Brahms and Strauss, Side by Side

What do Johannes Brahms and Richard Strauss have in common? The introspective Brahms tinted his music with autumnal sadness, looking back wistfully to admired compositional forebears. The brash Strauss colored his juicy harmonies with daring instrumentation and even asserted his self-confidence by titling an autobiographical composition A Hero’s Life.

But the two men had their commonalities as well. Both heirs of a profound German music tradition, they wrote works that have been stirring listeners’ souls for over a century. And they touched common ground last Monday afternoon, when the Minnesota Orchestra joined forces with the Minnesota Youth Symphonies and Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies for side-by-side rehearsals of Strauss’s Rosenkavalier Suite and Brahms’s First Symphony.

Excitement permeated Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis as kids walked in carrying instrument cases and music. Thrilled to play alongside the Big Boys, they were also nervous. Would they be able to hold their own, each student playing next to a seasoned vet? Happily both youth orchestras and the adults played well. They enjoyed working with Minnesota Orchestra Assistant Conductor Courtney Lewis, a gifted musician and teacher who commanded excellence without sacrificing geniality. Courtney demanded care and style for every musical nuance. He emphasized the primacy of non-stop listening by the players and maintaining a solid group pulse.

GTCYS had its own regular rehearsal later that evening. While the kids had had a long day, they were also newly motivated to listen, keep a pulse and play expressively. One of them remarked on how inspiring it was to double up with folks who played every note like it mattered. I will close this blog entry by opening the floor to you, the readers. Those who were there at Orchestra Hall, what did you take away from the event? I’d love to hear from students, their parents, and the pros. And even if you weren’t there, or aren’t a musician, what think ye of the whole notion of student and teacher partnering up?