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| Greeting the Bochabelas |
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Concerts, Concerts and (it seems...) More Concerts
We love Kwa-Zulu Natal. And we really don't want to leave.
It has been a busy week! We will travel with the KZN Philharmonic to Grahamstown next week, and the departure date is fast approaching. We leave Sunday at 5 am. We will open the Grahamstown Music and Arts Festival with Brahms' Second Symphony, and do three shows of Swan Lake, in collaboration with the Cape Town Ballet, throughout the week. We've been told that this festival is really something to be seen - many productions of theater, music, jazz, and markets appear in the village during this time, and we are really excited to get to walk around the town and see everything. It will be awesome to be part of such a happening festival in South Africa.
This beginning of this week was spent in a practice room at the KZN rehearsal hall, hours and hours rehearsing just string quartets in preparation for our performance this past Wednesday night. (Was that last night?) The quartet recital took place in a beautiful and intimate chamber music hall at Howard College, at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, whose foliage resembles a jungle atmosphere and whose architecture boasts an open air meeting place right outside the hall. We had a thorough dress rehearsal, and were especially excited about performing our 20th Century homemade "Suite" of movements - a piece we created ourselves out of five different 20th century composers: Bartok, Kevin Volans, Villa-Lobos, Ives, and Jennifer Higdon. The Suite comprised many textures and styles but we ordered the movements in such a way that the whole work felt cohesive and sensitive, as a modern string quartet might sound. We thought the most interesting transition was from the Villa-Lobos movement (which screams of the Rio streets at night) to Ives (which is an advanced take on the church hymn.) It was physically so momentous to finish the Villa-Lobos that we had to breathe a bit before starting the church movement form the Ives quartet. We felt like it really showcased a raucous Saturday night in Rio before ending up in church the next morning - a typical Sunday morning in New England. Many supportive and amazing KZN Phil members graciously attended our show, and the standing ovation we received at the end of the concert made us feel so welcomed as part of this talented community. It was so much fun to perform in such a warm environment. The night was chilled as we waited for our cab to take us back to the hotel, and there we toasted our last big chamber music performance in the SunCoast's dining room. We eat here a lot - the staff is great and the food is great. And we don't have to go anywhere at all. The hotel staff is definitely getting to know us!
Today we've been resting after a morning rehearsal, and tomorrow hope to go the beach and pool before we leave for an 8 hour rehearsal day - we will perform with the KZN Phil as part of the festivities for the International Olympic Committee event on July 5 back in Durban, and for that rehearsals start tomorrow. We also hope to read a young composer's string quartet during our dinner break! We are looking forward to that.
In other news, our fabulous violist, Brenton Caldwell, turns 30 tomorrow! We will celebrate all day with candy, music, pizza and movies at David and Alison's house. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENTON!
It has been a busy week! We will travel with the KZN Philharmonic to Grahamstown next week, and the departure date is fast approaching. We leave Sunday at 5 am. We will open the Grahamstown Music and Arts Festival with Brahms' Second Symphony, and do three shows of Swan Lake, in collaboration with the Cape Town Ballet, throughout the week. We've been told that this festival is really something to be seen - many productions of theater, music, jazz, and markets appear in the village during this time, and we are really excited to get to walk around the town and see everything. It will be awesome to be part of such a happening festival in South Africa.
This beginning of this week was spent in a practice room at the KZN rehearsal hall, hours and hours rehearsing just string quartets in preparation for our performance this past Wednesday night. (Was that last night?) The quartet recital took place in a beautiful and intimate chamber music hall at Howard College, at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, whose foliage resembles a jungle atmosphere and whose architecture boasts an open air meeting place right outside the hall. We had a thorough dress rehearsal, and were especially excited about performing our 20th Century homemade "Suite" of movements - a piece we created ourselves out of five different 20th century composers: Bartok, Kevin Volans, Villa-Lobos, Ives, and Jennifer Higdon. The Suite comprised many textures and styles but we ordered the movements in such a way that the whole work felt cohesive and sensitive, as a modern string quartet might sound. We thought the most interesting transition was from the Villa-Lobos movement (which screams of the Rio streets at night) to Ives (which is an advanced take on the church hymn.) It was physically so momentous to finish the Villa-Lobos that we had to breathe a bit before starting the church movement form the Ives quartet. We felt like it really showcased a raucous Saturday night in Rio before ending up in church the next morning - a typical Sunday morning in New England. Many supportive and amazing KZN Phil members graciously attended our show, and the standing ovation we received at the end of the concert made us feel so welcomed as part of this talented community. It was so much fun to perform in such a warm environment. The night was chilled as we waited for our cab to take us back to the hotel, and there we toasted our last big chamber music performance in the SunCoast's dining room. We eat here a lot - the staff is great and the food is great. And we don't have to go anywhere at all. The hotel staff is definitely getting to know us!
Today we've been resting after a morning rehearsal, and tomorrow hope to go the beach and pool before we leave for an 8 hour rehearsal day - we will perform with the KZN Phil as part of the festivities for the International Olympic Committee event on July 5 back in Durban, and for that rehearsals start tomorrow. We also hope to read a young composer's string quartet during our dinner break! We are looking forward to that.
In other news, our fabulous violist, Brenton Caldwell, turns 30 tomorrow! We will celebrate all day with candy, music, pizza and movies at David and Alison's house. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENTON!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
June 16, 2011 - Maestro Lyk and KZN Collaborations
All week we've been in Durban, whose traditional name is 'Kwa-Zulu Natal,' from which the city's powerhouse symphony derives its name: KZN Philharmonic. We arrived quite happy as we drove up to our hotel on Durban Beach on Sunday. We had to hit the ground running, and literally jump into new surroundings, new faces, and new music - not to mention our immediately getting acquainted with a fiendishly talented 'call a spade a spade' conductor who would triumphantly lead us in the Youth Day Concert (which is now in about 3 hours and counting.) By the way, that quote is verbatum - at our splendid dinner with Maestro Lykele Temmingh on Sunday night, he remarked, "Just so you know, I don't sugar coat anything. I call a spade a spade." I think we were all thinking that we had our work cut out for us, and simultaneously lifted our wine glasses for a toast.
We arrived for our first KZN Phil rehearsal early Monday morning, with enough time for our trusty guides and hosts David and Alison Plylar to show us around the facility where we would rehearse. We took our seats at the front of each section, a bit wary at how things would play themselves out. The room looked typical for an orchestra of this size - huge, bright, and with little comforts save a water cooler that sometimes had cups around it. We started going over our passages and warming our fingers, and in a few moments, the advanced Bochabelas made their entrance. I've never been so happy to see the familiar faces of the talented youths we'd coached in Bloemfontein! As the students and Peter Guy, their director (also an accomplished and excellent double bass player who used to be the principal bass in KZN) made their way into the room, the quartet literally flocked to the group, and the chatter began - hugs and pictures, and "where are you staying?" and "when did you get here?" and on and on. Eventually things simmered down, and everybody took their seats in the orchestra as the time approached 9 am and rehearsal commenced. I met loads of smiling KZN Phil members, and was so thankful for how friendly and open the players were to invite us into their great orchestra, considering they'd just met us. My stand partner was especially sweet, and we all felt quickly at ease in leading our sections inside this mammoth ensemble. Lyk (as the players called him for short) dove into the repertoire, his indefatigable spirit barreling down on us as we read through Holst's Planets, and only guessing what would come next - dancing, singing, a little Afrikaans here and there...in short, eventually we made it through the first day of rehearsal, and I felt heartened to think I only had to turn my head behind me to see my Bochabela kids smiling back at me from the middle of the second violins. I was so proud of them, and so honored to be included in this orchestra. I mean - for all intents and purposes, Holst isn't easy - for anyone!
On Tuesday we had our first nighttime rehearsal with members of the KZN Phil for our collaborative chamber music concert on Sunday. We will perform George Onslow's beautiful chamber Nonet, (violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, horn, and bassoon) and Beethoven's renound Septet,(violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, horn, bassoon) on Sunday at 11:30 am for one of the symphony's smaller chamber concerts. I was so excited to get to know some players from the KZN more personally in this endeavor, and everyone sounded really beautiful. We came home to the hotel on Tuesday night exhausted but happy - and starving.
The rest of the Youth Day rehearsals rolled by, and we are about to leave for the pre-concert lecture where we'll speak a bit about our musical training in the US, and the Bochabelas will perform a piece from their repertoire for those in attendance.
It will be sad to say goodbye to Peter and the Bochabelas. Their love for all kinds music is very inspiring. I can't imagine that I'll see a group like them again for a very long time. And now...on to the Youth Day Celebration at City Hall.
P.S.
You can check out a press release about our residency here:
http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=27363
You can also check out an article about Bochabela and Peter Guy's Mangaun String Program here:
http://www.channelmpr.co.za/index.php/news-room/49-music-makes-their-world-go-round
Monday, June 13, 2011
Cheetahs, Clarens, and Durban Beach
CHEETAHS
On Friday morning, our trusty clan donned hiking shoes and jeans, and made our way (including a few wrong turns) to see wild cats in person. I was very nervous (of course) because not only would we be seeing these animals - we would be basically hanging out with them, touching them, talking to them...I assumed they'd be mostly babies (what harm can a baby lion do?) - but I was quite wrong on both assumptions.
An amazing woman named Suzette ushered us into the sanctuary, and explained to us that no matter how comfortable we felt around the cats (I guess she wasn't talking to me) we should never let our guards down because a wild cat is a wild cat. The main purpose of the sanctuary is to help repopulate the world with the endangered cheetah, but also raises other species for game parks in order to deflect cost. I simply couldn't believe it as we entered the park, and sneaked closer and closer to two 1-year old sleeping lions. They seemed docile enough, but we were reminded time and again that one must never turn her back on a lion - it will jump up on your shoulders, and grasp you with 2 inch long curved nails, which Suzette showed us by pulling back the lion's fur around his paws. We were encouraged to come up on the animal quietly, two at a time, and stroke his downy fur, which was at the same time smooth but strong, and I'm pretty sure that I didn't breathe throughout the entire thing. But then we crossed the yard and approached the cheetahs.
I assumed that there was a fence between us and the two cheetahs - Fila and Bibi. We got closer and closer, and the cheetahs started to become leaner, clearer and more defined as they paced up and back along the fence. There was no fence between us. I froze for a few seconds...Fila had been teased by some children and had therefore developed an aggressive character - we were warned by Suzette not to look Fila in the eye, or touch her. Bibi, on the other hand was more passive, lying in the sun and unaffectedly looking up at her visitors. The sheer beauty of these cats was astounding. Extremely lean and fit, the cheetah has a silky spotted skin and golden eyes. The long curved tail is used for turning while running without losing a second, since the cheetah can maintain an enormous speed. Most terrifying, the shoulder blades ooze up and down as the cheetah slinks around the yard; slowly, Fila started walking back toward us as she saw us approach her friend, and we were told to back up, don't look her in the eye. We couldn't touch Bibi at all then because Fila was just too close. Pretty sure I didn't breathe during that one either. I thought Suzette must be slightly mad...
We proceeded to see a plethora of new species - wolves, leopards, grown lions, and smaller cats that apparently can be very nasty. No matter how hard you try, it seems one cannot tame a wild cat, but Suzette pours everything she has into caring for these beautiful creatures, and the experience was quite exceptional. Four string players repeatedly putting their fingers inches from razor sharp jaws is something I don't think I'll ever see again.
CLARENS and DURBAN BEACH
On Saturday, we made our way half way to Durban from Bloemfontein, traveling over the top of another tiny sovereign country in the middle of South Africa: Losotho. It's very complicated to pass through the country so travelers mainly avoid it if possible, especially foreign nationals. After about three hours, our troupe arrived in a miniature mountain town called Clarens, which at once conjured images of mountainous villiages we'd all remembered in the States - Santa Fe, Aspen, Taos...it was a breathtaking chalet village, and as threw on our sweaters and coats, we meandered to a wood burning cafe that could have been in Germany - we drank beers and ate steaks and schnitzel, and finished with a delicious desert called a milk tart. Red checkered table clothes covered the wooden tables and from each chair hung a cozy Aztec looking wool blanket to warm our legs. Everywhere arose the aroma of wood burning and I couldn't figure out where I was - with frosty fingers in mid June, smelling smells I only usually remember from Christmastime.
Finally the next day, Sunday, we arrived in Durban Beach, and checked into our Art Deco beach palace right on the water. I mean - I'd call it something else but that's really the only way to describe it. Interestingly, I was just in Miami Beach, and most of the buildings look exactly the same. Wiseman, our guide, driver, friend, and choirmaster, said that the beach front was actually modeled on Miami Beach. Markets of crafts and clothing line the beach, and each of our white rooms are filled with glass, porcelain, mirrors, and a huge window that frames the sea. I swear - there are palm trees here...
Now I am going for a walk on the beach.
On Friday morning, our trusty clan donned hiking shoes and jeans, and made our way (including a few wrong turns) to see wild cats in person. I was very nervous (of course) because not only would we be seeing these animals - we would be basically hanging out with them, touching them, talking to them...I assumed they'd be mostly babies (what harm can a baby lion do?) - but I was quite wrong on both assumptions.
An amazing woman named Suzette ushered us into the sanctuary, and explained to us that no matter how comfortable we felt around the cats (I guess she wasn't talking to me) we should never let our guards down because a wild cat is a wild cat. The main purpose of the sanctuary is to help repopulate the world with the endangered cheetah, but also raises other species for game parks in order to deflect cost. I simply couldn't believe it as we entered the park, and sneaked closer and closer to two 1-year old sleeping lions. They seemed docile enough, but we were reminded time and again that one must never turn her back on a lion - it will jump up on your shoulders, and grasp you with 2 inch long curved nails, which Suzette showed us by pulling back the lion's fur around his paws. We were encouraged to come up on the animal quietly, two at a time, and stroke his downy fur, which was at the same time smooth but strong, and I'm pretty sure that I didn't breathe throughout the entire thing. But then we crossed the yard and approached the cheetahs.
I assumed that there was a fence between us and the two cheetahs - Fila and Bibi. We got closer and closer, and the cheetahs started to become leaner, clearer and more defined as they paced up and back along the fence. There was no fence between us. I froze for a few seconds...Fila had been teased by some children and had therefore developed an aggressive character - we were warned by Suzette not to look Fila in the eye, or touch her. Bibi, on the other hand was more passive, lying in the sun and unaffectedly looking up at her visitors. The sheer beauty of these cats was astounding. Extremely lean and fit, the cheetah has a silky spotted skin and golden eyes. The long curved tail is used for turning while running without losing a second, since the cheetah can maintain an enormous speed. Most terrifying, the shoulder blades ooze up and down as the cheetah slinks around the yard; slowly, Fila started walking back toward us as she saw us approach her friend, and we were told to back up, don't look her in the eye. We couldn't touch Bibi at all then because Fila was just too close. Pretty sure I didn't breathe during that one either. I thought Suzette must be slightly mad...
We proceeded to see a plethora of new species - wolves, leopards, grown lions, and smaller cats that apparently can be very nasty. No matter how hard you try, it seems one cannot tame a wild cat, but Suzette pours everything she has into caring for these beautiful creatures, and the experience was quite exceptional. Four string players repeatedly putting their fingers inches from razor sharp jaws is something I don't think I'll ever see again.
CLARENS and DURBAN BEACH
On Saturday, we made our way half way to Durban from Bloemfontein, traveling over the top of another tiny sovereign country in the middle of South Africa: Losotho. It's very complicated to pass through the country so travelers mainly avoid it if possible, especially foreign nationals. After about three hours, our troupe arrived in a miniature mountain town called Clarens, which at once conjured images of mountainous villiages we'd all remembered in the States - Santa Fe, Aspen, Taos...it was a breathtaking chalet village, and as threw on our sweaters and coats, we meandered to a wood burning cafe that could have been in Germany - we drank beers and ate steaks and schnitzel, and finished with a delicious desert called a milk tart. Red checkered table clothes covered the wooden tables and from each chair hung a cozy Aztec looking wool blanket to warm our legs. Everywhere arose the aroma of wood burning and I couldn't figure out where I was - with frosty fingers in mid June, smelling smells I only usually remember from Christmastime.
Finally the next day, Sunday, we arrived in Durban Beach, and checked into our Art Deco beach palace right on the water. I mean - I'd call it something else but that's really the only way to describe it. Interestingly, I was just in Miami Beach, and most of the buildings look exactly the same. Wiseman, our guide, driver, friend, and choirmaster, said that the beach front was actually modeled on Miami Beach. Markets of crafts and clothing line the beach, and each of our white rooms are filled with glass, porcelain, mirrors, and a huge window that frames the sea. I swear - there are palm trees here...
Now I am going for a walk on the beach.
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