What I'm Working On: Daniel Dorff's Tweet for solo piccolo

Tweet, by Daniel Dorff, is showing up on a few piccolo competition preliminary round lists and since it is a really cool piece, no complaints here.  It was commissioned by and dedicated to Lois Bliss Herbine and was completed in 2011.  The composer provides program notes on the piece that are an interesting read.  Were I competing in a competition in which this piece was included, his bullet points at the end really ought to be noted and inserted in the performance.  I would also recommend checking out what Lois Bliss Herbine has to say about the piece too because, you know, it is kind of her piece.  At the bottom of this post, you will find a full performance by Gudrun Hinze, the principal piccoloist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

But let's look at the construction of the piece before we dive in completely.  At quick glance, it might seem a bit overwhelming because it is four pages of continuous movement.  The opening chirps from the robins are daunting to sightread and if you try to just dive in, chances are you won't make it through, even under tempo (we will address how I would practice the grace note passages in the next paragraph).  If that weren't enough, the grace note passages happen repeatedly, consistently throughout the work.  But wait!  There is good news.  Look closer and you will see that there are really only two different grace note passages that are reused.  We will call measures 1-9 "A" and measures 20-27 "C" (yes, I skipped "B" on purpose).   In between "A" and "C" is, of course, "B" which is a sixteenth note passage that isn't that bad as long as you are subdividing to the eighth note.  This section comes back a number of times too although it morphs over the course of the piece, particularly the concluding measures of the passage. In measure 47 we begin "D".  It is convenient that it is "D" and you will see why later.  Again, subdivision will help you get through the time signature changes, so do it.  Also, have fun with the "jazzy" syncopation found at measure 66; it is different from the straightforwardness of the rest of the piece.  Finally, in the last four measures (beginning at measure 151) we have a brief coda that includes a poco accelerando [al fine] which makes for an exciting end.  

Now let's line up all the sections using the letters I have assigned so that you can "see" the format of the piece: ABCAB'DAB"CAB"'Coda.  If I use fancy words, and I will, they would be as follows: Exposition (ABCAB'), Development (D - see, isn't that nice?), Recapitulation (AB"CAB"'), coda.  At least to me, it makes the piece seem much more manageable in terms of the probability of success in learning the piece, meaning it is not four pages of random.

How am I practicing the opening (oddly the toughest part, at least to me)?  I am turning the metronome way down, to quarter = 80, and playing all the grace notes and their quarter note counter parts into sixteenths.  Four notes a beat in an easy rhythm that allows me to actually read all of the notes consistently well.  I also break down the passages by the breath marks.  I've slowed down the movement and have reduced the length of time my brain has to function at a high rate down to a couple of measures at a time.  Infinitely more manageable and a lot less frustrating.  Imagine having a two year old constantly demanding your attention; trying to hack your way through the entire passage would be maddening.  I do this for "A" and "C" and slowly turn the metronome up a click until I am around 100.  Then I try reading it as grace notes to a quarter.  Guess what?  It goes so much better and it has only been a few practice sessions.  Slowing it down like this also gives you the opportunity to soak in the dynamics as you begin working on the piece which should mean that you will have them mastered much quicker as well.  Give it a shot.  It might not work for you, but I sincerely hope it does.

The rest of the piece?  Subdivide the eighth note!  Then the time signature switches won't throw you off.  The last three sentences are a rehash, aren't they?  Oh well, it is true so being a broken record isn't a bad thing in this case.  Don't forget to watch your dynamics, as the composer suggests.  You are robins chirping, not a piccolo on the marching band field.

As promised. Enjoy!