Prescreening & Audition Repertoire - Yale School of Music

Strings Audition Information

Violin

Prescreening Recording (Video preferred, with high-quality audio):

• (1) one movement of an unaccompanied Bach sonata or partita (A.D., M.M.A., and D.M.A. applicants must provide two movements)
• (2) a movement of a Romantic or 20th-century concerto
• (3) any Paganini caprice
• (4) a short work of your choice that shows off your violinistic style
• (5) a movement of a Mozart concerto

Live Audition:

Audition and prescreening repertoire may be the same or different, as long as both programs adhere to these guidelines. (A.D., M.M.A. and D.M.A. applicants must play Mozart at the live audition. M.M. and Certificate applicants will NOT be asked to play Mozart at the live audition).

Viola

Prescreening Recording (Video or Audio; piano required, where applicable):

Applicants must provide at least fifteen minutes of music of their choice, including three works of contrasting style. One movement of each work is acceptable, and applicants should be sure that at least one of the pieces (the concerto or the sonata) is a Romantic work. It is not necessary to include the pieces required for the live audition.

Live Audition:

• (1) the prelude from any Bach cello suite or the first movement of any Bach sonata or partita for solo violin, or the Chaconne
• (2) the first movement of a Romantic viola sonata by a composer such as Brahms, Glinka, Franck, Schubert, or Vieuxtemps OR a transcription of a piece such as Brahms Op. 38 and Op. 78, the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata, or the Grieg Cello Sonata
• (3) the first movement of a viola concerto by a composer such as Mozart (Clarinet Concerto, arr. for viola), Bartók, Hindemith, Walton, Martinů, Bowen, Penderecki, Schnittke (first and second movements), or Elgar (Cello Concerto, arr. L. Tertis)
• (4) a short, required piece that will be announced to invited applicants four to six weeks before the audition
• (5) A.D. and D.M.A. applicants only must also include a short piece (no more than ten minutes) such as Vieuxtemps’ Elegie, Enescu’s Concertstück, or Bruch’s Kol Nidrei

Applicants must be sure that at least one of the pieces (the concerto or the sonata) is a Romantic work.

Cello

Prescreening Recording:

• (1) the second movement of the Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante or the first movement of the Shostakovich Concerto No. 1
• (2) the first movement of the Haydn D Major Concerto or the last movement of the Haydn C Major Concerto

Live Audition:

Prepare the same two pieces that were submitted on the prescreening recording.

Double Bass

Prescreening Recording (Video required):

• (1) a movement of a Bach cello suite
• (2) two contrasting movements from concertos, sonatas, or virtuoso pieces
• (3) two contrasting orchestral excerpts

Live audition:

Prepare the same pieces as the prescreening recording, plus a short contemporary work by a composer such as Carter, Kurtág, Berio, Henze, or Persichetti

Harp

Prescreening Recording (Audio or Video):

• (1) a work by Bach or another Baroque composer such as Scarlatti (two sonatas of contrasting style) or Handel
• (2) a large solo work from the standard repertoire, such as Impromptu by Fauré, Suite by Britten, Légende by Renié, works by Parish Alvars, Rhapsodie by Grandjany
• (3) a sonata from the 20th-century standard repertoire by composers such as Casella, Tournier, Tailleferre, Hindemith, or Houdy

Live Audition:

Audition and prescreening repertoire may be the same or different, as long as both programs adhere to these guidelines.

Updated on 08/28/2018