In Six!
Last fall we played a concert with our Principal Guest Conductor, Henrik Schaefer, which ended with Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4. I find this symphony to be thrilling to perform. Schaefer — a conducter I very much enjoy playing for — gave the orchestra a serious challenge, doing the ending in a measured, unhurried six.
I always pass on to students the same advice that I was given: practice the extremes. You have to, as best as you can, prepare for anything that might come your way. Even then, you might be surprised when you finally perform a piece with the full ensemble and you’re asked to do something that pushes you to your limits. In the context of this quiet and deliberate ending, that meant playing extremely soft, long lines underneath the horn melody.
This is one of those works that easily awakens emotions in me. So, from the standpoint of performing this difficult passage under pressure while incorporating concepts from ISTDP, I had no problem tapping into intense feelings. Once I let the emotions rise up within me, I was inoculated against any anxiety interfering. It’s magical to experience this, to feel deeply connected to colleagues, the audience, and the music itself.
