Momentous Rehearsing

This year's Beethoven 9 concert is assisted by members of the Cologne Symphony Orchestra.  All the principal strings, winds, brass, and timpani are from the orchestra.  It's exciting to have a solid block of tradition in our midst, a uniform way of playing together and of playing this piece, which is so familiar to them.  Every year, Sado-san leads our orchestra for this concert, and he can't help but bring his own unique energy to the work in a similar way.  But this year there is a new shade to the piece, provided by these musicians.  I've become familiar with Sado-san's expectations and preferences in certain sections and now those are being mixed with slightly different expectations and preferences.  Such is making music, meeting one another somewhere in the middle (or in the winner's court!) and creating a new version never made before and never repeated again, for ears that will perceive it just this once.