January 2007

Bram Heemskerk is from Waddinxveen, Netherlands.

Biography

Das Brucknerorchestra von 27-12-06 till 4-1-2007 spielt 8e symf. Bruckner

This year I had a wonderfull orchestra holiday. After Christmas till 4-1-07 I played with an German orchestra “Brucknerorchester” www.bruckner-orchester.de the monumental 8th symfony with 4 Wagnertuba’s with about 90 people. For most amateurs there is not a big chance in their lives to play such rare pieces with so many people and instruments, because most amateurorchestra’s only play in smaller chamberorchestra and could not play such technical difficult music. From a German friend in a Dutch orchestra I heard about this orchestra, which had its rehearsals in Hammelburg, near Würzburg. The concert was in Würzburg in a church on 3-1-2007. Here some (perhaps too much foto’s), but is was fun with chambermusic in the evening and a lot of activities, like gymnastics at 14.00 and eating cake at 14.30 every day. We have now a midday-break on our work, but it is still hard to concentrate on my work after this expierence. I had problems with the language, specially with conversations during the meals and after the rehearsals in the Felsenkeller (Felsen cellar) in the night, but nevertheless I soon feel at home in this orchestra.

rehearsal

Silvesterevening in Felsenkeller with Raclette (melt chees with potatoes)

Drinking beer till 1,2,3, 4 hours or later in the night

Entertainment in Felsenkeller

Aachener Salon Orchestra http://www.achso.fermate.info/index.php with walse dancing people

A walse fan

Concert of 8th Bruckner in Würzburg. The conductor told a story during the rehearsals that during the end of the 3th part of Bruckner 8th someone had written that the music was so heavenly that you could look in the eyes of God himself, which he could do during the concert by looking to the crucifix above the orchestra.

10 people who had played all 5 editions of the Brucknerorchestra got a black cap

We played tablesoccer and tabletennis in the Felsenkeller (Felsen cellar)

One evening was with a pianoplaying and singing duo, who song all evening popular songs of Georg Kreisler

The last evening after the concert every group of players had to think out and do something original. The cello’s for example played with 2 people on one instrument

The 2th violins (me included) were the most popular (of course) this evening by putting Brucknerpieces with text of the 8th symf on T-shirts. Here 2 2th violins in 1 T-shirt. After a striptease,where they took off their clothing of their upperbody except their t-shirt, they show their new T-shirt on the cat-walk with some swinging music.

All 2th violins with their T-shirts

My text + some notes on my t-shirt was the beginning 3th part Adagio of the 8th Bruckner “feierlich langsam, but nicht schleppend” (stately slowly, but not dragging)

It is a great orchestra and I am very happy that I could ever play the 8th Bruckner with the big contrasts between loud and and subtle soft parts (Bruckner was an organ-player who also suddenly pull in or out all or some stops) and beautiful melodies, which gave such emotions during rehearsals that tears welled up, time after time, in my eyes.
I have learned some new words, like Pult=desk, Takt=bar, Bowen=bow, Saite=page, Seite=string, Tiefer=lower in intonation, Falsch=false, nett=gentle.
Now I only and still have 2 wines from the region from the Bayern Musikacademy Hammelburg, where we had our rehearsals. When I will drink it I will think back to this wonderfull week.

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Lots of repertoire in 5 orchestra's last half year

In 5 orchestra’s I played last half year this repertoire, which is easy for myself to look back to after some time, to put on my weblog, because after 2 years I forgot what I have played:

Mondaymorning (I got hours free from my work)
1) Symfonyorchestra Carpe Diem
Shostakovitsj, 9th symfony
Mozart, Zauberflote ouverture,
Mahler, Des Knaben Wunderhorn,

Wednesdayevening
2) Symfonyorchestra Dordrechtse Orchest Vereeniging
Tsjaikovsky, 5th symfony
Chopin, 1th pianoconcerto

Thursdayevening
3) Chamberorchestra Leiden Sinfonietta
Stravinsky, Suite
Bonsel, Divertimento (living Dutch composer)
Ewazen, bastrombone concerto (living USA-composer)
Rimsky-Korsakov, Sinfonietta

Fridayevening (the 13 rehearsals were 240 km from my living adress)
4) Symfonyorchestra de Harmonie
Glinka Ouverture Life for the tsar
Glazunov violinconcerto
Borodin symfony 1

Sundayevening
5) Symfonyorchestra Haagsche Serenata
Dvorak, Slavonic dances
Mozart pieces with choir + singing soloists

[Silversterorchestra
6) Symfonyorchestra Bruckernerorchester, Germany, Hammelburg
Bruckner 8th symfony (but the concert was 3 januari, so this counts for this half year)]

Sunday I will play with my thursdayorchestra the 3th violinconcerto of Mozart and Zigeunerweise von de Sarasate for the anniversary of an 75 old viola-player of that orchestra, Leiden Sinfonietta (this is my only orchestra in which I play 1th violin, the other 2th violin). His son, a prominent national competition winner violinist and conductor, Johannes Leertouwer, will be the soloist. His website: http://www.johannesleertouwer.nl/E/Eindex.htm

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Dirty sheetmusic

I am playing now with an orchestra the Firebird of Stravinsky. Now we have another edition, but first we got this dirty sheetmusic. I have had sheetmusic which was dirty down under the pages after a lot of turn over by users (often with spittle to get more grip on the pages, which I dislike), but here pieces of paper were ripped of, so big problems with turning the pages, specially when you have to play. V.S. (VS = Volti Subito, turn quick)

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Do you think I am a bit strange?

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