It’s past midnight and I’m watching Monk on USA. I’m exhausted. I can barely stand. It’s been a long day and I’m not sure I’ll be able to make sense. But here it goes…….
A decent night’s sleep. This is a rarity on the road, but I was so tired from yesterday that I actually slept. I wake up and go to the hall for the dress rehearsal and………
……… disaster…………
It rained last night. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue but did I mention that the hall has no humidity control? Did I mention that the piano is not in a humidity controlled environment? The piano feels like someone spent most of the night pouring water into it. This is a problem. The action is real water-logged (sic?). My problem is that I can psychologically adapt to a stiff piano. I can also psychologically adjust to a German piano. I can psychologically adapt to a stiff German piano. But there’s a problem physically adjusting to a stiff German piano. I find myself in the position that I have to pound everything out and the hands are NOT happy. Of course it’s an open rehearsal…….
None-the-less…… the dress goes pretty well. I’m optimistic for the show. I have a nap and a ride scheduled. Neither of them happen. I’m just not in the mood. Plus there seems to be a Monk marathon on USA. My buddy Jeff Beal writes music for this show, and Tony Shalhoub is a genius as an actor. Comes the time to get ready for the show and I just don’t have my shit together. I leave things in the hotel (thank god it’s spitting distance to the hall), my timing is off, etc. I even manage to forget to put on all the prerequisite jewelry that I carry. For most people this wouldn’t be an issue, but I have some “traditions” (read: neurosis) that are important to me. Try to get it together…..
………. pre-concert lecture flies by like a blur………
Time to warm up. John (stage manager guy) has set up a Yamaha upright for me to warm up. It’s a piano action. Perhaps this is not a good time to mention that the best thing I can say about Yamaha is that they make good motorcycles. But it’s a piano action. Do what you can.
Griffes goes well. They audience seems to enjoy it. Tell John to take his sweet time making the piano change so that I can warm up again. He gives me a full 6 minutes. Let’s play some Mozart. Play/conducting Mozart is more fun than anyone should legally be allowed to have in public. Despite the water-logged piano things go well. I’m glad that’s over. But then comes Tchaik V.
Tchaik V is (as brass players would say) a blow. It’s long, it requires concentration, there’s a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on. But the band rises to the occasion. Frankly I’m not sure if the audience new what hit them. There’s a classic tune from Parliament-Funkadlic called: “Tear the roof offa that sucka”……. that’s what happened. A good time was had by all and sundry. But by the end I’m a complete basket case, and I’m supposed to go to a post-concert thingey. I spend the first 15′ at the post-concert hiding in a corner trying to get some food and some wine into me so that I can actually converse with people semi-intelligently. The post-concert jag is always a question: sometimes I’m so wired that I can stop moving. Sometimes I’m so tired I have trouble standing. It was definitely the latter tonight.
I’m a babbling idiot @ the post-concert reception. But I meet some very entertaining folk. There are a lot of transplants her in Charlotte. The Carolinas are changing – many more people from up north are residing here and it’s going to significantly change the society over the next 20 years. It would be interesting to see how those changes affect the orchestra over the long haul.
Tomorrow there’s a long ride scheduled with David, the tuba player. Then some studying in the afternoon and another concert @ 8 pm. I’m super looking forward to tomorrow night. My old teacher from my grad student days at Eastman, Barbara Lister-Sink, will be in attendance. I better play well…….. NO PRESSURE!!!!!! More about Barbara later. Must watch Monk until I pass out.
more eddins audition news
Check out the latest posts from conductor Bill Eddins (music director of the Edmonton Symphony) as he contends for a post with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Good stuff.
UPDATE, SON OF REDUX: fourth fifth sixth installment added today
Charlotte P…
A note from the orchestra stalls:
We couldn’t believe it when we walked in for the pre-concert talk, and saw Mr. Eddins perched on a stool next to Alan Yamamoto. The chap has a big programme starting in under an hour, including conducting the Big C from the piano, and there he is, looking cool and confident, utterly charming and entertaining, taking the time to speak to us all!
The Griffes was unknown to most of the audience: gorgeous and well-received.
No one could have made that difficult, soggy piano sound any better than Mr. Eddins did in the Mozart. Utterly enchanting, and the orchestra matched him. All we wanted was to hear it all over again …
Tchaik V had the audience in wild raptures – can’t remember a Friday night audience ever reacting that enthusiastically.
I attended both the open rehearsal and the performance last night. Thank you so very much, Mr. Eddins, for one of the most wonderful days I can remember.
Hello William,
I was the assistant principal cello of the CSO the last time you conducted in Charlotte. We went for sushi with the artistic administrator one day. Maybe you remember? My good friend CSO violist Cindy Frank told me about your blog and I just read and enjoyed your CSO entries. Even though I wouldn’t wish the job on anybody I thought well of, I think you would be a fine choice for MD in Charlotte.
I myself resigned from the orchestra after the disastrous ’03 strike (I have stories to make your blood run cold!), but my wife is a veterinarian in town and we have a house so I still live in Charlotte. Luckily for me the Atlanta Symphony has needed a regular injury replacement player so that kept me pretty busy until now, but they’re finally having auditions so I probably won’t be going back so often.
Cindy told me that you conduct in Edmonton. You don’t happen to need a kick-ass cellist up there do you?
Break a leg tonight!
Alex Kramer
Hello William,
I was the assistant principal cello of the CSO the last time you conducted in Charlotte. We went for sushi with the artistic administrator one day. Maybe you remember? My good friend CSO violist Cindy Frank told me about your blog and I just read and enjoyed your CSO entries. Even though I wouldn’t wish the job on anybody I thought well of, I think you would be a fine choice for MD in Charlotte.
I myself resigned from the orchestra after the disastrous ’03 strike (I have stories to make your blood run cold!), but my wife is a veterinarian in town and we have a house so I still live in Charlotte. Luckily for me the Atlanta Symphony has needed a regular injury replacement player so that kept me pretty busy until now, but they’re finally having auditions so I probably won’t be going back so often.
Cindy told me that you conduct in Edmonton. You don’t happen to need a kick-ass cellist up there do you?
Break a leg tonight!
Alex Kramer
Hello William,
I was the assistant principal cello of the CSO the last time you conducted in Charlotte. We went for sushi with the artistic administrator one day. Maybe you remember? My good friend CSO violist Cindy Frank told me about your blog and I just read and enjoyed your CSO entries. Even though I wouldn’t wish the job on anybody I thought well of, I think you would be a fine choice for MD in Charlotte.
I myself resigned from the orchestra after the disastrous ’03 strike (I have stories to make your blood run cold!), but my wife is a veterinarian in town and we have a house so I still live in Charlotte. Luckily for me the Atlanta Symphony has needed a regular injury replacement player so that kept me pretty busy until now, but they’re finally having auditions so I probably won’t be going back so often.
Cindy told me that you conduct in Edmonton. You don’t happen to need a kick-ass cellist up there do you?
Break a leg tonight!
Alex Kramer
Hello William,
I was the assistant principal cello of the CSO the last time you conducted in Charlotte. We went for sushi with the artistic administrator one day. Maybe you remember? My good friend CSO violist Cindy Frank told me about your blog and I just read and enjoyed your CSO entries. Even though I wouldn’t wish the job on anybody I thought well of, I think you would be a fine choice for MD in Charlotte.
I myself resigned from the orchestra after the disastrous ’03 strike (I have stories to make your blood run cold!), but my wife is a veterinarian in town and we have a house so I still live in Charlotte. Luckily for me the Atlanta Symphony has needed a regular injury replacement player so that kept me pretty busy until now, but they’re finally having auditions so I probably won’t be going back so often.
Cindy told me that you conduct in Edmonton. You don’t happen to need a kick-ass cellist up there do you?
Break a leg tonight!
Alex Kramer
We are transplants from Detroit & San Francisco and couldn’t agree with your comments about the post-concert reception more. Absolutely, one of the best marketing tools for any symphony or arts group, and your comments should be taken to heart. We came to the rehearsal on Friday and were thrilled with both you personally and your performance as a soloist and as a conductor. Your talents, energy and love of what your are doing are apparent and contagious and so good for the business end of the music addiction (yes, I understand). It was great to read the comments of the lady who brought her children…it will make a lasting & positive difference for them in their desire to do their best with their natural talents along with what they can learn from their teachers along the way. My vote, as well as my husband’s, is that we will find you back here on a permanent basis for some time. Thanks for the January pick-me-up!!