106 Ballet Interview Concertmasters Hebe Mensinga and Sarah Oates of the Dutch Ballet Orchestra Many ballet lovers will have come across the title ‘concertmaster’, but what does the role actually involve? Hebe Mensinga (HM): “You are, in a sense, the link between the conductor and the orchestra.” Sarah Oates (SO): “In ballet especially, that connection is vital. You are constantly working with different dancers, each of whom may need a slightly different sense of timing. Of course, all the musicians watch the conductor, but a conductor’s beat can often be interpreted in more than one way. It is the concertmaster who shapes that interpretation, and the rest of the orchestra follows.” HM: “You also have other responsibilities as well. For instance, just before the performance begins, you signal when it is time to tune. You ensure the oboe plays an A, so that all the members of the orchestra can tune their instrument to the same pitch. During the performance, you maintain close contact with the principals of the various instrument groups, and you lead the first violins yourself. The orchestra works together closely, but if something is unclear or goes awry, all eyes turn to the concertmaster. You have to make the call.” SO: “And you get to play all the wonderful first violin solos! Traditionally, ballets feature many prominent solos for the first violin, sometimes lasting up to ten minutes. It can feel as though you are performing a solo concerto at every performance.” Can you see anything of what’s happening on stage? SO: “We sit right at the front, which is the best place to watch, but it depends on the piece whether you have time to look at the stage or not. In some works, there are passages where the first violins are silent, but in others, such as Romeo and Juliet, we play almost continually.” HM: “If we have a big solo, we go into the studio with the dancers beforehand to rehearse. It’s nice then to get an idea of what’s happening on stage during your solo.” How do you prepare for a ballet performance? HM: “As concertmaster, you receive the When the lights go down, the conductor steps forward from the orchestra pit and shakes the hand of one violinist: the concertmaster. Hebe Mensinga and Sarah Oates talk about this role, which they alternate at the Dutch Ballet Orchestra. Between conductor and orchestra Dutch Ballet Orchestra
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