Redneck Mahler Post Game Show

by | Oct 24, 2007 | A view from the podium, Mahler

I’m enjoying a fairly quiet day between concert sequences- Our redneck Mahler 4 is now history and tomorrow rehearsals start up for the Rose City Chamber Orchestra performance on Sunday. Later today I’ll take the evening to study and make sure I’m focused on the right...

More redneck Mahler

by | Oct 20, 2007 | A view from the podium, Mahler, Nuts and bolts

It’s generally accepted that if you want an orchestra to improve, you should rehearse and perform a great deal of Haydn and Mozart. True! However, one thing I’ve been surprised at is what an effective orchestral etude Mahler 4 is. Perhaps it’s not surprising, since...

Thursday thoughts

by | Oct 18, 2007 | A view from the podium, Haydn, Performing Life

A few things I’m smiling about this week- 1-       Any time you can do Haydn symphonies in consecutive weeks, life is good. How is it that the even the classical music world doesn’t seem to realize just what a badass he was! His music is never what it seems- the...

Schirmer watch

by | Oct 18, 2007 | A view from the podium

Just for those of you curious about these things….  It’s now one day short of a week since the wrong edition of Bruckner 7 arrived at the offices of the Rose City Chamber Orchestra. In spite of daily calls and emails to the Schirmer office informing them...

At the crossroads

by | Oct 17, 2007 | A view from the podium

One of the coolest things about life as a travelling musician is getting to experience the unique quirks and qualities of different communities. I’ve worked in Pendleton for what seems like a very long time, but the community remains mysterious in many ways. Pendleton...

Various items

by | Oct 16, 2007 | A view from the podium

Things are a little chaotic this week with the OES Mahler 4 coming up, so this post will be rather random. First- thanks to everyone at Wilmslow Symphony for a great first concert together on Saturday. I appreciated the friendly vibe, but I really appreciated the...

To G. Schirmer with love-

by | Oct 15, 2007 | A view from the podium

The plucky little chamber orchestra is a labor of love for the musicians, who started it themselves so they would have a chance to do interesting repertoire with conductors they wanted to work with. One project they’ve latched onto is performing all of the major...

The coach goes to his bench….

by | Oct 11, 2007 | A view from the podium

I recently conducted a concert where nearly half the members of the regular wind section were missing for a variety of reasons. In a Beethoven sized group, we had completely different horn, trumpet and flute sections, and were missing our usual principal bassoonist....

Slatkin to Detroit

by | Oct 9, 2007 | A view from the podium, Music and Media

Congratulations to my old teacher and mentor Leonard Slatkin on his appointment as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony, where he is succeeding Naime Jarvi beginning in the fall of the 2008-9 Season. Leonard offered the following comment in a press release from the...

Programming thoughts after the programme

by | Oct 8, 2007 | A view from the podium

Back at Vftp International Headquarters, I’m starting to recover (slowly) from a busy concert weekend with the Surrey Mozart Players. I actually thought it was an unusually satisfying program. Mozart- Impresario Overture Fauré- Pelléas and Melisande Suite Saint-Saens-...

A rehearsal moment….

by | Oct 4, 2007 | A view from the podium

We had a very interesting moment tonight in rehearsal with the Surrey Mozart Players- I’m curious if anyone besides me even noticed it…. We were rehearsing the Saint-Saens 2nd Cello Concerto for the first time with our soloist, Parry Karp. Parry is a rare cellist who...