No loitering on way to disc
There's a lot to be accomplished in two seven-hour days. Time is precious,
and passing quickly.
The mission? To rehearse and commit to the unforgiving medium of digital
audio tape two harp concertos - an album's worth of material, some 50 minutes of
music, recorded for posterity.
No wonder there are more than a few discreet glances at wrist watches during
the luncheon break - it's a pressure situation and an expensive one. With 60
symphony musicians, one harp soloist, one conductor, and assorted CBC producers,
technical engineers, and assistants, the cost of this project is running into
the vicinity of $10,000 per hour. Needless to say, there's no dallying over the
lasagna, no digestifs.
"For composers, recording is as important as when you print music. Once it's
out, that's it, you can't change it any more," says Dr. Oskar Morawetz, esteemed
Canadian composer. His harp concerto, rehearsed Tuesday morning, is about to be
taped by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra with soloist Gianetta Baril, and he's
excited.
"No matter how you edit a work, there's something to be added, changed. A
forte (loud) marking, well, exactly how loud? It's all relative," Morawetz says,
adding, "even yesterday, the dynamics changed in the orchestral parts."
"Obviously, I take this project with the utmost seriousness," says Uri Mayer,
ESO conductor. A hard guy to read, Mayer exudes a calm, but it's a concerned
calm. "There's a heavy responsibility to everyone - the composer, the artist,
the orchestra, the public, the reviewers. In addition, there's the financial
commitment from CBC. It's an awesome responsibility," he says.
"There no pre-hockey game pep talk (no offence to people in other
professions)," Mayer continues, in answer to a question on how he preps the
orchestra for a broadcast recording.
"It's a challenge, but it's a comfortable atmosphere; we're committed to the
highest quality of production and an inspired performance," he adds, psyching
himself up for the arduous afternoon.
Gianetta Baril, harpist, chats easily at lunch, although the pressure is
really on her. When the symphony musicians get a break between takes, she
continues to work, recording cadenzas. But she's confident, well prepared; she's
been playing the Morawetz concerto since 1981. And a good day of recording is
now behind her; she finished the other harp concerto, by South American composer
Alberto Ginastera Monday afternoon, and it went well. She can see the home
stretch.
"I spent about 30 hours with Oskar in Toronto in preparation for this
recording," she says. "Now I know exactly what he wants, note by note." Still,
it's a fatiguing process. "The orchestra is fantastically supportive," she
continues. "I feel the ESO really wants to make an effort to do well for me."
Anton Kwiatkowski, the CBC's supervising producer and the audio wunderkind
who criss-crosses Canada recording all manner of orchestras, soloists and
chamber ensembles, also exudes a relaxed demeanor. A native of Dunfermline,
Scotland, he learned his trade working for the EMI label in London. He's worked
in many genres, from, as he says, "serious music to pop, to MOR, to big bands to
kids stuff - it's all useful experience."
For his part, Kwiatkowski is wishing that the ceiling in St. Theresa's Church
in Mill Woods were higher, the better to get some reverberation. "As I get
older, I prefer serious music," he says, "it's more of a challenge."
