Recordings, Part 4 & Concerto Competition, Round 1

I performed in the first round of the Concerto Competition for UVIC yesterday evening. I feel pretty bad for my accompanist, as she had to work with the most horrendous piano ever created. When you've got bobby pins holding half the lid on, and you can't move the thing because you're worried that the legs might fall off, then it's time to get a new piano.

This first round involved only the people auditioning from the brass studios. There were four of us, two trumpets and two trombones. We're all pretty good friends too, so I think it made some of the guys feel uncomfortable about it, as no one wants to upset someone they like.

In any event, Charlotte (my accompanist) and I played well yesterday, and I was told that we are going on to the next round of the competition, involving all the finalists from all the studios of the school (brass, winds, strings, piano)! It is pretty exciting, as I love to play this Ewazen work, and the more often, the better! I think I will do a recording of it in September, as the recital hall here is permanently wired for professional recordings. So even if I do not make it to one of the coveted four spots on the Concerto Competition Concert, I want to have a recording of this piece, because it is so fun!

Speaking of recordings, this is the last one that I am going to put up from the benefit concert back in March. This is a work by Karl Pilss, Scherzo, and it is a fun little stand alone work. Much like the Three Pieces from before, we chose this piece as it was not so long on the face like the Ewald or Ewazen. Having called the Three Pieces like "mini Mozart" in an earlier post, in my mind I relate this Pilss work to "baby Bruckner", because of the long scherzo movements of his symphonies (notice my use of alliteration!). This quintet piece just has that type of feel to it.