Hilary Hahn - Weekly Currents

Spohr Concerto #8 (Gesangsszene) Recording Preparations - February 14, 2006

From week to week, during the concert season, there are many playing-related things one has to keep track of, from technical maintenance to musical issues. Heading into a recording, however, when one will soon be putting a performance under public scrutiny for an indefinite period of time, one has to be particularly vigilant. In order to bring the interpretation to the forefront – and allow the listeners to forget about instrumental technique – there's an inhuman number of details to keep in mind. In case you're interested in some "shop talk", here's a basic list of elements I'm practicing this week. In no particular order:

Note endings – at the end of a note, if the bow bounces or stutters even the smallest amount, that can be heard clearly under the microphones.
Steady bow – no extra bounces, no rough bow changes, no unintended accents, and no ugly scratches.
Tone – this must be as pure as possible, whether loud or soft, and one should practice as one will record, with the same range of dynamics and the same articulations one plans to use in the sessions. The more precisely you can accomplish your basic interpretation in practice, the more freedom and accuracy you will have onstage or in the studio.
Bow distribution – it helps to figure out how much of the bow will be used for each stroke. This way, phrasing attains a level of consistency, and accidental accents and emphases are avoided.
Right hand precision – there are as many tricky passages for the right hand (bow hand) as for the left, so it's important to keep on top of the articulation and clarity in each section of this piece. Lyrical lines also require precise bow technique, so care must be taken at all times.
Staccato – this bowing technique appears several times in the course of the Spohr. The little scratches which start each note in staccato can sound yucky under the mics if they're sloppy, so this has to be tidy in order to be impressive.
Power at the tip – one should maintain the same power and strength at the tip of the bow that one draws on at the frog.
Fast passages – every note should be heard, phrased, and exact, no matter how fast or difficult the run is.
Still scroll – the scroll itself (the curly end of the violin) actually doesn't move any differently from the rest of the instrument. However, it's easy to see while playing, so I keep an eye on it. If the scroll bounces around or twitches in any way, that interferes with bow technique, because it means the violin is moving around – leaving the bow no calm surface from which to create dynamic nuances.
Trills – there are a lot of trills in the Spohr: most single-stop but some double-stop; long and short; ornamental and featured. The trilling finger must go up and down quickly and efficiently; the number of taps should be completed as planned, the tone sparkling. Any bow changes in mid-trill should be inaudible. In double-stop trills, both pairs of fingers ought to move at the same speed.
Intonation – half-steps and whole-steps need clear delineation (this seems basic but it's difficult); a soloist shouldn't play sharp or flat of the orchestra; and even in fast runs, each note has to be right on the mark.
Left-hand wrist alignment – in order to get quickly from one part of the fingerboard to another, and to prevent straining the left arm during a long day of recording, it's a good idea to keep an eye on one's left-arm alignment. The wrist is particularly important, because of the tendons and ligaments which run through it.
Vibrato – it's easy to forget about vibrato by hour #4 of recording. One kind of assumes it'll take care of itself, but by that late in the process, the left arm has begun to tire, and one has to make sure that each note's vibrato starts well and immediately. Once it gets going, it's usually ok.
Shifting – the Spohr is a somewhat stylized work, and the shifts (a.k.a. slides) are an important part of the flair. The notes on both ends have to be in tune, but equally crucial – for musical reasons – is the speed of the shifts and how they fit into the surrounding phrasing.
Left-hand finger positioning – in order to keep the left hand at the proper angle to the strings, I have to ensure that I'm playing on the inside edge (towards my thumb) of my fingers, even after five hours of recording.
Double-stop coordination – all fingers in double-stops need to move together simultaneously and precisely. This is straightforward but easily forgotten.
Rhythmic transitions – the Spohr changes tempo in various places, in an operatic fashion. Therefore, one has to work out how those changes are going to occur and check that they make sense to the listener. It's easy to lose track of that in the course of rehearsals, concerts, and sessions.
Consistency – whatever one plans to do, or decides to do on the spur of the moment, one has to be able to repeat it consistently from take to take, or at least to be able to get it right from the start. There's very little time during sessions, and if something isn't working, you often have to just move on. Once you leave the studio, that's it. So it's really important to accomplish whatever you want, whenever you want to, and every time after that as well.
Good posture – this will keep injuries from setting in, whether one is recording or not.

Additionally, there are some aspects of recording preparation which have little to do with the exact repertoire one is recording and everything to do with the overall physical and mental preparation for the in-studio process. Here are a few of them:

General physical preparation – recording takes a lot of energy out of any musician, and sessions often occur on consecutive days. I usually try to exercise regularly in the couple of weeks before the sessions, working on upper-body strength for the playing but also on lower-body and core areas, as I remain standing for all of my time under the mic. One isn't allowed to move much from side to side during the sessions, since that affects the evenness of the sound, so it can be a very stiffening experience!
Playing during recording hours – for the week before the recording sessions, it's good to make sure that one is playing comfortably during the hours of the day in which one will be recording. If the sessions will be starting at 10am, and warmup around 8 or 9am, it would be self-defeating to only practice from, say, 4-9pm in the days before. When one wakes up on the day(s) of the sessions, one has to already be on the schedule.
Shoes – since the shoes one wears affect the alignment of one's body, which affects the way one plays, it doesn't hurt to practice in one's recording shoes for a few days before the sessions. This sounds silly, but it works! Additionally, that way, if the shoes wind up hurting after several hours of practicing, you can always go and find better ones.
Sleep – one must be well-rested, and not just on the day of the recording.
Three hot meals a day – this is a pretty normal, healthy thing to keep track of; anything that gets one's body into optimum condition is worth adhering to.
Pre-recording playbacks – Before getting into the studio, I listen to recordings from my performances of whatever piece I'm about to record. That shows me what I sound like and what to work on beforehand; it's hard to adjust one's interpretation mid-session.
Repertoire – in order to stay fresh for the piece one will record, it's useful to bring some other repertoire along, to work on alongside the rep to be recorded.
Mental sharpness – recording sessions require immense concentration and focus. Everyone's different, and every person's mind is inspired by something different, so whatever mental process makes you feel alert (not coffee!) and gets your brain working is worth indulging. For me, it's writing, hence this tedious list and all of the up-to-date journal entries!
Distractions – in order to refresh, it's fine to – for example – watch some TV, go to a movie, explore the city, or talk on the phone with friends. Recording is tricky, but it's not boot camp; one needs some creative stimulus.
Fun – along these lines, it's fun to do something goofy every day. Pillow fights and hair dyeing (I did streaks of purple this time around) are entertaining, safe options.
Social contact – recording is social: one needs to be able to read the people around oneself, to match their mood and output. It's good to get out and socialize from time to time before the sessions (as long as it doesn't interfere with practice or sleep); that keeps one aware of the personal aspects of musical interaction, and that makes the sessions much more enjoyable and rewarding.