RESURRECTION
I haven’t written a blog post since fall of 2023 when the KWS announced its bankruptcy and I have to be honest, it has been really hard these past few years. The musicians refused to give up on the orchestra and we were able to find a temporary home at the St Matthews Centre in Kitchener as the Centre in the Square’s fees were just too high for us. We are grateful to still have concerts at the St Matthews Centre, but I am beyond excited to get back to Centre in the Square to play Mahler Symphony No.2 “Resurrection” on November 20th.
For those of you who might not know, the Centre in the Square has one of the best acoustics for orchestral ensembles in the country. It was built in 1980 by Raffi Armenian, who was Music Director of the KWS then. He had a vision of KWS putting together full Wagnerian opera productions, which is why it has such a huge pit (the story goes around that a crew member at CITS once asked why there was so much storage under the stage… Safe to say it’s not being used like it was meant to).
To go even deeper into the importance a hall plays in the lives of orchestral musicians, I would explain it like the hall is our instrument. Playing in a great hall makes all the difference, and to a violinist Centre in the Square would be like playing a Strad or a Guarneri. There is not a bad seat in the house, but my personal favorite is the concertmaster one :).
So you can imagine what a thrill I get to be going back on stage with my colleagues of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony at Centre in the Square to bring Mahler Symphony no.2 “Resurrection” to life on November 20th. It is also a full circle moment for the orchestra as this was the very first piece of music to be performed by KWS at Centre in the Square on its opening night.
Mahler’s Symphony No.2 has five movements, and the following program was written by Mahler for a performance of his 2nd symphony that took place in Dresden 1901.
First Movement: Allegro maestoso
“We are standing near the grave of a well loved man. His whole life, his struggles, his sufferings and his accomplishments on earth pass before us. And now, in this solemn and deeply stirring moment, when the confusion and distractions of everyday life are lifted like a hood from our eyes, a voice of awe-inspiring solemnity chills our heart, a voice that, blinded by the mirage of everyday life, we usually ignore: “What next?” it says. “What is life and what is death? Will we live on eternally? Is it all an empty dream or do our life and death have a meaning?” And we must answer this question, if we are to go on living. The next three movements are conceived as intermezzi.”
Second Movement: Andante
"A blissful moment in the dear departed’s life and a sad recollection of his youth and lost innocence."
Third Movement: Scherzo
“A spirit of disbelief and negation has seized him. He is bewildered by the bustle of appearances and he loses his perception of childhood and the profound strength that love alone can give. He despairs both of himself and of God. The world and life begin to seem unreal. Utter disgust for every form of existence and evolution seizes him in an iron grasp, torments him until he utters a cry of despair.”
Fourth Movement: Alto solo. ‘Urlicht’ (Primeval Light) – from the Knaben Wunderhorn
The stirring words of simple faith sound in his ears: “I come from God and I will return to God!”
Fifth Movement: Aufersteh'n
Once more we must confront terrifying questions, and the atmosphere is the same as at the end of the third movement. The voice of the Caller is heard. The end of every living thing has come, the last judgment is at hand and the horror of the day of days has come upon us. The earth trembles, the graves burst open, the dead arise and march forth in endless procession. The great and the small of this earth, the kings and the beggars, the just and the godless all press forward. The cry for mercy and forgiveness sounds fearful in our ears. The wailing becomes gradually more terrible. Our senses desert us, all consciousness dies as the Eternal Judge approaches. The last trump sounds; the trumpets of the Apocalypse ring out. In the eerie silence that follows, we can just barely make out a distant nightingale, a last tremulous echo of earthly life. The gentle sound of a chorus of saints and heavenly hosts is then heard: “Rise again, yes, rise again thou wilt!” Then God in all His glory comes into sight. A wondrous light strikes us to the heart. All is quiet and blissful. Lo and behold: there is no judgment, no sinners, no just men, no great and no small; there is no punishment and no reward. A feeling of overwhelming love fills us with blissful knowledge and illuminates our existence.”
You really have to experience this monumental musical masterpiece in person to feel it to the fullest, so join us on November 20th at 7:30PM at Centre in the Square for what is sure to be an unforgettable evening.
Tickets are going fast, so grab your seats here before they’re all gone!
Silence...
KWS filed for bankruptcy days before we moved into our new house in Waterloo. I still feel paralyzed by the situation I suddenly find myself in. I don’t know what move might be the right one for me at this time so I find myself not knowing where to channel my energy. I started practicing for the few gigs I was able to line up but my mind seems to always bring me back to what we would have been playing at KWS.
Some news
Happy new year!
It has been a great but crazy few months! Ian and I bought a house and moved, and we are still in the midst of renovations! Albus is getting accustomed to his new palace (it seems he is king of the new house, just like before...!), he is finding new places to hide and play. The holidays are almost over, soon I get back to work at the KWS, but I still have a few more days to keep making progress on the Barber concerto, which I will be playing with KWS in April. It has been a tricky balance of rest and practice since I have had problems with tendinitis in the left arm since late October. It is getting better though, so I have hope! Ian and I are thinking of adopting a new cat or kitten in the near future, we'll see how this develops!
P.S. People in the Kitchener area, check out an article in the Grand Magazine, I also made the cover...!
Making music with my husband and more
First thing I want to say is how much fun I had playing across the orchestra from my husband Ian (rock star bass player) again for the first time in years last week! We were both mentors for the National Academy Orchestra of Canada with Boris Brott. We played some "best of" opera, and had a really fun time, shout out to Megan Jones and Boris for their vision! Ian, you did a great job, I am so proud of you!
At the same time, I also started my Bachelor of Interior Design classes online! I have to say, I already love it! I started learning about drafting by hand, and discussed my influences in design and architecture with my classmates. A lot were from NYC, no surprises there, NYC was such an amazing city to live in! A few of them were the Chrysler Building from the Art Deco movement, and the Hypar Pavilion accross the street from Juilliard as part of Diller Scofido + Renfro's redesign of Lincoln Center (go check out their website, they are amazing!).
Albus has been loving the time I now spend studying and writing for my classes, he comes into my office/studio and curls up in his basket by the window. Of course, he would never be caught in there when I practice (he hates the sound of the violin), so it has been nice to have company at least for a portion of the day!
As if all that wasn't enough, I also organized all my music by composer, alphabetically, and put all that music in a filing cabinet... It took HOURS but was definitely worth it, check out all the stuff I have below, and how little space it takes now! I was getting tired of never finding what I was looking for, like the piano part to Beethoven concerto, which I am playing in a few weeks with the NAO and Boris Brott (see concerts for tickets).
I admit it, I have been neglecting my workouts lately, but it has been so busy! I'll have to schedule them in my calendar from now on..! I continue to see my osteopath, which is really helping relieving tension in both arms, neck and back from playing! I am also excited to see a naturopath this week, I'll let you guys know how it goes in my next blog post!
Some news and an anecdote featuring Albus
Beethoven concerto is coming along, I have been working on re-learning it by memory, and I find it so much easier than the last time I did it! Of course, it could be because the last time I learned it, I just had a concussion... All joking aside, I am feeling more confident in my skills as a violinist lately, which is really great! In all honesty, and from experience, I know that this kind of feeling comes and goes, so I plan to enjoy it as much as I can while it lasts and get some good practicing done!
On a completely different note, I have some exciting news to share, I have been accepted to a Bachelor of Interior Design online through the RCC Institute of Technology! I am so happy and excited about this! Don't worry, my work as a violinist won't suffer, all it means is that instead of watching TV, I'll be learning a whole new skill set! By the end of the degree, I'll be able to design a home, isn't that amazing? That won't be for another 3 years though...
And now a little about Albus... He has been very good, except for the last two times we took him out for a walk in his harness. He has been very jumpy when he's outside, and as a result, got out of his harness twice..! That is terrifying for Ian and I because we have a busy street nearby... So here's what happened. The first time, Ian got my phone for me (I was holding the leash) from the table in the yard, and as he was coming back towards Albus and I, Albus got spooked and bolted, taking the leash out of my hands. He ran through the neighbor's yard, still trailing the leash, then realized it wasn't his house, and went through the fence between our yard and the neighbor's. The leash handle got stuck in the fence, and he managed to get out of his harness. Panicked, he ran THROUGH the screen door and inside the house. We were afraid he got hurt, but he was fine, just a little freaked out. The second time was many days later, and we made sure his harness was nice and tight, but he still got out of it by circling a tree (Ian couldn't follow him, he was going so fast!) and backing out of it... That time the glass door was closed, and he had the good sense to stop and meow for me to open the door. After all that, I don't think we'll be taking him out for walks again... Anyway, I leave you with a cute picture of the little bandit, check again soon for another post!
The king of violin concertos
Last week was all about easing back into playing. I started practicing Beethoven concerto for the concert coming up on August 1st, and it has been really fun to revisit! Albus has not been a fan though, he really doesn't like the sound of the violin in general, but I don't think that it's a reflection on my playing..! It's just hard for me to disturb the cutest sleeping cat ever when I start practicing (see picture below)... Luckily I know there are plenty of other rooms for him to go snooze in, so I don't feel too bad. I call Beethoven concerto the King of all violin concerti, I love the simplicity and easiness of the music, and I'll be working on making it sound that way for the next month and a half! I've also had the time to go to the gym more regularly, both for yoga and working out, and to stay motivated, I've used a few essential oils. My favorites right now in the practice room are citrus and mint combinations (I love diffusing wild orange and peppermint, or lemon lime and grapefruit), they keep me focused and awake in the heat of South Western Ontario! At the gym, I really like the blend "Breathe" (bay laurel, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, lemon, ravensara and cardamom) on the chest and throat before starting, and Cypress on the legs right before leaving the gym. I've also had a few projects on the side, like trying new recipes ("Super-fast beef hash, baked potatoes, goddess salad and lovely butter beans and bacon" from Jamie Oliver's Meals in minutes, Ian and I really enjoyed it), refinishing an old window that we found on the side of the road to make it a frame to hang pictures and notes in, and gardening. Wow, I didn't really realize how busy we've been until I wrote it down... This week, I'd like to paint, maybe sew something, and of course continue practicing! We'll see how it goes, I'll try to write a post every week, so check back soon!
Relaxing in my first week of vacation
I just started my vacation a week ago today, and with a lot of accumulated stress from the season at KWS, I am just trying to relax as much as possible... I gave myself a break from violin, at least until tomorrow, because then I have to start practicing for summer gigs (see calendar tab)! This morning, Ian and I went to the patio in our garden, had our coffee, walked our cat Albus in his harness and gardened. I find that gardening is a great way to let go of stress, at this time in our garden there is an amazingly fragant white flower (first picture shown below, I don't know the name, if you do, let me know!), so the smell is great, and I find in general that playing around in dirt is very therapeutic. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the garden this morning, hope you enjoy!
