From Director Shane Mickelsen:

I’d like to hear you on the 23rd. We’ll break into sectionals for 30 minutes or so and I’ll hear you at that time. :)

I love getting to know you all better. I’d like to hear you prepare the following passages. I will listen to you privately, things will go great. 

I hope to accomplish three things:

    1) Get to know you better.

    2) Situate the 1sts and 2nds and hear about whether or not you prefer a chair system or a rotation system. (If we did rotation, then we would rotate everyone except principals/concertmaster).

    3) Select a Concertmaster. Let me know about the traits you’ve appreciated in a good concertmaster, and whether or not you’d like to be considered for that position.

Please prepare the following:

Die Hebrides - Mendelssohn:

Measures 57 - 69

Begin measure 57 on a down bow. 1st violins observe the hooked bowing markings in measure 60 by separating the E and F# but playing both on an up bow. I’m looking for you to observe all written crescendos and decrescendos. 

In measure 62 please observe the "sF” by increasing both bow speed and vibrato as you approach the F#. 

1st violins, I suggest that on the second beat of 62, you plant 1st finger on the B natural, begin to slide 1st finger upward; as you approach the F# land your 3rd finger on the string like an airplane and let 3rd finger continue the slide up to F#. This will free your first finger to then return to the C# and D natural from the end of 62 going into 63. I have attached a fingering digram just in case it helps. As far as bowings are concerned, I prefer the way that I indicated in the 8-bar attachment: Start down bow, and observe the slurs - ignore the music’s bow markings in this section.

2nd violins, in measure 62 your instructions are similar to those of the 1sts, but you will remain on the A string for measure 62 and the first 2 beats of 63.

In bar 64, observe the piano dynamic marking.

Bar 67, observe the dolce marking mezzo-piano. This needs to sound sweet, curious, and innocent. 

Play bar 68 at mezzo-forte.

Play 69 at mezzo-piano diminuendoing into the pianissimo.

One Bar Before Rehearsal B until Rehearsal C

What I’m looking for is energy and a non legato style. I want to see a violinist who moves the music and is unafraid to move with it. Let those first few measures determine the articulation style for the rest of the segment: bow each 16th, and make the quarter notes sound marcato (space on both sides.) I’m looking for agility, intonation, style, and your ability to put your audience at ease.

Measures 144 - 164 (7th measure of D until E)

Bar 149 - Feel the first Bb of the measure as the resolution of the previous two measure (in relation to the remainder of 149 it should feel like an eighth rest as if it were played by another instrument and YOUR melody begins on the & of 1.)

Play each note short, but add staccato emphasis (bow stops, grit) to beat 2: 8th 16th 16th where the staccato dots are written out. Keep the piano dynamic marking.  (sempre is Italian for "always" so when you see sempre pp it just means “keep playing it at pianissimo.”)

in 153 you again play on beat 1. Play it as a resolution of the previous beat (played by woodwinds) but think of it as separate from the rest of 153; play it, but in relation to the remainder of 153, it must feel like a rest. On the down beat, all you are doing is adding color to the woodwinds resolution.

Same instructions apply to the staccato notes.

Play the triple pizz. stops as you wish.

Observe crescendos. :)