Nino Rota Duet for 2 oboes (2/3) … but 3rd recorded

3rd duet for 2 oboes by Nino Rota

Here it is, the triptych is now complete!

This one is called “il Mulino”: the mill (wind-mill, grain-mill, saw-mill, river-mill) and it is easy to imagine the squeaky machinery rolling and turning! The cool thing about this one is the 1st oboe part being mostly in the altissimo register, usually between:

I have found that practicing this high actually improved my sound in the middle and lower registers.

 

Thank you Michele Mancaniello for re-introducing me to this fantastic composer and also for providing me with this very special music. The 3 duets were very enjoyable to play, funny to listen to but also really difficult to record the 2 parts together.

Reeds and Recording:

One thing I learned this year is that the entire process of recording influences the sound as much as (or more than) the reed! I’ll do a blog post about that and my thoughts on this recording next week.

What is “Allegro”?

This is a 12/8 movement marked allegro. The metronomes often indicate Allegro = [120, 160], but what is to be used as the beat? I think it’s important to put things in context, these words do not always denote speed (tempo) but often character:

• Moderato : moderate speed
• Allegro : happy
• Vivace : lively
• Presto : swift

… of course, these words can be interpreted differently, but in comparison to each other, this makes sense.

I played the 3rd duet at , but I don’t think anyone would say it’s too slow for an Allegro. It could be considered too fast, but slower just didn’t seem right… it was also much more difficult to play the rhythm and togetherness cleanly at slower speeds…. apparently, Franz Liszt once said he didn’t know his own etudes well enough to play them slowly!!!!

Physical Update: ouch

Just before the holidays, my physiotherapist scolded me for not doing my nerve flossing exercises. I told her it was because I never feel anything when I do them……. uuuhhhhh, now I feel a lot (ouch) when I do them!

The point of those exercises is to ensure mobility of the nerves to prevent irritation. Well, a few months of too much social networking (internet stuff) in front of the TV in the morning and evening has left its mark. Especially after having shovelled the snow last night, my shoulders are now rather bothersome, feeling as if I have strings inside my arms, neck and back that pull whenever I move.

…… ah well, back on the floor to do those simple exercises!!!!!!!

Also, if you do muscle strengthening exercises, the trainer I often see at my gym explained that the really easy exercises given by physiotherapists strengthen a set of small muscles. If you do the same exercises with heavier weights or stronger rubber bands, the bigger muscles will take over and the whole point of the workout is lost.

Physical update – exercise: a double-edged dagger

Last week my wife and I took an enrolment in a local gym+pool. An orientation session was a real revelation, but the results have not all been positive. In fact, evenness of note flow while playing is not as easy, my neck nerve is pulling again and I’ve started feeling that scratch around my wrist and back-of-hand again…. not good!

I had asked my physiotherapist if I was ready to start going to the pool and she said it was fine, but gave many restrictions on what I could do: essentially, no straining of the arms …. how do you move in the pool without using arm strength? I started with back crawl (that was too much) and then just walking while using the arms to move away the water…. still too much. And also, using the hot-tub seems to have worsened the neck-strains that cause headaches. I’ve been getting headaches much more frequently, not so painful, just so annoying normal daily activities are difficult.

On the positive side, the trainer explained why I have a “dip” in my lower back which bulges my belly and also what is increasing constriction on the sciatic nerves, which results in weak legs and sciatica. Essentially, having spent too many years doing mostly computer work and math sitting at a desk really wrecked it for me. Good news, this gym has special machines that increase the effectiveness of key stretching movements that would not work half as well at home, on the couch.

Work the nerves, not just the muscles!

The physiotherapist had given me really simple exercises to do from the very beginning. I had also been neglecting these from the very beginning, mostly because they appear so simple and it’s hard to immediately see the benefits. Here is a video that explains the process, what I had to do was only one: lye on my back with arms out to the side and raise/lower them – that’s all!

Now, with the resumption of pain and blips when playing, I think I better understand why she gave me these exercises.

On another positive note, I had been wanting to ask for (and need to pay for) IMS in the legs as well as in the arms because I had been complaining for over 20 years of weak, sore legs, despite my proficiency on a bicycle and alpine skiing.

Luckily, the gym trainer gave me other exercises that just might work better: IMS is for neuropathic problems, my legs might be simply muscular concerns. He showed my how to use foam rollers to essentially roll-out knots in my muscles like a rolling-pin on a pie-crust…… it HUUUURRRRRTS!!! just as bad as IMS! But apparently the pain stops as the muscles get better. Strangely, when my wife does the exercise, she feels no pain at all while I literally sob from it! But the strain in my calves is likely reducing the depth of my sleep, so fixing that is really important.

So, for the next week, I’ll pay more attention to what the physiotherapist said, do her exercises and concentrate on my legs at the gym. Hopefully, musical fluidity will return quickly.

Bug away and bug again!

What follows is crucial to musicians, don’t compromise your ability to perform with ease.

I think its a fear factor that makes musicians sulk away from these discussions, so I’ll try to keep it short. Fear not and don’t shrink away in denial: the quicker you act the easier it is to fix! Chances are, you don’t need to spend any money either.

If your country/province/state does not pay for simple doctor consultations, then consider medical insurance as the single most important investment in your musical career! Whatever you do, if you have any trouble performing a piece of music that normally works well for you, go see if there might be something physical like a pinched nerve or something.

For the past 10 odd years, doctors galore have been telling me there is nothing wrong with me: I’m good to train for the Iron Man Triathlon! Strange that I have been tired (not sleepy, tired) since the age of 7 and for the past 10 odd years I am always in pain! Sometimes, not often, the pain makes pray for death, but most of the time its a nagging jab or pull that just won’t let me do a normal day’s work. Sometimes its everywhere, sometimes its only the back or only the hips or only the neck or only something else.

I have seen a number of physiotherapists, massage therapists, acupuncture  for the rare times that a doctor did diagnose tennis elbow or sciatica – how banal can you get? Now, I have been bugging to see a specialist, buzzing from one doctor to the next until I finally found a physiotherapist specializing in both musicians injuries and chronic pain (web site) – she treats the performers of the National Arts Center Orchestra (NACO).

FINALLY! A professional has seen that my body is a mess, but also knows what to do about it! She gave me some preparatory exercises for a new form of treatment that will prompt my body to heal itself. After that, I’ll be able to start working on building strength again: notice that I used to be a Master Corporal in the Army and now I can’t squeeze against a little lady’s arms!

Things you should do (no cost at all) to prevent injury:

• Do a Google Search on Ergonomics and Posture, especially seated and at the computer: apply what you learn!
• Get a Kooiman thumb rest or the Music-Stand bell-hook
• Do a full set of stretching every evening
  (find a book from your local library on standard stretching for golfers)
• Drinking 2 liters of water (half a gallon) every day really makes a difference!
• Keep in shape! I don’t care if its hockey, yoga, kick-boxing or hip-hop dancing, keep your body moving!

I’ll keep adding more on this subject as things develop.