Not shirking, waving

You can't say Maruki Orchestra shirks at challenges. After all, it's a local, community orchestra but it takes on the big, real works and gathers them into intimidating programs. This concert was a star example. First set was Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain, a demanding, often virtuosic tone poem with all manner of feels throughout. Apparently telling a story of a gathering of witches: the assembly; chatter and gossip; Satan's cortege; Black mass; Sabbath. Then a symphony, no less, before interval. This was a little cutie, Bizet Symphony in C major, written when he was aged 17 and only performed after his death. It's a lively thing, pretty, reminiscent at times of horse riding. I thought little of it early on, but it grew on me. Then interval and afternoon tea. Then the continuation of an unusually built program. Bach Concerto for Oboe d'amore BMV1055r played by Ben Stewart. Bach is deceptive, sounding lithe and light and bouncy so apparently easy, but it never lets up and there are always some tricky phrases. No less here, especially in the quick first movement. The second is lovely; the third quick again but more malleable. Ben did a great job on his first concerto outing on this relatively rare instrument. Then, to finish, the most challenging piece of the day, Elgar Enigma variations. Everyone knows Nimrod, of course, and it's deliciously inviting. Enigma is a work of 14 variations on a simple theme that's outlined first up with each movement is dedicated or influenced by someone known to Elgar. Some are hugely tricky or quick or varied. There are accelerandoes to cause fear and polyrhythms and all manner of intricacies appearing to just disappear with another variation. Not easy but well known. The orchestra always rises to performance, playing remarkably better on stage. Not professional, of course, but presentable. The feels were solid and time didn't drag although some intonation wasn't quite perfect. But a worthy outing and an excellent immersion in a huge classical program. Thanks to John and all.

Maruki Community Orchestra performed Mussorgsky, Bizet, Bach and Elgar under John Gould (conductor) at the Albert Hall. Ben Stewart (oboe d'amore) soloed in the Bach concerto.

Beethoven+

This was my second orchestral concert, this one with Maruki Orchestra. And it was a serious program! Beethoven Fifth symphony, Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an exhibition, Weber Oberon overture and Bizet L'Arlesienne suite no.2. Big and demanding and fabulous. John Gould directs and conducts. He's got some great stories that emerge in practice from his time with the London Symphony Orchestra and others. And he's got a nicely supportive approach: not worrying too much about wrong notes (they'll come and it's largely an individual thing anyway) but pushing the feel and form. And sometimes the speed. I'm sure we ended practicing the Beethoven at a faster pace than we played it in performance. I guess that's a conductor's method, and despite our worry about speed, he had to pull us back in the fourth movement when we were getting excited. Performance is different and we rose at the occasion, if not fully for the occasion. Our Pictures was more competent than usual. It has some devilish playing. Also a few tacets for double bass when I can sit back and enjoy the performance, and I especially adore the staccatos going every-which-way amongst the unhatched chicks. Gnomus is a technical thing of fear; Old castle is fabulously effective with its one note bassline (G#); Bydlo give me a feature with a few notes played solo pizz at the end; the Cabane sur des pattes de poule is driving and the Great gate of Kiev is a spine-tingling and majestic finish. Our Oberon was lively and the fast passages seemed to fall more easily; the Bizet was nicely generous; the Beethoven was a challenge as always. The first theme fells nicely; the second movement went decently well - I took on the Trio with some success and again felt robbed of one passage that I particularly enjoy but is allocated to solo cellos (~bar 280); the fourth movement transitions without a break and just keeps on keeping on with recurrent themes and new materials and a fabulous ending that crosses barlines (starting bar 721) and just explodes into the final orchestral hits and the end. Fabulous! There is no way to know a piece like learning and playing it. Again, fabulous. Sound excited? Well, I haven't heard the recording through yet and I'm sure it's not Berlin Phil, but it was a great outing and a great pleasure and there were lots of smiling faces after the gig. Congrats to all but maybe a few mentions are due: to Ben Stewart (oboe) for his solo in Beethoven; to Angela Vivian-Bolt (trumpet) for the solo in Samuel Goldberg und Schmuyle (Pictures); to Arko Chakrabarty (flute) for his solo (where?); to Mark Lim (violin) as concert master; closer to home, to Rachel Towson (cello) for her ability with those quick passages; and, of course, to John Gould (musical director, conductor). And to Alan Johnson (bassoon) who originally asked me if I'd like to play Beethoven's fifth. What a blast!