playing stravinsky

Just some thoughts here.

Playing in The Soldier's Tale is really turning out to be quite an experience. For one, it's my first time playing under Mr Lim Yau. So far I've never even met him; only ever heard stories about how strict he was in YO and his fearsome reputation as a conductor. And being one of 7 players (and the most noob!) I think quite a bit of his attention has landed on me -.-

Of course it's been a challenge to meet the expectations and demands that he has, and in trying to meet them I've grown, musically and mentally. It takes some mental stamina to count the twisted rhythms that Stravinsky writes.

It's also an experience to see, first-hand, how a piece as complex as this is put together at rehearsals. At first I was just practising my part - little dismembered rhythmic or melodic motifs, sometimes just 3 or 4 notes repeated 30+ times - but then over the rehearsals I've grown quite a good sense of where and how I fit into the big picture; how, for instance, some of my notes fit in or trigger a dialogue with trombone, or how I double a bassoon line for a bar then start harmonising.

I've also realised just how vital a bass line can be. I literally set the pace for quite a few of the earlier movements, and everyone - even the conductor - follows. If the tempo's too slow, it gets sluggish, the momentum's lost, violin bows don't slice the strings just right and they end up hitting false notes or things like that; if it's too fast everyone's racing along, out of breath; if it's erratic, people seize onto tempi convenient for themselves (and different from everyone else) and the whole thing falls apart. That's a huge responsibility.

I think I've been extremely fortunate that everyone's been very patient, especially Mr Lim. And in terms of playing chamber music, I've probably learnt more from this piece than anything else.

Anyhow, it's shaping up to be an awesome concert.