Week 19

STRAVINSKY Symphony of Psalms
KNUSSEN Violin Concerto
INTERMISSION
MOZART Mass in C Minor
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Camilla Tilling, soprano
Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano
Lawrence Brownlee, tenor
Eric Owens, bass

Monday
7:30 MOB concert (Mozart)

Tuesday
10-12:30 orchestra rehearsal

Wednesday
1:30-3:30 4:30-7 orchestra rehearsals

Thursday
10-12:30 orchestra rehearsal
8 orchestra concert

Friday
8 orchestra concert

Saturday
8 orchestra concert

Sunday
3 orchestra concert
7 CBE rehearsal


This week’s program is sort of an odd sandwich of choral works around the Knussen violin concerto. Although I’m not playing the piece, one player in the orchestra (who must read this blog) made certain to point out the musicians approved of the Knussen. To date, that is the only comment I’ve heard either way, besides the fact the bass parts are difficult. (Knussen’s father was principal bass of the London Symphony.) To be fair, the audience reaction sounded very enthusiastic from my comfortable seat in the lounge, which makes one wonder why we play his music only about once a decade.

Knussen came here a number of years ago to conduct a concert of his works. Although I don’t recall the pieces specifically, I remember enjoying those concerts. Knussen also made what for me has to be one of the more memorable utterances from the podium.

Obviously feeling the pressure of putting together a concert of new works on short rehearsal time, the maestro showed signs of fraying around the edges at the final rehearsal. With time ticking away, a prickly, pesky, principal player, peppering him all week with trivial questions finally drove the composer over the edge. Knussen snapped, “Your constant questions are driving me right round the bend!” That is reason enough for me to want us to play more of his music.

After playing Mozart with MOB last week, the big orchestra’s HGH enhanced sound comes as a bit of a shock to the ears. Still, the Mass is a wonderful piece.