I'm in heaven....

When I originally pondered the thought of coming here to Salzburg to study I was not only enthusiastic about the work I would do at the Institut, but with all the other things that I might be able to do as well. I live in a very rural part of Wisconsin and it's pretty safe to say that my husband (who is the music professor at the local campus) and I often grow weary of all the musical demands placed upon us. You know, things like playing for a club's Christmas meeting providing background music for 3 hours for $25, or trying to cobble together a string ensemble to accompany the community chorus. I was looking forward to participating in musical events for which I had no personal responsibility other than to show up. And of course practice in the down time....
One of my goals was to play in an orchestra, something I've dearly missed since being dismissed from the Green Bay Symphony for political reasons. I have to say that the GBSO experience was my first major political skirmish. I had been good friends with the executive director and his replacement was his polar opposite. Anybody who had been friends with the former ED found themselves without an orchestra to play in. In a fabulous twist of fate, I received a phone call about five years after this had all transpired asking me if I could sub in the orchestra. First I was stunned, then I started laughing and asked "Is this a joke???" The woman on the other end assured me that she was perfectly serious. She'd heard I was a good violist (if indeed there is such a thing!.... see...I can make jokes at my own expense!) and she hadn't been with the orchestra long enough to know the political background. I might add here that the ED who had done all the firing was himself summarily dismissed after some improprieties so she didn't know him either. I respectfully declined.
I may have mentioned before that I borrowed a viola from the Mozarteum. It's a pretty good instrument and I enjoy playing it. The bow could be better, but my husband says that I am pretty spoiled in the bow department, which is true. Just before I was sacked, I had invested in a serious new instrument and a serious bow (translate:$$$) I was going to bring my rig with me, but decided against it at the last minute because it was just too much to drag along. The instrument that I'm borrowing has been christened "Astutula" by the witty and ever popular Virginia from Italy. Those of you that know Carl Orff's stage works will understand the joke behind "Astutula" and if you don't know them, look them up because they are worth the effort.
Now I was armed with a viola and I'm playing some chamber music with the other people in my class but I was still looking for an orchestral experience. The Mozarteum orchestra is a pretty tall order. I didn't want to have to audition (I'm a little rusty) and I wasn't up for a conservatory style competitive experience. I'm too old for that. One of the students at the Institut was playing in the University Orchestra which is a different entity altogether and said that I was welcome to join that. No audition was necessary and I would be more than welcome because I played the viola and violas were in short supply.
I went to my first rehearsal last night. It is EXACTLY the kind of group I wanted to play in. Everyone was SO nice and SO excited because I was a violist. One of the violinists asked me before the rehearsal even started if I wanted to play chamber music. Of course I do!! The rehearsal was conducted entirely in German and I am happy to say that I had NO problem figuring out where I was, or what was being asked, or when it was my turn to play. I am delighted that I have an orchestral experience AND two and a half hours of solid non-stop German. I am in HEAVEN!!!
At one point I had to close my eyes and take a time out while the violins were being put through their paces to just let the fact sink in that I am here in Salzburg doing what I love. It was kind of overwhelming.
When the rehearsal was over, the violinist who asked me to play chamber music gave me a ride home since she lives nearby. She speaks wonderful English, a result of having lived in London for a while. We chatted and it turns out that we know quite a few of the same people thanks to The English Center.
By the way, we are playing a lot of.... what else?.... MOZART! The Overture to the Magic Flute and Symphony #40 (It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a Mozart!) and a Bruch Violin Concerto. Our concert is December 15th. It's a good thing that I brought a black concert dress although it might be fun to have to buy a new one. I'm losing a lot of weight thanks to the strenuous movement classes. This is not a bad thing!!
Life is good.