Step 2: Informed practice

Informed practice

Is your practice informed?

Informed practice means understanding all the elements of a musical work and applying it to your recital preparation practice. Musical elements include understanding what is the right sound, stylistic inflections for rhythms, articulations, ornaments, phrasing and a host of other things.

Have you considered these elements in your recital preparations? If not, how do you intend on performing an authentic interpretation of the intentions of the composer?

Here are some easy solutions to help inform your recital preparations.

Watching

The Library has access to the Classical Music in Video and Opera in Video databases which offer excellent resources for watching music performances. Included within the Classical Music in Video database is a series of over 40 master classes for a variety of instruments, and are highly recommend.

Master Classes from Classical Music in Video
Music Online : Opera in video (Alexander Street Press)
A collection of streaming video performances of the most commonly studied operas and covers the full range of operatic composition, from the Baroque to the present. Selections represent the world's best performers, conductors, and opera houses and are based on a work's importance in the world of opera.
Music Online : Classical music in video (Alexander Street Press)
A video streaming database of classical music performances of leading orchestras, soloists, chamber music, oratorios, masterclasses and covers music from the Medieval to the present.

Listening

Naxos Music Library
Provides streaming music, cover artwork, biographies and more. This resource concentrates on western classical music but contains content from other genres such as jazz, world, classic rock and nostalgia.
Naxos Music Library is the most comprehensive collection of classical music available online. The Naxos Music Library offers complete catalogues or selected recordings of over 400 independent labels such as ARC, Berlin Classics, BIS, Capriccio, Chandos, CPO, EMI Classics, Erato, Haenssler Classic, Hungaroton, Marco Polo, Naïve, Naxos, Nimbus, Ondine, Teldec, Vanguard Classics, Virgin Classics and Warner Classics. Resources include music notes, cover artwork, tracklistings, instrumentation and publisher information, libretti and synopses of more than 700 operas, more than 40,000 composer and artist biographies, pronunciation guide for composer and artist names, glossary, guide to musical terms and work analyses. Streaming quality is 128 Kbps.
Naxos Music Library Jazz
Provides streaming music, cover artwork, biographies and more. This resource concentrates on jazz music, featuring music and artists from labels such Blue Note Records and Fantasy eg. Herbie Handcokc, Dexter Gordon, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and more.
5 simultaneous user limit.

Performance Practice

Numerous eBooks and print books are available from the Library on the topic of historical performance practice. To find more resources, use keywords such as: "performance practice music".

You are encouraged to read widely on this topic and make educated judgements on its use as you prepare for your recital.