The strength and power of the individual in an orchestra rehearsal

“How much do you rehearse for a concert like this?” is a question I’m often asked. Especially by people who also play an instrument or sing in one of the many choirs, brass bands, or fanfares our country has (and yes, that’s a real treasure!), curious to know how a professional symphony orchestra prepares for a concert.

Well, let me tell you in confidence: a professional symphony orchestra rehearses very little. And it’s simply a matter of budget: rehearsals are expensive. Imagine having to pay for 85 architects, 85 lawyers, or 85 skilled professionals working for seven days straight in your home. You probably wouldn’t want to pay that bill. Leopold II once said, “Classical music is a noise that costs an awful lot,” and aside from the word ‘noise’, there’s unfortunately a lot of truth in his quip.

Your Belgian National Orchestra operates (like many other orchestras around the world) in productions, which generally take place over a week. During the weekdays, we rehearse (often 3.5-hour sessions), and concerts take place during the weekend. A new week means a new programme, a new orchestra setup, a different conductor, a new soloist — in short, a new production. This results in four or five rehearsals for a new programme. Such a rehearsal schedule is planned over a year in advance, taking many factors into account: the complexity of the programme, the orchestra’s experience (or lack thereof) with the repertoire, the availability of the conductor and soloist, the musicians’ monthly and yearly workload, the availability of Bozar and the rehearsal room in the Ravenstein Gallery, and so on. This rehearsal space (located near the rotunda in the Ravenstein Gallery, opposite Bozar) is currently being renovated. One floor has been removed to build an exact replica (down to the last centimetre) of the Bozar stage, allowing the orchestra to rehearse in the same configuration and with optimal acoustic conditions.

This limited number of rehearsals means that the orchestra and conductor are essentially always working in a kind of 'rush mode.' Every minute counts, and sometimes real little miracles need to happen. For instance, we recently played Mahler’s Seventh Symphony (a monumental work with a complex orchestra setup, rarely performed) with only four rehearsals due to the circumstances. Mahler himself had 24 rehearsals for the premiere! Despite the few rehearsals, our performance of that ‘Mahler 7’ went well. As Leonard Bernstein said: “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time”.

Working against the clock and rushing from one production to another is something you get used to once you are a member of the orchestra. I remember how challenging it was at the start of my career with the Belgian National Orchestra: first Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, the week after The Rite of Spring, then Brahms’ First Symphony and Daphnis et Chloé, followed by the Queen Elisabeth Competition... It seems like an endless stream of beautiful but demanding music.

As an orchestral musician, you can only survive this pace if you take the time and effort to maintain your individual preparation. And I’m not just talking ‘generally’ (keeping in good shape on your instrument, watching your diet, staying active, getting enough sleep, etc.), but also ‘specifically’: thoroughly studying the concert programme at home before the first rehearsal (often while the previous production is still underway). I sometimes start working on difficult solos six months in advance to ensure I’m ready when the production begins.

For me, this individual preparation is a perfect example of ‘the paradox of the strength and power of the individual’. You might be tempted to think: “Hmm, in such a large orchestra, if I prepare a bit less for the next production, it probably won’t be noticed among my colleagues”. And that may be true in 95% of cases (unless you have a big solo, of course), but… If every member of the orchestra thinks like this, it leads to a collective disaster: the orchestra will sound terrible. At first glance, you have little impact as an individual on the collective level, but if everyone thinks and acts in this way, the consequences for the whole group will soon be dramatic.

This is similar to the plastic water bottle you buy on the go to quench your thirst. Your purchase of that one plastic bottle won’t make a significant difference to the global ecosystem, but if millions of people choose to fill their own reusable bottle every day and use it throughout the day, it will certainly make a considerable difference in the waste and environmental impact. One individual action may seem insignificant at first glance, but if many people take the same action simultaneously, the impact becomes huge. This is the paradox of the strength and power of the individual...

I hope to see you at a future concert at Bozar or elsewhere in Belgium. And after the concert, rather than drinking from our reusable bottles, let’s raise our glasses and toast with a cold beer or a nice glass of wine. Cheers!