Russian Romantics

TSO held an open rehearsal of it's Russian Romantics programme, with guest cellist Joshua Roman.

I'd hoped to hear what conductor Nathan Brock was saying to the musicians to tweak their performance, but unfortunately, my ears couldn't pick up the vocal direction.

There were frequent stops and starts, and lots of questions from the first violinist.

Here's some trivia I learned about Glinka's Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila: the composer attended a wedding dinner at the Russian court, and from up in the balcony, the clatter he heard from knives, forks and plates left such an impression he imitated them in the prelude to Ruslan.

Unfortunately I can't find Nathan Brock playing any of the Russian Romantics, but here he is playing Bach, with  high words of praise from legendary cellist, YoYoMa: