The Fairness Repeat

We are into music-making. Making music ourselves, that is – and specifically chamber music. Whether in duos, as quartets, or even as nonets, chamber musicians arrange to meet where neighbours are tolerant, they assemble their music stands, open their parts, and off they go! Then it’s ‘See you at the fermata.’ (1) Well, that’s a possible approach. But on the way to the fermata, pitfalls and trials lie in wait. Recognizing and avoiding these is the aim of these notes. They are a collection of observations and comments on chamber-music practice – gathered over years of happy and often truly gratifying musical experience – let’s say: tips and tricks for making music-making go well.

Or, as a friend put it: “A summary of many situations that we, of course, know quite well and that require a certain stoicism to endure when, indeed, not much thought has been spent on everything that plays into musical activity.” Then again, another friend referred to them as a “set of rules” and “code of conduct”. Hm… Well, you will see whether you can detect my form of irony here and there.

Anyway: May this “treatise” be of service to all passionate chamber musicians for whom the finest of all forms of convivial recreational activity is also a matter close to heart (or for whom it might become one).

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1. Before we set out

2.1. Off we go

2.2. Off we really go

3.1. Under way

3.2. Good to know

3.3. Getting through

4. To come to an end

Further reading

1. Before we set out

Of course, some preparation is required. The first question that arises is: How should we sit, how do we position the chairs? This would depend on whether the occasion is a concert with an audience or an intimate chamber-music gathering “entre nous.” (1) For chamber music, we will generally sit in a circle. I like to arrange players roughly according to the order of the instruments in the score, so (moving clockwise): flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon; or 1st violin, 2nd violin, 1st viola, 2nd viola, 1st cello, 2nd cello, double bass, bassoon, French horn, clarinet, oboe, flute. That way, violin and flute will sit peacefully next to each other where the circle closes. Consider that the violin is held to the left, the flute to the right, and thus – violinist’s right shoulder next to flutist’s left shoulder – there is no danger of the two instruments getting into each other’s way.

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1 French for ‘amongst ourselves.’

Similarly for quartets with flute, bassoon or French horn: violin, viola, cello, and the wind instrument, going clockwise. Or, more generally speaking: Ensure that the instruments played to the side (violin, viola, flute, French horn, bassoon) are placed so that they can sit next to one another amicably and peacefully – without the danger of collision.

When there is an audience, the circle will be opened to allow for a semi-circle or horseshoe. In a nonet, for example, the opening would be between the violins and the flute. Similarly in a quartet. Or perhaps rather between flute and cello? It is certainly a good idea to place the upper strings so that the instruments are turned towards the audience, not towards the back of the room. Some cellists love sitting front-on to the audience, with the other instruments seated to their right and left. In any case, try out different orders and positions. A performance is more likely to go well if everyone involved is comfortable.

Look for chairs with stable and level seats. Or even with seats that are slightly tilted to the front, as you will find in some conservatoires and concert halls. If the seat surface is tilted to the back, you end up with an uncomfortable posture, namely, hunched back and squeezed belly, or having to perform a constant balancing act at the front edge of the seat. A wedge pillow can provide relief in such a case.

The chairs should not have armrests, as horn and bassoon are held to the side, and the violinists’, violists’, and cellists’ right hands require room to move. Only the flute, though also held to the side, hovers above all things and will not be bothered by armrests.

The chairs must not creak with every movement. If moving ever so slightly causes the supporting timberwork to squeak, the percussion effects added to the music will regrettably be esteemed only by few listeners, if any: Let your chairs keep silence in chamber music.

With any luck, the cellists have brought their cello boards (also known as spike holders, or parquet protectors) to reduce the potential of the endpin mangling the fine Persian carpet. For a stopgap solution, tie a thick leather belt around one chair leg, and place the spike into one of the belt holes.

Warning: double-bass rubber spike tips sometimes leave unsightly scuff marks on wooden floors.

Reeds need some water for soaking. But water and glasses should always be at hand anyway for everybody to take an occasional refreshing sip.

Considerate fellows in the brass section will appreciate a little bowl with an absorbent cloth to catch condensation.

If there are enough music stands, they should be assembled before the arrival of the musicians. If you can, equip the stands with folders or cardboard panels, which provide more stable support for the parts. Supply soft (!) pencils – and erasers. For more luxury, and to elicit amazement, keep a reserve of rosin, mutes (or, in their absence, clothes pegs), and perhaps replacement strings within reach. To keep the music from slipping off the music stands, you can apply felt tape (e.g., two 8-by-1-inch strips, one strip for each side of the stand).

And if you’re playing outside? Then you should have stable (and heavy) music stands and clothes pegs, because it’s always windy outdoors, if not too windy…

As for lighting conditions: Is it light enough for everyone, without it being too glaring for some? And will it stay light even as twilight draws in? Stand lights are excellent, but not all models are suitable for everyone: Some are too dim altogether; others only illuminate half of the music because they produce too narrow a flood of light. Supposing you find suitable lights, place them on the stand horizontally so that they project light vertically downwards onto the music. Tilting the light brings with it the risk that the next musician (or audience member) is unpleasantly dazzled by a wayward beam. The repeated observation of this phenomenon actually gave the impetus for putting together this text…

Scores and parts… Are the pieces complete? If you’ve ever flicked through sheet music in an antiquarian bookshop, you’ll know the piles of loose, single parts to be found there… Every time I see them, I am saddened for the incomplete chamber-music sets robbed of these. So, as much as I value practicing at home and individual preparation, I no longer give out original materials, only photocopies.

Speaking of photocopies: Are they of satisfactory quality? Do they have sufficient contrast; is the page space made the most of? In other words: Does the music cover the whole printable area of the pages, or is it surrounded by an unnecessarily large white margin around the notes? It is well worth taking the trouble of setting the copy ratio (zoom) to an appropriate value. Before you print pdf files, you can suitably crop the documents, using Adobe Acrobat.

Bar numbers: Sometimes music has been photocopied in such a way that a portion on the left border, including the bar numbers, has been cut off. That may have happened inadvertently as a result of trying to maximize the music on the page. Some older editions were printed without bar numbers or rehearsal marks (letters or numbers). Is the request defensible that all players count out their own bar numbers and mark them themselves? If yes, then you can optimize the process by providing everyone with bar numbers of notable points of the piece, such as fermatas, general pauses, repeat signs, a tempo marks and other similar elements and by indicating the total number of bars within movements. That way, if there is a discrepancy when counting out the bars, it is not necessary to start over from the beginning, but only from the last point of orientation where the count still corresponded to the bar number given. Note: Upbeats are not counted; bar 1 is the first full bar. And in repeats, if there are brackets, the alternative bars are counted only once: the first of the second-time bars has the same bar number as the first of the first-time bars.

Some additional pointers on the optimal preparation of the material: Has the music been printed in double-sided format so that the pages have to be turned? In that case, you should stick the sheets of paper together to form a booklet – provided there are rests at the end of the pages and thus time to turn them. If there is not enough time at the end of a page during which to turn it, we photocopy that page as a so-called “sliding page” that can be moved from right to left during some bars of rests, which I draw a red right-to-left arrow over that prompts the player to move the page accordingly. Obviously, if you are making a booklet with a sliding page, you have to make sure that the page that follows the sliding page is a right page. Ideally, sliding pages are also printed in double-sided format with the same notes on both sides: That way, players will always have music before them (and not just a blank page), without having to pay attention to the sliding page being turned to the correct side.

If you have a set of one-sided photocopies that have not been fastened together to form a booklet, what you actually have is a stack of sliding pages. You should definitely make sure then that they at least have page numbers. If your stack of paper consists of double-sided copies that need to be turned or of both one-sided and double-sided copies, it can easily happen that these are not recognized as such and are moved from right to left instead of being turned and that the player continues not on the next page, but on the next sheet. If that happens to you, you are playing a whole page ahead of the rest. A little “PTO” marking will help you prevent that.

2.1. Let’s get going

So. Everything is prepared and ready for the event to begin? Let’s hope everyone arrives in good time. “Punctuality is the politeness of kings.” (1) Need we say any more? But what is to be hoped for even more urgently is that everyone even turns up at all. Because otherwise… alternative literature must instantly be procured to busy the “minus one” ensemble. The problem has arisen before; so, there are collections of suggestions for such “emergencies” (see Bibliography: “What is there to play?”)

Even before you begin and get carried away by sheer enthusiasm, let it be said: Do not forget to take a break every now and again; it is vital. Open a window, have something to drink, stretch your legs, breathe some fresh air, exchange a few words: A bit of social interaction is a good thing, and it creates a bond.

Tuning… Well, you simply have to do it. Preferably only one at a time while everybody else is quiet. Even wind instruments can be played without vibrato – which is highly recommended, especially for tuning. As rising temperatures affect different instruments’ tuning in different ways (2), it is advisable to re-tune after the first ten minutes or so.

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2.2. At long last, let’s really get going

Is everybody on the right page? And does everybody know where to continue after the first page?

Hazard a glance to the top left, and recall what information is given there: time signature, key signature, tempo or movement heading. I have taken to reading it all aloud, so that everyone can (or must) notice, for instance: “two sharps, alla breve, allegro moderato.” Already, the question cannot be avoided: “Should we count 2 or 4 beats per measure?”

Then take a look at whether there are repeats and, above all, whether a da capo or a dal segno is indicated and where that segno is hiding. Salon music is particularly challenging in that regard. Even if the most precise instructions have been given in informative / warning manner as to the points where skipping backward – and to what points – or forward – and to what points – is called for, someone always ends up getting lost. Advanced chamber musicians are attentive to the repeat marks they pass and then know where they need to return to to repeat. More often than not, however, you need to wait a little bit until everyone has found the right point.

Can we begin? Then, please breathe in! I do say that not just for myself (since, for me as a flutist, there is no other way to begin), but also for the stringed guild. When musicians forget breathing, the resulting music will be – how to put it – short of breath? In any case it will lack the groove. But be careful; avoid breathing in hurriedly or jerkily. Rather, just breathe in comfortably and signal the desired tempo with an appropriate body movement. If you want to be on the safe side, count in a bar (or two).

By the way: All choirs warm up before they actually get started. But what about chamber-music ensembles? They could at least play a scale together in the key signature of the piece before them, in a comfortable octave, first upwards then downwards. That will do some good for sure.

Whoever is responsible for selecting the pieces for the occasion should definitely start the session off with a piece that is rather straightforward structurally and not too challenging in rhythmic terms. That allows everyone to get the ball rolling and not have to interrupt after just a few bars because someone has got tangled up.

3.1. Under way

Keeping the beat… There always seems to be someone tapping his foot, right? It is not easy to stop doing that, because it gives the illusion of security. But tapping can be done quietly – maybe? Or perhaps even just with your big toe in your shoe, so that nobody can see it and, therefore, nobody will be bothered by it. Encourage yourselves to try counting in whole bars for a change, or even in double bars.

Using your hand to show the beat: A player who has a few bars of rest, will sometimes try to help the others with conducting gestures – but be careful: Not everyone will appreciate that; many will find it annoying rather than helpful.

Heavy breathing, even if it is to the beat, can disturb others. Nothing more to be said, is there?

Losing one’s place can happen to everybody. An elegant thing to do in that case would be to put down your instrument and raise your hand. And because we are not glued to the music so badly that we have no idea what the other players are doing, we will soon notice the interruption. A less elegant thing to do is to just start talking. Anyway: As soon as someone speaks, that should serve as a signal for everybody to stop. Smart (seasoned?) chamber musicians will make sure to remember where the interruption occurred – whatever its cause – so that we know where to restart, even if we are playing from music without bar numbers. Whether everyone is so quick-witted remains to be seen.

And then there are those who interrupt the piece just to say, “That was the point where we normally lost track”…

When playing from music that has no bar numbers, but rehearsal marks, if, for example, you would like to resume at thirteen bars after the letter D, be advised to say it the other way around, i.e.: “Let’s start after the letter D in bar… let’s see, 1, 2, 3…” (while everyone counts along quietly) “… in the 13th bar.”

An insert from “Golden Rules For Ensemble Playing” which exist on the Internet in copious versions:1 “9. If you are completely lost, stop everyone and say: I think we should tune.”

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3.2. Good to know

calando from the Italian calare ‘to drop or sink,’ means “decreasing the volume or tempo, calming down.” (1) Whether, in addition to the volume, the tempo also ought to decrease must, it seems, be determined, or sensed, from the musical context. It has been stated that Mozart used the term to mean only the first. (2)

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cresc., it is said, means p. That is putting it boldly, of course, but the takeaway is: You have to start somewhat softly if you want to be able to increase the volume.

Fermatas: In general, if not always, a fermata should be preceded by a subtle ritardando.

Minuets are in three-quarter time, but, in general should be counted in two bars. If you ever have the chance to learn to dance a courtly minuet: the step routine is spread over two three-quarter bars.

Quarter rests: When playing from from old prints, especially French ones, musicians may be tripped up by confusing rest signs: We know the eighth rest; it looks like a 7. But the confusion arises with the quarter rest: In some old prints, it looks like a reversed 7.

A repeat sign should not be interpreted as a prompt to stop and ask: “Do you think we should take the repeat?” Nor does it call for a lethargic ritardando that brings the musical drive to a halt. Just repeat, that will do. Every repeat does, after all, offer a chance to play everything again (even) better.

In general, a repeat is required for the first part of a movement, and, of course, we comply with that. At the end of the second part, however, there may be no repeat sign… Then we often agree to repeat the second part as well, so that it is not neglected, i.e., practised less. We call this the “fairness repeat.”

3.3. Getting through

If I have an entry simultaneously with another part (a momentary rhythmic unison, so to say) I mark that point in my part with a little rhombus. That sign will help me remember to be alert and will serve as a cue for me not only to pay attention to precision in playing together, but also to perhaps cast a friendly glance in the relevant direction.

If you have long rests, you have to do a lot of counting. And all the while, you can listen to the other instruments and may notice that there are musical phrases with certain caesurae. I break down my long rests accordingly and jot down the length of those phrases. So, for example, instead of 15, the rest will be marked 8+4+3.

It is often quite easy to tell, just by following the flow of the music, when it is time to come back in, but there can be surprising or unexpected entries. In such cases, I circle the number of rest bars, which tells me: Pay attention and better count carefully.

After a page turn, I sometimes ask myself how many bars I need to wait until I resume playing. For that reason, I copy the number of rest bars from the previous page (the number I need to keep waiting) in the top left corner of the page. If the rest bars come after a page turn, I write a P in the bottom right corner so I know I can take my time turning the page, as rest bars await. (I have stopped writing the number of rest bars that follow on the next page beside the P because that often confused me – as I added that number to the number of bars that follow when I turn the page.)

If one instrument has short notes throughout, the others with their longer notes, should latch on to this voice to keep everything together. (1) Of course, the fundamental metre should remain unchanged, but if the player with the shortest notes has to slow down a bit, the others should yield – and everything will keep flowing nicely.

Practising should be done at home, not between pieces, please. Ears (and nerves) deserve some rest.

There is nothing wrong with practising difficult passages – individually at home. Or, perhaps collectively, slowly. But if there is a point that proves stubbornly difficult, can I simplify it? Yes, why not?

Sometimes, we want to help one another, by singing a passage out loud. This is nice (and can really help), but please, say in advance where, and in which bar you intend to start singing. Then I can not only listen to your tutorial, but can also read along and understand much better.

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4. To come to an end

How do we perform endings? It is a bad habit to do a huge ritardando, give the final note much emphasis, and also extend it decidedly. I urge you to look at the structure of the last bar, sometimes even the last two or four bars: The last heavy note is often quite neatly on the first beat of the last bar, and the following notes (including the actual final note) should be interpreted only as a sequence of progressively lighter sounds.1

If the last bar in a piece is empty, that empty bar should nonetheless be observed. The music ought to be allowed to linger for the length of at least one bar…

Berlin, Whitsun 2023

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Bibliography

Suggestions of chamber music, i.e., sources to turn to for answers to the question of “What is there to play?”

1. Altmann, Wilhelm, Handbuch für Klaviertriospieler, Verlag für musikalische Kultur und Wissenschaft 1934 – Wegweiser durch die Trios für Klavier, Violine und Violoncell
2. Altmann, Wilhelm, Kammermusik-Katalog, Karl Merseburger 1931 – Ein Verzeichnis von seit 1841 veröffentlichten Kammermusikwerken
3. Altmann, Wilhelm, Kleiner Führer durch die Streichquartette für Haus und Schule, Deutscher Musik-Literaturverlag 1950
4. Funk, Vera, Klavierkammermusik mit Bläsern und Streichern in der 2. Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts, Bärenreiter 1995
5. Heimeran, Aulich, Das stillvergnügte Streichquartett, Heimeran Verlag 1956 / Bärenreiter 1987 & Aulich, Heimeran, Coda zum stillvergnügten Streich-Quartett, Heimeran Verlag 1959/60
6. Lemacher, Heinrich, Handbuch der Hausmusik, Verlag Anton Pustet, Graz - Salzburg - Wien 1948
7. Lemacher, Schmidt, Almanach der Hausmusik, Musikverlag Hans Gerig, Köln 1958
8. Mersmann, Hans, Die Kammermusik Bd. I bis IV, Breitkopf & Härtel 1933
9. Saam, Josph, Zur Geschichte des Klavierquartetts bis in die Romantik, Valentin Koerner 1977
10. Schmieder, Hans-Heinrich, Das wohltemperierte Klaviertrio, Atlantis 1984 – Ein Leitfaden für Freunde der Hausmusik mit Klavier
11. Schmieder, Hans-Heinrich, Wohltemperierte Hausmusik, Atlantis 1996 – Neuentdeckungen für Freunde der Kammermusik mit Klavier und Generalregister von Duo bis Nonett
12. Werner-Jensen, Arnold (ed.), Reclams Kammermusikführer, Reclam 1990

Disquisitions on chamber music in the home and advice:

1. Aulich, Bruno, Alte Musik für Hausmusikanten, Heimeran Verlag 1968 – Aufführungspraxis
2. Aulich, Bruno, Alte Musik recht verstanden – richtig gespielt, Heimeran Verlag 1957 – Aufführungspraxis
3. Blum, David, Die Kunst des Quartettspiels, Bärenreiter 1988
4. Bowen, Catherine D., Friends and Fiddlers, Dent & Sons, London 1936 – Chamber Music
5. Fauth, Stéphane, Musizieren im Streichquartett, ACMP – Wege zu einem vertieften Zusammenspiel
6. Ganzer, Kusche, Vierhändig, Heimeran Verlag 1954
7. Mingotti, Antonio, Singe, wem Gesang gegeben, Heimeran Verlag 1955
8. Schmitz, Hans-Peter, Singen und Spielen, Versuch einer allgemeinen Musizierkunde, Bärenreiter 1958
9. Valentin, Erich, Musica domestica, Hohner Verlag 1959 – Von Geschichte und Wesen der Hausmusik
10. Spranger, Eduard, Rede über die Hausmusik, Bärenreiter 1955

Further reading:

1. Rowley, Alec, Do’s and Don’ts for Musicians, Ashdown – A Handbook for Teachers and Performers
2. Schrammek, Bernhard, Die Musikwelt der Klassik, Bärenreiter 2011
3. Taylor, Der wohltemperierte Zuhörer, Heimeran Verlag 1948 – Nützliche und ergötzliche Hinweise insbesondere für Hörer von Orchesterwerken auch am Radio