What Allan is playing

[toledobass]

And it goes to 11.

[toledobass]

The Rouse is terribly difficult.  Our entire rehearsal tonight was dedicated to the piece.  A little scary to have only one rehearsal for it.  The conductor is doing a great job at holding it all together, but still I don't think we're going to get the second movement to the printed metronome marking of quarter=140.  I was dreading this because even when listening to a recording I was having trouble following along.  Trying to practice it alone is difficult because it just takes a while to figure out the rhythm.  Very tricky stuff basically every permutation of odd meter there is  5-11/16. Along with tricky unfamiliar rythmic groupings you don't see everyday,  the note patterns are not common either.  It turns out to be a little easier with everyone playing since everything fits together and bounces off one another so it's easier to feel the groove of the piece rather than trying to hammer it out yourself alone in your practice room.  I've never been so happy to see a conductor giving solid downbeats.

Zarathustra is coming along quite nicely.  He's been working a lot on just developing a good lush romantic sound and a nice flexible way with the phrasing. 

Dress tomorrow evening,
Allan

[karlhenning]

Sometimes, even apparently negotiable modern scores need more rehearsal than at first one may suppose.

[toledobass]

The guest conductors always seem to get shorted a rehearsal too Karl. So we only have 4 rehearsals including the dress for this concert, which is probably the most technically difficult we'll play this season.  When Stefan is in we get 5 rehearsals including the dress, for programs not nearly as demanding as this one.  While I believe in this conductor and think he's doing an amazing job in every way, my only complaint thus far is that we should have touched on the Rouse a little earlier in the week.  Difficult things have an easier time of settling when touched on a little earlier and more often throughout the week rather than one intense rehearsal.  It doesn't neccesarily need to take up any more time, but I find it to be a lot much more effective with this group. 

I don't think anyone looked at their part and thought apparently negotiable in one rehearsal.


Allan

[toledobass]

Last night came off with a surprisingly settled feel to it.  The rehearsals, especially the dress, were physically taxing and mentally draining to an extreme.  I thought my fatigue may be because of having my time off in California but everyone was wiped out. So much so that dress reharsal run throughs were a little shakey due to not only running the pieces but spot working some spots pretty intensly directly afterwards.  Keeping up concentration in rehearsal like that is demanding and it becomes a challenge trying to figure out how to pace yourself for the actual concert.  We pulled it together pretty well for the performance though.  Difficult sections in the Rouse went well, with bass section ensemble unified.  The fugue entrance in Zarathustra went well last night too!!!!! (I'm on the stand that starts it and there was some intonation trouble with it in dress.)

Unfortunalty there were a lot of empty seats last night.  The reception seemed not overly enthusiastic but gracious, but perhaps there just weren't enough people in the hall for me to understand what they thought.  Here's a review from the Toledo Blade.

One last thing regarding our guest conductor Giordani Bellincampi: as I was reading the program booklet last night, I came upon this part of his bio that made me chuckle.

In 2005/2006 he appeared with the Toledo Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Lahti Orchestra.

I'm sure the bio is doctored for our program booklets but it's still kind of funny for the 'little symphony that could' to be amongst those household names.

Repeats tonight then Sunday matinee without the Rouse. 

Allan

[toledobass]

I do like these Sunday matinees; this is the first year we've done these.  It does make for a longer week, but it is nice to have another performance of the same rep.  I've long thought that many repeat performances of the same repertoire can get tedious, but my recent experience with CityMusic and these added matinees in Toledo is making me rethink my views.  I find the matinee performances to be rather good performances and in no way phoned in like I originally thought they'd be.  I believe part of the quality being high is due to the programs being shortened to about an hour.  This usually means no concerto, which in turn means we get another shot at the major piece with less playing before it.  Saturday nights tend to be a lower energy than Friday, but many times more solid in technical matters. Sunday is turning out performances where lots of great things are happening without having to be forced, and that's a major reason I'm becoming a big fan of them.


Allan   

[karlhenning]

Allan! How are you doing?

[toledobass]

Howdy Karl, things are fine here. Easter vacation all around here so no work this week.  Chilling out and trying to catch up on stuff I avoided  while extending the trip out in Ca.

Allan

[Bogey]

Allan,
Is your orchestra doing something with an Elvis theme in the near future?

[toledobass]

I don't think so.  Last Elvis sighting was during a Halloween concert a few years ago where the conductor dressed up as Elvis.

Allan

[Bogey]

I don't think so.  Last Elvis sighting was during a Halloween concert a few years ago where the conductor dressed up as Elvis.

Allan

[toledobass]

Howdy folks,

This week brings one of my favorite weeks of the season and one that I've been looking forward to since it was programmed last year.  That's right, it's Bruckner week at the Toledo Symphony.  For those of you who've never heard of our Bruckner week, Stefan began programming a Bruckner symphony each year since he took over as music director.  We've tackled the 7th, 3rd and 8th so far.  This week brings the 9th and next year the 5th. 

In past seasons, we were in fabulous shape since the weeks prior to Bruckner week found us led by Stefan in a Mozart week, then a classics week, then Bruckner.  Usually we see him a week here and a week there, so I've always looked forward to the orchestra having that much time under our music director.  This year is a little different though.  We get him for a couple of weeks but starting rather than ending with Bruckner.  The guest conductor, Giordani Bellencampi was with us for the Mozart and Classics weeks prior to Bruckner week.  We get Stefan for the Bruckner week then immediately after,  another Classics week,  which I will post about later.

The concert is a subscriber give away for our Mozart series subscribers and of course tickets to the general public are available.  The concerts are given in the visually appealing Rosary Cathedral in Toledo.  The acoustics are also benefical to the music.  The house is always packed. 

Our understanding of this music has grown each year and I believe with each new symphony that we've undertaken has been more and more musically rich.  It's a wierd thing for me to think that we can grow in this litereature only seeing it once a year, but somehow that's what's happening.  The concerts have always been extremely well received, which somehow surprised me at first (the whole is Toledo ready for Bruckner....silly me).  The audience support and enthusiasm for these concerts is palpable and in that way I feel we're obligated to really play them well. 

It's not all good though.  Bruckner has that way of dividing not only listeners, but also orchestra musicians.  So for some it's torturous. Too bad for them that we're not even half way through symphonies.  Mwahahahaha


Schedule:

Tues 3-5:30     7:30-9:30 rehearsals at the Peristyle
   
Wed 3-5:30     7:30-9:30 rehearsal and dress at Rosary Cathedral

Thurs 7  concert


Allan

   

[Sergeant Rock]

The concerts have always been extremely well received, which somehow surprised me at first (the whole is Toledo ready for Bruckner....silly me).  The audience support and enthusiasm for these concerts is palpable and in that way I feel we're obligated to really play them well. 

I hope that continues with the Ninth. But it's been my experience that audience enthusiasm seems damped when it's Bruckner 9. I recall thunderous ovations in 1972 and 1973 at Severance for Bruckner 7 and 3, but a quite muted response for the Ninth. It probably has something to do, or everything to do, with the symphony ending with a slow movement, and quietly. Anyway, don't be surprised or disappointed if the audience seems less responsive. And once again, this year as last, I'm disappointed I won't be there to hear you. Good luck, and good playing!

Sarge

[toledobass]

I hope that continues with the Ninth. But it's been my experience that audience enthusiasm seems damped when it's Bruckner 9. I recall thunderous ovations in 1972 and 1973 at Severance for Bruckner 7 and 3, but a quite muted response for the Ninth. It probably has something to do, or everything to do, with the symphony ending with a slow movement, and quietly. Anyway, don't be surprised or disappointed if the audience seems less responsive. And once again, this year as last, I'm disappointed I won't be there to hear you. Good luck, and good playing!

Sarge

That's interesting Sarge and something I'll keep have to keep in mind.  Also, I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to sending you stuff I've been wanting to send you.  One day I'll hang up my headphones and make it to the post office.

Thanks for the good wishes,
Allan 

[karlhenning]

. . . I recall thunderous ovations in 1972 and 1973 at Severance for Bruckner 7 and 3, but a quite muted response for the Ninth. It probably has something to do, or everything to do, with the symphony ending with a slow movement, and quietly.

Audiences are slow to accept changes in convention, and it's only been 112 years, after all, Sarge . . . .

[Sergeant Rock]

Audiences are slow to accept changes in convention, and it's only been 112 years, after all, Sarge . . . .

True, Karl...we need to give them time to adapt. Evolution is a slow process afterall    But mabe I'm being needlessly pessimistic. Maybe the Toledo audience will surprise us.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Also, I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to sending you stuff I've been wanting to send you.  One day I'll hang up my headphones and make it to the post office.

I understand, Allan...I really do. I'm the surpreme procrastinator. I have many testimonials confirming that fact. Getting to a post office sometimes seems to be the most difficult thing in world.

Sarge

[Bogey]

That's interesting Sarge and something I'll keep have to keep in mind.  Also, I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to sending you stuff I've been wanting to send you.  One day I'll hang up my headphones and make it to the post office.

Thanks for the good wishes,
Allan 

Even if you wait a couple more months Allan, you will still look like lightning compared to my last mailing to a GMG'r. 

[toledobass]

Where to start.....

Lots of work over the last couple of days.  The amount of detail going into this performance is incredible. There's 2.5 hours or so for each movement and the rehearsal process can be extremelly tedious.  It's rare to actually get through an entire phrase without stopping and really being asked if we think our part is as important as we are playing it, or if the sound is really the sound we want, or if we understand where the pulse is coming from and why that pulse might be important to maintain or not. Too many things to list, really. He's sculpting every single note of every phrase.  This type of micro managing usually shuts an orchestra down, as generally orchestras like to be able to play a phrase now and then. It does get to be mentally fatiguing trying to take in everything he's saying, and there is just so much, but it's hard to argue with the results he's getting.  The thing I feel I'm lacking a little of, is a better understanding of the overall phrase construction or big picture. 

In trying to get us to relate to the music in as human way as possible,  he's given us a context of how these were Bruckner's last pages that he saw. Tyhe very last stuff he worked on. Also how this the last of this kind of language of music.  He's insistant that those things be taken into account, or at least something be put accross.  He doesn't really care if it's his story but he's is adamant that your playing conveys some sense of you and your story of the music. 

On a bass note,  it's challenging to keep everything as smooth as I want it to.  The parts aren't necessarily the most idomatic stuff written,  lots of multiple string crossings and difficult note patterns and bowing distribution.  Mostly I hear from the section various notes popping out here and there, only in order to get to a part of the bow that's more comfortable to be in, but I'm trying to go against that instinct and really get past the technique in order to shape this stuff as musically as possible.

I think the concert will be a good one tomorrow.  I'm certainly looking forward to it, but I'm also glad we have the day free till then....we all need it.

Now it's time for a beer,
Allan



   

[karlhenning]

Wow. I'll stand you another beer, Allan.