Music Monday

A change in direction for Music Monday tonight as I have just been having my string quartet rehearsal. One of my not-so-secret no-so-talents is that I play the cello, and our quartet rehearses two or three times a month, depending on our impossible schedules (first violin has just started a new job with network rail, viola is getting married next week etc.) Anyway, it turns out that my parents were right: if I just stuck at it and did enough practice, playing the cello *would* bring me lifelong joy. (Of course I don't practice any more. Let's not go crazy.)

I love playing in the quartet. It's completely different from anything else that I do. It's non-verbal for a start, which is a relief after a day spent writing, and unlike most of my leisure activities, I am participating rather than observing (TV / cinema / theatre / other music / art etc). It's collaborative, which makes a welcome change from the solitude of my work. It's creative, but in a responsive way; I'm not in charge of composing the music, just interpreting it as well as I can so that it will sound beautiful. Or if I can't manage beautiful, nice. Or if I can't manage nice, at least I can try to get most of the notes in the right place. Even if they are the wrong notes. Suffice to say we aren't planning any performances any time soon, but it does bring me a huge amount of pleasure from my limited ability.

Anyway, here's a new piece we started today - the first movement of Schubert's 'Rosamunde' quartet in A minor.



Imagine being a quarter of that! Amazing feeling, right?