Before the Mahler Concert

WOW! todays rehearsal was FANTASTIC! Maestro Felix was even more demanding and pickier than ever before.

The orchestra sounded great. There are times during a rehearsa when everyone is "on it" (baum cha baum cha baum) and it's the best experience ever.

If the Maestro does not stop, we know we're doing it right (um, yeah...I'll leave that one alone) but anyway, he's not one of those conductors that stops to say something nice or tell us how good it was...that's a waste of time. If he stops, that's bad news, it means someone, or some people (any section of the orchestra) did not play their part right. It especially irks him if it happens after he's explained it to you. If he keeps conducting through the movement it's a good thing and that is what happened today. Sure, he paused here and there for interpretation changes and phrasing but people were pretty much on it!

In the first movement, when I got to my solo, he asked me to play it several different ways. He'd sing it and then I'd play it just he wanted me to. It sure put me on the spot!

I felt like Adolf Herseth when Reiner kept picking on him on "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (I think it was Zarathustra?) and eventually Herseth looks at his watch, after nailing the solo every time, and said something like "i've got a gig at three."

So anyway, he eventually said..."look, I know it says "piano" but...(and here's what made my day) he said "I like the tuba..I want to hear the tuba!"

Greg, our principal trombonist has the purest and sweet sounding high register! it really sings up there and I'm very proud to be in the section with him. I'm always listening to what he is doing and he leads the section very well. As section leader is is always leaning over and making suggestions as well as interpretive observations and balancing the section.

the bass trombonist is very powerful. We make a good team and when Maestro Carrasco lets us play out, it gets pretty scary back there!

We have SEVEN french horns on this Mahler piece and they are LOUD, POWERFUL, and BALLS TO THE WALL!

Tomorrow is the dress rehearsal where it basically must be perfect! I am very excited to be playing this work as I have been listening since I first fell in love with symphonic music.

I spend my afternoons practicing for several hours. Greg is planning a sectional tomorrow before the concert to polish a few phrases and what not.

Today, after rehearsal we had several orchestra members over at the house for lunch. Przemeck (pronounced She-mek) and I cooked POLISH food...I assisted, he cooked. It turned out great and everybody loved it. Then, people had to leave so I gave one of the violists a ride home (he just moved back to Monterrey after being in Germany of 7 years. He's Mexican and speaks great German....lucky man!) Then, Pablos, Mary Beth, and I went to the Superiora Music Conservatory to look around. I will visit later this week and post some pictures. Basically, it's the most famous and largest full scholarship music conservatory.

So here I am writing to you and now I'm going to go practice some more because tomorrow is the concert. ADIOS!