ezyang's blog

the arc of software bends towards understanding

Music

Art. Code. Math. (And mit-scheme)

I was in rehearsal today, doodling away second oboe for Saint Saens’ Organ Symphony for the nth time, and it occurred to me: I’ve listened to and played this piece of music enough times to know the full overall flow as well as a good chunk of the orchestral parts, not just mine. So when the hymnal calls give way to the triumphant entrance of the organ in the last movement, or when the tempos start shifting, simultaneously speeding up and slowing down, at the end of the piece, it’s not surprising; it’s almost inevitable. Couldn’t have it any other way.

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Dudamel visits MIT

Conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel will be visiting MIT today to accept the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts. Part of the awards ceremony will include a session with Dudamel conducting the MIT Symphony Orchestra; I’ll be on stage playing Oboe and English Horn on Rimsky Korsakov and Mozart. Our regular conductor (Adam Boyles) has been prepping us for this by taking, erm, unusual liberties in tempo and phrasing.

I’m not usually very aware of names of conductors, but I have heard Dudamel’s float across WQXR on occasion. The evening promises to be exciting.

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