Happy Interlude

Tearing myself away from the desk (and its related deadlines) I made good on my plans, made weeks ago, to attend an open rehearsal of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff in Baltimore today.
I am so glad I did this.
First of all, walking into this hall gives you that feeling you get when you enter a cathedral, as though the top of your head has opened up to the heavens and the world has just become a bigger and more beautiful place, full of profound possibility. The hall is enormous, with soaringly high ceilings studded with spotlights that illuminate an interior of golden wood and cream-colored balconies that look like adobe outcroppings on high cliffs. This morning it was busy with 90-plus musicians tuning up and practicing their most difficult (or perhaps favorite) passages of Bartok and Tchaikovsky.

Add to that the feeling of privilege, to be let in on the inner workings of a well-respected orchestra and a maestra, Marin Alsop who has made history as the first woman to head a major American orchestra. I like her even better for her commitment to making classical music more accessible to those of us who are not (yet) steeped in its traditions. Perhaps her appeal is why, among the retirees in attendance, there were also plenty of young faces. The event was free, too – major bonus.

Alsop began the rehearsal punctually at 10 a.m., explaining the concert briefly (two pieces – Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto – would, at the actual concert, be preceded by the Hungarian and Romanian folk music that influenced Bartok). Then she turned to the orchestra and got to work. It was all very informal, musicians in blue jeans and untucked shirts, but also very professional, everyone focused and sharp. They seemed to enjoy the work, and the mood seemed upbeat, though of course from the audience, even during an open rehearsal, it’s hard to tell.

I am always fascinated by the way a good conductor just takes the entire orchestra in hand, as if its entire sound inhabits her body, while at the same time she shapes it and releases it into the concert hall for everyone to experience with her. And the sound of so many musicians coming together to create one sound is absolute magic to me.

As this was rehearsal, there was a bit of stopping and starting, but for me it served to make the experience more real – and showed Alsop to be a considerate leader, requesting, rather than demanding, alterations in dynamics and sprinkling her comments with “thank you” and “that was beautiful.” She even sounded kind when she remarked lightly, “I respect all of your tempi but I think it’ll be easier if we just go with mine.”

You can hear the BSO at the magnificent Meyerhoff, or, closer to (my) home, at The Music Center at Strathmore, right in Rockville, Maryland. It, too, is a beautiful facility and musicians particularly favor its acoustics. The Strathmore bonus is the great little snack bar/dining area outside the concert hall. (Full disclosure: I write about the arts for Bethesda Magazine, and Strathmore frequently appears in my work. I also write for Strathmore's magazine, Applause.)