Abstracts Category : Other

Rehearsing and Performing Four Pieces from Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Suites 1&2, Op. 64

by Talynn Kuyumjian

This paper will describe the final project completed by the author for the partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting. The orchestra that played under the author???s baton was the CSUN Youth Philharmonic Orchestra ??? a high-level youth orchestra consisting of musicians ranging from ages ten to eighteen ??? with supervision from Dr. John Roscigno, professor of Orchestral Studies at CSUN. The performance took place on Sunday, March 6, 2016, at the Plaza del Sol Performance Hall on the school campus.The purpose of this project was to rehearse the orchestra and prepare them to perform a piece from the classical repertoire live in concert, with a length of approximately twenty to twenty-five minutes. Possible pieces were discussed, and eventually, it was decided that they would play four movements from Sergei Prokofiev???s Romeo and Juliet Ballet score. After long hours of score study, it became obvious that the rehearsal process would be arduous and challenging; not only is the music technically difficult to play, but Prokofiev writes in the extreme ranges of each instrument, making intonation one of the major issues to deal with in rehearsal. After a brief introduction, the paper is divided into four parts ??? historical background, selection of movements, rehearsal process, and performance. Each section will give an insight into this monumental orchestral work, and the main body of the paper will discuss the details of anticipated issues with the orchestra and how they were dealt with in rehearsal. The concert program also included a violin concerto by Bruch and a symphony by Beethoven. It was a demanding concert, but the brilliant and talented young musicians of this orchestra pulled through and gave a spectacular performance.Advisors/Committee Members: Roscigno, John A (advisor), Roscetti, Diane H (committee member).