by Kenneth Woods | Sep 23, 2007 | A view from the podium
It is with great sadness that I just learned of the death of Milton Stevens on July 30th, who had been the principal trombonist of the National Symphony for the last 29 years. He was 64 years old. I met Milt through the National Conducting Institute, during which he...
by Kenneth Woods | Sep 22, 2007 | A view from the podium, Performing Life
The day had an unusually early start, and there were nearly six hours of driving before my rehearsal had even begun…. Of course, it would stand to reason that the gig with the longest commute would have the latest stop time, and that rehearsals would be on Fridays,...
by Kenneth Woods | Sep 20, 2007 | A view from the podium, Nuts and bolts
It’s been a quiet, rainy afternoon at Vftp Intl Headquarters. I’ve mostly been perched at the piano going through the score of Schubert’s Fourth Symphony (in C minor, “Tragic”). It’s a piece I’ve been wanting to do for some years since I covered it in Cincinnati in...
by Kenneth Woods | Sep 19, 2007 | A view from the podium, Music and Media
I’ve always enjoyed life in Wales since moving here a few years ago. Cardiff has a nice mixture of urban stuff in town with proximity to lots of natural beauty. However, my wife worries that one aspect of Welsh life poses as significant threat to my long-term health....
by Kenneth Woods | Sep 17, 2007 | A view from the podium
The other night in rehearsal we read through Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta for the first time. As it turns out, I have a conductor-colleague in the orchestra, and he came up to me afterwards to talk about the piece, which we’re both very fond of. He made the point that...
by Kenneth Woods | Sep 16, 2007 | A view from the podium
I’ve been back in rehearsals for just over a week. Without taking any unusual care over diet…. I’ve lost a little under 9 pounds…...
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