Etude 1:

Page 2-3, No. 1, Bb Major, No. 1
Tempo: Quarter note 69 - 72
Play: beginning to end (prepare DC)
Errata: none

Performance Guide:

There are several considerations that must be followed in each of these monuments of 19th-century pedagogy:

1. In spite of their seeming emphasis upon technique, they are based upon
the bel canto tradition that was the most popular music of the midcentury.
Their true antecedents are the vocalise of Bordogni and Concone and the opera arias of composers such as Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. They must, therefore, be “sung” as opposed to the too often-heard practice of mere technical display.
2. They were written originally for cornet. Since the volume of air required to play doubles with the octave-lower euphonium, the performer must find musical solutions to deal with this physical acoustic phenomenon. Rubato, altered articulations and even omitting notes are some of the musical solutions that professional players have used from time to time. Circular breathing is also possible but unwise for our purposes here.
3. These etudes are chosen from a set that have had piano accompaniments
prepared for them by Claude Pichareau, son of the trombone teacher at the Paris Conservatory. They are available from Robert King music, which is owned by Leduc. These are a wonderful aid to the preparation of these etudes.
4. Articulation is a two-edged sword for all key and valve performers as they tend to use too much tongue when they articulate, except when they forget to do it at all. True musicianship requires that articulation is like salt in cooking; too little and it’s bland, too much and it’s inedible. The trills in mm. 5 and 6 must be performed in a vocal manner. The trill exercises found in the Arban Methods are just that, exercises. If you want to play or evaluate these properly, you need to listen to operas by the composers listed above. These are melodic trills to the upper neighbor with the graces at its end part of the gradual accelerando through the trill. As medium-length trills, they do not slow down. The triplets in mm. 12-14 (and throughout) need to be as liquid as possible. In order to achieve this, the lips must be very soft in the center while the fingers are fast and precise. Too often, such smoothness has been lost in a misguided attempt at precision. The feminine cadence I have marked at the end of m. 14 is pure bel canto. Please refer to the edition of these etudes that TMEA has on its website for the proper interpretation of the paired turns in m. 27. This is a single 12-note melisma that should begin slowly and end with a flourish. Please note that I have “updated” the clumsy notation in m. 42. It now conforms to modern notational practice.

Etude 2:

Page 6-7, No. 4, F Major, No. 4
Tempo: Quarter note 69 - 72
Play: beginning to end
Errata: none

Performance Guide:

While the tempo is the same as the first selection, the insertion of the single articulation in the midst of the triplets raises the difficulty considerably. The grate notes are “slashed,” and should precede the main note. Remember to be graceful and not play them too rapidly. The tied half notes in m. 47 must be played exactly. Too many times players become anxious and shorten them. The adjacent triplets and duplets in mm. 73 and 75 must maintain their lovely dichotomy. It’s a very special sound that will play itself once learned. The gradual return to the opening should be kaleidoscopic in the gradual transition from the grace note figures to the triplets. Who said 19th-century composers were incapable of rhythmic subtlety?

Etude 3:

Page 10-11, No. 7, Bb Major, No. 7
Tempo: Quarter note 63 - 69
Play: beginning to end
Errata: none

Performance Guide:

In spite of the seemingly slower tempo, this piece really flies! The real reason for choosing this etude begins in m. 16 to the recap of the opening. This is pure,
unadulterated bel canto. Not only is it possible to phrase and breathe like a singer, there can be no other means to a successful performance. Remember that the tongue can be overdone, and that staccato means “separated” not “short.” The other challenge is to the ear as one moves readily through keys that are a minor sixth apart. Though Beethoven was fond of this relationship, so was Rossini!

Finally, check out the WINDSONGPRESS website. There are some great video
resources on breathing a la Arnold Jacobs.