Review of orchestral performance through passages frequently encountered in auditions for violin players

This study presents suggestions of ways and methods to performers in their preparation and practice stages for orchestral performance through a repertoire selection covering various periods and composers. Passages were selected from five works of five great 18th, 19th and 20th century composers, towards the performance of which, exercise and technique recommendations were made. Preceding these recommendations given at the end of this study, to facilitate context regarding the selected composers and passages, the musicians' lives, works, positions within their period and sociocultural environment, as well as the relationships between the works and their composers were observed. The first chapter of the study aims to look at the development of the orchestra and orchestral performance from a historical perspective. In order to determine which period, composers and works this study would investigate within the perspective of the orchestra and orchestral performance given in the first chapter, orchestras active within and without the country were contacted; information was gathered via email from The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. In light of these communications, five works from five composers were identified as frequently chosen by these orchestras for their auditions and the investigation was carried out in this direction. According to this, passages were selected from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony no.39 (K.543), Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony no.3 (Op.55), Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Op.61), Richard Strauss' Don Juan tone poem (Op.20), and Robert Schumann's Symhony no.2 (Op.61) in this order. Leading up to the main purpose of this study, giving preparation, method and technique recommendations to violinists attending orchestra auditions, composers' biographies were examined with the intention of understanding the artists, people and literature they took inspiration from in addition to their historical periods, economic and social situations, family lives, emotional relationships, and when appropriate, mental states, in order to provide a foundation of familiarity and connection to the performer of each composer and their works. After the biographical examinations, investigations were carried out regarding the performance if the selected passages, exercise styles thought to be helpful in the performance of the works were recommended, left and right-hand techniques were touched upon. Fingering numbers and bow technique recommendations thought to be best suited to each passage were shown on the exercise methods. The book "The Top 10 Most Requested Violin Excerpts," compiled by Michael O'Gieblyn was used as the main source for this study, and scans of the selected passages were given in the addendum, the rest of which contains the email communications done with the orchestras.