Leading up to this winter concert, I believe that I behaved well in class and did everything that I could as principal violist to help the other members of my section. I provided them with bowings and fingerings, and collaborated with other section leaders on these things. I also worked hard to make sure the violas were improving during sectionals, and that we worked on everything that members of the section did not feel 100% on.
As a group, I believe that we performed well at the concert, with only a few minor mistakes. In comparison to the first concert, we improved upon our dynamic contrast, phrasing, and general cohesiveness as an orchestra. These aspects were very important in increasing the musicality of our performance. However, we made mistakes, particularly in the Offenbach, as we rushed and became disconnected. The rushing started at the "Can-Can" and continued to the end of the piece, as some members of the orchestra followed the percussion, which was slightly ahead, while others attempted to stay with Dr. Wang's tempo. This resulted in an obvious disconnect between different sections of the orchestra. Additionally, we had issues with intonation. This is a recurring issue that we can continue to work on. Personally, I performed well, although I believe I can improve upon style and dynamic contrast.
For our next concert, I think that we can improve by increasing our dynamic range even further, continuing to focus on musicality, really working on and paying close attention to intonation, and continuously watching Dr. Wang to stay together. Our cohesiveness as a group is central to giving a good performance. If we maintain all of these elements, then we should get a good rating at festival.
