ingvild

So I'm taking part in this year's summer opera thing (we're doing La Traviata), and today was the first day we managed to have a full rehearsal at the stage. You see, it's outdoors, and it's been either too rainy or too windy to stay for long. And cold. Today was almost okay temperature, but we're all still covered in big sweaters and blankets and fingerless gloves.

Between work at the shop and work for my mum and rehearsals and all the damn vacuuming I have to do because we have four orchestra members living here and still two cats so it gets dusty, durnit, I don't have much time to update here. In case someone's wondering why I've more or less disappeared from the 'net.

So, it occurs to me that unless you know me offline, you don't know that I'm going on an orchestra trip this Easter. To Japan.

Anyone who wants postcards can message me their name and address! I'll be visiting Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, so if you have a preference in where you want the card to be from, let me know.
ETA:By "message" I really meant PM, but that's up to you. If you want, I'll PM my e-mail address so you can send it there.

We've got a pretty tight schedule, but I hope I'll have time to see some things. I really wanted to see the life-size (read: 59 feet, or 18 meters) Gundam in Shiokaze park, but apparently that was only up for two months, from June to August 2009. I am a sad mecha fangirl.

One of the hotels we'll be staying at is right next to Tokyo Tower.

I am...a little exited. You know. A teeny, tiny bit.

I also think I really need to practice intensively for the next two weeks, because the Sibelius symphony is kicking my ass.

...I finished the first draft of a paper where I talk about revenge tragedies, with regards to the characters Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy and Hamlet in, well, Hamlet.

...got notice that I have been "recommended for a place at the Masters programme in Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York".

...I will be ditching one orchestra practice to go to another. USO will be doing Fiddler on the Roof with Steinerskolen, and we only have four weeks of practice altogether.

Vestlandsfestivalen is a festival for school orchestras on the Norwegian region Vestlandet (although everyone who came were either from Hordaland or Rogaland). Ung Symfoni (my orchestra) participated, of course - we're one of the largest symphony orchestras for young amateurs in Norway, and the flagship orchestra for Hordaland (with members from other places as well).

I think the concert today went pretty well. Of course, not everything sounded equally well, but given that the youngest participants here were just kids, that was to be expected. We played three pieces, everyone together - over 200 musicians at stage at the same time.

Personally, I'm just relieved that there's no stabbing pain in my elbow right now. Actually, my arm is pretty okay, so it seems like that damn tendonitis isn't too bad.

The tendonitis is the reason I haven't been able to keep one of my new years' resolutions: To practice every day. I think I've managed to keep the one about updating once a week, though.

For the two people who read this who don't know: I'm part of the orchestra in a performance of Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohême in Korskirken. All income goes to Kirkens Nødhjelp, so it's a charitable thing.

Viola parts for operas aren't usually very interesting, but this one is actually rather challenging. It's been an intense week of rehearsals (combined with lectures, this means that I've been leaving home at eight in the morning and returning at ten in the evening every day), and today was the premiere. I think it went pretty well. At least the people I spoke to who were there were satisfied. So was the conductor and the director.

It's really rewarding to be a part of a project like this. Musically, it offers a different set of challenges to the ones I'm used to, playing in a symphony orchestra, and otherwise, it's an experience.

Unfortunately, it leaves me with an aching back, sore arms, and otherwise completely exhausted. It doesn't help that Ung Symfoni (my symphony orchestra which rehearses one week-end per month)has practice this week-end, which means that unlike most of the rest of the musicians, I won't get Sunday off.

Still. Totally worth it.