And of course the Dvorak is the cello concerto.

I'm not sure yet what alternatives I'd prefer. My listening has always been, chronologically, baroque to Beethoven, then almost nothing until Debussy. It wasn't until I took up the violin that I became interested in Schubert. I had a brief fling with the Romantics when I was 12 or 13 then lost interest when I discovered Bartok, Prokofiev and Holliger's Zelenka.

I guess I'd like to play Debussy, Ravel, Elgar, Richard Strauss: my 20th c. Russian preferences are, in order, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stravinsky and last and least Rachmaninov (and all the film-score-bilge he inspired, lol!).

I do like Sibelius.

AndrewH said
I'm currently using Earasers (available from Fiddlershop) for orchestra rehearsals. One of my post-COVID symptoms is extra sensitivity to loud sounds, and the viola section is directly in front of trombones, so I started using earplugs for the first time in my life this fall. (I tried regular foam earplugs for one brass-heavy program a few years ago, but abandoned them after 20 minutes because I couldn't hear most of the orchestra.)

I wasn't especially picky about the brand, I just went with what I could get on short notice at a local store. They work pretty well, -19 dB and I still hear everything easily. I'm currently keeping them in my car because I find them useful in all kinds of loud places right now. 

  

I often use a 19dB Pacato in my left ear in a small room when practising, but on Tuesday I tried one when sitting next to the piccolo, and it was a very different experience. I found that in our rehearsal hall I could hear almost nothing of my surroundings or my own playing or how it blended in, not having ears as sensitive as yours (your foam ones could have been as much as 35dB). Way too dangerous for someone of my abilities to rely on muscle memory, and rather than try a pair of them for balance, I suspect that, like my violist friend, a lower dB rating is worth trying out (I can't remember offhand what she uses - I think it's about 7dB).

I've found one called Crescendo 'Music 10' online, but I can't see what they look like.

(Pacato are comfortable, Etymotic are not)

The Cotswolds are hills in England that inspired Elgar, Holst, gave us Laurie Lee and the settings for Father Brown, the first four seasons of which I am currently watching. In a moment of day-dreaming I checked out the amateur orchestras in the area in case I ever leave London. Interestingly, there seem to be no violin vacancies in any of them, just viola vacancies, so maybe I'll have to think more seriously about learning the viola. There are too many competent violinists out there. They are becoming more common than flautists!

ELCBK said
@Gordon Shumway -

 
Reading some of your thoughts about playing in your orchestra - have you thought about looking for smaller ensembles, or a quartet?  

  

Well, the string orchestra on Friday lunchtimes is small compared with the symphony orchestra on Tuesday nights, so I am finding that a bit of relief from the grind of seemingly endless Brahms*. I guess I could ask my teacher about how to find a string quartet that would have me.

*one of the movements in Brahms 2 is in 12/8 alternating with 4/4, but in one 4/4 section the previous renter has marked "In 8" on the music, just as we continue in 12/8 (but we wouldn't be playing simply 3 against 2, we'd be playing a syncopated 6 against 2!). I erased that bit. Actually all the bowings were upside down from the ones our leader wants, so I spent all of yesterday afternoon correcting the music and playing through it to try to become more familiar with it.

Yeah, I'll ask in the orchestras and I'll ask my teacher.

I have the email addresses of all the people in my string orchestra.

Perhaps I fear not getting four people of the same ability.

I wouldn't want to play either with weaker people than me or with stronger people than me. (I once got together some people to play Berio's Opus Number Zoo, just for amusement's sake, not intending to perform, but the bassoonist was a beginner and we only lasted one rehearsal, lol!)

Just to make you Americans envious, here's a map of UK amateur orchestras that have offered their details to the website. I.e. there are probably more.

https://amateurorchestras.org.uk/map.htm

Mouse said
That is interesting. I wonder if there was a map for fiddlers? I bet there would be more in Ireland for that? 

🐭

  

Every pub in Ireland probably has an open mic night and/or a live music night, so no need for a map. What on Earth makes me assume that? TV, lol!

Gordon Shumway said
On Saturday [30th Nov 2024] I survived my first proper concert (the string orchestra doesn't do concerts, it just allows friends and family to attend end-of-term rehearsal-performances).

Very interesting.

As the baton went up for the first note, we still had not yet performed any piece from start to finish, something I was expecting from the "dress rehearsal" on Monday. But on the day of the performance we had a 3-hour rehearsal beforehand, when we were accompanied for the first time ever by a pro baritone, a boy sop, timpani and a harp (she sat between me and the timpani, which made it much easier to count the beat when I couldn't see the conductor). (+piano+church organ+100-strong choir - I counted 16 sops in the first row, and there were at least 7 rows).

The church was Catholic (in Germany the musicians jokingly ask "will the church be Catholic or heated?"), but it had burnt down a few years ago and, thoughtfully, when they rebuilt it, they turned the crypt into a swish reception area with bar and toilets and also had under-floor heating installed. When I arrived at 2PM, I unknowingly placed my sandwiches on a heating hotspot. When I got to eat them at 6 O'Clock they were nice and warm (cheese and salami) but, thankfully, bacteria-free. I had a stainless steel thermos of coffee which I had made at 12. By 6PM it was still too hot to drink. I was well-prepared too with closed-cell foam to put my feet on in case the floor was cold. And spare thermal underwear. Music, and music to prepare for my teacher. I insisted my stand partner bring his music stand, since he was coming in a car.

The gig went without a hitch except that in the interval I had tidied up the used music and neatly set out the Fauré requiem on the music stand (I had brought my brand new Glocusent stand light and it worked like a dream). When I got back from the break, some other 2nd-violinist tealeaf had half-inched the music, so we had to revert to a photocopy.

It doesn't seem to have been recorded, which is bizarre, as it was the orchestra's biggest ever gig.

Afterwards I walked to the nearest train station and there were 4 minutes to go for the next train to my gf's (or I could also have gone home). Good news? Yes and no - to get to her house I had to walk a mile uphill in my new concert shoes. As I type this I have no skin on the backs of my heels. Next time I will take trainers, as if I wasn't burdened enough.

 

  

Gig #2 today. As above, but I have to schlep my music stand, as I haven't seen my desk partner for 3 weeks, and I don't know how or if she's coming. And a second pair of shoes.

Rehearsal 2-5, gig 7.30-9.30.

Sibelius Pan and Echo
Holst Symphony op 8 'The Cotswolds'
Brahms Symphony no 2

Harder music than in the Autumn, and I didn't prep over Christmas, which was a big mistake.

Tuesday was meant to be our last rehearsal, but when I got to the school it was shut, as the orchestra's board had forgotten to book it!

I've made the coffee early, so it isn't too hot to drink at 5.

Thursday was meant to be a lesson where we looked at prepping the summer's repertoire (Elfrida Andrée Concert Overture
Dvorak Cello Concerto
Schumann Symphony no 2), and teacher is away until 1st May, but she was ill on Thursday, so I'm in limbo for a month.

Re the Fauré disappearing in the interval, I'm sure I've marked-up the bowings for more than one set of music now. Or I could be mistaken, but it happened last year - a woman on my right told me my bowings were upside-down after I had marked-up my copy. If I'm not mistaken, I suspect someone is too lazy and just goes through the folders swapping out their unmarked-up sets for marked-up sets (I think I can guess who it is, but I can't say anything to them). I'll just have to keep hold of the music in future.

I'm off to make cheese sandwiches now. I hope I haven't run out of cling-film.

Yesterday I took delivery of some music glasses (spectacles), so I don't have to wear clip-ons any more.

And today I took delivery of a polycarbonate viola case.

Strangely, it's the same length as my violin case; but it's a little wider, so the music pocket is B4, not A4. Perfect! And so, without all the pockets violin cases have, there's a lot more room inside for spectacles and a Bon Musica and biscuits!

The instrument's neck is held in place by a collar that is positioned using velcro, so it's adjustable for all viola sizes, but also I can extend it for a violin, if necessary (I haven't tested it fully yet) . All I need then is to check there's the right amount of padding in the right places. And the straps are better quality rucksack straps compared with the same manufacturer's violin cases.