FEBRUARY

Tuesday, February 1st - The Durham Symphony
We start rehearsals for the classical concert featuring the winnners of the Young Artist Competition. Winners' music is the Concerto for Alto Saxophone by Paul Creston, the first movement of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, and the first movement of the Walton Viola concerto. In addition we are playing Beethoven's 2nd Symphony, the "Danse Negre" by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and the "American Fantasy" by Victor Herbert. 
Many of us who have played for many years in the Durham and Raleigh Symphonies, know the Sibelius quite well, it is a popular choice for competitions. Alan Neilson, the conductor Emeritus of both  orchestras ( he conducted the Durham Symphony for 20 years or so , and founded the Raleigh Symphony in the early 80's), also programmed the "Danse Negre" quite often, so we are very familiar with that as well. I was somewhat surpirsied tht Curry who is a violist himself, was unfamiliar with the Walton. The "American Fantasy" is somewhat of a challenge, lots of scale and apeggio noodling, but not hard to put together. Herbert was a fine cellist himself and wrote good parts for the cello, enough to keep us busy! It's so good to play the Beethoven. There is a reason why his music is so well-loved. It's like putting on comfortable shoes and going for a walk down a favorite path, knowing one is going to have a great time. It's also like the relief one feels when speaking your own language and understanding everything, after you have been in a foreign country and not understood anything.   

Tuesday, Feb. 8   
Second rehearsal with the Durham Symphony. We spent most of the time on the Beethoven. It's just wonderful to play his music. Curry's conducting is so precise in rhythm and phrasing, it's hard to go wrong.  The orchestra really responds to him. Unfortunately, we are having problems finding players, especially first violins.  Part-time musicians are usually quite busy with their day jobs or families, or are in college and have other committments. Financially, the symphony, as with most orchestras and the arts during this recession period, is having a tough time. Grants and corporate gifts are not filling the coffers. The pay is not enough to make it worthwhile for some players, such as mums who have to pay sitters. Most of the Durham Symphony players are local teachers, professionals in other fields and  graduate students from the surrounding universities, although as travelling causes extra expense, it's hard keeping them. This season I became the Personnel Manager of the orchestra and am enjoying it very much. It's good to put a face to a name and to get to know more people other than those in the string section. Initially I was compensated, but in December, the musicians were asked to volunteer their services to help with the orchestras finances. I could not afford to do that as I need to keep my income stable, but I volunteered to do the PM job gratis for the remainder of the season. I have office hours in the morning for Musica (my booking agency) so it is not a whole lot extra to look after the roster. What is taking time on occasions is finding substitutes for musicians who cannot make a rehearsal. Originally I wasn't expected to do that, as I didn't have a sub list, but I try to help when I can. It makes one realise how much effort Alan Neilson put in to running  the orchestras. He did everything for many years, and only gradually was able to delegate some of the jobs to a paid manager. He had a knack of working with people and pulling it all together. Somehow he kept the orchestras going, many of the musicians played in both. I was one, 22 years in the Raleigh Symphony, principal there for 19 years, and also principal of the Durham symphony for several years. I was sorry to leave Raleigh, but the driving at the end of a long day became too much, so I returned to the Durham Symphony which is a shorter drive, and a lot of my old friends play there as well.  

Sunday, February 13 - Concert by the Pittsboro Bach Society Orchestra, in the Community House in Pittsboro, NC.
It is a group that meets 2-3 times a year. We run through the program at 3pm, then perform it at 4pm. The players are serious musicians - teachers, some professional players and some experienced amateurs. The program today is mostly Vivaldi, concertos from op.3 - the A minor for solo violin and orchestra, the Concerto Grosso in D minor, and the Concerto in D for 4 violins and orchestra in D major. The soloist and leader was Brian Reagin, the concertmaster of the North Carolina Symphony. There are some fun cello obbligato parts in the Concerto Grosso and the Concerto for 4 violins. I had a great time with them. The founder of the group had arranged 2 pieces for us - an Irish air "Give me your hand" for solo violin and orchestra, and "Madame Neruda" by J. Scott Skinner, also for solo violin and orchestra. Both lots of fun to play.

Tuesday, February 15
Third rehearsal with the Durham Symphony. The alto saxophone winner came to the rehearsal and we were able to go through his piece twice. It is fairly straightforward, but has a lot of fast unison chromatic notes, so that needs tidying up. We mostly worked on the American Fantasy and the last movement of the Beethoven and ran through the Sibelius to get a feel for it before the soloist comes in. 

Friday, February 18 morning
Rehearsal with Brent and the Viol Ensemble. We went through the whole of the contemporary piece, and I am beginning to make to understand it and like it better. It will be good when the cellos join us so we can get an idea of the whole. 
Evening
Drove to Raleigh to rehearse with Izabela and Yang Xi the second movement of the Trio #2 by Martinu. Am nervous, as have not played Martinu before. Izabela had said her piano quartet played the Martinu Piano quartet and that it was fiendishly difficult and took hours to prepare. We decided on a slow tempo and read it through without stopping. It has some interesting dissonances (maybe some were not actually in the music) but also some lovely sections. The cello part has a dramatic mini-cadenza right at the beginning, followed by one for the viola. Izabela is a bit miffed that she doesn't get one.

Tuesday, February 22,
Durham Symphony 4th rehearsal. Had all three soloists playing. They were all excellent. We had heard the alto saxophonist, who is outstanding. The music is still a bit tricky in the unison passages. The Sibelius with the violin soloist went well, as most of us know the orchestra accompaniment. The violinist was flawless, with a beautiful tone and very musical. Another challenge is the Walton, mostly rhythmical which we hadn't spent much time on.  The violist is outstanding, everything so effortless.

Wednesday, February 23
A concert by middle and high school musicians at the Assembly Hall at Carol Woods. The "Recolitus Piano Quartet" has 2 former Emerson Waldorf School students I taught. Now 10th graders, Emi Mizobuchi plays  viola and played chamber music at school, and Brendan Case, who started cello in my 4th grade class. The other players are Cissy Yu, piano, also 10th grade and violinist Taisuke Yasuda, an eigth grader. Individually they played a solo, or as in Brendan's case, sang a solo. I was impressed by his bass voice quality and fine tone. He is very musical and it showed as well in his cello playing as well. Lovely warm sound. All were very competent on their instruments and were well coached by Yoram Youngerman, the Artistic Director of the Mallarme Youth Chamber Orchestra, a local group of top-notch student players.  

Friday, February 25
Viol Consort rehearsal at UNC. We spent most of the time on the the Will Ayton piece. It has various sections depicting eras of music. My least favorite is the Webern section - minimalist and tricky snatches of pizzicato, which is not common on the viol. There is a lovely dancing section in 7/8 time which is fun to play. We have one more month before the performance, but Spring break starts March 4, so we lose a week.

Sunday, February 27
Another student event. I had promised my graduating senior, Jenny, that I would attend this concert as it is her last performance as a member of the NC Senior Eastern Regional Orchestra. An auditioned event for high schoolers, the winners are selected for either the String or the Symphonic Orchestra. Jenny won a place in the Symphonic Orchestra which she was pleased about, as she had played in the String Orchestra in previous years. They  rehearse for a weekend and perform on the Sunday afternoon in the Auditorium of the NC School of Science and Math. It is always standing room only. The String Orchestra, conducted by Dr. David Eccles, although well coached with good ensemble skills, sounded bland, partly due to the program.
The Battalia by Biber, arr. by Blahnik, was difficult to follow as it had many short movements (not listed in the program) so it was difficult to tell when it ended. It would have been helpful to have had some program notes. The Danzas de Panama - Tamborito and Cumbia y Congo by W. Grant Still, were fun but could have used more energy, as could have the March and Finale from the Serenade in G op.242 by Carl Reineke.
The Symphonic Orchestra conducted by David Wolff was outstanding. Although the program was more lyrical than rhythmical (except in the Allegro from Brahms' 4th Symphony), they were a tight bunch and the blending of the strings, winds and brass was excellent. David Wolff has tremendous energy and over the week had pulled the players together. The first piece was the Adagio from Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony. The sound from all sections was exquisite, with lovely phrasing and contrasting dynamics. The Brahms followed with tight rythms and much energy. The last work was the Suite of Polovtsian Dances #17 by Borodin, with snatches of the famous "Nocturne " from his string quartet (a cellist's delight!) All the sections had a chance to shine and they did earning a long standing ovation at the end. Keep an eye out for news about David Wolff. He is an international piano soloist, took conducting classes in Rome and now is the Artistic Director of the Carolina Philharmonic, a professional ensemble based in the Pinehurst area of North Carolina. They have a performance in Carnegie Hall on March 3rd. David is very much a performer and keeps the kids' attention. An excellent choice as was Dr David Eccles (2 conductors names David!)
A thoroughly enjoyable concert, the best I have ever heard from the Regional groups.