Letter from Maestro Smith (9/21)

Thanks to one and all for a fun and productive weekend.  Your focus and energy throughout the retreat (and the day after) were impressive, and tells me so much about where we can go together this year.

Mahler is indeed coming together nach und nach, and please remember our discussion about the amount of individual attention this repertoire requires.  At our rehearsals, we are all learning each others’ parts and how we fit in, but there is simply no substitute for the individual practice necessary to figure out some of the tricky notes and fingerings.  Everyone now knows the lay of the land with these first two movements, so please commit your GTCYS 10 (or 20) to getting even more familiar and comfortable with the notes.

Each section has its unique challenges, and each plays its unique and vital role in making Mahler’s vision come to life.

EXCELLENT work on the Ives as well.  I appreciate that so many of you came well prepared.  The commitment is noted, and extremely valued!

See you in a few days — we will dabbling a bit in some of the third movement in the coming weeks, just to get our feet wet, so please be listening to that as well.

Thanks again for your commitment to each other and to this great music — MRS