Contrasts

After driving back to Toronto last night after the recital, I hit the hay by 2 a.m., up at 7 to get myself to the TSO rehearsal.  Edwin Outwater put the show together very efficiently, making some demands on the orchestra but not getting bogged down in overly-ambitious refinements.  The orchestra is a gleaming beast, quite beautiful in a variety of poses, and one can imagine the potential for athletic alacrity combined with the rich sounds in all the sections.

I came home and slept like a stone, getting up in time to get ready for the early evening concert... something about being part of a large group has always exhausted me.  By contrast, I always feel energized by the recitals despite the greater physical demands.  I have always said that my greatest challenge in orchestral playing lies in the fact that we are sitting for hours.

Another show tomorrow, then off to Berkeley, California to edit my Vivaldi Concerti.