If you follow me on Facebook then you know that I spent the greater part of this past week/weekend in Battle Creek doing a couple performances of Carmina Burana. In all honesty before I got the call to sub I had never heard more than the "O Fortuna" part of this work...and there is indeed A LOT more to it! I had such a blast getting to learn, rehearse and perform the piece and I really do hope that the Battle Creek Symphony calls me back again sometime! Amanda Sparfeld (whom I got the gig from) sounded gorgeous and it was so nice to be sitting near a powerful young flutist who is also just a really nice, genuine person. Her sound has something very special about it almost like a frosted window at Christmas that holds within it a home full of love with a blazing fire in the fireplace keeping everyone warm and merry. I could honestly have listened to her play right hand pinky exercises for the entire rehearsal! Very inspiring. The music director, Anne Harrigan, reminded me a lot of my friend Chelsea. She was very knowledgeable about the piece and also was able to bring in elements from around the world as we worked through it together. I was really nervous to throw this work together in only TWO rehearsals but under her baton we not only did that but I think (specifically on Saturday) gave a compelling and polished performance that brought the piece across to the entire audience.
This weekend marks the end of the National Orchestral Institute's audition season and now the REAL waiting game begins. I have my fingers and toes crossed and might even just hold my breath until I get the email from them. I really want to go! The deadline for Brevard is also coming up this week so hopefully in the next two weeks I will either know where I'm going this summer or will be able to plan on staying here and figuring out how to make enough money to keep paying off this flute.
Now for an update: I will no longer be doing weekly review videos. It's just a bit too much more work than I thought it would be so instead I will more than likely be doing a "recording of the month" video each month where I review/talk about my favorite classical recording, concerts, paraphernalia etc of the past month. I will still be listening though so there will be lists posted with each Sunday blog and every day you can see on my Facebok Page what I'm listening to that day.
Have a good week and happy practicing everyone!!
Listening for this coming week:
Monday: Bach - Cello suite no. 2
Recording - Yo-Yo Ma
Recording - Yo-Yo Ma
Edgar Meyer (still for fun)
Tuesday: Jennifer Higdon - Zaka for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano & Perc.
Recording - Higdon: Summer Shimmers, Zaka, Rapid Fire, Etc.
Wednesday: African Drum and Dance
Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3D5Kt2nTEk
Thursday: Brahms - String Quartet #2 in a minor, Op. 51
Recording - Tokyo Quartet
Friday: Edwin York Bowen - Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 120
Recording - Jeffrey Khaner and Charles Abramovic
Saturday: Mahler - Symphony no. 2
Recording - Chicago Symphony & Claudio Abbado
Sunday: Stravinsky - Finishing of the Rakes Progress
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