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RE: Orchestral Players -- 2 Questions

Hi Goldenthal - the number of rehearsals in a professional orchestra will vary quite a bit, depending on what kind of program it is. For most pops shows, most big orchestras will have only one rehearsal 90% of the time. Two at most, if it is particularly difficult.

For a normal classical subscription series concert, most major orchestras will have four or perhaps five rehearsals, earlier in the same week as the performances. The soloist on such programs are usually only there for one rehearsal in addition to the dress (which is normally on the morning of the first performance), and generally those two rehearsals would be the only times the concerto would be rehearsed, unless it was a particularly difficult accompaniment. The rest of the rehearsal time would be spent on the rest of the program. Different music directors/guest conductors will apportion their rehearsal time VERY differently. Some of them are much better with time management than others....generally the average rehearsal length of one rehearsal in a major orchestra is two and a half hours, including a fifteen minute break somewhere around the middle of the time period.

For a runout concert, or free neighborhood concert, where an orchestra performs say in a local church, there would probably be only one rehearsal.

Many major orchestras have a few different children's concert programs that they rotate per season, which are each rehearsed once at the beginning of the season, maybe over two rehearsals, and then performed many times throughout the season.

Operas usually have a couple of orchestra only reading rehearsals, followed by a couple of reading rehearsals with the singers, followed by a couple of full dress rehearsals.

Ballets usually have again two orchestra only rehearsals, and then probably just one dress with the dancers.

So it depends on what type of program is being performed, and to some extent also on how difficult the program is. As someone else said, there are slight differences between not only different countries, but different orchestras within that country. No two will be exactly the same, but the above amounts would be average here in the US.


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