commenting May 16, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : News, miscellaneous, add a commentI’ve been made aware by a few readers in the last week or so that some security features were making it impossible to contribute comments to this blog. This is obviously not a good situation! I’ve gone in and changed the settings to make it as simple as possible give public feedback to posts.
My bad! I found the little hidden checkbox to eliminate registration as a requirement for commenting, and have also put up a new contact form here. Feedback appreciated!
Wordpress, which is the blogging platform that I’m using, does not allow unsubscribed readers to comment. For that reason, if you wish to comment, you need to go to the register link up at the top right of the window and give a name of your choosing and a valid email address. You’ll receive via email (at the address you supplied) a link which will allow you to login along with an automatically generated password. Just click the link, enter your name and password, and you’re good to go.
After you login, you’ll be sent to your profile page - if you want to change your password, or give a new nickname or your real name or change your contact information, you can do that at this page. I would suggest changing your password at your first visit, since it is computer-generated and difficult to remember.
If you have any difficulties, just go to the “contact me” tab and shoot off an email and I’ll do my best to assist you!
for the love of it May 16, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, the orchestra world, add a commentIt’s easy to have a well-developed sense of ennui by the end of a symphonic season, at least if you’re a member of the ensemble. But, occasionally, it’s nice to have a gut check provided by one of your brothers or sisters in the orchestra world. Mine came this morning in the form of a rapturous blog entry by Columbus Symphony principal clarinetist David H. Thomas. There was a paragraph that reminded me of my experience playing the last movement of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony a few short weeks ago: (more…)
carmina cut-ups May 16, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, opera, soloists & recitals, the orchestra world, add a comment
We had one of those priceless moments tonight during our evening rehearsal (our first with the Portland Symphonic choir for this series) - Soprano Cyndia Sieden was singing that most gorgeous and time-stopping aria (the one that goes up to a super high D) from Carmina Burana. She had just done the slow scale up to the high D, and was at the pause before the phrase ended, and the whole hall was silent: you could have heard a pin drop - she was sounding phenomenal, and everyone didn’t want the spell to be broken, and she turned to Carlos with a slightly helpless look on her face: she’d forgotten the last six notes of the aria! Of course Carlos cracked up, followed by the orchestra, Cyndia, and the entire chorus. It was a nice moment in an otherwise hard-working rehearsal session.
I was a bit out of it for the first part of the rehearsal as I’d decided that riding my bike to work on an 85 degree evening would be fun (plus my wife had the car). It was hot and I didn’t drink enough water along the way, so I was in a bit of a daze for a while. I also learned that riding with my viola on my back is a deal-breaker: the top of the case hits the back of my helmet so I have to keep my head way down to ride. Bummer!
