The session I had been dreading had arrived.  The Trio section of the Fodor quartet has 4 really difficult passages in it, and there are 2 more moderately tricky passages in the Minuet.  I had been drilling these 6 parts in the background since I started this project, even while I was learning the other parts.  I knew this was going to be the make or break section for whether I could pull this piece off.

 

I was pretty sure I was ready.

 

I decided to just start with the Trio section which kicks off with difficult passage #1 to make sure I was as fresh as possible.   It... actually went pretty well.  

 

I played through the entire Trio and then stopped and we went back to hit the hard parts.  We did the comping method similar to the Barbella Serenade; I ran the part four times and then we assembled the best combined take.  Weirdly, the difficult measure 5 I was most worried about I hit pretty much the first time.  Measure 6 was the one that I spend the most time trying to get right.

 

Easily the hardest measure was the descending run that doubled the skittering mandola towards the end of the Trio A section.  I don't even want to tell how long I spent running it.  The measure has a lot of pinky - ring finger alternations (easily the weakest fingers on the hand) and a string switch towards the end.  In addition to just getting all the notes, I had to make sure it was sync'd with the mandola.  I had a couple runs that were technically right on their own but didn't match the mandola.

 

The third nasty package, requiring a large reach, a tucked pinky and a string switch, actually went better than I anticipated.   The fourth only took two tries.

 

After all that I finished out the movement and then went back and did the Minuet in one take.  (Admittedly, even with the two tricky passages it's considerably easier than the Trio).   

 

And with that, the quartet was fully tracked.  I hope I don't find anything I need to go back and touch up, but I will if I have to.   In addition to my own personal bent towards perfectionism, I feel a certain responsibility to this music.  I want to get it as right as is in my power.   

 

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01/28/21 - 2 hours

Fodor Quartet Violin 1 Minuet-Trio COMPLETE