It’s time to go back to work (I should clarify; rehearsals don’t begin until next Wednesday, but of course personal practice takes place before that!), and I’m quite ready, although of course I have some practicing to do. I packed up the oboe and English horn after Nutcracker and gave them a bit of a vacation. This week, when I first pulled them out, I wasn’t sure just what to do with them. How do those things get put together, and what is this silly thing made out of some sort of plant? My mouth sure didn’t know! Or at least had to be gently reminded! 😉
Seriously, though, it was a nice break, and sometimes it’s necessary to do something like that. Of course we had Christmas and family and following that Dan and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. Good times!
But now it’s back to work, and I’ve been practicing and studying the Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff. It’s the only work on the program that I’ll be performing because I’m playing English horn. If I’ve played it before I certainly don’t remember it. I suspect that if San Jose Symphony (RIP) ever did it I must have been doing Opera San José at the time. This happened a lot back in the day since we didn’t share a hall … I’m ever so thankful both groups are now in the California Theatre. No more absence requests aside from the Ballet San Jose conflicts that sometimes occur with Opera. (I will, in fact, have to miss Swan Lake because it conflicts with Barber of Seville.)
Below is the Rachmaninoff (or Rachmaninov … you choose!), although I didn’t get a complete performance from one group because the second movement wasn’t available to someone in my location (I don’t understand why that happens, but some videos are country specific or something). The first and last movements are by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the middle movement is from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. At least you’re getting royalty the entire time! 😉
I (part 1)
I (part 2)
II
III (part 1)
III (part 2)
Of course this isn’t the only work on the program! We are also doing Richard Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll (only one oboe on that), and Liszt’s Totentanz (two oboes). The concert will be conducted by Paul Polivnick and our guest soloist (on the Liszt) is pianist Adam Golka.
I did a bit of searching for any videos of Mr. Golka and so far he’s not easily found. The only thing that really shows him playing is on this Amazon video and if you want more than the 2:12 there (some of which is prior to his playing) you need to purchase the video. I was looking for him playing with an orchestra and didn’t manage to find a thing, but you know me; I’ll keep searching!
Meanwhile, you can learn more about Mr. Golka by going here, the symphony blog site.
I played the saxophone part on this as an undergraduate student. Still one of my favorites, even though you count a few hundred measures of rest, get about a dozen bars of glory, and then sit out the rest of the piece.
As I recall, the clarinetist had some kind of instrument malfunction, and so there was a bar of very awkward silence and a panicked look from the conductor before my entrance.
..but I’m sure your performance will go perfectly. Good luck!
Heh … one never knows! Stuff happens, and that’s live music for you, yes? The sax part sounds like most EH parts, but I’m happy to say that this time I play through the entire work, for the most part. That makes the solos so much easier to deal with. 🙂
Yes, we did do it in SJ, with Bill Trimble on sax – and I thought you played EH? But perhaps not. It was early in the Leonid days.
You know what, dk, I have a feeling I DID play it … and I’ve just forgotten what it looked like on the page … I sure do remember it when I listen to it.
Sigh. OldBoeBrain.
Are you going to hear the performance at the San Francisco Symphony this weekend of the same piece? And just out of curiosity, would hearing them play it the weekend before your performance be beneficial, detrimental or of no difference to your playing next week? Enquiring minds want to know.
I didn’t even realize they were playing it! I can’t imagine getting my act together to go at this point. I’ll investigate, though, and see if I can swing it. (January is always a financially difficult month.)
Usually the only thing that changes when I go hear something like this is that I’m (once again) reminded of how I can play out a bit more. (I tend to feel that I’m far too loud, even when I’m not.) So I think it would only make me worry less about quiet attacks. It really doesn’t change the way I play a particular solo as far as expression/phrasing goes. Sometimes I do get new ideas for breathing, but I don’t think that would happen in this work. (That’s mostly in longer solos, such as the Ravel Piano Concerto.)
Good question!