This week is an opera week. I am concertmaster of the orchestra for Winter Opera St Louis and this weekend we have performances of Pietro Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz. A joke I heard was that this is the second opera of a one opera composer.
So here’s a funny story about the music. I’d heard from my friend Sarah that there was a big violin solo in the music so to be sure to look at it in advance. The music was ready after the new year, so I picked it up, went home and didn’t find any “big solo.” I texted her that she must have been mistaken…then I decided to listen to the opera online. About 13 minutes in there is a GIANT violin solo. Which wasn’t in my music! So I began panicking and shooting off a large variety of text messages to Sarah about the solo and not being in my music, and then about how AWESOME the solo was and finding the music online. Anyway, in a nutshell. The publisher didn’t have the solo in the part. In fact, the publisher didn’t have the solo at all. But it’s a really fun, giant, huge, violin solo in the opera that I’d never heard before but had a wonderful time working up. And honestly, it is one of those pieces that sounds harder than it is. Anyway, if you are interested, come out this weekend to see/hear the production! Friday at 8, Sunday at 3 at the Skip Viragh Performing Arts Center.
I’d love to report that I’ve been up to really interesting things not related to the violin, but I’d basically be lying or definitely be exaggerating. As soon as vacation was over I was basically back into teaching 70 million students a week and complaining about how much I needed to practice for my various rehearsals and stuff. Oh, and also actually doing some practice, but I find it’s more important to walk around sighing a lot and stressing over the work that needs to be done while drinking coffee…
We get to that point of my blog post where I mention the weather. AH. It’s been gorgeous. Which reminds me we have done a few things. Saturday we ran around Forest Park and Saturday night I played on a New Music Circle concert on this piece.
The rest of the program was really interesting too. I don’t always enjoy listening to new music, but I do enjoy learning new things and new ideas, and I found the whole experience to be really great and I’m glad we went. And if you’re looking at that music, we added the little bar lines to make it easier on the eyes—they weren’t there initially.
Wait, I’m back on music again! WEATHER. RUNNING. FOOD.
CATS IN BOXES!
BREAD PUDDING
Okay fine, dear readers. I’m off to drink more coffee, practice, run, teach, and play an opera dress rehearsal. Fun day ahead! Think of me and send me your cat pictures.