Rehearsal Schedule posted on the wall for tonight’s rehearsal:

Higdon

Tchaikovksy

Borodin

Prior to the start of the rehearsal I warmed up on oboe. About five minutes before we were to start I thought, “I might as well toot a bit on the English horn.” So I played a little bit, and then packed it back up. After all, the Borodin wouldn’t be played for about two hours!

The maestro came in, stood on the podium, and said, “Borodin.”

Say what?!

Well that was quite the way to begin. I had to quickly unpack the instrument again, pull out the reeds, and move over a chair (no second oboe is on the Borodin). The first notes in the Borodin for me are my solo, after waiting something like 43 measures.

Needless to say, my heart rate was a bit speedy for a time.

I was actually glad to play it first, although I would have preferred to know it ahead of time. The order of the program is Borodin, Hidgon, and then Tchaikovsky. And that’s the way we rehearsed it. I like dress rehearsals to go that way.

So no complaints. Just a surprising way to begin the evening!
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