What Allan is playing

[karlhenning]

It's only a play on sound. Not grandly funny, and in that class of humor where the more one explains, the less the humor seems.

[toledobass]

So the chorus was in last night.  Some pitch sagging scares me a little.  We also worked on the first movement again and also spent a great deal of time on the second.  He's working towards a freedom in the music that goes over two measures,  but people don't seem to understand where things are pointing as every down beat is heavy and each measure is note to note.  For what he's asking for it's better to think of the pizzicatto as legato but people are confused because they are trying to be with the conductor every single beat rather than actually understand what is happening musically.  Am I frustrated?  Yeah more than just a little.......


Allan 

[karlhenning]

Oof!

[toledobass]

Overtime the past 2 nights is making this a tiring week.  Last night we had the 2 soloists in.  Both sound excellent with the mezzo soloists giving a very moving reading of the 4th mvmnt.  Both have ideal voices for the piece and complement one another as well.  We covered a lot of the piece last night, especially focusing on big tutti passages.  The brass were really taxed by the end of the rehearsal,  hopefully they can recover.  Today is an early dress beginning at 1:30 and he mentioned that we wouldn't be running from beginning to end so I think that's good, and not just for the brass.


Allan

[toledobass]

Zander week is now over.  It was quite a thrill to be playing in Severence yesterday and the orchestra sounded excellent.  Everyone really stepped up as the chance to perform this piece in Severence is not only a highlight of the season but can probably be marked as a highlight of many of the musicians careers.  I thought to myself as I was leaving my house to drive to the hall that it could very well be the last time I ever play Mahler 2 in Severence. 

The hall is so easy to play in,  especially in comparison to our regular hall EJ Thomas Hall.  It took constant mental energy to remember to just relax and let the sound bloom naturally rather than having to push it out like we have to in EJ.  It was also fun to explore just how much the hall would support what you tried to do.  The softest pppp took some work getting to, but it was always a firm supported sound...very magical to experience the section sounding like that. 

There was some stuff that I really worried about all during rehearsals like the opening stuff out of the last movement never being together because of pulse problems,  but somehow in both concerts it just happened.  Very surprising stuff.  Some intonation things here and there were a little bothersome,  but all in all it was a huge success.


Rosenberg Plain Dealer Review
Akron Beakon Journal article on the Severence concert

Now a few days off and next week I'll return to work with Citymusic Cleveland which I am really looking forward to.  A lot of life to the music making in this group.  It'll be the first time I get to work with the MD James Gaffigan and we're doing 6 concerts of this program:

Edvard Grieg: Erotik from Lyric Pieces, Op.43
Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
Franz Schreker: Intermezzo for string orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music)


Till then,
Allan

[karlhenning]

Zander week is now over.  It was quite a thrill to be playing in Severence yesterday and the orchestra sounded excellent.  Everyone really stepped up as the chance to perform this piece in Severence is not only a highlight of the season but can probably be marked as a highlight of many of the musicians careers.  I thought to myself as I was leaving my house to drive to the hall that it could very well be the last time I ever play Mahler 2 in Severence. 

The hall is so easy to play in,  especially in comparison to our regular hall EJ Thomas Hall.  It took constant mental energy to remember to just relax and let the sound bloom naturally rather than having to push it out like we have to in EJ.  It was also fun to explore just how much the hall would support what you tried to do.  The softest pppp took some work getting to, but it was always a firm supported sound...very magical to experience the section sounding like that.

There was some stuff that I really worried about all during rehearsals like the opening stuff out of the last movement never being together because of pulse problems,  but somehow in both concerts it just happened.  Very surprising stuff.  Some intonation things here and there were a little bothersome,  but all in all it was a huge success.

Excellent! Bravo, Allan!

Edvard Grieg: Erotik from Lyric Pieces, Op.43
Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
Franz Schreker: Intermezzo for string orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music)

What a cool string program!  I know a Henning piece you could fit in between the Schoenberg and Schreker . . . .

[bhodges]

Now a few days off and next week I'll return to work with Citymusic Cleveland which I am really looking forward to.  A lot of life to the music making in this group.  It'll be the first time I get to work with the MD James Gaffigan and we're doing 6 concerts of this program:

Edvard Grieg: Erotik from Lyric Pieces, Op.43
Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
Franz Schreker: Intermezzo for string orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music)


Till then,
Allan

OMG I can't believe you are playing the Schreker!  I just discovered it last year and have been playing it to death!  It's an unknown gem, and although it may be more popular than I realize, your concert is the first time I've ever even seen it on a program.

--Bruce

[M forever]

That's the first time I have heard such positive comments about the acoustics in Severance Hall. I have never been to it myself, so I don't know, but I often hear it's rather dryish in sound and it certainly sounds like that on many recordings.

[Sergeant Rock]

Really great to hear it went well, Allan. I was a little apprehensive after your descriptions of the rehearsal difficulties but the reviews are glowing (thanks for the links). Bravo!

Sarge

[toledobass]

That's the first time I have heard such positive comments about the acoustics in Severance Hall. I have never been to it myself, so I don't know, but I often hear it's rather dryish in sound and it certainly sounds like that on many recordings.

I've not played in many great halls in my life.  My impression is that it is dry in that you don't have a lot that comes back to you and note decay that is fast,  but like I said everything is very well supported and you feel any note you play filling the space without having to push your sound to the back of the hall.  There is life to the sound of the hall.  Most of the places I play are black holes. You can also hear everything and everyone on stage. 

Allan

[toledobass]

Really great to hear it went well, Allan. I was a little apprehensive after your descriptions of the rehearsal difficulties but the reviews are glowing (thanks for the links). Bravo!

Sarge

While some stuff did go much better than I anticipated,  I think perhaps a lot of my frustration is just a normal part of the rehearsal process of a group that doesn't play together on a daily basis.  In Akron it takes a little while to figure out where our pulse and sound as a group are.  So because of that there are always ensemble problems early on and it takes those a rehearsals or 2 to tidy up that stuff before it seems like we get into any real musical/stylistic detail.   

Allan

[toledobass]

Guregian Akron Beakon Journal Review



Allan

[karlhenning]

Congratulations, Allan, splendid reviews!

'You know what I think — no wonder the Cleveland Orchestra sounds so good. It's none of my business, but I think you should play here all the time.

Yes, the acoustics are rather better than in Sanders Theatre 

[toledobass]

CityMusic begins this evening.  It can be a taxing week to get through because of the way they rehearsals are stacked into 2 days.  One of the rehearsals was cancelled this afternoon so we only have a single 3 hour service tonight that makes it a little less intense.  Here's the schedule for the week:


Monday, February 18         6pm to 9pm
Tuesday, February 19         1pm to 4pm   
Tuesday, February 19          6pm to 9pm
Wednesday, February 20    10pm to 1pm  Dress rehearsal in concert order

Concerts:
Wed.,February 20   touch up 6.00pm -  concert 7pm  St.Vitus Church
Thurs.,February 21 touch up 6.30pm - concert 7.30pm Elyria First United Methodist Church
Fri. February 22      touch up 7pm   -   concert at 8pm  Willoughby United Methodist Church
Sat. February 23     touch up 7pm  - concert at 8pm Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus
Sun. February 24    touch up 1pm  - concert at 2pm Fairmount Presbyterian Church
Sun. February 24   touch up 7.15pm – concert at 8pm  Westlake Schools Performing Arts


More later,
Allan

[toledobass]

Much work to accomplish today.  Gaffigan's flight into Cleveland was delayed yesterday and he didn't make it to rehearsal until the second half.  Not a complete disaster as the Grieg will be performed without conductor, so we used our time to work on that.  We are all able to contribute comments to the overall interpretation of the piece. With all the time we had,  we rehearsed it thouroughly and shaped it into something...I think.  With some remaining time we read through some of the Mozart.  The second half was all Schoenberg, with Gaffigan.  It's a difficult piece but in the short time we spent on it we made a lot of progress.  Particular attention was paid to not overplaying the dynamics and making sure that we not take so many liberties with the line (the underlying rhythmic pulse was being pulled too many ways).


Allan

[Cato]

That is some schedule: hooray for you and the group!

Make sure to relate the reaction to the Schreker and the Schoenberg!

Are these concerts gratis or do you pass the hat?   

[Bogey]

Your modesty prevented you from pasting this Allan, and rather you just gave us just a link.  So allow me to do the honors:

Akron Symphony hits the big league
Orchestra, chorus marvel at acoustics of Cleveland's Severance Hall

Akron Symphony offers majestic Mahler in Severance Hall debut

Symphony rises to demands of hectic pace, different sites
Players respond to guest Zander, make weekend a triumph at E.J. Thomas and Severance debut


Well done!

[Bogey]

Any recordings come out these performances Allan?  I went back a few pages and did not catch if there were plans for this or not.

[Bogey]

Allan,
Did you leave feedback for Zander?:

Wherever he conducts, Benjamin Zander places a sheet of white paper on the music stand of each player. The paper gives orchestra musicians the chance to do something largely unheard of in this most undemocratic of institutions: Send comments back to the conductor.

And Zander actually listens to what the players have to say.

http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2008/02/boston_conductor_zander_to_lea.html

[toledobass]

That is some schedule: hooray for you and the group!

Make sure to relate the reaction to the Schreker and the Schoenberg!

Are these concerts gratis or do you pass the hat?   

They are free,  I think there is a donation box but there's no "suggested donation" or anything like that.

Allan