How much time do the musicians spend on personal practicing?
Of course, we can’t expect to waltz into the first rehearsal Tuesday morning, sit down, and play perfectly together. We must all prepare our parts individually. Depending on the piece, the preparation time can vary greatly. For a standard piece that the orchestra plays frequently, and isn’t too difficult, less than an hour of practice time may be required. For a new or difficult piece, several hours may be needed. In music that contains a big solo part for a principal (like the violin solo from Strauss’s “Ein Heldenleben,” for example,) several days and even weeks might be spent preparing the part. If one of us is going to perform a concerto or a showpiece as a soloist with the orchestra, we might be practicing that piece for several months.
