We're working away on Pictures at an Exhibition, and specifically on the timings in the first real "movement", Gnomus. This movement is representative of a sketch depicting a little gnome, clumsily running with crooked legs. Musically it's captured through quick bursts of notes, sustained notes and pauses with cut offs.
Essentially, this means a lot of communication with John. Seeing how fast he starts, seeing when he wants the long notes to cut off, and seeing when he starts again after a caesura. It's a lot of eye contact and knowing exactly how to execute the style.
We started and stopped several times - the opening 5 measures, that is. After which John said, "All I can tell you is try and watch and figure out what I am doing."
Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have a better report. But now we're kind of fumbling like clumsy gnomes.
But again, that's just this clarinet player's perspective...
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