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Forgive the clich\u00e9, but listening to and watching a great symphony orchestra<\/a><\/strong> at its best is like admiring a well-oiled machine. Everything comes together perfectly, and the results are sublime. Or perhaps it\u2019s the proverbial swan, whose serene progress above water disguises the busy paddling below.\u00a0<\/p> But let\u2019s not forget that these smooth machines and gliding swans are made up of real people. For every performance that we as listeners enjoy, we can only guess at the range of emotions going on in those producing it: from sheer delight to shredded nerves, from adrenalin rush to repetition-induced ennui.<\/p> Below, we ask the players themselves about the works they love seeing appear on the programme, and those they approach with all the relish of a trip to the dentist for root canal surgery. What are their dream pieces, and what are their orchestral nightmares?<\/p> Chosen by <\/strong>Lyn Fletcher ‘Mahler<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Ninth Symphony contains fabulous string writing. The first movement in particular has an amazing second violin part, which always makes me jealous! However, for the leader, that same movement also has a beautiful solo at the end, with really soft glissando<\/em>s<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 I always enjoy playing it, even if it is fairly lonely.<\/p> ‘And then, after the crazy third movement, we arrive utterly exhausted at the final Adagio<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Here, if you have a string section that makes a very expressive, blended sound, it makes you feel part of something very special. It is very soft, but an incredibly reassuring feeling.’<\/p> Dream work, nightmare work: the violin<\/h2>
Dream: Mahler: Symphony No. 9<\/strong><\/h3>