An opportunity to work intensively on string quartets in preformed groups. You will receive coaching from each of the four members of the experienced and ever-popular Tedesca Quartet.
STANDARD: CONFIDENT, SKILFUL
Resident: £402 Non-Resident: £292 (25% off for under 27s) Code: 24/240
Booking for Members opens at 11am on Monday 20 November 2023
Non-Member and online booking opens at 11am on Monday 11 December 2023
For details on how to become a Member to take advantage of early booking, see here.
What is the course about?
The Tedesca Quartet return to lead our well-established summer course for pre-formed string quartets and other small string chamber ensembles - trios, quintets and sextets also acceptable.
Tutor website: www.tedesca.co.uk
What will we cover?
It will be entirely up to individual groups as to how much music they get through during the course. Tastes and inclinations vary and while one group could well be content to concentrate on a couple of movements from a particular piece, another might want to get through two whole quartets during their stay. The wonderful Benslow library is at your disposal during the course should you find you want to sight-read a completely different work for a change, perhaps as an evening's relaxation after a hard day of coaching and rehearsing!
What will we accomplish? By the end of this course you will be able to…
During the coached sessions advice will be given on both individual techniques and on how best to play together and blend well in your quartet. Suggestions as to rehearse together will come up. Of paramount importance of course will be how best to achieve an appropriate musical spirit for the piece under discussion.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Standard: Confident, Skilful
How will the course be taught, and will any preparation be required?
You will receive coaching from each of the four members of the experienced and ever-popular Tedesca Quartet. In the session after coffee on the Saturday morning the Tedesca Quartet will hold a ‘workshop’ in which they will discuss, demonstrate and then perform a string quartet, possibly two. Previous years have witnessed performances of quartets by Janacek, Prokofiev and Martinu.
Will music be provided in advance of the course?
No, participants are requested to bring their own music. Helpful resources: IMSLP has a wide range of parts and scores. Benslow Music members may be able to hire the music from our library.
Is there anything I need to bring?
You, your music and your instrument!
What previous participants said about this course…
“This has been the best coaching my quartet has received to date. Each of the Tedesca have impressive coaching skills - knowing how far to push us as a group; communicating in a clear and easy to understand way e.g. demonstrating by playing a passage in a certain way; using words/phrases as analogies to help us add colour and give the right character to a passage of music; using positive feedback to help encourage us to improve our playing. Overall their feedback has been really motivating for my quartet and helped take us up to the next level. Bravo!”
“The attention to musical technique and interpretation detail by each of the tutors combined with a relaxed personal approach made each coaching session most enjoyable as well as valuable.”