Beethoven and Other Friends

Boy, am I rusty. Wednesday night’s first orchestra rehearsal was rough! By the end of the evening, I was sweaty, my fingers were beginning to work and my brain was fried. It felt fantastic!

My string bass is large and heavy. I have been hauling it in from the parking lots and, especially at the concert venues; I would be short of breath from carrying it. But this summer, I finally bought a wheel that slips into the peg hole at the bottom of the bass. I used it for the first time last night. It was magic. No shortness of breath. It will allow me to play longer the more ill I become.

I also got some new strings. They don’t have as loud of a sound coming from them. I usually played with the heavy gauge strings and I bought ones with a slightly lighter gauge this time. It is so much easier on my hands but I am going to have to get used to the different, lighter sound.

So, we read through Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Yes, the really famous theme – Da-da-da-DAAAAAAA. I had not played it in probably twenty years. When I was given the music last night, I was shocked to see my own pencil notations on the music! Funny.

The first famous movement is lovely and simple and dramatic. I had remembered that one of the movements was miserably difficult. I began the second movement with a bit of fear but it was the scherzo – the dance movement. It was fun but it has ten measures at C that are going to be a challenge.

Then, the third movement. Within seconds, it all came back to me. This was the movement. This was the movement to fear. The Allegro. It is going to take a lot of work.

The final movement ends with Presto. That means so go faster than you can possibly play, or at least that’s what it feels like.

But, it is Beethoven. I love playing Beethoven except for the Lenore Overture. Overture No. 3. I have very bad memories about that music.

Also over twenty years ago, I played it under the current conductor. It is not easy. It is, after all, Beethoven. It also ends with Presto. We rehearsed it. We were ready for the concert. All was well except the conductor that night decided to conduct it twice as fast as we had ever rehearsed it. It was a brutal, bloody mess. I never wanted to play it again.

Well, it also is on the current schedule to be performed this concert. We have not read through it yet but we’ll see how it goes.

The other piece for the concert will be Edward Elgar’s Concerto in E minor for violoncello and orchestra.

It is going to be a long, heavy, thrilling concert. It is going to take a lot of work but it should be very satisfying to perform.