Concert Reflection
Terranova, because everyone followed the dynamics and the sound level. The forte was very impactful, and pianos were very calm. Not only that, it was our last piece, and the strong dynamics gave a good impression and memory of our orchestra.
I personally think I performed the best on winter where Yumi had a solo. The reason for this is because I was able achieve somewhat calm and loud pizzicatos, which really helped represent a christmas night. Not only that, I was able to keep tempo and time, by looking at the conductor and being aware of the big bars. Before a big bar starts, Ms.Banahene would give a gesture, which helped me out a lot when transitioning from pizzicato to martele.
I was very nervous, because I was on a new bass, and it was much louder. This means that mistakes that I make will be heard more loudly. But even if I did make mistakes, I started to relax a bit, because we were performing cheerful christmas themed songs, and a performer’s feelings are often expressed through performance.
I did 2 things to prepare for the concert. First, I was taught by few of my cello friends how to place the fingers firmly on the board, to prevent squeaking sounds and to produce a smooth sound. I asked the cellos because they had a similar instrument from mine, and the way they use their fingers on the fingerboard was same as me. Second, was to change my double bass. When I first played on the high school bass in 7th grade, I remember it having a much more deeper and vibrant sound. So for this christmas concert, I thought that using this bass from now may improve the general quality of music.
My mother came to the concert, and her biggest comment was the double bass I was using. In her view, the new one sounded much more louder and vibrant. For her this was very clear in my pizzicato in winter. But on the other hand, I was not standing straight all the time, and my face was neutral.
I think the piece that was the most emotionally satisfying was le divin enfant. The reason for this is because of the synchronization and the harmony of different instruments. The violins and the xylophones successfully set up a warm cozy feeling. Then, the lower strings also demonstrated harmony with pizzicato and long notes. Because every part of the orchestra had their unique role and opportunity, this piece was the most satisfying for me.
Hornpipe was the piece that demanded many parts of knowledge, emotion, and technically. This piece had a huge variety of dynamics, bowing techniques, and tempo. The dynamic would often change from p to f quickly, making me think very carefully when bowing. Not only that, some notes had to be played short, while others long. This demanded me to carefully look at the signs on the note to play the correct way.
