a different note i wanted to barf. And that is not how we want to end the song... We should have watched you, the conductor more to stay together as a whole.
Mkeydoke, so. Everyone before me has made some very valid points which I agree with. While intonation is an incredibly important aspect of any piece, I feel that this will come with continuous practice. I think particular attention should be paid to dynamics, which were virtually non-existent, and also to the harmonics overall (though especially at the end). With regards to the bowings, I feel they looked especially messy because of the way the orchestra is divided up (with people sitting next to each other playing alternate parts). In many cases, while giving the image of improper bowings, each musician was simply playing their part. And... that's pretty much what I was thinking.
Overall the piece was well done however there were some issues we should work on. First, the cellos should work on the first two measures of the piece since the other sections are not playing with them. Based on the video it seemed people were starting at different times which does not produce a strong, clear sound to introduce the piece. The violin section, especially the first violins, should also work on playing more clearly since there were a few parts where the melodies sounded very muddled due to people playing at different speeds or not playing clear harmonics. The orchestra should also work on balancing the sections; there were times where every section seemed to be playing very loudly, which diminished the sound of the melody. Overall, the orchestra did a good job playing the piece since we haven't had it for very long and are still in the process of making improvements.
I think that the song was really well done, but there were one or two things that we could have done to overall improve the performance. In some parts of the song, sections would come in at different times, and it would sound sloppy, so that's something we need to work on. Another thing was posture. It really ruins the overall sound when we're all slouched over and playing with our wrists up and everything. The harmonics also need to be worked on. I think that some people might not know how to hit the right note written in the music. If we can fix these things, then we will sound great!
I think the song is getting better, however there are many obvious mistakes. In the beginning the cellos weren't all together, and it was obvious because they were playing on their own. Also, throughout the piece, everyone had different bowings which didn't look good as a whole. We also need to work on our dynamics. It doesn't really sound like a lullaby. Its too loud and we need to work on crescendos and decrescendos. However, I think the most obvious flaw is the very last note. Everyone's fingers' are in different positions making the last note sound squeaky instead of the intended harmonic. I think we need to review that again as a class. Overall it was quite good and will sound even better with the corrections.
Pretty much the same as everyone else, the problems are the dynamics, the last harmonic, and the begging need to come together better. Also we should try to focus on our bows going the same way
In the beginning, the cello's sound out of tune and not together. Similar to the violins, it sounds as though the people in the back, are waiting to hear the people in the front play. It ends up becoming like a jumbled mess. Also, around 1:45, when the cello's have those first opening beats, it should be tuned more, and more staccato. It sounds like they were playing with like loose bowing, when it to me, should be short bows. And the ending needs to be tuned more, the violins are sounding all jumbled because people who can't play that super high note, are playing it, so it doesn't sound nice.
I thought the song was lovely overall, but the cellos in the begining were not together and the ending was a mess with the harmonic- YUCK! we deffinitly need to work on that, but other wise i think we need to work on dynamics!
As a whole, we need to work on staying together, subdividing, and counting. We also need to make sure our dynamics are precise and that we are constantly in tune, because it is obvious when we are not. We need to focus on getting that harmonic right at the end of the piece.
I think the orchestra as a whole could have done better. I was not the only person who had trouble following the dynamics. If we had played the dynamics well I would have fallen asleep. Instead I was kept wide awake. The violins and the cellos were at different tempos and created conflicts of mass destruction. The violins were so fast I'm tempted to make a quip about it. The cellos also seemed to fall out of tune with each other. The coup de gras was our beautifully played last note, or notes. Heck, I alone played half the E string before i found it but I was not the only one with that problem. I think that if we had spent just a little more time on it we would have corrected more than half of the mistakes. It still sounds pretty good.
The song was played fairly well for the first time and everyone stayed together throughout. That said, the tuning on the first bars with the cellos and the last bars with the violins (harmonics) could be tightened up. At times, the music seemed without emotion and could stand for more dynamics and feelings from the musicians. Some of these things could have been due to the quality of the video but it would help if the orchestra tuned a few notes in each section before starting.
The dynamics could use some work, but overall, the piece sounded okay. The cellos could probably play louder though. At times, the violins and violas played than the rest of the group, and the bowing and pizzicato were not together. As a result, the whole group ended at different times.
I think we should watch our conductor so that we stay together more, and so that people don't choose their own tempi. Also, when everyone plays, we look like we're dead/dying. This is a problem that is easily fixable. Lastly, few people of the orchestra were in tune.
The first violins weren't all together throughout the piece because no one was looking up at the conductor. The seconds were barely heard other than Ryo and the harmonic at the end was really gross. And the dynamics weren't played!
I thought that the song was fine but it was lacking key styling, which would make the sections look and sound more united. Also, work needs to be done on the harmonics because on the last note, many people could be heard searching for the harmonic and missing it, making the note messy. Because it is a slower song, the bowing mistakes are more evident and need to be corrected. Overall, though, it was good.
Well the Cellos were horrible. Luckily there are two solutions an easy one which is record when Matthias and Will are in orchestra and the other one is make us practice it which isn't so easy. Besides that the cellos just messed up a lot the second violins sounded really out of tune on the high notes.
I thought the cellos were not really together throughout a lot of the piece. Also, there were times when the orchestra just didn't sound together and sounded out of tune as a whole. Plus, there were many times when the orchestra sections did not pause together between rests, and at the end we were kind of squeaky. Other than that, I thought the peice was pretty good as a whole and we really just need to work on staying together and our overall tone. -Lexi d
i think there were two main problems with kokiriko. First, we werent exaggerating the dynamics enough, which made it sound less boring then it should. It also sounded like not enough people were playing part b in the violin section, or were playing it too quietly. Another problem is that some people sounded kind of squeaky when they were playing the harmonic at the end of the song.
I think there were two main problems with kokiriko. First, we werent exaggerating the dynamics enough, which made it sound more boring than it should be. Second, it didnt sound like enough people were playing part b in the violin section, or they were playing it too quietly.
At the start of the piece the cellos need to work on intonation. The whole orchestra should work on following the conductor to see where to slow down/speed up. It gets a little messy. Make sure that each section is listening for other sections so that the piece will combine well.
The majority of the piece sounded good. Only in certain parts did the members of the class need to improve. Firstly, the entire class should watch the conductor more often, as it would keep the class more together. The orchestra also needs to follow their section leaders more, as the sections would be more together. To improve this piece, the actions needed to do well are to follow section leaders and the conductor.
After watching our performance of Kokiriko Bushi, some things that came to mind include bowing, intonation, and dynamics. The bowings of everyone do not match, as people are playing certain parts at the wrong part of the bow that make it hard to produce any sound. Also, our bows don’t all move in one direction, so as you go farther back in each section, it starts to look a little messy as people need to pay attention to their section leader’s bow and follow it. General intonation of the group is not bad, but things like the cello sections could use a little more accuracy towards the middle of the piece, as some notes really stood out. Also, the harmonics are good, but some people could probably play them with a little more ring to them if they use a little more bow, play closer to the bridge, and adjust their finger position just a bit. Dynamics throughout the piece are not that strong, as the soft from loud is hard to hear. There is a bit of differentiation in volume, but if we can emphasis the extremes of piano to forte, I believe it will produce a much more interesting piece. Also, near the end everyone needs to look up for the ritardando, as the change is not smooth. This is also same for the formata on the last harmonic, as the cut off was not clean.
Even though I wasn't there, I thought the orchestra did pretty well, but we did have some problems. Dynamics weren't emphasized that much, and the melody was a bit hidden. We need to figure out which sections have the melody, then make them play louder or the other sections just get dimmer in sound. Also, the tempo is important, but during some parts, we tended to speed up and it wouldn't sound synchronized. To make it better, we really need to improve on perfecting the intonations of each note and sound. Also, sitting posture is a key factor in this as well and we should try to move our bodies a bit to go with the mood of the music we're playing.
I liked the recording, it sounded good and we all had good posture, nobody was slouching and everyone looked very graceful and everyone for the most part had great bow hand posture. I liked that we didn't rush and we followed Ms. Minnis's directions. I think we need to work on cutting off together and also having better crecendos and decrecendos. If we work harder and longer at this piece we will sound great!
On September 21, 2009, Darien High School's orchestra recorded "Kokiriko Bushi". Although there were many faults to the song, I do not appreciate the fact that many people wrote that the cellists messed up and didn't say anything about their own groups. The importuneing of comments on the blog are impolitic to the cellists feelings. The group's performance did not resemble the true definition of what Kokiriko Bushi means. Kokiriko Bushi is played by a stick made by bamboo and played in Japan. The song is supposed to help people imagine tall mountains and fog creeping in. However, the performance sounded like large fluffy pandas stomping in sticky mud. The orchestra's dynamics were very circuitous. Instead, they should follow the dynamics more and play softer when there is a piano (p, mp, or pp). The end note was not together at all. The orchestra should look at Ms. Minnis at the end of the song, like they are supposed to, and cut off when Ms. Minnis tells them to. Not a second sooner or later. The cellos could have stayed together better during the song. I think there should be a bonding session for the cellos so that we understand each other's playing techniques and learn from each other. I believe that during the bonding session, we should have a counting exercise with "Kokiriko Bushi" so that the tempo and the confusion of when to come in will be more lucid. I also believe that we depend on our section leader too much. We should all have a bonding session where each of us lead one session so that we all gain the confidence of becoming a leader. If the cellists do not learn to not rely on the section leader, they are going to be completely lost next year when the section leader will not be here. Therefore, the bonding sessions will help everyone gain confidence in doing better and we are all friendly and gregarious. Cellists should learn to be auxiliary supporters to one another so that we learn to play with each other and not against each other. Even though the cellists do not play the solos, we are like the backbone/spine of the orchestra. We need to keep the beat together in order for the solos, violinists, to play well. Without the cellos/spine, the orchestra would be completely razed and annihilated. As a personal suggestion, I need to go to the gym and lift more because the fat in my arm shakes a lot when I try to fermata the notes and it looks gross. I deeply apologize to Ms. Minnis for having to see that all the time. Next time I try to do that, I'll wear a very large sweater or don't do it at all. When I recorded myself over the weekend and listened to myself, my performance was very doddering and unpleasant to listen. I need to play with more confidence and not rely so much on the stickers on my cello. I need to work out and play my cello with great aver. Although there are many appalling elements of the performance, reviewing everyone's opinions on what needs to be corrected can help prepare for the future. It is also only September. We have until December to perfect ourselves for the concert. And I have great confidences in this year's orchestra group to work longer, better, faster, stronger.
Dear Miss minnis, Generally we're all out of tune. Especially the cellos. And i can say that because i'm one of them. Also we're not together in many parts although that might have been due to the fact that you (mrs. minnis) were working the video instead of conducting which would be easily fixable except that i kind of think we don't look at you anyway. As beautiful as you may be. The main thing though that i feel needs major improvement is that each part needs to be far more aware of their intonation and pitch accuracy. For example, in the cello's beginning measures, the cellos were off even on the first note and the highest note of the first 2 cello measures. I also read the wrong measure for one part and that sounded really bad but I haven't done that since... nor had i done that before. We also need to emphasize our dynamics more. There are times when it should be very very quiet that we never quite reached. Love, marin
Overall, the piece was well played, but there were definitely a few areas that could have used improvement. First off, our intonation was really quite wrong in many places. The most noticeable error is certainly the last note, which we slid into, searching for the harmonic, and many of us did not hit. Our bowing was generally correct, though there were a few mistakes here and there. We were often not playing together, which caused small problems throughout the piece. Perhaps our biggest problem was dynamics. There were virtually no dynamics played, though the variation in the song is great. Otherwise, though, the song was rather well done.
The entire piece sounded really messy. Overall, it wasn't together at all. Each instrument sounded separate from the others in the same section. The piece is really based on the dynamics and without them it is boring. I think the orchestra was much better today when matthias and I were in the cello section.
i agree with everyone above me. the cellos werent uniform in the beginning, which offset the feeling of the whole piece. the lack of conducting might have been a major contributation to this, but counting is also needed. also, the second violin Bs need to work on their plucking, because some pluck a little too early and some pluck a little too late. it just makes the person listening confused and unsettled, and the song cannot be enjoyed.
Assuming the piece is ABABA, then there is much rushing in the B sections by the pizz-players. Subdividing would help. So would looking at the conductor. The violins also tended to sound scratchy in the B section. A sections felt much better, but still a little rushing was going on.
55 comments:
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The song was well done overall, but with multiple flaws throughout. Even though it was the last part of the song, the error that seemed most obvious was the last note. Most people started it at different times and ended at different times. Many people had the wrong bowing, and finally, those who had to play the octave on the 'e' struggled to find it. You could easily here people trying to find the correct note, while it was supposed to be playing. I also noticed something at the beginning. At measure 2 when the violas and the violins came in, their tempo was noticeably faster than the tempo the cellos had been maintaining. Otherwise, the notations sounded pretty much correct, but often slightly behind or ahead, and the a and b parts often sounded out of sync with each other. I know there were supposed to be different melodies playing with each other, but for many parts of the song the melodies didn't come together well.
Overall, the piece didn't sound too bad, but there were many obvious mistakes that even an audience with limited musical knowledge would have noticed, especially at the beginning and end of the performance. For instance, the harmonics at the end were very squeaky and un-harmonic-ish, meaning they sounded like someone sliding their finger on the fingerboard right around the place to play the harmonic but not quite finding it. Another thing I noticed was that the song did not sound like we were drifting in the mist blanketing the beautiful mountains that appear in Asian paintings of spreading ink on parchment paper that evoke ethereal feelings of nirvana and mystical Asian-ness. I think that could be achieved if, like Chris Hecq mentioned, we were TOGETHER a lot more as an orchestra instead of individuals playing to their own beat (which is fine in like, politics, but not in orchestra!). The breathless quality of the music could then be pretty cool to behold.
Some of the obvious things I noticed were once again the bowing, which weren't that bad, but at times were going in different directions. The last harmonic was not a good way to end the piece. Maybe if everyone was in third position for the 2nd to last measure that would improve the accuracy because it's closer to the harmonic. Also, the some of the intonation, especially the sounds sounded really off. Overall it was a decent performance.
I agree with those before me. I’m also surprised that no one has mentioned what seemed to me to be an obvious problem, the pizzicato. People were not plucking together and some people appeared to be plucking during the rests, as I heard plucks at random intervals in the middle of the piece. Not many people seemed to be following the dynamic markings in the music because there were no obvious crescendos or decrescendos. The last note definitely needs to be improved. People seemed to be struggling to find that harmonic on the E string for violins. The last note of the piece is probably what the audience remembers most, we don’t want to end the piece with a high, squeaky, out-of-tune note.
Ok, it was alright, but in all honesty, and I don't want to sound like a jerk, the cello's were pretty messy. There's one point in the song in the middle-beginning where it's just a sludge fest, but it was pretty solid otherwise. Also, there was quite a lack of dynamics throughout the song, which would have helped the kind of smoothness and lulling quality that the song should have. I don't think I need to say anything about the end with the "harmonics", which was seriously like listening to death, it was pathetic. Aside from that, and some little note errors it wasn't too bad, the melody was intact and everyone more or less stayed together.
i personally thought that we played the piece alright. although there were some places where we could have improved it was still alright. Also, through out the entire piece it seemed that some people were not entirely with the group. also one very obvious mistake was that on the last note a lot of people struggled to find the note and not everyone started/ended together.
The peice was pretty good. When doing the open strings we should use 4th finger cause the open strings sound nasty. Also the end note was not in sync. That harmonic needs to be more in tune. It a hard note to hit and people were having difficulty finding the note. I thought the volume or dynamic of the piece were good. We also kept a steady beat thought the whole song.
Haley Rissolo
The playing was okay... but we weren't exactly playing together, especially with the pizzicatos, and I couldn't hear the changes in dynamics. We could have done MUCH better. We need to work on watching the conductor for dynamic cues and staying together.
In the beginning, I think the cellos need to start together and play together. Instead of each note sounding as one, everybody transitioned to the different notes at different times. This happens to the whole orchestra throughout the piece too. around time 1:08 and 1:31, the lower instruments sounded out of tune. Last,the whole group needs to work on the dynamics.
I agree with everyone so far. The song sounds okay. We need to work on dynamics, pizzicato, bowing, and harmonics. But I think our biggest weakness right now is the beginning and end of the song, which are especially important in a recording. They are the first and last impression on the audience. In order to fix the beginning, the cellos need to find their first note before we start recording the piece. Practicing the first few measures wouldn't hurt either. And to fix the end, we need to practice shifting from 1st position to the harmonic or from 3rd to the harmonic, as Haley noted above. We also need to watch Miss Minnis for the last note cut off. This piece can be really good if we put the work in!
Seeing as the video simply won't load for me, I'll have to do this from memory.
There weren't enough dynamics in this piece. In a piece that's relatively quiet throughout, dynamics are extremely important. People (including myself) simply couldn't seem to find the harmonic at the end of the song, with the end result that it sounded rather bad.
Also, the beginning (with the cellos) sounded a bit odd to me, but considering I don't know the part I honestly can't say whether or not that's the right playing or not.
I thought that the song was played okay. There were some obvious problems though. The pitch was ify at points , and there were some parts where the notes were very wrong. I thought the intonation was not very good. At the parts were people were plucking, we were not together. The cellos need to work on thier part because at some places it does not sound very good. The bowing at some spots were off. Overall, there are just minor problems that we can easily fix.
Caurice Wynter
In spite of all the negativity, I think that we played the song pretty well for our first time on video. Sure, there were some problems with the intonation(last harmonic in particular,) bowing(Direction/amount used,) and rhythm(keeping the Orchestra together,) as well as the start and the end of the piece. A problem that I noticed (that would really only show up in video or live performances) was the posture of the orchestra, and you can see that some people are slouching.
I feel like this was good, being one of the first times we've played the piece (the first time that morning too). But there is still some to improve. I feel like the piece is layered with the different instruments and melodies they have. Because of this, different sections have been coming in at different times at their own pace. It is very important that every few measures or so, especially when we slow down or speed up that we look up because there seemed to be confusion over that. Of course, it is tricky for Ms. Minnus to be filming and keeping the tempo at the same time. There were a few other errors, like the final note, which was a bit squeaky and not together both at the beginning of it and at the cutoff. Otherwise it was pretty good, and if we smooth out the bumps and layer each of the melodies together it will come out very nicely. And on another note, we need to close the cabinets if we are filming for real.
I can't really hear the Cellos.
I think that the overall performance was okay. The beginning was nice and steady when the cellos were playing however when the violins joined in, the beat was faster than it should have been. Also there were times when we would slow down and people would get lost in the notes and therefore play the wrong notes. Bowing was also a minor issue but still important. If we don't have good form then we will look like a sloppy orchestra, i think we should really pay attention not only to the notes but to the up or down symbols. No major errors occurred throughout the video except the last note, which i think we all know was not too good! We should probably work on that transition from the second to last note to the last note so that we don't sound as bad. So overall i personally think that, improvement can definitely be made but for having just really begun the piece, we have made excellent progress. We just need to work on a slower tempo for the violins and violas, bowing, and that last note. I know we will make this piece sound professional in no time at all!
The video was not too bad, but there were some obvious flaws. The biggest one was the last note, with the harmonic. Everybody was trying to find the right note, and this resulted in many different tones of the note, which was a very noticeable error. Also, in the first few parts of the song, you could tell we just seemed kind of apart, not very together. There was nothing visual you could really notice about that, but you could hear that we weren't quite together, though almost there. All in all, could be better, could be worse.
Overall, I thought it was played pretty well. However, there were some sections in the piece that didn't have good intonation. The most obvious was in the beginning where the cello enterance was. It could have been the way it was written, but it just sounded a little funky. Also, the harmonics weren't really coming out from the violin sections, especially on the last note.
All in all, the piece could get better with a little bit of work including dynamics and where to sing(realize where the melody is).
I think that overall, the piece was okay, but could be improved in multiple parts. First of all, the bowing direction was not together in many parts. Besides staying together with bowing, people didn't stay together when plucking. It sounded gross. The most part that should be improved was the last note. It was so gross and sounded like everyone was playing a different note i wanted to barf. And that is not how we want to end the song... We should have watched you, the conductor more to stay together as a whole.
it was aight
Mkeydoke, so. Everyone before me has made some very valid points which I agree with. While intonation is an incredibly important aspect of any piece, I feel that this will come with continuous practice. I think particular attention should be paid to dynamics, which were virtually non-existent, and also to the harmonics overall (though especially at the end).
With regards to the bowings, I feel they looked especially messy because of the way the orchestra is divided up (with people sitting next to each other playing alternate parts). In many cases, while giving the image of improper bowings, each musician was simply playing their part.
And... that's pretty much what I was thinking.
Overall the piece was well done however there were some issues we should work on. First, the cellos should work on the first two measures of the piece since the other sections are not playing with them. Based on the video it seemed people were starting at different times which does not produce a strong, clear sound to introduce the piece. The violin section, especially the first violins, should also work on playing more clearly since there were a few parts where the melodies sounded very muddled due to people playing at different speeds or not playing clear harmonics. The orchestra should also work on balancing the sections; there were times where every section seemed to be playing very loudly, which diminished the sound of the melody. Overall, the orchestra did a good job playing the piece since we haven't had it for very long and are still in the process of making improvements.
I think that the song was really well done, but there were one or two things that we could have done to overall improve the performance. In some parts of the song, sections would come in at different times, and it would sound sloppy, so that's something we need to work on. Another thing was posture. It really ruins the overall sound when we're all slouched over and playing with our wrists up and everything. The harmonics also need to be worked on. I think that some people might not know how to hit the right note written in the music. If we can fix these things, then we will sound great!
I think the song is getting better, however there are many obvious mistakes. In the beginning the cellos weren't all together, and it was obvious because they were playing on their own. Also, throughout the piece, everyone had different bowings which didn't look good as a whole. We also need to work on our dynamics. It doesn't really sound like a lullaby. Its too loud and we need to work on crescendos and decrescendos. However, I think the most obvious flaw is the very last note. Everyone's fingers' are in different positions making the last note sound squeaky instead of the intended harmonic. I think we need to review that again as a class. Overall it was quite good and will sound even better with the corrections.
Pretty much the same as everyone else, the problems are the dynamics, the last harmonic, and the begging need to come together better. Also we should try to focus on our bows going the same way
In the beginning, the cello's sound out of tune and not together. Similar to the violins, it sounds as though the people in the back, are waiting to hear the people in the front play. It ends up becoming like a jumbled mess. Also, around 1:45, when the cello's have those first opening beats, it should be tuned more, and more staccato. It sounds like they were playing with like loose bowing, when it to me, should be short bows. And the ending needs to be tuned more, the violins are sounding all jumbled because people who can't play that super high note, are playing it, so it doesn't sound nice.
I thought the song was lovely overall, but the cellos in the begining were not together and the ending was a mess with the harmonic- YUCK! we deffinitly need to work on that, but other wise i think we need to work on dynamics!
As a whole, we need to work on staying together, subdividing, and counting. We also need to make sure our dynamics are precise and that we are constantly in tune, because it is obvious when we are not. We need to focus on getting that harmonic right at the end of the piece.
I think the orchestra as a whole could have done better. I was not the only person who had trouble following the dynamics. If we had played the dynamics well I would have fallen asleep. Instead I was kept wide awake. The violins and the cellos were at different tempos and created conflicts of mass destruction. The violins were so fast I'm tempted to make a quip about it. The cellos also seemed to fall out of tune with each other. The coup de gras was our beautifully played last note, or notes. Heck, I alone played half the E string before i found it but I was not the only one with that problem. I think that if we had spent just a little more time on it we would have corrected more than half of the mistakes. It still sounds pretty good.
The song was played fairly well for the first time and everyone stayed together throughout. That said, the tuning on the first bars with the cellos and the last bars with the violins (harmonics) could be tightened up. At times, the music seemed without emotion and could stand for more dynamics and feelings from the musicians. Some of these things could have been due to the quality of the video but it would help if the orchestra tuned a few notes in each section before starting.
The dynamics could use some work, but overall, the piece sounded okay. The cellos could probably play louder though. At times, the violins and violas played than the rest of the group, and the bowing and pizzicato were not together. As a result, the whole group ended at different times.
I think we should watch our conductor so that we stay together more, and so that people don't choose their own tempi. Also, when everyone plays, we look like we're dead/dying. This is a problem that is easily fixable. Lastly, few people of the orchestra were in tune.
Also, Tamaki should worry about her own section.
The first violins weren't all together throughout the piece because no one was looking up at the conductor. The seconds were barely heard other than Ryo and the harmonic at the end was really gross. And the dynamics weren't played!
I thought that the song was fine but it was lacking key styling, which would make the sections look and sound more united. Also, work needs to be done on the harmonics because on the last note, many people could be heard searching for the harmonic and missing it, making the note messy. Because it is a slower song, the bowing mistakes are more evident and need to be corrected. Overall, though, it was good.
Well the Cellos were horrible. Luckily there are two solutions an easy one which is record when Matthias and Will are in orchestra and the other one is make us practice it which isn't so easy. Besides that the cellos just messed up a lot the second violins sounded really out of tune on the high notes.
Bobby J
I thought the cellos were not really together throughout a lot of the piece. Also, there were times when the orchestra just didn't sound together and sounded out of tune as a whole. Plus, there were many times when the orchestra sections did not pause together between rests, and at the end we were kind of squeaky. Other than that, I thought the peice was pretty good as a whole and we really just need to work on staying together and our overall tone.
-Lexi d
i think there were two main problems with kokiriko. First, we werent exaggerating the dynamics enough, which made it sound less boring then it should. It also sounded like not enough people were playing part b in the violin section, or were playing it too quietly. Another problem is that some people sounded kind of squeaky when they were playing the harmonic at the end of the song.
I think there were two main problems with kokiriko. First, we werent exaggerating the dynamics enough, which made it sound more boring than it should be. Second, it didnt sound like enough people were playing part b in the violin section, or they were playing it too quietly.
At the start of the piece the cellos need to work on intonation. The whole orchestra should work on following the conductor to see where to slow down/speed up. It gets a little messy. Make sure that each section is listening for other sections so that the piece will combine well.
The majority of the piece sounded good. Only in certain parts did the members of the class need to improve. Firstly, the entire class should watch the conductor more often, as it would keep the class more together. The orchestra also needs to follow their section leaders more, as the sections would be more together. To improve this piece, the actions needed to do well are to follow section leaders and the conductor.
After watching our performance of Kokiriko Bushi, some things that came to mind include bowing, intonation, and dynamics. The bowings of everyone do not match, as people are playing certain parts at the wrong part of the bow that make it hard to produce any sound. Also, our bows don’t all move in one direction, so as you go farther back in each section, it starts to look a little messy as people need to pay attention to their section leader’s bow and follow it. General intonation of the group is not bad, but things like the cello sections could use a little more accuracy towards the middle of the piece, as some notes really stood out. Also, the harmonics are good, but some people could probably play them with a little more ring to them if they use a little more bow, play closer to the bridge, and adjust their finger position just a bit. Dynamics throughout the piece are not that strong, as the soft from loud is hard to hear. There is a bit of differentiation in volume, but if we can emphasis the extremes of piano to forte, I believe it will produce a much more interesting piece. Also, near the end everyone needs to look up for the ritardando, as the change is not smooth. This is also same for the formata on the last harmonic, as the cut off was not clean.
Even though I wasn't there, I thought the orchestra did pretty well, but we did have some problems. Dynamics weren't emphasized that much, and the melody was a bit hidden. We need to figure out which sections have the melody, then make them play louder or the other sections just get dimmer in sound. Also, the tempo is important, but during some parts, we tended to speed up and it wouldn't sound synchronized. To make it better, we really need to improve on perfecting the intonations of each note and sound. Also, sitting posture is a key factor in this as well and we should try to move our bodies a bit to go with the mood of the music we're playing.
I liked the recording, it sounded good and we all had good posture, nobody was slouching and everyone looked very graceful and everyone for the most part had great bow hand posture. I liked that we didn't rush and we followed Ms. Minnis's directions. I think we need to work on cutting off together and also having better crecendos and decrecendos. If we work harder and longer at this piece we will sound great!
On September 21, 2009, Darien High School's orchestra recorded "Kokiriko Bushi". Although there were many faults to the song, I do not appreciate the fact that many people wrote that the cellists messed up and didn't say anything about their own groups. The importuneing of comments on the blog are impolitic to the cellists feelings. The group's performance did not resemble the true definition of what Kokiriko Bushi means. Kokiriko Bushi is played by a stick made by bamboo and played in Japan. The song is supposed to help people imagine tall mountains and fog creeping in. However, the performance sounded like large fluffy pandas stomping in sticky mud. The orchestra's dynamics were very circuitous. Instead, they should follow the dynamics more and play softer when there is a piano (p, mp, or pp). The end note was not together at all. The orchestra should look at Ms. Minnis at the end of the song, like they are supposed to, and cut off when Ms. Minnis tells them to. Not a second sooner or later.
The cellos could have stayed together better during the song. I think there should be a bonding session for the cellos so that we understand each other's playing techniques and learn from each other. I believe that during the bonding session, we should have a counting exercise with "Kokiriko Bushi" so that the tempo and the confusion of when to come in will be more lucid. I also believe that we depend on our section leader too much. We should all have a bonding session where each of us lead one session so that we all gain the confidence of becoming a leader. If the cellists do not learn to not rely on the section leader, they are going to be completely lost next year when the section leader will not be here. Therefore, the bonding sessions will help everyone gain confidence in doing better and we are all friendly and gregarious. Cellists should learn to be auxiliary supporters to one another so that we learn to play with each other and not against each other.
Even though the cellists do not play the solos, we are like the backbone/spine of the orchestra. We need to keep the beat together in order for the solos, violinists, to play well. Without the cellos/spine, the orchestra would be completely razed and annihilated.
As a personal suggestion, I need to go to the gym and lift more because the fat in my arm shakes a lot when I try to fermata the notes and it looks gross. I deeply apologize to Ms. Minnis for having to see that all the time. Next time I try to do that, I'll wear a very large sweater or don't do it at all. When I recorded myself over the weekend and listened to myself, my performance was very doddering and unpleasant to listen. I need to play with more confidence and not rely so much on the stickers on my cello. I need to work out and play my cello with great aver.
Although there are many appalling elements of the performance, reviewing everyone's opinions on what needs to be corrected can help prepare for the future. It is also only September. We have until December to perfect ourselves for the concert. And I have great confidences in this year's orchestra group to work longer, better, faster, stronger.
Dear Miss minnis,
Generally we're all out of tune. Especially the cellos. And i can say that because i'm one of them. Also we're not together in many parts although that might have been due to the fact that you (mrs. minnis) were working the video instead of conducting which would be easily fixable except that i kind of think we don't look at you anyway. As beautiful as you may be. The main thing though that i feel needs major improvement is that each part needs to be far more aware of their intonation and pitch accuracy. For example, in the cello's beginning measures, the cellos were off even on the first note and the highest note of the first 2 cello measures. I also read the wrong measure for one part and that sounded really bad but I haven't done that since... nor had i done that before. We also need to emphasize our dynamics more. There are times when it should be very very quiet that we never quite reached.
Love,
marin
Overall, the piece was well played, but there were definitely a few areas that could have used improvement. First off, our intonation was really quite wrong in many places. The most noticeable error is certainly the last note, which we slid into, searching for the harmonic, and many of us did not hit. Our bowing was generally correct, though there were a few mistakes here and there. We were often not playing together, which caused small problems throughout the piece. Perhaps our biggest problem was dynamics. There were virtually no dynamics played, though the variation in the song is great. Otherwise, though, the song was rather well done.
The entire piece sounded really messy. Overall, it wasn't together at all. Each instrument sounded separate from the others in the same section. The piece is really based on the dynamics and without them it is boring. I think the orchestra was much better today when matthias and I were in the cello section.
The entire orchestra sounded unsure of their part, in general must use a firmer bow. Also not together, with obvious intonation errors.
i agree with everyone above me. the cellos werent uniform in the beginning, which offset the feeling of the whole piece. the lack of conducting might have been a major contributation to this, but counting is also needed. also, the second violin Bs need to work on their plucking, because some pluck a little too early and some pluck a little too late. it just makes the person listening confused and unsettled, and the song cannot be enjoyed.
Assuming the piece is ABABA, then there is much rushing in the B sections by the pizz-players. Subdividing would help. So would looking at the conductor. The violins also tended to sound scratchy in the B section. A sections felt much better, but still a little rushing was going on.
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