<p>Hey guys, I'm a cello player with 5 years of JHS and HS experience under my belt, but I haven't really worked that much on my solo repertoire...
These are the guidelines for the audition:</p>
<h1>Prepare 6 to 7 minutes of music to play at the audition. Constrating excerpts from solo or orchestra literature are recommended: for example, a fast and technically demanding excerpt accompanied with a slow and lyrical excerpt.</h1>
<h1>You will also be asked to sight-read several passage from the standard orchestral repertoire and also to play some scales.</h1>
<p>Does anyone have any suggestions for good contrasting pieces that I could feasibly learn in 2 months?</p>
<p>Oh, and when they scales, is the expectation that I should be able to play them pretty fast?</p>
<p>To suggest rep without knowing your current talent and level of ability would do you a disservice.</p>
<p>Ideally, your private instructor, high school orchestra director, youth orchestra conductor (if you are so engaged) or other music professional that knows your strengths and weaknesses would be the best source of advice. Also, a higher level peer headed to undergrad as a music student might offer suggestions as well.</p>
<p>In the absence of any of those choices, try scanning the audition rep listings for cello admits at schools like Baldwin-Wallace, Lawrence, Temple, UColorado Boulder, Duquesne. These are schools with solid programs, but not at the level of the major conservatories. </p>
<p>Go through what you’ve already played and are familiar (and competent) with. The best advice is to play a “lower” level piece well than struggle through a more difficult work. Doesn’t necessarily have to be solo rep as the guidelines indicate. If you are already proficient with any orchestral repertoire in the contrasting styles indicated, fine tune what you already know rather than starting from scratch (especially in the absence of a private instructor).</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Ananya-</p>
<p>Generally with auditions on instruments like the Cello and Violin when they talk about contrasting movements they seem to generally want either a romantic era or perhaps modern (post 20th century piece), but as violadad said it depends on what level you are at now and also what they are looking for. Another question I have is if they allow you to play from music or do you have to memorize it? With auditions on an instrument for admission to music programs and even some youth orchestras, you are required to do it from memory (other programs are fine with doing it from music). </p>
<p>It probably wouldn’t hurt you to send them an e-mail and ask questions, for example do they want it from memory with the prepared piece? That can make a big difference (if this is for the college orchestra or chamber orchestra, I suspect they won’t want that).</p>
<p>My recommendation is similar to Violas,I would talk to a teacher at school or see what similar programs ask for. My take for an orchestra audition like this, if it is in fact as I think for placement rather then admission, would be to play the highest level piece you can that you can play well. Some believe it is better to play a very difficult piece and perhaps not play it as well, my take (which is just opinion) is it is better playing a less demanding (but still as high level as possible) piece well then trying to impress with an impossible piece not as well…</p>
<p>Don’t know if this helps, but violadad had the best idea, to talk to your teachers about it.</p>
<p>For one of your pieces, you could choose any movement from a Bach Suite that you can play well. Then choose a piece from a different time period that has a different tempo than the suite you chose. As far as scales go, they are not usually looking for speed so much as to check the accuracy of your intonation. I think a medium tempo would be fine.</p>