Travel to Lucerne
The orchestra arrived safely in Switzerland, traveling as a group via a charter flight to Zurich and buses to Lucerne, while the cargo traveled separately in climate-controlled semis, (you’ll learn all you ever wanted to know about orchestra cargo in tomorrow’s blog). Everyone seems to be in good spirits after a successful Luxembourg experience. After a gruff immigration officer asks for my passport for the fifth time, I hear an eminently more pleasant sound, the laughter of children behind me, and I am reminded that several orchestra members are traveling with family members on this tour.
Cellist Michelle Djokic and her son Nicholas waiting for bags to arrive
Acting Principal Trumpet Bill Williams with his wife Margo and
5 month old son Elias, hands down the youngest and cutest in our travel party.
Here we are in Lucerne, Switzerland, a painfully cute lakeside town on the shores of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstädter See), surrounded by Alpine peaks, with small ferry boats criss-crossing the blue waters. Founded as an important trade center in the 12th century, it has such charming sights as the Chapel Bridge (first built in 1333) and the adjacent 13th century water tower. It’s hard to believe that in 1601, the town was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami, two words not normally associated with docile Switzerland. But all around you, the oldy-worldy charm of Lucerne quickly perishes such thoughts of nature’s fury.
Picturesque Lucerne: the Chapel Bridge and water tower
Tour staff get their first breather, l-r: Orchestra Personnel Manager
Rebecca Edelson, Technical Coordinator Tim Carless, and Tour Manager Joyce Wessling (the Queen-o-touring!) on the banks of Lake Lucerne
Our home for the next three days is the stylish waterfront concert Hall, the KKL (Kultur und Kongresszentrum Luzern, for those of you following along in German). Perched on a quite impressive lakeside spot, the modern structure is a highly visible part of the Lucerne “skyline.”
The waterfront concert hall, the KKL
Inside the KKL, the orchestra is on stage rehearsing repertoire for the next two concerts. One of the works on the programs is music from Charles Ives’ New England Holiday’s Symphony. This particular piece requires the sounds of churchbells. Now, the KKL has a lot going for it, but a collection of churchbells isn’t one of them. To produce this sound, the orchestra is “sampling” recorded churchbells into a keyboard to be played from the stage. Not quite the real thing…but pretty close.
Stage technician Hal Soogian monitoring the sampled bells
Soloists for the next two concerts are violinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Helene Grimaud. While Christian Tetzlaff just performed the Stravinsky Violin Concerto with the Orchestra for our Opening Gala in San Francisco and the piece just needs some minor touch up for acoustic levels, a bit more time is taken on stage with Helene Grimaud and the Ravel Piano Concerto, as she has not performed with the Orchestra in several years. Davies Symphony Hall audiences can hear Helene one month from today when she performs with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the NHK Orchestra as part of the San Francisco Symphony's Great Performers Series (buy tickets)
MTT rehearsing Debussy's Jeux at the KKL in Lucerne
The lovely and talented Helene Grimaud posing for your's truly
between movements of the Ravel Piano Concerto
Everyone's in good spirits after a productive rehearsal
Logging onto my laptop backstage, I find a review of our Luxembourg concert in the San Francisco Chronicle. (read the review) It seems we were quite the hit.
From the "It's a small world file"... SFS percussionist Ray Froehlich and Acting Principal Clarinet Luis Baez were shopping for chocolates at a Lucerne mini-mart, when a fellow shopper took Ray aside and said "hey....you're the percussionist from the Tchaikovsky 4 video, arent you? (referring to our Keeping Score DVD widely available in Europe)." Ray was floored. The loyal fan loved the video and made his way to Lucerne to hear the Orchestra because of it. He'll really be thrilled in November when three more episodes are available. (Keeping Score)
And a final aside from the bloggosphere…a reader wrote in to say: "Oliver....I am Elza van den Heever's mom, sitting in Johannesburg, and how great to be able to follow the tour and see the photos. Thank you. I hope the performances in Lucerne will be a triumph!"
wow....soloists' moms emailing from South Africa about a San Francisco Symphony concert in Switzerland. That’s why we love the web.
Cellist Michelle Djokic and her son Nicholas waiting for bags to arrive
Acting Principal Trumpet Bill Williams with his wife Margo and
5 month old son Elias, hands down the youngest and cutest in our travel party.
Here we are in Lucerne, Switzerland, a painfully cute lakeside town on the shores of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstädter See), surrounded by Alpine peaks, with small ferry boats criss-crossing the blue waters. Founded as an important trade center in the 12th century, it has such charming sights as the Chapel Bridge (first built in 1333) and the adjacent 13th century water tower. It’s hard to believe that in 1601, the town was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami, two words not normally associated with docile Switzerland. But all around you, the oldy-worldy charm of Lucerne quickly perishes such thoughts of nature’s fury.
Picturesque Lucerne: the Chapel Bridge and water tower
Tour staff get their first breather, l-r: Orchestra Personnel Manager
Rebecca Edelson, Technical Coordinator Tim Carless, and Tour Manager Joyce Wessling (the Queen-o-touring!) on the banks of Lake Lucerne
Our home for the next three days is the stylish waterfront concert Hall, the KKL (Kultur und Kongresszentrum Luzern, for those of you following along in German). Perched on a quite impressive lakeside spot, the modern structure is a highly visible part of the Lucerne “skyline.”
The waterfront concert hall, the KKL
Inside the KKL, the orchestra is on stage rehearsing repertoire for the next two concerts. One of the works on the programs is music from Charles Ives’ New England Holiday’s Symphony. This particular piece requires the sounds of churchbells. Now, the KKL has a lot going for it, but a collection of churchbells isn’t one of them. To produce this sound, the orchestra is “sampling” recorded churchbells into a keyboard to be played from the stage. Not quite the real thing…but pretty close.
Stage technician Hal Soogian monitoring the sampled bells
Soloists for the next two concerts are violinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Helene Grimaud. While Christian Tetzlaff just performed the Stravinsky Violin Concerto with the Orchestra for our Opening Gala in San Francisco and the piece just needs some minor touch up for acoustic levels, a bit more time is taken on stage with Helene Grimaud and the Ravel Piano Concerto, as she has not performed with the Orchestra in several years. Davies Symphony Hall audiences can hear Helene one month from today when she performs with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the NHK Orchestra as part of the San Francisco Symphony's Great Performers Series (buy tickets)
MTT rehearsing Debussy's Jeux at the KKL in Lucerne
The lovely and talented Helene Grimaud posing for your's truly
between movements of the Ravel Piano Concerto
Everyone's in good spirits after a productive rehearsal
Logging onto my laptop backstage, I find a review of our Luxembourg concert in the San Francisco Chronicle. (read the review) It seems we were quite the hit.
From the "It's a small world file"... SFS percussionist Ray Froehlich and Acting Principal Clarinet Luis Baez were shopping for chocolates at a Lucerne mini-mart, when a fellow shopper took Ray aside and said "hey....you're the percussionist from the Tchaikovsky 4 video, arent you? (referring to our Keeping Score DVD widely available in Europe)." Ray was floored. The loyal fan loved the video and made his way to Lucerne to hear the Orchestra because of it. He'll really be thrilled in November when three more episodes are available. (Keeping Score)
And a final aside from the bloggosphere…a reader wrote in to say: "Oliver....I am Elza van den Heever's mom, sitting in Johannesburg, and how great to be able to follow the tour and see the photos. Thank you. I hope the performances in Lucerne will be a triumph!"
wow....soloists' moms emailing from South Africa about a San Francisco Symphony concert in Switzerland. That’s why we love the web.
posted by OT at 12:07 PM
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