It's Orchestra Season Again!

Tonight I resumed playing with the Castro Valley Chamber Orchestra--my musical pals since the beginning of 2007. Each year, from September to June, we gather on Tuesday nights at the middle school and rehearse for two hours each week, preparing for our three concerts per session.

Tonight we played a Mozart Double Piano Concerto that featured one of the most out-of-tune pianos I've ever heard. It made the great composer sound like the entertainment in a honky tonk bar despite fine playing by Tom. We also went through a piece this same fine piano player composed that will be a treat for anyone attending the upcoming concert on Sunday, October 23.

We tackled another Mozart piece, Symphony No. 31, which, unlike the Double Piano Concerto, I had never laid eyes on before. I was gratified at the amount of notes I was able to play on the first time through, sightreading. Part of the reward of playing in a community orchestra, besides the beauty and the camaraderie, is seeing yourself grow and improve over time.

Josh, our beloved and very hard working conductor, recommended playing chamber music to improve your sensitivity to other players, and I couldn't agree more. I belong to the Chamber Musicians of Northern California, which puts on three weekend workshops a year for players with at least some experience playing. I've attended about a dozen so far. The next workshop is the weekend of October 15-16, but you should join the group and apply now if you're interested.

Another Chamber Music Workshop Is Done

It's late in the day, but I'm happy. I got to play chamber music on my bass all day today--and all evening too.

Over the last few years, I've attended gatherings of the Chamber Musicians of Northern California (CMNC) that take place three times a year at a San Francisco Bay Area campus. After about 12 of them I know the drill, and always learn something. Also, it's great to be with people who are interested in what you're interested in--and being a "workshop," it's about developing yourself as a musician--not being a perfect concert performer. Good thing, too, because I make lots of mistakes!

We were assigned a Piano Quintet by German composer Hermann Goetz, who lived from 1840 to 1876 (see photo). The piece was beautiful and challenging. Goetz wrote it late in his short life--1874, while he already was suffering from the tuberculosis that would kill him.

We opted for the slow second movement, and even after a day's work of practice, I never quite got it right. Some parts are simply harder to play. But it was worth it to try to figure it out.

My work on this piece helped me realize that it's one thing to play every day, but for my next step, I need to work more on the basics--hand position, intonation, bowing techniques, scales--to move to the next level. That's something worth knowing--and acting on.

After dinner, I joined seven other musicians in playing through Schubert's Octet--a favorite ensemble piece that gives the bass plenty to do. Much of it is easy to play (for me now) but there are some challenges. I did a better job than the last time I played it--gratifying.

Bass Power!

Here's an idea--six brilliant young musicians from Slovakia, Russia, Czech Republic, White Russia, Yugoslavia, Georgia and Ukraine perform together--on basses! Founded in 1996, Bassiona Amorosa plays a wide repertoire, including music from the early renaissance, baroque and classical period to arrangements of light music.

I have heard eight basses perform at one time, and have a CD of The London Double Bass Sound--which includes a dozen musicians playing my favorite instrument together.

There is a wide range of tones on the bass, depending on whether you play the low, middle or high notes, and you pluck (pizzicato) or use a bow (arco) to get sharp or extended tones. Of course every musician is a little different and every piece is unique, so I never get tired of listening to bass music. And, of course, it puts the "bottom" in whenever it's part of the group.

Next Sunday, I will play with the Chamber Musicians of Northern California (CMNC) on the Mozart Gran Partita, which includes 12 various wind instruments and me--the only string player--holding down the foundation with my bass. Sweet.