© Ilvy Njiokiktjien
signs, games and messages
Violist Roeland Jagers (my colleague from the Rubens Quartet, and also my husband), wrote this extensive method as a guide to rehearsing, interpreting and performing chamber music on the highest level. Below you can download my English translation of this fantastic document.
A few excerpts:
"We musicians are faced with a wonderful but especially challenging task: we bring music to
life, music which is often so ingeniously composed that we mere mortals are almost guaranteed to fall short of the 'definitive' version. On the other hand: the music actually only exists when it is heard, so our role as performers and interpreters is crucial to the equation."
"The cellist and Orlando Quartet founder Stefan Metz, who taught my quartet at his Dutch String Quartet Academy (NSKA) for four years, instilled in me a great respect for the intricate and wonderful process of rehearsing and performing string quartet repertoire. The education in this unique academy has fueled my love for the chamber music genre and the string quartet in particular ever since."
"Intonation is much more than simply placing your fingers in the right place. It is also a question of blending sounds and pitch simultaneously; this is a form of hearing and listening which has very much to do with your imagination of sound itself. Playing well in tune is strongly connected to sound production and balance. Therefore it is important when working on intonation to not only concentrate on the placement of your left hand on the strings, but also on the speed, contact point and pressure of the bow."
"Playing together begins with breathing together. Therefore it is crucial to have a mutual musical vision: an interpretation which all members of the group can stand behind. Beware, this can lead to long discussions without guaranteed result! Even ideas that aren't yours, or those which go against your musical instinct, must be given a fair try. This is the only way to reach a true musical unity."
A few excerpts:
"We musicians are faced with a wonderful but especially challenging task: we bring music to
life, music which is often so ingeniously composed that we mere mortals are almost guaranteed to fall short of the 'definitive' version. On the other hand: the music actually only exists when it is heard, so our role as performers and interpreters is crucial to the equation."
"The cellist and Orlando Quartet founder Stefan Metz, who taught my quartet at his Dutch String Quartet Academy (NSKA) for four years, instilled in me a great respect for the intricate and wonderful process of rehearsing and performing string quartet repertoire. The education in this unique academy has fueled my love for the chamber music genre and the string quartet in particular ever since."
"Intonation is much more than simply placing your fingers in the right place. It is also a question of blending sounds and pitch simultaneously; this is a form of hearing and listening which has very much to do with your imagination of sound itself. Playing well in tune is strongly connected to sound production and balance. Therefore it is important when working on intonation to not only concentrate on the placement of your left hand on the strings, but also on the speed, contact point and pressure of the bow."
"Playing together begins with breathing together. Therefore it is crucial to have a mutual musical vision: an interpretation which all members of the group can stand behind. Beware, this can lead to long discussions without guaranteed result! Even ideas that aren't yours, or those which go against your musical instinct, must be given a fair try. This is the only way to reach a true musical unity."
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