BISQC Blog:

The joy of trains

Posted by Rachel Desoer, Cecilia String Quartet
Tuesday, 5 April 2011

En route to Italy, from the Cecilia String Quartet’s Youtube travel blog

One of the unexpected joys of this trip for me has been the train rides. I’ve always preferred traveling by train (especially with a cello) and the trains in Europe are fast, punctual, comfortable and quiet. I was very pleasantly surprised when we rode through the mountains from Munich to Meran and beside the Rhein from Bonn to Nurnberg. Such gorgeous scenery almost rivals our voyages through Canada.

The experience of travelling and working is an interesting challenge. We’re always tired and rushed, often with insufficient time to practice, especially individually. We’re very aware of how important it is to be musically prepared before the tour begins. Concerts are going well, despite these challenges. I so enjoy playing in each new space in dress rehearsal and seeing what it has to offer and the difficulties it brings.

Overall, the halls here are so beautiful visually and acoustically. In fact, I think they have even helped us with some balance issues we were working on in Canada. We spend dress rehearsals getting used to the space and going over any spots any of us would like to fix. We’ve been working on this tour rep for quite awhile now and when I stop to think about it I’m amazed at how much refinement we’re still enthusiastic about making on it. The most rewarding part is still the concerts for me. The collective energy on stage is thrilling and the spontaneity a source of a lot of fun. Even though circumstances often test us I think we’re incredibly lucky to be able to do this work.

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