Something I love and something I don't

March 30, 2006 at 8:13 PM

I've been listening to Joshua Bell's recording of the Sibelius concerto, which I recently bought myself as a reward for reaching a particular weight-loss milestone. I haven't listened to this work in a while and I'd forgotten how much I love it, especially some of the beautifully dark moments in the first movement. Now I'm kicking myself, because Sarah Chang just played the Sibelius with the San Francisco Symphony a few weeks ago, and I could have gone to hear it but decided not to. Ah, well, I suppose there will be other opportunities. In the meantime, the Sibelius is the latest addition to my list of "concertos I hope to play before I die."

After last night's rehearsal with my community orchestra, I finally realized why I'm so dissatisfied with it despite liking the people and the music. I'm kind of a Type-A personality, and I like things to be efficient and well-run. I want us to act like a professional orchestra even if we don't play like one. Instead, we've got spotty rehearsal attendance, very little leadership among the principals, and a director who is a very sweet and talented man but is just too busy with three other jobs to devote the time that a newly-resurrected musical group needs. Last night's rehearsal was supposed to be a string sectional, but because the concertmaster hadn't figured out bowings, we spent the whole two hours discussing every slur in the New World Symphony. I kept pushing her to make her decisions and we'd follow them, but she was just like, "Well, we can do whatever you guys want."

When I look back on all the orchestras I've played in throughout my life, the ones in which I've been happiest are those where the players had dedication, regardless of ability. The MIT Symphony was like my current group; too many players wouldn't think twice about skipping rehearsal if they had a huge load of homework or an exam the next day. By contrast, when I played in the Berkeley Summer Symphony in graduate school, we had a tight and dedicated ensemble. The conductors were students, but they really knew what they were doing, not just in terms of waving the baton but in terms of leadership, section cohesiveness, and stage deportment. This is the kind of environment that inspires me to practice for the good of the group.

Musicians are artists, and as such, many of them want to focus on just the music and nothing else. But music, like everything else in life, exists in a context. The "messy" stuff about money, interpersonal relations, or just plain organizational skills can't be removed, as much as some of us would like it to be.

So, I think this will be my first and last season with this group. (Someone hold me to this, because "The Magic Flute" is on the program for next year, and that's my all-time favorite opera.) There's another community orchestra in the area that might suit me better, even though it's less convenient to my home (but reasonably convenient to work), so I might audition for that in the fall Or maybe I'll just focus on solo work for a while. In any case, I think I know now what I want and need, and this isn't it.

From Sydney Menees
Posted on March 30, 2006 at 8:29 PM

The Sibelius/Goldmark CD: The reason for many, MANY things. Some good, some bad. You know that, though ;-)

From Karin Lin
Posted on March 30, 2006 at 8:40 PM

Heh, hi Sydney. ;) I would have bought this much earlier, but I'm kinda stingy when it comes to buying CDs (or anything else, for that matter). It sure worked as an incentive, though!

From Jesus Contreras Espada
Posted on March 30, 2006 at 10:09 PM

I know exactly what you mean. Our concertmaster (a man who says that Tchaikovsky is "chim pum" music) is like "you just have to play as it's writen", but then you see that everyone's playing in a different way. Then he says that I should look at the first violins", but they also play differently!
For God's sake! it's already difficult to play my notes, but then I have to watch how they play and I write it down, ...all at the same time!

In Darmstadt there used to be groupleaders who prepared the bowings even before we got the notes! :(

MIT, Berkeley... lol
I'm really impressed! You probably can learn german in a couple of months if you come to villach.
do you like skiing? :D

From Karin Lin
Posted on March 30, 2006 at 11:37 PM

Hi Jesus, it sounds like you have exactly the kind of experience I'm complaining about. IMHO, part of the job of a string section leader is to prepare bowings (if not ahead of time, at least within the first few rehearsals) and pass them on to everyone else. He should also lead from the stand, cueing entrances if the director doesn't, etc. Frequently, though, the section leader is just the best player in the section, regardless of whether he she actually has any leadership ability.

BTW, what does "chim pum" music mean?

I already speak German, though as you know, my Spanish is a lot better. :) I would love to live in Europe for a while, though I'm not much of a skier (only been once). Someday, someday...

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on March 31, 2006 at 3:52 AM

I love The Magic Flute, too. We're playing the Overture in my community orchestra. I used to think I didn't like the Sibelius Concerto until I heard a recording of it by Oistrakh. Now it's one of my favorites.

The management style of a community orchestra is an interesting issue. I'm not a type A and I don't want to feel pressured in a community orchestra, but I certainly care about our sound and want to get some personal musical growth. I'd like to have some more guidance from the section leaders on bowing, etc.

From Christina C.
Posted on March 31, 2006 at 8:35 PM

Sorry to hear that your orchestra isn’t measuring up to your needs. I hope you can shop around a bit because it’s a great feeling to be playing in a group that really clicks for you.

I may be wrong, but I think you’re just on the other side of the bay from the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra? Is that’s too much of a schlep for you? They seem to be a well-organized & well attended group that plays at a high level:

http://www.peninsulasym.org/

From Karin Lin
Posted on April 2, 2006 at 6:59 AM

Pauline, I don't want to feel pressured either, but I think when a group is too lax, it's not fun either. I don't gripe about the musical abilities of the players, but I don't think it's too much to ask that everyone attend rehearsal and that the section leaders do their job. A well-run group, IMHO, makes everyone happier.

Christina, thanks for the link. I do know about the Peninsula Symphony, but I think their level might be a little too high for me. I've got one other community orchestra in mind that seems to be between mine and the Peninsula, so I may audition for them when I find out what next season's repertoire is.

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Something I love and something I don't

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