SONATA: TAKE 2

It is not often that I get another shot at performing a piece in the same town so soon - and at this moment, when logistical details of our big 10th Anniversary show are swirling around me, I am so very glad that I gave a preview of Douglas's piece last month at the New York Viola Society's collegial concert. It gives a chance for not only the performers, but the piece itself to get a rest in between and an opportunity for reflection and revision before being launched into sonic space again.

Rehearsals now are a bit different as well. Instead of wondering, "what do you have there? how does this fit together?", we are able to concentrate on more of the nuances and flow of the piece. However, since Doug did do a slew of little revisions that are not very obvious to the scanning eye at first, there were certainly a bunch of moments when Steve and I looked at each other and said "was this a 7/8 bar before?, what ARE you playing over there?".

It is also fascinating for me to see what my muscles remember a month later and to subtly train them to make these changes while simultaneously exploring how these new ideas effect the phrasing and pacing of this piece - and ultimately, how I feel when playing it. 30 days of just plain living has passed in that time, and just that alone can make a piece different...and hopefully better.