Final posting on this subject: The concert was a great success. I've never seen an Edinburgh audience jump to its feet so spontaneously at the end of a classical concert. Amazing. I'm pleased that I seemed to do my small contribution to the satisfaction of the conductor, who publicly shook my hand. All very 'shiny happy people' at the end. No date yet for the BBC Radio 3 broadcast.
So what do I make of the experience? Well, I think Wagner was a genius, despite his abhorrent racial views. The guitar writing is very interesting, quite unlike anything else for the guitar from that period. He might not have had a great respect for the instrument, but he took the trouble to write quite innovative music for it. What instrument he had in mind is still open to debate, but it certainly had EADGBE tuning. However, despite feeling privileged to have taken part, I don't really want to get involved in anything like that again. I found it too stressful. I could have happily played a solo concert in front of that audience (full house - 2,000), but being a small cog in a larger wheel made me very nervous. Especially during the second act (no guitar in the first act) when I had to sit on stage for 35 minutes before playing. Once I started playing, I was fine, enjoyed it, in fact - but I felt very self conscious just sitting there. In the third act, I had 1 hour and twenty minutes before walking on to the platform. I spent some time with the brass players in the Green room. What is it about brass players? They spent their time exchanging (via bluetooth technology) the porn videos they had on their mobile phones, and giggling incessantly at rude jokes. All the brass players I've ever met are the same... Anyway, any history of the 19th-century guitar should take a serious look at this score. It is very interesting in its use of open string arpeggios, and the fantasia-fugue near the end of act 2 is based on the tuning of the guitar, although the instrument plays no part in it. I have the guitar score, if anyone is interested. Now to return to quiet, introspective music... Rob MacKillop www.musicintime.co.uk To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
