DianaGotta love those nerves!
May 4th 2008 01:29
Musicians are a funny lot. Well, classical ones anyway. A curious mix of intelligence, left-brain development and ego contained in individuals who are often high-achieving highly-strung emotional geeky types creates a hot-house of clashing vibes.
I have been rehearsing for the past four weeks with just such a group: all personable, charming and confident individuals who nonethless, when nerves kick in, exhibit interesting traits of critisicm and insecurity towards themselves and others.
Professional orchestras now understand the stresses their players go through in their attempts to replicate perfect, emotionallly succint performances night after night despite struggling with whatever they have brought to the performance from their own daily lives.
And playing classical music is so terribly odd and old-fashioned these days juxtaposed with our modern lives, it is a wonder anyone does it all.
When you throw in a young, highly intelligent and musically-attuned conductor determined to 'prove himself'' I suppose it is inevitable the fur will fly.
The fur didn't fly too much but at the last rehearsal tempers ran high and last minute adjustments to crucial 'corners' (as they are known in the trade) became overwrought with anxiety.
Often a conductor, at the 'balance' (final rehearsal, short for 'sound balance') has his own agenda of what he wants to cover for peace of mind (difficult entries, cut-offs, pauses, changes of tempo and the like) but suddenly some players might realise they are not sure of something and can start asking for little details to be gone over.
It doesn't take much for the morale of the orchestra to take a plunge if players start being under-confident with what they are doing.
For someone like me, sitting quietly amidst the woodwind section absorbing it all and observing, it is fascinating, to say the least! So much highly charged ego! Emotional outbursts! Tantrums even!
But still, we got through it and as usual the performance goes smoothly and perfectly, live to air broadcast, filmed for the internet and watched by an enthralled audience.
Later, many of us depart to the nearest wine bar and dissect and analyize what went right and wrong. We are all best of friends again, of course, and will live to see another day.
This morning I awake and am aware of the 'wash' process starting: the music you have just played so intensly replays itself over and over in your brain for several days until it is 'washed' out of your system.
Right now though, I have to prepare for yet another concert this arvo: Beethoven. I do not anticipate any great emotional outbursts here, except for from the conductor, who is a real Melbourne icon and such a character...........
I have been rehearsing for the past four weeks with just such a group: all personable, charming and confident individuals who nonethless, when nerves kick in, exhibit interesting traits of critisicm and insecurity towards themselves and others.
Professional orchestras now understand the stresses their players go through in their attempts to replicate perfect, emotionallly succint performances night after night despite struggling with whatever they have brought to the performance from their own daily lives.
And playing classical music is so terribly odd and old-fashioned these days juxtaposed with our modern lives, it is a wonder anyone does it all.
When you throw in a young, highly intelligent and musically-attuned conductor determined to 'prove himself'' I suppose it is inevitable the fur will fly.
The fur didn't fly too much but at the last rehearsal tempers ran high and last minute adjustments to crucial 'corners' (as they are known in the trade) became overwrought with anxiety.
Often a conductor, at the 'balance' (final rehearsal, short for 'sound balance') has his own agenda of what he wants to cover for peace of mind (difficult entries, cut-offs, pauses, changes of tempo and the like) but suddenly some players might realise they are not sure of something and can start asking for little details to be gone over.
It doesn't take much for the morale of the orchestra to take a plunge if players start being under-confident with what they are doing.
For someone like me, sitting quietly amidst the woodwind section absorbing it all and observing, it is fascinating, to say the least! So much highly charged ego! Emotional outbursts! Tantrums even!
But still, we got through it and as usual the performance goes smoothly and perfectly, live to air broadcast, filmed for the internet and watched by an enthralled audience.
Later, many of us depart to the nearest wine bar and dissect and analyize what went right and wrong. We are all best of friends again, of course, and will live to see another day.
This morning I awake and am aware of the 'wash' process starting: the music you have just played so intensly replays itself over and over in your brain for several days until it is 'washed' out of your system.
Right now though, I have to prepare for yet another concert this arvo: Beethoven. I do not anticipate any great emotional outbursts here, except for from the conductor, who is a real Melbourne icon and such a character...........
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