Waiting for the other shoe to fall.

The orchestra has spent the week waiting for the explosion. Normally, when Marin is in, there is a lot of huffing and puffing, sulking and general bad behaviour, both on and off the rostrum, but this week has been rather nice, She’s let a few things go, for one reason or another, but it has helped the atmosphere no end, and the concerts were not bad at all. The last two days have seen us recording Roy Harris’ symphonies 5 and 6, and another piece called Acceleration. They are utterly rubbish, with no form or tune, or anything. I heard that Marin wants to record all his symphonies. Lord have mercy on us, it’ll be worse than doing the Stamford cycle.

Next week is her final one with us as principal conductor, and despite what many say, I have rather liked her.

Marin, Mahler and Rouse.

Marin is back for her final ‘home’ stint as principal conductor, and she’s on best behaviour. We’ve only had one sarcastic comment, and plenty of opportunities have been overlooked, so that’s a bit of luck, maybe it’s because we’re about an hour short of rehearsal time, which on a programme like this, is a  bit of a blow.

I’d never played or even heard Mahler 9 before monday, and as someone who thought he quite liked Mahler, it came as a bit of a blow to find that this piece is pure madness. Not just the usual self-indulgence of Mahler, but stark staring mad; running down the street in your underwear waving an axe mad. A caustic member of the viola section said that it’s only a short step from writing music like this, to locking your daughter in a cellar for decades and having 7 children by her, and there may be something in what he says.

The first piece is a percussion concerto by Christopher Rouse , and it’s rather good fun. Basically a racket,  but  it seems well written, and  it’s nice to see the  percussion section having to work for a living for once!

The concert is being broadcast on radio 3, but not live I don’t think.