Submitted by Sderci on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 16:45
The Scherzo movement from Schumann's 2nd Symphony ties with Don Juan at the top of the "Most Wanted" list for violin auditions. In fact, I remember former Cleveland Orchestra violinist Erich Eichhorn telling me (way back when I was 17), "Don Juan. Schumann Scherzo. Mozart's 39th Symphony. These are what you need to know." I should have started practicing them right away!
Submitted by Sderci on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 20:25
and we still have the equivalent of a Bruckner symphony to play in the second half! Can my back/shoulder/brain survive? Maybe this diet Coke will help?
This week's singers are great, and the music is beautiful, which is really all you can ask for. This one would probably be fun to follow from the audience, lengthy though it is, because of its Old Testament story. There are great moments of drama, all wrapped in a sound that's somewhere between the 18th and 19th centuries.
The bell has rung, time to go do it!
Submitted by Sderci on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 05:23
The Mendelssohn Octet is one of the first pieces that every chamber musician falls in love with. Fun to play, fun to hear, fun to study. Every measure reflects the idealistic side of the 16-year-old composer. It’s also one of the most popular pieces to read whenever large groups of string players assemble. However, since it requires eight players, it’s seldom studied as thoroughly as it could be. It’s just hard to get that many people together for enough rehearsals to really get into the piece.
Submitted by Sderci on Sun, 05/24/2009 - 23:00
how could I forget to post? First, the sextets. Znaider is a wonderful player, which was true not only in our chamber concert but in his Beethoven concerto with the CSO later in the week. He was also a gracious colleague and compelling leader. We had two rehearsals, and that was just about right. Not enough for too many cans of worms to be opened, but enough to smooth most rough edges. We reversed the program order, so Schoenberg was first and Brahms B-flat the closer. This was a good move, I think, because even for a short program like this, concentration and stamina become factors
