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June 22, 2005
Aspen Week 1: Of Beethoven and Sousa
I received my Week 1 orchestra assignment on Monday (winds rotate), and I am exceptionally pleased, having been assigned to play principal on Beethoven's Seventh with the Sinfonia orchestra. Sinfonia is one the two orchestras made up entirely of students, aside from a faculty concertmaster, the two "flagship" festival orchestras, Festival Symphony and Chamber Symphony (sized as you would expect from their names), having faculty principals in all sections. Incidentally, this allows for one of the best experiences of the festival, namely being able to play second to your teacher in a "live" orchestra. Nothing is simultaneously more exciting, eye-opening, or nerve-wracking than that; it creates an awfully steep improvement curve to be asked to play up to the standard of your teacher.
Beethoven bassoon parts are the best (with the possible exception of Mozart), and even better, enough players were assigned to Sinfonia that I won't have to cover anything on the first half of the program (meaning, first, that I'll have less rehearsal committment, and more time to practice, and, second, that I won't get tired at the show). Even more better, I know all other the wind principals from last summer and various other past haunts. In particular, the principal clarinetist, Michael Shane, is a friend of mine; we played the run of Rigoletto at the end of last summer, and experienced together the terror of being called privately into the Maestro's office (though as it turned out, he came not to bury us, but to praise us). That's a good thing, too, since the Seventh has that lovely bassoon/clarinet duet in the second movement (and it was quite good this morning in rehearsal, for a first run). I doubt this will be the last time I mention Mike here, since he demanded a post all about himself, and how could I possibly refuse a request like that?
My bassoon colleagues are excellent players, which always makes the principal (me) sound better. Yes, colleagues -- I was assigned an assistant. What a luxury! Overall, an excellent and congenial wind section, and I think it will turn out well, maybe even impressively well. We might even agree on pitch! (Those involved would undoubtedly concur that this, if accomplished, might stand as a Wonder of the Modern World)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my roommate Martin, aka Torch, (cellist, Cleveland Institute of Music) and three other cellists (including one Nicholas Finch, formerly of Harvard fame) have been putting together some sets to play on the downtown Aspen mall. That these sets have included arrangements of Sousa marches and other typical concert band repertory for four celli is a source of neverending amusement to me, who spent a substantial amount of time playing such music in concert bands in high school. As I'm listening, cracking up, and getting flashed weird looks from Torch and Finch, I ask by way of explanation, "Have you ever played this stuff before?" Of course, none of them had -- but I have. Oh, the memories.
Posted by David Richmond at June 22, 2005 7:08 PM EDT
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