Day Two: Circus March in La Strada rehearsals

Tuesday

10am - 1pm General Rehearsal

2pm - 5pm Dancers join musicians

This morning began with a normal orchestral rehearsal, focussing on details in the first half of the piece. We also discussed the film - what words and themes stood out to us. This will influence our performance and gave us a better understanding of the piece.

While this morning consisted of an enjoyable and necessary rehearsal, the real collaborating started in the afternoon...

We wanted to integrate the dancers into the orchestra from the very start, they joined us on our chairs and around the various sections. A unexpected start to the piece, but it suited the comical nature.

In the film there is a marching band advertising the circus. It seemed like a natural move to include that in our performance. Myself (first flute) and the first clarinet play the quirky melody with an um cha tuba accompaniment. The three of us march through the orchestra and, instead of memorising, we use the dancers to carry the music. Working with dancers to suit the music and space was a challenge however they enhance the humorous march with exaggerated movement and guide us through the space. The strings vamp the following section so we can return to our seats for the next melody.