September 2005

September 13, 2005 13:15

I came away from my first orchestra rehearsal somewhat dazed & confused by the sheer cacophony of it all, but the conductor took pity on us and took things below concert-tempo.. somewhat uncharacteristic for him.

I think my panicicken semi-hysteria managed to spin itself into a non-issue & I’m quite enjoying the calm now. I may actually succeed in sticking to the sensible practice approach… aka slow practice. This is doubly important as the other 2 orchestras I’ve agreed to play in have expanded the number of concerts in their season & like my primary orchestra, there are some very heavy pieces on their programmes. It all adds up to a great opportunity for the twinge in my wrist to resurface & develop into something nasty if I let it. The fact that I work as a programmer is no help, either.
Meanwhile the opportunities for chamber music seem to be coming around a little more frequently than they used to…. I’m ecstatic about that. and it’s all the more reason to make sure orchestra doesn’t consume me. It’s only the beginning, but so far, so good.

Archive link

September 1, 2005 10:14

“inside second stand, first violin, which is a position I like; close enough to see the conductor easily but without all the responsibility of first stand”

My sentiments, exactly!!!!

At the beginning of last season I was inside first stand, first violin. After the first concert I managed to worm back my way to third stand and was perfectly happy there for the rest of the season. In this particular orchestra, the section is chock full of strong players- I would say I’m middle of the pack- so it’s not a case of them needing me at first stand.
This year we’ve got some seriously heavy pieces & they’re going to take up a good chunk of my practice time just to avoid embarrassing myself. I was already worried about that especially as I find myself doing more chamber music & wanting to devote more time to playing & practicing for it… not to mention that I’ve agreed to play with 2 other groups that really do need me. So this week I got a sneak peek at the preliminary seating for this season: I’m right back at inside first stand, first violin.

Ack!

Frankly I’m baffled. Maybe they go by attendance records?

1 reply | Archive link