ensemble360 (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} ensemble360) wrote,@ 2007-06-02 15:28:00 |
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festival and recording
Hi!
May is over..... It was a little bit of a mountain of a month of all of us, but I think everything has gone pretty well. First the festival. As expected, it was a marathon in itself (and to think that some people actually ran the half marathon after that!!!) and an amazing experience. This year we had been a little bit more clever in programming, we had actually performed some of the pieces befre the festival s that when it came to playing them in the studio, we knew a little more what we were doing. I've love every minute of our theme of french music (well... it's home after all!). I know some people in the audience had been slightly septical about it prior the festival, but i think (I hope!!!) that doubts were put to rest. I though there were so many gems to be found, so many unknown pieces and composers... It was really really exciting to be able to descover them ourselves and share them with an audience that was just as curious as we were. Looking back on now two crucible may festivals, I find that it is not so much about performance (of course, we are all nervous and want to do the best we can) but about discovery and sharing. It is very special.
I have to say, particularly special for me was playing the quartet for the end of time. I had only performed it once before in Barnsley, and both were incredible experiences (although I knew slightly more what was happening to me the second time around!!!)
I find this piece completely and utterly different to any other I have ever played. It seems that you cannot be completely in control of the music, it is in control of you. And I think it is also very different to listen to, but having never heard it live, you'll have to tell me if I'm wrong!
After the festival we had a few days off when I flew to Paris to visit my boyfriend. Unfortunately I was quite ill during those days (I guess my body was saying: enough!!!) and he had to nurse me (which was quite nice for me!!!) and then we had a couple days rehearsing in sheffield and off we went to Potton hall to record beethoven septet and serenade. (I had a slightly easier time since I'm not in the serenade: flute, violin, viola)
As always, it is impossible to say whether it went well. But we had allowed 2 and a half days for the septet and we finished in 2!!! (ummm... is that a good thing...) The atmsphere was nice though, there were smiles all around (for most of the time) and it seems that we went through the takes quite smoothly. On the third day before catching my train I poped oven to the recording studio and heard a few minutes of the serenade. It felt slightly wrong me being done and Guy Sara and Martin still working hard but I have t say what I heard sounded great!
So I took my train and now I'm in Paris again (not sick this time) resting and learning the quartet repertoire we have preogrammed for next year. Brahms quartet, Shubert G major, stravinsky, Haydn... it's all really exciting and a little scary right now but I'm sure it will be better when we start rehearsing.
Until then, bye, and see you all soon!
xxx
Marie
Hi!
May is over..... It was a little bit of a mountain of a month of all of us, but I think everything has gone pretty well. First the festival. As expected, it was a marathon in itself (and to think that some people actually ran the half marathon after that!!!) and an amazing experience. This year we had been a little bit more clever in programming, we had actually performed some of the pieces befre the festival s that when it came to playing them in the studio, we knew a little more what we were doing. I've love every minute of our theme of french music (well... it's home after all!). I know some people in the audience had been slightly septical about it prior the festival, but i think (I hope!!!) that doubts were put to rest. I though there were so many gems to be found, so many unknown pieces and composers... It was really really exciting to be able to descover them ourselves and share them with an audience that was just as curious as we were. Looking back on now two crucible may festivals, I find that it is not so much about performance (of course, we are all nervous and want to do the best we can) but about discovery and sharing. It is very special.
I have to say, particularly special for me was playing the quartet for the end of time. I had only performed it once before in Barnsley, and both were incredible experiences (although I knew slightly more what was happening to me the second time around!!!)
I find this piece completely and utterly different to any other I have ever played. It seems that you cannot be completely in control of the music, it is in control of you. And I think it is also very different to listen to, but having never heard it live, you'll have to tell me if I'm wrong!
After the festival we had a few days off when I flew to Paris to visit my boyfriend. Unfortunately I was quite ill during those days (I guess my body was saying: enough!!!) and he had to nurse me (which was quite nice for me!!!) and then we had a couple days rehearsing in sheffield and off we went to Potton hall to record beethoven septet and serenade. (I had a slightly easier time since I'm not in the serenade: flute, violin, viola)
As always, it is impossible to say whether it went well. But we had allowed 2 and a half days for the septet and we finished in 2!!! (ummm... is that a good thing...) The atmsphere was nice though, there were smiles all around (for most of the time) and it seems that we went through the takes quite smoothly. On the third day before catching my train I poped oven to the recording studio and heard a few minutes of the serenade. It felt slightly wrong me being done and Guy Sara and Martin still working hard but I have t say what I heard sounded great!
So I took my train and now I'm in Paris again (not sick this time) resting and learning the quartet repertoire we have preogrammed for next year. Brahms quartet, Shubert G major, stravinsky, Haydn... it's all really exciting and a little scary right now but I'm sure it will be better when we start rehearsing.
Until then, bye, and see you all soon!
xxx
Marie
