Every musician has stories of concert disasters, from minor happenings to full-blown catastrophes. There are wrong cues from the conductor, music blowing away in outdoor concerts, musicians falling off risers...
Years ago I was playing in a community orchestra and the big finale of this particular concert was the 1812 Overture. It's the one with canon at the end. It's often played on the 4th of July, though the victory it celebrates is the Russians beating the French in 1812.
One of the viola players offered to supply canons for the concert. We did not rehearse with the canons, they just came for the concert. I actually don't know how many of then there were - they were in the wings on the side of the stage that was furthest from the horn section.
You might guess where this is going.
Everything was going great. We got the section near the end of the piece where the canons fire. They began going off with satisfying booms. But, they also created smoke. Quite a lot of smoke as the piece continued. And the smoke drifted onstage. It was thick smoke and soon it began to shroud the stage, obscuring the conductor and most of the orchestra.
We kept playing. I think the smoke was thickest at the rear of the orchestra, where I was sitting. We managed to finish the piece and everyone pretty much acted like it was nothing out of the ordinary while we were taking our bows.
I think that might be the last time I played the 1812.
A good performer keeps on going no matter what happens acting like it was a planned part of the show. Lobe this. arjeha
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was a memorable concert, though for unusual reasons!
Delete