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Wednesday, March 29, 2006

A Classic Arts Showcase

I geek out a lot. A LOT. Dvorak comes on the radio and I gasp. I find a new score I can order from Barnes and Noble and it makes my day. My clarinet reed suddenly gives me back my dark, rich sound and I'm golden.


Last night I had a moment. I'm almost embarassed by how geeky I got last night during my orchestra rehearsal. Our concert is this Sunday so we're in crunch time right now trying to iron out the difficult parts and play through pieces. It always amazes me how it seems like there are sections we've never played before but I guess that's what happens when you practice different parts on different weeks. Also, my transposing ability is starting to scare me. I don't even have to think while I play, I see a Bb and play an A, I see a section of arpeggios and I don't even have to write out the notes above it, I just know what to play.

We're playing Beethoven's 7th Symphony on Sunday and while I'm excited to be adding this piece to my repertoire, I had kind of been wishing we were playing something else, like Dvorak's 7th or anything by Tchaikovsky, my love. But last night after tearing through the first movement we started the second and seriously, it took my breath away. I turned into the biggest classical music dork on the face of the earth and and was trying hard not to turn into a burbling idiot over my amazement for this movement. It is exquisite and while me saying this is not something new to anyone familiar with classical music, it was a moment of realization for me as hearing it from a CD had never done it justice for me. Sitting among the strings while they passed around the melody at barely audible volumes was awesome. And finally, when the clarinets (me) got to enter and add to the loudest of louds it was so beautiful. I LOVE being a part of an orchestra and playing gorgeous pieces of music, it's like a high, seriously.

I hesitated to write about this as declaring my love for the second movement of Beethoven's 7th is like a pop fan declaring their love for the current #1 single. I haven't found a gem or anything and I'm certainly not writing what hasn't already been written before but that's okay. It's okay to like what is popular or already deemed "good". I hate it when people give me crap for loving Dvorak's New World Symphony, like enjoying something that is well-known and liked by the masses is going to cause my credibility as a musician to be tarnished. Don't forget, I'm the dork who gasps when a Dvorak string quartet comes on the radio and I also try to guess who the composer is while listening to a piece.

And how fitting...today's Peanuts cartoon:




Beethoven Liked GIrls
Originally uploaded by scarls17.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I know exactly what you mean, not when it comes to Beethoven or classical music but with having just the right moment with that creative thing you love. It's like pure elation. My eyes have actually watered.

As for Dvorak and his New World Symphony, I'm not sure who the masses are, but I am woman enough to admit that I hadn't even heard of Dvorak before I met you (much less his New World Symphony). ; )

CBK said...

I love the 7th, but I'm more of a fan of the first movement than the second. It gets kind of repetitive. But I love the whole thing. Didn't they use the second movement in Mr. Holland's Opus?

And there's a reason why some pieces are more famous than others, because they're better. It's terribly unoriginal to have Beethoven's 9th be your favorite piece of music, but God damn, it's SO GOOD!!!!

Miss Scarlet said...

FlameOn- Now I'm itching to make you a classical music mix CD!

CBK- I just verified online and yes, it was in the movie, good memory! I just checked my 7th symphony score too (yes, I have the score with me, shut up) and I like MY part of the first movement but overall it's the second that does it for me. I love how it all pieces together and the buildup is hella good.

lala said...

hahaha, you added bsc. i know this has nothing to do with your post. but still.

Miss Scarlet said...

Ha and I added it before I even got through half of the first post.


BSC 4 EVA!

K said...

I love geeking out.

I'm definitely going to use that phrase soon at a party.

Anthony said...

I was never really of a sufficient standard to play in a proper orchestra but have rediscovered the joys of the well-known classics through seriously good recordings. Anything really popular is in perpetual danger of becoming hackneyed, so it's always a joy to come across an interpretation which really blows the cobwebs away - hence my interest in period performance.

But for all the delights of getting reacquainted with those pieces you could otherwise overlook, there's even more pleasure, to my mind, in happening upon something (or someone) new.

Miss Scarlet said...

I do love finding the gems out there, Anthony/Tony. My private clarinet teacher was good for that in college because he was so into Eastern European music. He would visit there and buy tons of music in little shops. It was awesome.