It's almost time

My bout of severe cello avoidance, over two months long now, may be coming to an end. This week I thought about playing my cello. I watched a couple of cello videos on YouTube - The Chicago Cello Society has posted all twenty performances from their recent Popper concert in honor of Janos Starker - and indulged in a little retail therapy. I am trying on ideas for what I might like to play this year.

This is what I bought:

Possible solo pieces
Goltermann Capriccio, Marais La Folia (arr. Gendron), Vaughan Williams' Six Studies in English Folksong, Bridge's Four Pieces for Cello and Piano. I am also thinking that I would like another pass at Goltermann Concerto #4, to get the fast parts fast, and still would like to start Haydn C Maj concerto.

Chamber Music
Dvorak American Quartet. It would be lovely to be able to play that on demand, and it has lots of juicy technique. For the same reason, I want to work on the von Weber trio (flute, piano, cello).

For violin and cello: Lee Duet #2, Op 125 No 2; Gliere 8 Duets Op 39, Berg 16 Duets; Bartok Hungarian Folk Melodies. One of the violinists in the quartet I read with has expressed interest in playing some duets, and I really had nothing in my library.

For flute and cello: Villa-Lobos The Jet Whistle. The flautist from my trio would probably willing to play with me. I don't even know what it sounds like, but I'll bet it's fun.

Movie Scores
Music from Titanic and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, arranged for cello and piano. A totally uncharacteristic purchase, but I'm longing to be able to take simple tunes and make compelling music out of them. I thought this might be fun.

Fun. The operative word is fun. The last three years with T- have been so worthwhile, but somewhere along the way I forgot how to have fun.

Last week at church the orchestra played for the first time without prior rehearsal (and I played for the first time in a month). At one point during the read-through before the service, the choir director dashed over to me (while still conducting), bent over, ear to f-holes, and said "I think you're a little sharp." Yikes! I didn't think I was, but maybe my chops are flabbier than I think, and my hearing has even deteriorated.

I think it's time. Maybe next week I'll touch my cello.