New Music Friday: Ballet No. 6 from L’Amant Anonyme

This piece works well with a variety of orchestra sizes since the low strings are frequently tutti, and the violin parts are also often unified. This piece offers students numerous learning opportunities, such as experiencing how to perform in the Classical-Era style, 6/8 meter at a prestissimo tempo, ternary form featuring A-Major and A-minor, at-the-frog and off-the-string bowings, hooked-bowings, bow lifts, up-bows at the frog, and more.

Students are encouraged to play the eighth notes off-the-string to enhance the piece’s energy. Keep hooked bowings in the lower half of the bow and lift the bow between each note. At letter C, exaggerate the accents and lift the bow off the string between each dotted-quarter note. Low strings should take extra care not to rush the tempo at letter C, and lifting their bows between each note can help. Open strings are encouraged to be used when possible for maximum resonance.

Violin I, Violin II, and Viola parts are entirely in first position but do require extended fingerings. Fourth finger suggestions eliminate string crossings. Cello and Bass parts include fingerings for shifting, as needed, to either reach higher notes or facilitate playing passages effectively at a faster tempo. The Cello part includes several Viola cues that could be helpful if there is a smaller Viola section in the ensemble.