Last night, I worked for literally 5 minutes...haven't I said that I love my job before?! Don't get me wrong, it's not because I don't want to work. I actually prefer playing more than waiting, I get less tired. I love my job because my weeks are so full of little surprises!
One day we don't have a place to rehearse; another day we have but there's no electricity or the A/C isn't working, so rehearsal gets cancelled. One day Manzano conducts, another day Molina, a random day Dante conducts, and invited conductors come and go! One day the program is full of intense, complex music; other days (like yesterday) I only have one overture to play. One day we perform in Sto. Dgo. (the capital); another we're taking a bus to some other town to perform and ride back home in the middle of the night. We have a concert this week; next week I have no clue of what's going on or what we'll be doing, who I will see, what I will hear, what I will learn, or what I will already know........? (Above left: Joseph Haydn portrait, 1770)
Each day with OSN (the orchestra) is a surprise...it makes me feel sooooo ALIVE! Well, in some occasions I feel sad, because there are some really unfortunate circumstances, but that's a whole other subject.
OK. So last night, we had a concert at Bellas Artes, which is a cute little theatre that has been remodeled and has become our new HOME. When I see the stage from the audience it gives me the feeling of a cute little circus. Love it! I'm happy we are there, although some people are complaining about acoustic matters, I don't feel the SO terrible problem, but what do I know!
As I said before, I just played on the first piece, Mozart's Overture from the "Marriage of Figaro". Therefore, I had the chance to sit in the audience for the remainder of the program! I made myself enjoy it as if I'd gone out to hear a classical concert that night. I made myself believe I was just an expectator; that I was there because I chose to, because I'm a cultured young lady that goes to hear the symphony ever so often ;) Well, I believed myself, and enjoyed it very much! Even more when Haydn's "Farewell" Symphony was performed. I'd forgotten a detail about this work that I'd learned in Music History class in college (WOW, I learned something!). But I'd forgotten and was so shocked when 2 cellists just stood up and left in the middle of the last movement! I was like HUH? for 3 seconds, and immediately remembered the detail I'd learned in Brookshire's class! Read the following excerpt from WIKIPEDIA...Culture 101:
Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, known as the "Farewell" Symphony (in German: Abschieds-Symphonie), was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1772.
It was written for Haydn's patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, while he, Haydn and the court orchestra were at the Prince's summer palace in Eszterhaza. The stay there had been longer than expected, and most of the musicians had been forced to leave their wives back at home in Eisenstadt, so in the last movement of the symphony, Haydn subtly hinted to his patron that perhaps he might like to allow the musicians to return home: during the final adagio each musician stops playing, snuffs out the candle on his music stand, and leaves in turn, so that at the end, there are just two muted violins left (played by Haydn himself and the concertmaster, Alois Luigi Tomasini). Esterházy seems to have understood the message: the court returned to Eisenstadt the day following the performance.[1]
Haydn was such a rebel!!! What an amazing thing to do in 1772?!?!?! Haydn just gained much more of my respect and admiration ;) How creative is that?! It's not even about music composition stuff, it's about ingenious ways to make and own your art, and send realistic messages using it as a powerful tool! WOW, I am in love with this now!! Haydn, you ROCK!
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