Another week with RIAS Kammerchor!
We have continued with the upcoming concert’s repertoire: James MacMillan’s Stabat Mater, Maximilian Steinberg’s Passion Week and Antonio Lotti’s Crucifixus. On Wednesday, Ensemble Resonanz, a world-class string orchestra from Hamburg, joined our rehearsals for Stabat Mater and Crucifixus. Between Passion Week’s movements the orchestra will also play Dmitri Shostakovich’s Kammersinfonie (Op. 110a), a strong and expressive work that is dedicated to the memory of the victims of fascism and war.
The highlight of the internship so far was on Wednesday, when Justin Doyle let me conduct the whole third movement of MacMillan’s Stabat Mater – my absolute favorite! I was impressed how well the orchestra responded to my conducting and how eager and energetic they were in general. Of course, there were some rhythmically demanding passages that were not yet perfect but still went quite well.
This week I have learned a lot about making quick decisions while conducting the ensembles and when sitting close by assisting Mr. Doyle and marking the score for places to check. Also, sitting in the concert hall in the general rehearsal and listening to the balance between the choir and orchestra taught me a lot about reacting quickly when needed. Since solutions to balance problems are not always self-evident, I found it challenging at times. After this week’s experiences, I believe I will be more confident and quicker to trust my ears. Making decisions in a matter of seconds becomes gradually easier, but you need courage to try it for the first time.