Wednesday, October 13, 2010

calm before the storm

Mahler is all done, I'm not totally happy with my own playing but I'm not devestated either. Overall I think we did a pretty good job, and it was a great experience.

Now I have about two weeks before West Side Story, or the Extreme Woodwind Doubling Experience. I have procurred a bass clarinet stand from a friend, and since the bass clarinet was not quite playable, I rented one at the local musicmart. It is a LeBlanc, seems to be pretty good AND it comes with all those nice things like a peg and a neck! I do feel bad about J and all his hard work on the other horn, but maybe someday it will play.

The bari is still in the shop. Scary, but I've been assured it will be done today! Of course, I was assured that every day since last Thursday. The lady who loaned me her BC stand said she has had work done there and the metalwork is exceptionally good. So I feel a bit better...Just hoping it works smoothly. I've been practicing on tenor so at least I have the fingering thing going. It is scary to do this MANY doubles - since the oboe/eh parts are only a TINY fraction of the score. Usually I have those places for comfort, but I'm way out on a limb this time! Oh well, at least it is a benefit. On the other hand, I don't want other musicians (particularly) to hear me "not so good".

It is exciting though. And my quintet is playing at the end of the month - just a short thing we'll play Ibert. I'm also going to do some stuff with my friends who play piano/cello and bass things, so I believe we will try the Poulenc Trio (for pno/ob/bsn) and he will play ophicleide. !!!! Then we may try some reed trio stuff with the clarinet part transposed for cello and the bassoon part on serpent. They are really fun people (and professional musicians, so hopefully this won't suck!)

So I'm just trying to get all my reeds stockpiled before the end of the month - who knew it was so expensive to buy all these reeds?!!!

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