cbso_weblog

Hello, it’s Julian here. Just to say my deep regrets and apologies, but I am unable to be with you on this tour. I have damaged my right thumb and have been in plaster for a week, with a further three weeks to go, and then a splint for another three. So no touring or viola playing for a while! I shall instead be spending time with my cat and my partner Janet, learning to do stuff  with my left hand alone (no, no Ravel alas, I can barely manage a C major scale on the piano)

Anyway- I shall at least be in Amsterdam next week, as my Daughter had booked to come and see me  from London, so we decided to have a trip anyway.

Good luck to all my friends and colleagues in the CBSO – I shall miss being with you, and of course I shall miss my readers out there in the blogosphere!

I am sure, with Andris at the helm of your Orchestra the wonderful CBSO, the musical side of the tour will be a great success, and with the people who make up all parts of the team, all will go as smoothly as people can make it!

GOOD LUCK and BON VOYAGE from one very jealous viola player!! 

God Bless and please continue to, if you are not already!

As I suspected, tonight's concert was as powerful and enjoyable as last nights, with profound differences. Andris, obviously more relaxed, having done one performance as “local boy makes good” with his own orchestra, gave his all in a different way, shaping the Mahler less extremely but more subtly. All the fire was there, but this time as an established furnace, rather than a new and unpredictable forest conflagration.

It goes without saying that the audience were happy, they obviously loved it as much as we did.

Its always hard going back, and I suspect, that like most of us, the process of  going home having “grown up” “become successful”, “matured”  put it how you will, is an experience that is not always completely full of joy, there is often a “past” to contend with.

Whether this is true of Andris I have no idea, but I suspect that whatever Rubicon he may have crossed this week end it will stay in his memory for the rest of his life. 

Now, before I sign off with some more pictures a quick moment of musing.

Those of you who know Mahler's fifth symphony (and I suspect its most of you) will know there is always controversy about the speed of the “Adagietto” fourth movement. Some conductors, notable one B. Haitink take it VERY slowly and some like Andris take it quicker. There is an article about it here-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1461139my mind4

To my mind, in the end it really doesn't matter a jot what speed you do it at, someone somewhere will like it that way or not. What is important to me is that it should breath and flow and not wallow about like a chocolate covered hippo on heat (no I haven't been imbibing). Nor should it bring to mind Dirk Bogard’s make up and nubile young men in the surf!

Its part of a symphony and should be shaped to match the conception of the performers overall view of the piece, and be a part of that whole not a separate entity.

It should also be remembered that one G. Mahler wrote it as a love letter/proposal of marriage to Alma. Think about that!

Anyway……………………………………………………………

Pictures to finish and my usual vote of thanks to the following people-

If you want pictures  of them, see the blog for the summer trip!

Liz Baines                                                  Manager of touring

Clair Dersley                                             Orchestra Manager

Rambo Nick

and Barrie                                                 Platform Managers

Alexandra    Tompkinson                          External Relations

Eve Smith                                                 Giving Manager

Ellie Griffiths                                            Development Assistant

My orchestral

colleagues                                                Putting up with me

Patrons Friends

and Supporters                                      For doing just that

and of course all my readers                  THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND OF COURSE !!!

THANK YOU TO THE NICE YOUNG MAN, WHO HATES FLYING,

BUT……………….

IS NEVER SCARED TO FLY WITH THE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good night, god bless and happy frolicking

hopefully I will be back in the new year if I am allowed!

Hello, and welcome back to Riga, as I promised last night here is the first part of today's blog with lots more views of Riga and also of our friends, guests and patrons.  Little explanation needed here apart from one or two little things, so enjoy!
I will post more later tonight before packing to come home, although I suspect that if the concert goes as well as yesterday, then I can refer you to yesterday's post, however you never know, it might be even better, or I might fall off my chair/into the orchestra pit/into the river/get lost/eat too much lunch, you never know!

(remember to click on the pictures for bigger versions)

In the next two pictures you see Anita  and  Chris, Standing  on a plaque under the tower of one of Riga's main Lutheran churches.

The plaque was there to denote  the centre of Riga and the spot from where distances were measured.

Apparently its thought lucky to make a wish whilst standing on it!

Anita and Chris wished that CBSO grants from various West Midlands sources were not too stringently cut!!

The next two pictures are vision of possible outcomes for the CBSO, if Anita and Chris’s wishes are not granted!

Finally, a happy well informed, but cold and slightly footsore group of guests and players posing in front of the Riga National Opera,

before going to a well earned lunch!

See you later!

…….. “for me the present era in the life of the CBSO is a unique and wonderful thing. I have never met a conductor before, who, on long acquaintance has so unfailingly developed his relationship with us, without a hint of “temperament”, and at the same time commands huge respect from all who work with him.”

I was taught by a favourite English teacher, at Marling School Stroud, that self quotation was a technique best shied away from, and certainly demanding the washing of ones hands afterwards; however today I have recourse to it for a special purpose.

I posted the above at the end of last summers blog, and I still hold by every word.

This mornings rehearsal bears out what I said then about Andris and his lack of “temperament.”

Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto, as I understand it after 34 years of orchestral rehearsal and performance is a vehicle first and foremost for the pianist, and a particularly hard one at that. It is  also, of course a huge vehicle for the conductor and the orchestra.  Rachmaninov knew what he was doing when writing for the orchestra, and at least from the perspective of the viola part, it is splendidly interesting piece, with many passages for orchestra alone that the pianist has to fit to.
There are also, of course, many places where the orchestra has to fit to the pianist, no matter what the pianist may do.  This is given for any professional orchestra and of course any conductor.

Today's rehearsal and indeed tonight's performance of the concerto were a fascinating example both of the professionalism of the CBSO, Andris’s is incredible musicianship, and a testament to the strength of the front edge of the orchestral seating! 

Anyway, back to my narrative!

Our piano soloist for today, and indeed tomorrow, is the young Latvian Vestard  Shimkus

you can find out about him here-

http://www.hbf.lv/index.php?1&533&view=artist&artist_id=31)

He is a young, and obviously incredibly talented young man, who plays with fire and enormous commitment.
He is however, by anybody's standards difficult to follow!
Now I don't know exactly what occurred this morning, who was in the right or who was in the wrong, that's not important.
What I saw and heard, was that during a passage in the first moment of the Rachmaninov there was some problem with ensemble which the pianist wasn't happy about, and Andris leapt to our defence, saying something to the effect that "this is one of the best orchestras in the world, and what did he think he was doing?"  (Isn't it nice that he thinks about us like that!)
We immediately tried the passage again, with more success, and then Andris, being Andris stopped and immediately apologised for his "outburst" saying that he was always nervous when he came back home!
Now if that is somebody being temperamental, many conductors over the years have been practically violently abusive by comparison, in the normal way of their dialogue with the orchestra/and or soloists.
(I mention no names of course)
During the course of the next half an hour, Andris must have apologised at least two or three times, which to my mind is a huge and telling testament of verification to my quote at the outset.  Thank you Andris for being such a wonderful, and and humble person.

As to tonight's concert, I confess to not being able to remember when I have come off the stage happier, more uplifted and particularly more happy with my lot as a musician. Mahler's fifth Symphony, is a huge leviathan of a  piece, which requires musical and physical stamina, from all involved.

Over the years I have played it with many different conductors, notably of course Simon and Sakari, but also Eric Schmid, and I think probably a few others.  I have always enjoyed playing it, it has lots of intricate and interesting things to do, and presents lots of challenges.  Having played it twice in Birmingham already this week, performances which I think were far more than adequate, Andris really let himself off the leash tonight, with the confidence that we could stick with him at every twist and turn.  This of course paid off, with a performance that I shall never forget.
  The audience were incredibly responsive, giving a standing ovation, and Andris at the end was his usual amusing self, starting by addressing the audience in English, and then realising where he was and reverting to Latvian.  We played an encore called "aria" by a Latvian composer, which I think some of you will have heard when we have played it in Birmingham.  It's a simple, slightly sentimental but very pretty piece which obviously means a lot here, and it was a pleasure to play it on its home territory, to its home audience.
As for my colleagues, all I can say is  thank you, the CBSO, which, in  the last few years, has, to my mind played better than it’s ever done before, excelled itself tonight, and I'm very proud to be a part of that.

It's worth noting here, that this orchestra, which Andris described this morning, as one of the greatest in the world ,is a superb asset to its home city after which it is named.  With performances of the quality and excitement of today's, any doubts that anybody may have about the worth of the arts as ambassadors for their home cities, on all levels, should be beyond  doubt.

And so I leave you with today's photographs, with the promise that there will be far more tomorrow of Riga, since I am lucky enough to be allowed along on a guided tour of the city with our friends, guests and patrons who have travelled here with us to see us perform.  Many thanks to them for coming, it's always lovely to have contact with the people who appreciate us.

Remember to click on the pictures to get bigger versions!

The view from my hotel, on the left is a smaller version of the “Peoples Palace” in Warsaw, a remnant, I guess of Communism  in Latvia!

Good night, God bless and remember to frolic, if snow comes your way!

Welcome! Here I am on the shores of the Baltic, at 4° below zero, in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
Today has been a very pleasant day, without too much stress, or indeed any!
I boarded the coach in Cotteridge this morning at 8:45 a.m. and set off with my colleagues for the airport, where I find the usual queue of musicians and an equally patient queue of cellos!  On this flight, because of the time factor, distance and various other logistics, all the instruments are going in the plane.  So they all have to be " counted in" and accounted for.

I also spot two of my colleagues in the administration Eve Smith and Liz Baines, Eve is  here to assist  some of our friends and patrons who are coming with us on this trip, and Liz is ready  with her yellow

"naughty marker"  for anybody who's baggage is the wrong size or overweight!

(the baggage not the player!)

fortunately for me I passed the test, and was allowed to continue on the way to security, where I see that nice young man again (Remember the one I met at the airport in the summer, who is not keen on flying?)
He seems to be back with us again!

And then, a while later, fortified by coffee, and an early mince pie, having first gone through the usual indignity of removing half my clothes,my shoes  and exposing my socks to the general public, I spot our friend  and  arts expert Mr Christopher Morley; Nice to have him aboard.

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On the plane there's that nice young man again (Andris of course) who seems to have overcome his aviation phobia, and is explaining to someone that he has slipped the pilot a fiver to fly over his house on the way to Riga!

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Arrival!

Well-we were warned it would be cold!

-4 and a “light” dusting of snow!!!

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After a brief sort out at the (very pleasant) Hotel we set forth to the Riga Opera house, where Andris, in his usual generous fashion, has arranged a buffet and reception for us.

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Catherine, Helen and Dave.

Ruth and Colin.

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Andris with the world renowned Soprano Kristine Opolais, his fiancée, and Andrejs Zagars, the Riga Operas Director surrounded by cameras!

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Chris Morley with Ulf, Sheila and Cathy.

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Andris tells us to have a great night, and also that he is glad to be back on the ground again, apparently he discovered the pilot had never landed at Riga airport before!

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It also gives me great pleasure to welcome back an old friend and colleague

Wes Warren, who has been absent for some time with embouchure troubles.

I am pleased to report he is recovered, and playing splendidly once again.

HOORAY!!!

Eve and Ellie, from our Admin team

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David Richard and Catherine.

Mr S. Maddock with Kristine pictured in her role with the Latvian opera as Lady Macbeth of Mtensk, by Shostakovitch.

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And finally some views of snowy Riga.

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Good night and god bless, and please feel free to frolic in the snow tomorrow, if it comes your way!

Welcome back, my apologies for this last entry having taken so long. When I got home there were many domestic matters to attend to, including poorly pussycats, large amounts of hedge to dispose of, arranging movements of daughters from Plymouth to London (although I still have the van driving to come) trips to IKEA, etc, etc, …………………………...

So, firstly and most importantly a proper "without whom" department with pictures of all the people who made this tour work, so that we (the players) and of course Andris Nelson's, our unique and wonderful principal conductor could do our jobs as well as possible.

Firstly here is Liz Baines, our exceptionally efficient, hard-working and talented Planning and Tours manager. If you think there are too many photographs of Liz, well there you go (anyway her mum likes them!)

Next, and in his way just as important is Thomas (I still only knows him as Thomas) the continental "end" of the operation. Thomas is a true Renaissance figure who does everything from waiting at table, occasionally finding me concert posters, hurtling on foot through unknown German towns with a gaggle of orchestral players in his wake, to organising beer as an apology for overheated coaches. Thank you Thomas!

Now, one of the most thankless tasks in the orchestral world is that of the orchestra manager. We have one, who is exceptionally cheerful, always pleasant (especially when being asked footling questions by people like me) and always around when you need her; a big hand please for Claire Dersley.

Also working for us, and boy do I mean working, are our four platform managers, a wonderful team headed up by Pete (Rambo)

Nick, who I couldn't find for a photograph, probably because of poor guy was off sleeping somewhere after having driven zillions of miles. Nick however, is always around if you really need him, stealthily in the background, so I think he deserves the nickname "Ninja".

The other two true gems in this capacity are Rick and Barrie, a pair of true gentleman !

Last, and of course certainly not least is our chief executive Stephen Maddock, who travels with us in ovens on wheels, and generally works behind the scenes doing all those mysterious, complicated but very important things that chief executives do! He is seen here with a lady called Carola, who pops up from time to time on Tours, especially in Germany and Austria, and who has had, in the past, major roles with us when we are in touring mode.

All that remains now is to give your last series of photographs from various bits of the tour, and to thank you, of course the most important people, the audience of the CBSO. If you were not out there cheering us on, coming to concerts, abroad and at home and supporting us in so many different ways then we wouldn't really be here at all! Once again it's been a pleasure and a privilege to present you with my little offering, I hope you've enjoyed it, I certainly have! See you soon I hope.

My final picture is, of course, of Andris.Here he is in a typical happy enthusiastic pose, relaxed and ready to work (although it never seems like work).

I am going to stick my neck out here; and these are my opinions only, though I find them loudly echoed by many.

In my 34 years as a player in the CBSO I have seen many conductors. Some have thrilled me, some have bored me and some have made me laugh (not always in a good way!)

My first principal conductor was Louis Fremaux, and his role in the development of the Orchestra should not be forgotten.

Another major figure, who also had a big role in my early years, was Erich Schmid, who introduced me to Beethoven and also Mahler.

Sir Simon was, with us, and is still of course, a hugely important figure in the musical world, and our debt to him is incalculable. Sakari Oramo, to my mind gave the Orchestra its present sound, another huge and vital matter, it’s a sound which Andris has inherited and is shaping to his own philosophy.

However, for me the present era in the life of the CBSO is a unique and wonderful thing. I have never met a conductor before, who, on long acquaintance has so unfailingly developed his relationship with us, without a hint of “temperament”, and at the same time commands huge respect from all who work with him. Long may it last!!!!

Goodbye and God bless.

So here I am, back at the hotel, its 20 minutes to midnight and I have to reorganise my luggage to make sure I'm down to the weight required by Austrian airlines tomorrow.  This will probably mean abandoning old unmentionable items of clothing (socks, corsets, riding boots, celluloid “dickie”, you know all the usual things) and anything else superfluous to requirements, for ever.
So tonight I am going to be brief in terms of comment and on Monday when I've recovered from the journey home tomorrow, I shall bring everything to a close properly and give my thankyou’s .
However, just briefly and without photographs, here are some people I want to say thank you to straight away.
Top of the list -Liz Baines, tour manager extraordinaire, who has again distinguished herself with her hard work and and her organisational skills on this tour.(Apart, that is from today's coach company, who I do hope that she will be sacking from any further tours!)
Next on the list-Thomas - German tour guide/manager, General helper and all-round nice guy.
Claire Dursley-our long-suffering (particularly with me) orchestra manager.

And next,-Pete (Rambo) Barry, Nick and Rick our indefatigable platform managers who are kindness and politeness itself in the face of intense physical labour and a battery of requests coming at them from all sides.

Last but not least, my long suffering colleagues, for allowing me to take their pictures, when I am sure they would really rather I didn’t, and by whom I remain unharmed, despite their occasional threats to insert my camera into places where cameras don't normally go!

Thank you to all of the above-mentioned people, photos and more detailed thanks to follow in the next few days.

Now onto today's venue. The out door auditorium and stage at Castle Graffeneg is an excellent example of what can be done, with  lots of money and some architectural imagination.  As you will see from the pictures it's very, very new, next to the backdrop of the castle (actually what would be, if in Germany a Schloss) and the sound is surprisingly good.  I think there was amplification, but only minimal, since one could hear everything the audience did.  Actually, funnily, whilst we were playing the percussion concerto a motorbike went by, somewhere off in the distance, in a quiet passage.  Andris held a finger to his lips, and made a dramatic little gesture and a wink at the trombone section!
A lot of people, unfortunately had a problem with little biting flies (Austrian mosquitoes ?) And Claire (our manager mentioned above) was busy during the concert interval spraying people with mosquito repellent, which I noticed when I was on the way back to the coach afterwards,was also on sale to the audience.
Tonight we  played Wagner's Rienzi Overture, the first time we have done it for a while, the audience seem to like it, they certainly enjoyed the percussion concerto, and loved Martin's spectacular solo drum encore.  After the interval it was Dvorak again, and then the Brahms/Dvorak encore.  I think the audience went away happy, certainly I did.  I'm very much looking forward to getting home tomorrow, to seeing my partner Janet and my three pussycats Molly Polly and Nero.  Then, when I have given you the final episode of the blog for now, I shall be having, probably not a rest, but at least a little change of occupation for a few days, although I suspect that a string quartet rehearsal might be in there somewhere, as well some decorating!

Anyhow before the photographs, just to finish off the evening with appropriate words, far better than any I can conjure, here is that local Midlands lad again,with Puck’s final speech from-

"A Midsummer night's dream"

"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends."

Good night and God Bless, and today, if you are, continue to enjoy it!

Hello, and welcome to Austria.  This morning I, along with many of my colleagues suffered what is probably the worst journey I certainly have ever had.  We set off from Prague this morning at 930, to Krems, where the hotel is, and it soon became obvious within the first few miles that all was not well.  It was intensely hot on the coach, and when Ulli kindly asked the driver if he could turn the air conditioning on, given that the exterior temperature was already 28° it became apparent that the air conditioning wasn't working.  Added to this, the toilet on the coach smelt disgusting from the outset of the journey, and so obviously hadn't been cleaned.

To add insult to injury the coach driver spent a considerable amount of time whilst driving talking on his mobile phone.  At one point we overshot a junction on the autobahn in Czechoslovakia (or whatever it's called there) and the coach behind us which could not stop in time because it was driving so close, pulled out into the outside lane (only two lanes here) and then they both proceeded to back up the autobahn to the junction they had missed, whilst still talking on their mobile phones!  I kid you not, its lucky half the orchestra are still here, and in one piece!!

We then stopped for the second time, because of the state of the toilets, at an incredibly tasteful venue-

  not far from the Austrian border, where it was impossible to get into the toilet anyway because of the queues, and had to get on board the coach where it was hotter than ever.  (someone who had a thermometer app  on their iPhone reckons it reached somewhere around 36° inside). This whole journey took from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. this afternoon with one-stop of 20 minutes, and then the ill-fated toilet stop of about another 10.  It's also worth mentioning that most of this journey took place on ordinary roads, where I suspect, because it's Saturday, we were stuck behind slow-moving processions of motor homes and caravans, on very badly surfaced Czech roads, highly reminiscent in fact of the concrete section bits of the M. 42 at home!

However we finally reached the hotel, which is very pleasant, and after a long cool shower and some lunch it's where I sit writing this now, waiting for the coaches to go to the rehearsal at 5:15.  Apparently we're having better coaches tomorrow but after today I shall believe it when I see it!

I shall of course write more later, after we have done our second "muddy field” date of the tour, at Castle Graffeneg See you later, barring any more alarums or excursions!

Well, it's 11:38 p.m. and here I am, back in the room at the Hilton Oldtown Prague, a very happy bunny!

Tonight's concert seemed to me a resounding success, not I hasten to add as a personal triumph, but because the audience in the Dvorak Hall tonight responded with much more than just politeness! It's a nice hall to play in, surprisingly, because it's a funny shape; it's almost as wide as it is deep, but whoever designed it must have known what they were doing because the sound is rich, if a little bright, and with just the right amount of echo.  It also, to me at any rate, sounded better tonight with the audience in than it did this morning.  Given what I've just said, the Wagner was particularly good, probably the best we've played it so far and the Beethoven was excellent both from Paul Lewis, obviously, but also from Andris and the orchestra's point of view because Andris added a lot of nice little spontaneous touches in the form of rubatos in some of the wind and brass solos, that weren't there before.  Because there is now such sympathy between us and Andris, the orchestra is able to respond to him when he does such things, in a way that we couldn't if there wasn't the fantastic mutual understanding between him and us that exists now!
The Dvorak however was really something special, I think given the venue that everyone was perhaps a little nervous, but that probably added to the excitement of the performance.  Anyhow at the end we had a standing ovation, the first of the tour, and with a brief joke from Andris-

"Dear ladies and gentlemen, tonight I have some good news- we are playing a Brahms Hungarian dance, arranged by Dvorak, the even better news is that it's very short"!

-we were done.  I should  like to mention that brass section, particularly the trombones and tuba, who have a huge role to play in in the "New World Symphony" they were magnificent.  I think we are blessed now, with the best brass section CBSO has ever had, thank you boys!
Also magnificent, as I suspected she would be, was our Cor Anglais player Gundel, and not only musically, she also looked lovely too!

Back at the hotel, coming out of the lift on the sixth floor I meet Andris as he comes out of the lift opposite me.  He is looking very happy, and of course very damp!
He says to me that he is very happy, and it's a big thing to play  Dvorak  to an audience in Prague.  "Well" I say jokingly "I think we got away with it!"  And he laughs and says "got away with it, yes!"  To which I reply "I think it was rather more than got away with it" at which he laughs even more, I thank him and then come back to my room to finish the blog tonight.  What a nice man he is! 
So to finish off today here are a few final pictures that need no explanation, and I'll see you tomorrow in Austria.

Good night and God bless, and if you haven't yet, I hope you will be soon!

Good afternoon, and welcome to Prague, having had a good long sleep last night, I awoke refreshed and breakfasted extremely well courtesy of the Hilton. Then the Orchestra set forth for the rehearsal at the Dvorak Hall  in the Rudolfinum.  Arriving at the hall and negotiating the maze of corridors beneath it, I find my viola in its travelling box and mount the stairs to the platform, where, as I climb I can hear Paul Lewis practising part of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto.  It's immediately obvious that today's piano is somewhat superior to the one he was given when we played the second piano concerto  with him a few weeks ago in King's Lynn! Apropos of Paul Lewis, I should like to say hello at this juncture to a rather special lady who has the dubious privilege of sponsoring or endowing my chair in the orchestra.  That lady is Mary Brown, one of our most enthusiastic and delightful fans. When she came to hear us just before we set off for the Prom a few weeks ago, I managed to catch her before the concert, where as always she was immaculately dressed, and her usual bubbly self.  When I asked what she thought of Paul Lewis’s playing, since she had heard him before, she replied that he was a wonderful player and with a twinkle in her eye said "he's rather pleasing to look at as well"!  Personally, Mary, I think it must be the curly hair, and the passing resemblance to Ian McShane.

Today's concert is probably the most important one of the tour in many ways.  It speaks volumes for Andris’s confidence in himself and in us that he would choose to play Dvorak's New World Symphony in Prague, hence the title of today's blog!  Selling fridges to Eskimos was what Andris asked us to do today at the end of the rehearsal.  I think we stand every chance of doing just that!  It also speaks volumes for Andris’s confidence in us, that during the rehearsal, whilst we gave great attention to Beethoven's Emperor Concerto with the inestimable  Paul Lewis as soloist, fresh from his triumphant performances of all five of Beethoven's piano concertos at the Proms, Andris trusts us enough that he rehearsed  the Dvorak very little, only checking the acoustic, with Mike Seals help, and changing a few small points to suit the acoustic of the Dvorak Hall.
So until tonight after the concert here are some pictures of the rehearsal, including one of the star of the slow movement of the Dvorak, our  Guest Cor-Anglais player (we haven't yet appointed anybody to the post since Peter Walden retired) Gundel Janneman-Fischer, whose playing of the solos in Dvorak has have been both beautiful and expressive every time we have played it on tour so far.  I have no doubt that tonight will be no exception.

Any chance of her having the job? I would certainly vote yes!

I hope to catch you later on, until then good afternoon.

Now I know how to spell “Viola” in Czech!

Gundell

The Rudolfinum

I stopped for refreshment at this delightful coffee and cake shop, and then it dawned on me that it had been a butchers shop in a past life!