Rehearsals and Impressions of “Coruscation”

In the time since my first blog entry, I had the opportunity to work on the Watkins piece in greater detail with Solon.  Our initial rehearsals focused on Coruscation, which I found to be in complete contrast to the latter Reflection in both character and mood.  However, there are certain elements of Reflection present in Coruscation which ties the two movements together.

The structure of Coruscation is simple enough—it consists of a clear ABA form.  Figuring out how the violin and piano parts fit together was more complex and required several different approaches.  We began by dividing the movement into several sections.  Some sections were clear cut and easy to put together.  Other sections though were very intricate and required us to slow down and take them measure by measure.  For the rhythmically difficult parts, it was often helpful to play our parts separately and listen to each other.  Then, when we put it together, the music made much more sense.

I discovered that putting together new music such as this Watkins piece is a very different process from what I am used to.  With older music from the standard repertoire, I already have an idea of what the music is supposed to sound like, how the violinist interacts with the pianist, and the direction each must take.  For me, the timing and rhythmic irregularities were the first challenges to overcome for the Watkins piece.  Sometimes, we needed to be very meticulous about playing exactly what was written on the page.  Other times, it was more beneficial to feel the music and its flow, making sure we ended up at major bar lines or down beats together.  There was even a part where ignoring each other and focusing on our own parts actually worked out better because the beat structures of the violin and piano parts did not coincide.

Finding direction for this piece was the next hurdle.  My initial impression of Coruscation was of never-ending forward motion.  The movement is constantly pushing and rising in distinct patterns which culminate in a dramatic and fiery ending.  The dynamics contribute to this motion, with explicit crescendos and fortissimos where the ratios of crescendos to decrescendos and of fortes to pianos are quite large, further emphasizing the wild and ascending nature of Coruscation.  The piano serves to maintain the rhythmic strength of the piece and, in a way, struggles against the violin for prominence with a part that is equally dynamic.

I’d like to close this blog entry with some thoughts about the ending of Coruscation. It leaves the audience wondering what, if anything, is coming next.  From research I learned that Reflection was composed some time after Coruscation premiered.  In my mind, Coruscation can stand alone, so I wonder why Mr. Watkins composed Reflection afterwards as a companion.  My next blog posting will focus on Reflection and how it relates to the movement that precedes it.  Thank you and check back mid-January for more on my preparation of Watkins’ Coruscation and Reflection!

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