What Allan is playing

[toledobass]

Thanks Guys.  That sounds interesting.  I'll have to check it out, I'd like to hear that.


Allan

[toledobass]

I forgot to comment on the Barber rehearsal last night.  I wasn't really sold on the piece last night and another go at it tonight leaves the same taste lingering.  I'm not finding the material that makes up the piece to be of very much interest.  The harmonic language almost sounds 'Danny Elfmanish'.  Who knows though, maybe I need another go at it. 

Allan

[Cato]

I forgot to comment on the Barber rehearsal last night.  I wasn't really sold on the piece last night and another go at it tonight leaves the same taste lingering.  I'm not finding the material that makes up the piece to be of very much interest.  The harmonic language almost sounds 'Danny Elfmanish'.  Who knows though, maybe I need another go at it. 

Allan

Hi Allan!

(I have always preferred Jenna Elfman.)

Anyway, can you give us a comparison between the Akron and Toledo orchestras, style, competence, programming, etc? 

And have you ever played with the big kids up in Cleveland?   

[karlhenning]

There's so much strong music in the Barber catalogue. As with many another composer, there are stretches of unknown output, and the question hangs in the balance:  Are these Forgotten Gems, or are they more-or-less rightly neglected? . . .

[toledobass]

There's so much strong music in the Barber catalogue. As with many another composer, there are stretches of unknown output, and the question hangs in the balance:  Are these Forgotten Gems, or are they more-or-less rightly neglected? . . .

Many of the same thoughts come to my mind, Karl.  I thought perhaps that it may be the the early nature of the work (op 7) that contributes to my feelings about it, but seeing that the School for Scandal overture was written 2 years prior,  makes me lean more toward this being a 'dud'.  I do think there is some good stuff in it. A lot of the orchestration is nice,  but again it's the actual harmonic and melodic material that I'm questioning.

Allan

[toledobass]

Hi Allan!

(I have always preferred Jenna Elfman.)

Anyway, can you give us a comparison between the Akron and Toledo orchestras, style, competence, programming, etc? 

And have you ever played with the big kids up in Cleveland?   

Hey Cato!!!

Jenna is cute. 

I hope you had a nice holiday!!! Happy New Year.

As for the differences between the 2 orchestras I play in,  they are quite different.

Toledo is a full time orchestra that has a 42 week season and has an annual budget hovering around the 6 million mark.  The orchestra has 2 different contracts though and there are those that are full time and part of the orchestra (like me) who only plays in certain series where a full orchestra is needed or sometimes when someone in the core of the orchestra takes time off.  Those shows are the big series classics, pops, any special 'gala' type performance (subscriber shows etc),  the Bruckner concert, sometimes opera,  kids shows.  I play very few runouts (where the orchestra plays in venues 45min to 3 hours away from home base).  That is a lot of the work the core performs outside of the big series.

Akron is what is called a per service orchestra.  The operating budget there is somewhere between 2 and 3 million,  from the figure I remember.  Unlike Toledo, where we are salaried, in Akron we get payed as we complete services.  The orchestra doesn't play together on daily basis. 

Because of these differences, when auditions happen Toledo is obviously able to draw a higher caliber of musician due to the fact that the symphony can be the only job they have.  It draws a national talent pool.  Akron auditions are mainly local players since it isn't a job that can support a person without some other supplemental income.  It does have proximity to the fine music schools of Oberlin and Cleveland Institute which helps the over all ability,  but it can also hurt in that the turn over is quite high year to year which doesn't help develop an overall group sound or cohesiveness. 

I hope this answers some questions about the groups.  If there are any more,  fire away.


Allan

[Cato]

Interesting: I would have thought the Akron group would be somewhat more parallel with Toledo, but then when you have that gorilla playing up there in Cleveland, the competition is obvious!

Have you ever been asked to substitute or augment a big work with the Cleveland Orchestra?

[toledobass]

Cato,

No, I've never been asked to play with the Cleveland O.  I don't really know how it works but string subs are seldom used there. 


Allan

[toledobass]

Akron Symphony concert review here. 

This week at the Toledo Symphony, Joshua Bell comes in for a subscriber special event.  Our resident conductor Chelsea Tipton II will be conducting.  Here's the program:

Corigliano:  Promendade Overture
Sibelius:  Kerelia Suite
Liszt:  Les Preludes

Intermission

Rachmaninoff:  Vocalise
Bruch:  Violin Concerto

Rehearsals:

Wed 7:30
Thursday 10:00 with the concert later that evening at 8.


Allan

[toledobass]

With the exception of the second movement,  during the Karelia suite I was scratching my head wondering if it could really be that the same Sibelius that wrote those damn cool symphonies I love also wrote this.

The Corigliano seems like there should have been an easier way to notate the score and parts.  A lot of confusion trying to put it together.


Allan

[M forever]

With the exception of the second movement,  during the Karelia suite I was scratching my head wondering if it could really be that the same Sibelius that wrote those damn cool symphonies I love also wrote this.

Yes it is. Sibelius had a very wide spectrum as a composer. He wrote a lot of miniatures and incidental music like this, and while those pieces may not have the "depth" of his symphonies and tone poems, they are also meticulously crafted. But they don't pretend to be very "deep" either. The way he builds the first movement of the Karelia suite from just a few motivic ideas and elements has a lot in common with how he built his symphonies. Only that he wants to "say" more in the symphonies. So the argument is more complex. Not every piece of music has to be a very "profound" statement.

[toledobass]

Yes it is. Sibelius had a very wide spectrum as a composer. He wrote a lot of miniatures and incidental music like this, and while those pieces may not have the "depth" of his symphonies and tone poems, they are also meticulously crafted. But they don't pretend to be very "deep" either. The way he builds the first movement of the Karelia suite from just a few motivic ideas and elements has a lot in common with how he built his symphonies. Only that he wants to "say" more in the symphonies. So the argument is more complex. Not every piece of music has to be a very "profound" statement.

Good points there, M.  My expectations got the better of me in this case.

Allan

[toledobass]

Bell sounded terrific this morning.  His color pallete especially in the lower end of dynamics is really special.

Allan

[toledobass]

Excellent concert last night.  Bell played well.  A jaw dropping excerpt from the Red Violin was played as an encore.  Amazing stuff.

A runout today 45 minutes or so away in Findlay, Ohio.  Some music from last nights performance and some from the upcoming Mozart series concert.

Next week I'll still be in Toledo.  Our resident conductor Chelsea Tipton II will be conducting and our principal second violinist Mewin Siu is the soloist in this program:

Dvorak:  Carnival Overture
Hartmann:  Concerto Funebre
Orff: Carmina Burana


Allan

[toledobass]

Even under tempo,  the last movement of the Hartmann was pretty rough last night.  I'm sure it'll shape up by this afternoon's rehearsal.  Amazing what a day can do for a group.  The chorus is in tonight.

Allan

[karlhenning]

Even under tempo,  the last movement of the Hartmann was pretty rough last night.

A little more funèbre than comme il faut, eh, Allan? 

[toledobass]

Dress reheasal last night went well.  The Orff sounds fine and the performance will be good.  The soloists sound good, especially the soprano.  I could use a little more volume from the baritone but he may just be marking the whole time. 

The Hartmann is a heck of a piece to play.  In talking to musicians during rehearsal breaks,  it seems as though it's been a little difficult to wrap ears around the thing, with concentrating on the parts and all.  I joked with people that it was so catchy and got some chuckles from that.  I thought it came together quite well last night. Aside from a few missteps it felt like we were working as a group too.  I'm looking forward to playing it tonight.

Allan

[Cato]

Be sure to tell us about the audience reaction to the Hartmann!  (Polite, or enthusastic?)  I sure do regret not being able to attend, but Life has thrown me some unpleasant surprises in the past year or two.

[toledobass]

Be sure to tell us about the audience reaction to the Hartmann!  (Polite, or enthusastic?)  I sure do regret not being able to attend, but Life has thrown me some unpleasant surprises in the past year or two.

I'll be interested in that too.  Sorry you can't make it too.  Keep your head high....

Allan

[toledobass]

Here's the Blade Review.

All in all a very good concert last night.  I was especially pleased with the Hartmann which felt good to play.  Not very much in the review about it.  It sort of looks like that review was edited quite a bit....not even a mention of the Dvorak.  I guess our baritone wasn't marking after all.

As for Cato's inquiry as to what the audience response would be,  I'm happy to report that it was very well, almost surprisingly well recieved by the audience.  (but maybe I'm underestimating how much the audience has grown along with us)  Much more than just a polite applause for the performance but not over the top either.  There was enough to understand that the overwhelming majority genuinely enjoyed the piece/performance.  It definetly wasn't a luke warm polite reaction.  Merwin, the soloist, also got a standing ovation for one of his curtain calls. 

Looking forward to it again tonight.
Allan