Tales of an Orchestra Den Mother | Part 5, International Symphonic Celebrities

Monday, April 18: Berlin Rehearsal and Performance

HYSO's first concert venue was the Heilig-Kruez-Kirche (Church) in Berlin. Built between 1885 and 1888, it was the smallest of the three venues on this tour. Nonetheless, it was a very interesting space.

Everyone was excited to see this German poster advertising the concert!

Rehearsal got the musicians back into a groove after their long journey.

Luke and The Bear during rehearsal.

Izzy's instrument was so large that they could barely accommodate it on the stage!

During rehearsal, Yana, Zhenya, and I folded programs. When there were no more programs left to fold, the three of us explored the neighborhood.

I was charmed by the German walk signs. But, Blucher Street? (Somewhere in the distance, a horse whinnied.)

One of the things that surprised me the most as we strolled the neighborhood was the number of very well-behaved dogs staying close to their people without leashes. Clearly, German dogs are well-disciplined.

Showtime was at 5:00 pm.

The Bear is an island of calm in a flurry of activity.

I was surprised by the number of people that came to watch an orchestra of American high school students. But Peter's prediction was correct and the appetite for live music was significant. It was here that I heard what would become a refrain from the locals at every concert: "These are high school kids? They're too good!"

Izzy's friend found her way to the concert! I was glad to have helped coordinate their meetup.

My first post-concert debrief came from Luke. Clearly, he had experienced a bowtie wardrobe malfunction partway through. But more substantially, he expressed frustration with one of the pieces where the orchestra made an error. I offered that he and the rest of the musicians were far more familiar with the music than their audience and that most people probably did not notice. I am not sure if this eased his mind or not.

In short order, it was apparent that many of the students were frustrated by that moment. It was the director who took responsibility for this, having improperly conducted a repeat section of the score. Regardless, they acquitted themselves well -- including their collective recovery from the mistake -- to a very appreciative audience in a foreign land. Does it get any cooler than that?

The Bear at the Heilig-Kruez-Kirche

Post-concert with Izzy, Erica, The Bear, Luke, and Gabe.

Dinner that night was at Schildkröte (Tortoise), a name that made many of the kids snicker (yeah, OK, including me). It was an example of a more traditional German meal that some of the pickier eaters did not care for.

The next day, we were to set off on the road to Leipzig. Gabe was reminded to ensure that Luke was actually awake before coming down to breakfast.