Rehearsal Plan for First Suite in E-Flat by Gustav Holst

Name: Rachel Landers

Course: MUS 111

Date: February 14th, 2023

Notes: ask for 5 minute warning to allow time to run chaconne in its entirety

Sequence of Events

1. Letter C, mm. 65-72: Bring out the Eb CL and HN 1 solo lines so that they can be heard

between the Flute and Oboe solos

a. The Ideal:

i. The Eb Clarinet adds harmonic contribution to the Flute and Oboe solos, I

want it to be heard enough so that it can be felt by the rest of the band (not

to fade in the background)

ii. The Eb Clarinet passes off to HN 1, which continues the line. I want a

smooth pass that makes it sound like one coherent line that makes sense in

the texture of the piece

iii. Show a slight ritard in mm. 71-72

b. Start with everyone playing together (not mentioning what the goal of this section

is). Assess balance

i. FL solo, OBS solo, ASAX, Eb CL (66-69) , HN 1 (70-72)

c. Assuming that the Eb and HN cannot be heard, ask them to play alone. Try to

emphasize the passing off of the line at mm. 69-70

 i. The Eb clarinet is being covered, so make sure that they understand where

to play their cues and that they know when to come in. The issue may be

that they don’t know where they’re at

ii. Listen for balance between the HN and Eb, encourage both to play louder,

but ask that the horn matches the same volume level when they enter at

mm. 70

d. Play with everyone, and conduct specifically to the Eb and HN, encouraging them

to play out more

2. Letter A, mm. 23-41 (two before A - B)

a. The Ideal:

i. Very crisp and pointed staccato in the 16th rhythms, CNT 1 and TBN 1

bringing out their 16ths on beats 3

ii. Grand crescendos at 31-32 and 39-40, but continuing in the short staccato

style

b. Start two before letter A (mm. 23) only if you play eighth - sixteenths and join in

whenever you play them

i. FL PICC (25 on), OBS, Eb CL (25 on), CL 1-3, BCL (27-30), BSN

(26-32), ASAX (25 ON), TSAX (25 ON), CNT 1 (25 - 30 beat 3, 31 on),

TBN 1 (26-29 beat 3, 31 on)

c. Listen to the style and make sure they are matching throughout individual sections

as well as throughout multiple sections

 i. Listen to whichever section you think sounds like they are matching the

best and ask them to play while other sections listen. Ask the other

sections to join in with them

ii. Do different pairings of sections (saxes with clarinets, flutes/picc with

bassoons) and try and get the style to match even though the sections

aren’t in the same range. Getting even the lowest instruments to match the

short style of the higher instruments

d. Once it feels like the style has matched (or if it feels like your losing the rest of

the ensemble), begin to add in everyone else (those who play the chaconne)

i. Keep the short stacc, but those with the chaconne should feel bouncy and

not clip their notes. The two groups should not be listening to each other

for style, they have very different styles

e. Alternate between conducting stacc (for 16ths) and marcato (for chaconne)

i. Find which style of conducting makes more sense with the group and wich

one gets the reaction you like the most

3. Full Run of Movement 1