progress report, orchestra rehearsal
500 words of smut, written yesterday at lunch.
We had our first rehearsal with the orchestra last night, on stage (no room for us all anywhere else!). We did a lot of learning the room and figuring out balances between us and the orchestra, mostly them softer and us louder and projecting to the back more. The theater is small, so even though it's much more "dry" acoustically than the big hall, it's not hard to fill with sound.
Hazards of being short and usually in the front row: I'm sitting right behind the third French horn. He apologized that his bell was aimed right at my face, but I know nothing can be done, and was able to reassure him that I was a brass player and don't mind. At a few of the loud bits, I feel like I'm duetting with the French horn, all the other singers are so obscured by it. It's still a million times better than when, for five performances of Alexander Nevsky, I sat right behind the guy who was banging on the sheet metal.
Overall, once the balance started to settle, it felt really good, really easy and flowing. I've adjusted to a faster first movement than I'd been expecting, and more majestic speeds for the fugues. (With Matt, we sang some of those fugues like bats out of hell.)
Tutti tonight, soloists and all. Woo!
Might not report on the rest of it, as I have dress rehearsal Friday morning and performance Friday night. I thought about writing and checking internet Friday afternoon, but I will likely nap instead. The second performance is Sunday afternoon--going out to dinner with Tom Purdom and camille_is_here afterwards. jen_sous_chef and nifwich, which performance are you attending? I heard Friday night was almost sold out, so it's a good thing you have tickets already!
We had our first rehearsal with the orchestra last night, on stage (no room for us all anywhere else!). We did a lot of learning the room and figuring out balances between us and the orchestra, mostly them softer and us louder and projecting to the back more. The theater is small, so even though it's much more "dry" acoustically than the big hall, it's not hard to fill with sound.
Hazards of being short and usually in the front row: I'm sitting right behind the third French horn. He apologized that his bell was aimed right at my face, but I know nothing can be done, and was able to reassure him that I was a brass player and don't mind. At a few of the loud bits, I feel like I'm duetting with the French horn, all the other singers are so obscured by it. It's still a million times better than when, for five performances of Alexander Nevsky, I sat right behind the guy who was banging on the sheet metal.
Overall, once the balance started to settle, it felt really good, really easy and flowing. I've adjusted to a faster first movement than I'd been expecting, and more majestic speeds for the fugues. (With Matt, we sang some of those fugues like bats out of hell.)
Tutti tonight, soloists and all. Woo!
Might not report on the rest of it, as I have dress rehearsal Friday morning and performance Friday night. I thought about writing and checking internet Friday afternoon, but I will likely nap instead. The second performance is Sunday afternoon--going out to dinner with Tom Purdom and camille_is_here afterwards. jen_sous_chef and nifwich, which performance are you attending? I heard Friday night was almost sold out, so it's a good thing you have tickets already!