Tchaik in Rehearsal

March 9, 2017, 11:27 PM · I was siting in the front stand of the firsts for tonight, and we had just tuned up after rehearsing our Verdi piece. Our conductor got on the stage, and cued the clarinets for their duo at the beginning of Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" for our first full playthrough of the piece, to see what everybody had done with their parts over spring break. The moment those clarinets came in, I instantly went back to 2012 and hearing them begin a piece of music I obsessed over - not as much as Vivaldi at that time, but I'm pretty sure Tchaikovsky was my favorite composer. Of course, when the violins came in, it was great, but then right when I was playing the high G in those beautiful E minor chords (after B) with the harp arpeggios (which I talked with her about enjoying before rehearsal), I suddenly got very excited all over about this piece - my dream from 5 years ago, to play it, from all those times listening it in car rides and on walks, was coming true! It's like going to a concert (like I did last Sunday) where half of the music is stuff you've never heard before, whether it be a fresh commission or something else entirely, and then the orchestra gets to the piece you've heard dozens of times, and you hear those first notes and get all excited - going from your computer speakers to the live instruments in front of you. It was like that, only I was happily playing my violin in the orchestra. It was neat playing soft accompaniment when the winds had the love theme, but when we got to the tutti strings playing the love theme... what a moment that will blossom into once we get the transition bars right! I'm very glad to be ending an amazing year working on a piece (this will definitely be our most difficult challenge yet!) I have loved for several years now and know so well, even if it is a little cheesy and all that. It's finally happening!

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Tchaik in Rehearsal

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