Come towards the light

We've successfully navigated through our first Inside the Classics concerts, which is a huge relief. We had the added pressure of creating a show that was radio-friendly (which meant, among other things, no sight gags and minimizing dead air, which changes the tempo of what we do), so it was a stressful week.

I've been saying for a while now that one of the more unusual features of my new position as Principal Conductor, Pops and Presentations (did I officially mention that on the blog? Can't remember...) is that I conduct a huge spectrum of repertoire (much more than in your average pops conducting position) - "everything from Beethoven to Ben Folds" has been my line. Well, last week was where the idea of that sound bite came from, and it certainly was a dramatic switch between Friday night's ItC MPR live broadcast to Saturday's concert featuringBen Folds.

The fact that the show happened to land on Halloween added to what was already a huge event - the Hall was beyond sold out, and tickets for standing room disappeared in an instant. There was definitely a different feel in the house - I don't think I've ever heard an audience make so much noise as a guest artist walked onstage - and much of the crowd was in the Halloween spirit, decked out in elaborate costumes.

Orchestra concerts generally tend to be fairly serious affairs, so it was interesting to see how our players would react to a concert that was outside the norm - and I think it's a credit to our musicians that they decided to join in on the fun. We had a variety of bewigged and costumed players onstage; we also handed out Folds-esque glasses for a subtle costuming touch (we had about 20 players with them on, and I donned them for the first half). A video sampling of backstage shenanigans (including an explanation from Ben about how to figure out if pants will fit you):





I met Ben over a year ago at when we did a show at the Mann Center in Philadelphia, and we've been working together on and off ever since. I love collaborating with him; aside from being a great songwriter and performer, he's really a consummate musician (and his classical training background comes in handy when working with an orchestra!). I mean, who else discusses the Lydian mode as part of their mid-concert schtick?

For the second half of the show we did a hasty outfit change, pulled on wigs and re-emerged as Sonny and Cher (I was apparently so unrecognizable that several members of the Orchestra were wondering "Who's that woman?" when I walked onstage):



(We're singing "I got you babe". Good times.)

I'm all for formality and seriousness where it's warranted (and part of me really loves the sense of decorum and ritual that is a large part of the usual classical concert process). But I do love a regular foray into the lighter side of things. Because life (and music, for that matter) is that much better with a sense of humor.

Photographic Evidence That We're Actually Working This Week

So, as promised, here are a few shots I managed to squeeze off in between takes of Bruckner 4 at today's recording sessions at Orchestra Hall. (Click any of the images for a full-size version.) First off, here's a look at the chaotic, microphone-strewn mess that our stage becomes during one of these weeks...

Notice that not only are there mics and cables everywhere, but also an assortment of spotlights you would expect to find at a neighborhood ballpark. There's a good reason for these: the stage lights at Orchestra Hall, being more than thirty years old, actually emit a low-level hum that BIS's oh-so-sensitive mics pick up when we're playing softly. So they bring in their own lights and leave the rest of the hall dark while we're recording, which creates a very eerie glow around the auditorium.

Oh, yeah, and they hang giant curtains from the rear of the house, all the way from the third tier to the floor. Since we're close-miked for BIS recordings, they don't want to capture any reflected sound from the empty hall (which is much more echo-prone without an audience there to soak up sound waves,) and the curtains apparently help with that. At least, I assume they do, because I would imagine that it's a heck of a lot of work to get them up there.


This is a shot of the control room, which is ordinarily a backstage storage space and rehearsal room. The BIS crew sets up shop here with all manner of high-tech recording, mixing, and playback equipment, plus at least three laptop computers dialed into whatever it is they do with the noises we make, and in between takes, Osmo, Jorja, and an ever-changing assortment of the rest of us pile into the room to listen to the playback and decide what sounds good enough to make the cut, and what needs to be redone, and redone, and redone again until it's perfect. During the playback that was going on in this shot, you've got trombonist Kari Sundstrom and timpanist Peter Kogan wearing the headphones in the foreground, and BIS producer Robert Suff at the main mixing table with Osmo and two other BIS engineers who I believe are named Hans and Fabian.


This is the other thing that goes on in hurried fashion when a break in the session is called, which happens often to allow for playback. Principal musicians leap to confer with Osmo at the podium about mistakes or imperfections they already know will need to be rerecorded when we continue. In this shot, Jorja and Osmo confer in the background, while principal viola Tom Turner and assistant concertmaster Roger Frisch hold an urgent conversation which sounded to me like it had nothing whatsoever to do with Bruckner. Oh, and there's one other individual in the photo, lurking back there in the shadows just to the right of Jorja...


That's producer Rob Suff again. Or at least, that's the main contact most of us will have with him over the course of the week, as he literally calls the shots to the stage from back at his desk in the control room. Rob is utterly ruthless, in that perfectly mannered and unfailingly polite way that only the British seem able to achieve. I'm sure I'll have more on him as the week goes on.

For now, we seem to be more or less on schedule, with the first movement of Bruckner in the can, and just over half of the slow movement done as well. We've technically got another day and a half of session time to finish the symphony, but I've heard rumors that Osmo and Rob would like to get an early start on the piano concerto if at all possible, so things could get tight. In any case, we're back at it bright and early tomorrow, and I'll update either Tuesday or Wednesday night...

Of Firebirds & Foolishness...

Here are a bunch more photos from our Thursday night Inside the Classics concert last week, courtesy of crack photographer Greg Helgeson...

Our brilliant guest dancers were Penelope Freeh and Justin Leaf, both members of James Sewell Ballet. They also proved more than willing to participate in some of our first-half shenanigans, even at the possible expense of their pride...

Nothing like being held at daggerpoint by a 5'2" blond violinist, is there, Justin?

If memory serves, this was actually one of the less ridiculous facial expressions I sported over the course of the night. (Please note that Sarah, as usual, looks completely composed and fabulous. This should give you some idea of how our photo session for the series brochure went.)

The first violins are really never going to live down the tiara thing, and this pleases me.

My favorite thing about this shot is the way that cellist Beth Rapier and violinist Julie Ayer are so clearly unimpressed by Tom & Richard's terrifying arsenal. (And since more than one person asked: yes, that is, in fact, my hockey stick. And yes, I am a left-handed shot, albeit a very, very bad one.)


I honestly don't know what we would have done had David Wright not agreed to take on the role of the Kastchei. In a flurry of enthusiasm, he even supplied his own costume...

Many of you have commented that you really like watching Sarah conduct. I strongly suspect that moments like this are the reason why.

Thanks again to everyone who came to the concerts! Our PR staffers tell us that they can't remember the last time they got such immediate positive feedback from members of the audience, and we're taking your ideas and suggestions into account as we plan future shows. We'll see you in January for our next ItC concert, but this site won't be taking a break for the holidays! Keep coming back regularly, and we promise to have fresh content, new Ask An Expert questions, and those long-awaited podcasts going up throughout the year!

Ask and you shall receive...

Well, we've gotten so many pleas for a photo of the Orchestra from this week's "Inside the Classics" shows, so here's one for you that I took from the podium on Thursday (many thanks to Fora, our acting principal bass, for lending me his camera!). Roger Frisch's expression is priceless...

The concerts were an amazing amount of fun, and totally made up for the endless planning and stress. Launching a new series is a tremendous undertaking, and certainly not possible without the support of our colleagues. Fortunatel for Sam and I, this Orchestra is game for practically anything, clearly indicated by this photo!!