vailian

My new piece actually got done in time... well, just barely in time. It was finished about a week before rehearsals started, but I still had to print up parts and distribute them. I was grateful to our orchestral librarians, who kindly helped with this part of it.
Such a lot of work went into it, it lasts about 12 minutes and is relatively complicated. There was a lot of resentment in the orchestra about having to play a new piece, and one from a basically unknown composer. I was very nervous before the first rehearsal, felt like a soldier must feel going into battle-- there is an excitement but also dread, knowing there will be violence but hope that one will come out of it all unscathed and maybe a little victorious.

But it was a victory, of course on a pretty modest scale, but the house was full (2000 people) at all three concerts and the reception was very good, there were cheers and 4 curtain calls each time.

And it has affected the way my colleagues see me, I think-- not just as another player but as a serious composer.

Very good for the ego. I am perfectly insufferable this week.