Friday 20 December 2002

Played in the Vivaldi 4 seasons with the SCO again last night - Alexander Janiczek is doing a refreshingly wonderful job, stripping away all the 'traditions' that go with the piece and playing what Vivaldi actually wrote, and with loads of character. The main problem is that we're dressed up like 19th century servants in aristocratic cast-offs, and that doesn't lend itself to relaxed music-making. The actual music is fine: however hackneyed it is it's still a great piece, I'm enjoying sliding around between harpsichord and organ, it's spontaneous, it's fun - but physically I feel like I'm sitting doing a desk job and have to stare impassively at the floor when I'm not actually playing, rather than relaxing and listening to everyone else. If you're dressed as a servile chattel, you start to act like one, even if it's your job to be the entertainment! 

At the end, when the sensible thing to do is smile at the audience (wave if you're feeling a bit showbiz) and get off, we have to go through this tiresome ritual of calls and bowing and standing around like a lemon. I suppose I'm doing less and less orchestral playing now so I'm just less used to it, but when the music is good, it feels ever more ridiculous to dress it in such an absurd way. It wasn't until about an hour after the gig that I remembered how good it had been, because on stage it had felt so awkward - as I said to Jayne Spencer afterwards on the way home, 'hey, we must have made some music tonight, I feel like I could do with a beer'. Glasgow City Hall tonight, and then (whisper it quietly) a holiday!

Good grief, two moans about orchestras in a row.

[much later, in the small hours after Glasgow gig and two parties] City Hall concert was much more relaxed for some reason, just good fun - the organ and harpsichord were at the same pitch too which helped (no mean feat in very cold weather and a succession of hot concert halls).  I tried to fit 'We wish you a merry Christmas' into the organ part in the slow movement of Winter, but it came out too low and virtually inaudible.  I'm sure there'll be another year ...