Chicago Debut

June 16, 2007 at 3:01 PM

Well, yesterday I played my second chamber music concert in Chicago, Illinois. The second performance of Edward Elgar's Quintet for Piano and Strings took place at 12:15pm at the Fazioli Piano Studio, on the Fazioli Salon Series - and was broadcast on WFMT-FM. I was very surprised to meet a fellow v.commer there and now, of course, wish that I had taken a camera!

It's definitely been a week - as the first violinist of a "new quartet" and coming in from out of town I had to come in knowing the entire score, ready for the task. While I will admit that I have more to learn - more to relearn rather, as it's been about ten years since my last "real" chamber music playing - about quartet playing and coaching, I think I did well.

What does "doing well" mean?

Well, for one, it means being very clear about what I'm doing and WHY I'm doing it, as well as being able to explain it verbally, demonstrate convincingly - and defend it if need be.

It also means that I brought the best of myself to Chicago: the person who studies scores and overlearns music, the person obsessed with the metronome and group intonation, the man who asks how strokes are being played with an attitude of openness while also being convinced of what he's doing and how he thought of it ("a compbination of the scientific and Dionysian minds..."), the person who knows how and when to take charge as well as when to yield, the man who is slowly but surely learing how to communicate efffectively...

It's taken a very long time to get to this point...In the meantime, all I can say is lucky, cheerful, cooperative, humble - but more sure of myself as a musician and a violinist for the first time in quite some time.

From Scott 68
Posted on June 17, 2007 at 1:56 AM

i seem to prefer the Dionysian side of the mind

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on June 18, 2007 at 1:38 AM

Greetings,
anyside is okay as long as the body is good.
Cheers,
Buri

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on June 18, 2007 at 4:21 AM

I like "being very clear about what I'm doing and WHY," and "an attitude of openness while also being convinced of what he's doing."

I used to be a scientist, but now I'm a Dionysian. I like Dionysian better, but it doesn't pay well.

From Roelof Bijkerk
Posted on June 21, 2007 at 1:17 AM

I take it you played with a Faziola piano?
I just heard about them less than a month ago. How did you or the pianist like the piano? Did you notice anything significant about it that makes it better than other makes?

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Chicago Debut

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