G.P.

During past days I have been traveling so much that there was no way to update my blog, sorry! What happened is worth telling anyway: After I returned to Paris from Jyväskylä I was just spending my time with some friends at the Cité des Arts and elsewhere, and attending the rehearsals at the ONF. I was planning to go to Moscow for the following week to meet Yuri Simonov, the chief conductor of the Moscow Phil, and follow his rehearsals and concerts.

A call from Mikkeli changed my plans suddenly - Daniel Raiskin had cancelled his concert with the St Michel Strings and they needed a replacement fast! As I had already bought my flight ticket to Moscow I decided to go there first and meet maestro Simonov, and then take a train right away to Finland.

Maestro Simonov after the tutti rehearsal

So, in Moscow I spent one day following the rehearsals of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Simonov is one of the toughest repetiteurs around: He started the day with one-hour wind sectional, correcting every wrong rhythm and unclear intonation on the spot. After that there was a tutti rehearsal followed by sectional for violins conducted by him, while his assistants led the rehearsals for violas, cellos and basses. Very efficient way of working I must say!

The famous Mikaeli concert hall, where many good recordings are made

From Moscow I took a night train to Finland, and after picking up the scores that were mailed to me I took a train to Mikkeli. There I started to rehearse a program on Monday morning. On Tuesday we were joined by our soloist Thomas Bloch from Paris, who plays rare instruments Ondes Martenot, Glass Harmonica and Crystal Baschet. In this concert he was playing the Glass Harmonica (which by the way is invented by the USA Founding Father Benjamin Franklin). The local newspaper made a nice story about us before the concert (in Finnish).

My glass harmonica soloist Thomas Bloch

The surprise work week squeezed all the juices out of me so I am still in Finland, resting... In a couple of days I will be back in Paris to assist Maestro Masur in a program of Dutilleux and Tchaikovsky.

P.S. It was great to see Monsieur Bloch again in Paris. And what a dinner!