Today we begin rehearsals for Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (Elixir of Love). I just hope my reeds decide to behave. Dan said that my reeds would be “wonder reeds” … I suggested that meant “I wonder what’s wrong with this one?”

But who knows.

Yesterday they certainly weren’t happy. Which means I’m not happy. No one wants an unhappy oboist.

I could blame weather, I suppose. Or maybe the quality of the cane. Or perhaps it’s that they don’t care for Donizetti. But of course we all know I’m just not a great reed maker. (grumble)

Maybe a nice hot latté will prepare me for the day and give the the energy to go back into the studio and pull out all those pesky reeds. It could happen.

I leave you (for now) with a couple of clips of “Una furtiva lagrima”. So what tempo would you choose?

Juan Diego Florez:

Rolando Villazon: