<p>I am auditioning for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's orchestra, and I must pick a solo myself, but I have no idea what to choose! I need a piece that shows my artistic expression and technical skills, but no song comes to mind that does both! I have considered Symphonie Espagnole by Lalo, a Bach Partita, Romanza Andaluza by Sarasate and Thias Meditation by Massenet. My most recently prepared piece was La Campanella, but I don't think that that would be good for the audition since my left hand plucking is rather weak. Please help!</p>
<p>IF you can knock it out of the park, “Meditation” from Thais is a piece that can help you show expression and dynamics. It tends to be overused, but, not all that play it, “own” the piece. You say you have to pick the solo yourself, but surely you have a teacher you can talk with. I’d get his/her opinion…</p>
<p>Mezzo’sMama’s suggestion - ask a teacher - is the best advice you are likely to receive! It is very difficult for anyone who has not heard you to suggest the work that will best show off your abilities.</p>
<p>That said, in case you are really stuck and have no mentor to guide you, most violin auditioners expect to hear a concerto movement (frequently combined with a second requirement for a movement of solo Bach). If the Lalo is still well under your fingers and demonstrates your best playing, this is probably the work to go with. Lalo is used for conservatory and music school auditions and should well fit the requirements of this orchestral audition as well.</p>
<p>Meditation from Thais is lovely, but may not demonstrate the level of your technical development that the orchestral conductor must determine.</p>
<p>In the end, if there are remaining questions about which piece to use - here’s the simple guideline - Play what you sound best on!</p>
<p>Bach divides people along stylistic lines, and Massenet simply doesn’t show enough about your playing. I’d go with the Lalo.</p>
<p>OK, you’re both right, I just love the music from Thais!! It’s one you can play AFTER you have the job!
Did any of you see the Met HD Broadcast of Thais this year? They had a “featurette” about David Chan, the Concertmaster of the Met Orchestra, and his playing of the “Meditation”? It was great to see someone with an instrument getting the spotlight once in a while (I was a violinist even if my D is the diva with the voice now!!).</p>
<p>I think I would go with the Lalo, for many of the same reasons others have said. Standard audition rep across the board for the violin generally is at least a movement of a concerto (often times they want a movement, plus either a contrasting movement of the same concerto (i.e fast movement/slow movement) or movement of a concerto plus a piece of contrasting Bach. Bach can be powerful, because it takes incredible technical and artistic talent to play it well, but also as Fiddle pointed out has stylistic issues (all kinds of stuff about ‘playing it like Bach intended it’, which varies all over the place. To give you an idea, my son had prepared the Adagio from one of Bach’s solo Sonatas for his Juilliard pre college audition last year, and according to his teacher (then his new teacher)when she got the feedback he got very strong comments (of approval) on his playing of it from the panel. He also happened to play the same piece for an evaluation as part of the ASTA evaluation program (kind of a last event with his old teacher, for a while he had two teachers). The evaluator said she loved his playing, the musicality of it, but said that he was playing it in a way that Bach would never have meant it to be played…)</p>
<p>Show pieces like the Meditation from Thais and so forth can be used on auditions (usually in place of playing a solo bach IME) but from what I have heard from people who sit on the auditions and those doing them, they don’t generally hold the same weight as the concertos do.</p>
<p>thanks everyone! right now, im working on the Lalo, and im just polishing it up! thanks for the advice!</p>
<p>Let us know how things turn out, please. Good Luck!</p>