Yeh Plays Bernstein
Orchestral Excerpt Insights • 6m 9s
In this episode of Orchestral Excerpt Insights, CSO Principal Percussion Cynthia Yeh demonstrates how a vibraphone can evoke the drama of Leonard Bernstein’s epic score from West Side Story. For Yeh, this excerpt comes alive when the player focuses on creating a scene and using the full capacity of the instrument. “The vibraphone is a mallet instrument, but there are so many options for colors, inflections and nuances. This comes not just from your hands playing the notes, but your feet doing the pedaling.” Her advice for young percussionists? “Don’t neglect the vibes in your daily practice.”
Up Next in Orchestral Excerpt Insights
-
Yeh Plays Berlioz
When it premiered in 1830, Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique astounded musicians and audiences alike with its innovative instrumentation, form and exploration of extra-musical plot. In this Orchestral Excerpt Insight, CSO Assistant Principal Clarinet and E-flat Clarinet John Bruce Yeh demons...
-
Sharp Plays Beethoven
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is known around the world, and although the music conveys power and beauty to listeners, the piece poses many challenges for its performers. In this Orchestra Excerpt Insight, CSO Principal Cello John Sharp explores three passages from the second movement, which is ofte...
