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The hall in Castellon
The hall in Castellon is a modern structure outside of the city center. The auditorium seating is asymmetric, the lines clean and paneled in light wood.
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The Stage
The stage here is a true concert stage, with no curtain or provision for scenery. An orchestra member quipped that the clean lines of the building bore a striking resemblance to IKEA design; it was quickly extrapolated that the hall in that case might have arrived at the construction site in several thousand flat boxes, accompanied by one Allen wrench!
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Backstage
The backstage of concert halls are apt to be labyrinthine. PSO stage technicians arrive early to unload equipment, set up the stage, and finally to post directions to various parts of the building which will be used by the PSO musicians and staff during the evening. Signs sometimes appear in another language…
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Rocky, Kelvin, and John
Two of the PSO’s stage technicians, Rocky Esposito (l) and John Karapandi (r), chat with Personnel Manager Kelvin Hill (c). John and Rocky change from work clothes to suit-and-tie before the concert so they can work on stage after the audience has begun to arrive and be seated.
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Ted and Jim
Also backstage before concerts are tour physician Ted Osial and WQED’s Jim Cunningham…
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Maestro Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Maestro has changed into his tails and is ready for the evening’s performance.
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Bill Caballero
First horn Bill Caballero smiles as he chats with colleagues before going off stage to change into his concert attire.
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Erina Laraby-Goldwasser
Another of the PSO’s newest members, violist Erina Laraby-Goldwasser, smiles for cameraman Chuck Lirette.
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Peg Box
The pegs of string instruments are of wood and are carefully fitted into the part of the instrument’s scroll called the peg box. The slight adjustments necessary to tune accurately also require that the player push inward on the peg at the same time so it will not slip, as there is a great deal of pressure on each string when it is fully tuned. String players learn to twist their fingers into odd configurations according to which peg they are turning, and how the head of the peg happens to be aligned, as violist Marylene Gingras-Roy demonstrates here.
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Marylene Gingras-Roy
Marylene plays as she turns the peg in order to monitor a string’s pitch.
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A French Horn waiting to be played
A French horn sits on a player’s chair, a pencil clipped to the inner tubing. Symphony musicians never go on stage without a pencil for making notations in the music. Ink pen is never used – requests from one conductor will very likely differ from the requests of another, so marks must be able to be erased.
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A Triangle
The triangle sits ready on its stand. A percussionist may have to play several instruments in quick succession, so instruments are carefully arranged to be accessible according to the repertoire’s demands.
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Timpani Sticks
Timpani sticks sit at attention. The size and density of each stick’s head will produce a slightly different tone quality.
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Selecting a Reed
A great deal of time in a double-reed player’s life is spent making reeds. Fine adjustments are constantly being made even after the reed is “finished”, so the double reed section always arrives on stage with their tools. Seen here are the reed knife and a sharpening stone for the blade, which is kept razor sharp to enable the fine work.
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A Reed Case
The result of many hours of work, reeds sit in their case for tonight’s concert.
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David Sogg
The concert has begun, and players are completely focused on their work. Concentration is reflected on everyone’s face, here from bassoonist David Sogg…
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The Conductor
Maestro Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos is caught in a solemn moment during the performance.