Last night was out final rehearsal for CARMINA BURANA here in Grand Rapids, MI. It went incredibly well and it amazes me how a 170 person choir, over 100 piece orchestra and soloists can get it all together. This piece exact rhythmic drive as well as perfectly tuned, quiet, chant-like unisons throughout. CARMINA BURANA doesn't reach it's fullest effect unless it's absolutely precise, with abandon. The songs are about life, love, lust, and drinking - precision of the feeling of abandon is necessary. That precision and unity in the orchestra and/or choir is never just about  watching the conductor, it is about listening to everyone else around you, knowing what's going on at each moment, anticipating what's next and knowing with whom (of the 300) you are playing or singing at all times. Incredible concentration, and multiple levels of awareness, self and outward, is necessary in order to make this happen. It's unbelievable. I am always amazed how the orchestra does this when they are playing pieces with singers. Instrumentalists simply have their part without any context at all. If they are not already familiar with the piece, they have only few short rehearsals to listen, watch and figure it all out. Singers, at the very least, have scores with piano reduction accompaniments that can give us the idea of what is happening while we are singing so we have some context entering a rehearsal. Thankfully the conductor helps to answer the questions like, "With whom am I playing? Who am I doubling? What instrument/voice am I listening for in this passage?"  I am always impressed by the quick response of the players. Challenges in a piece of this scale present themselves, for example, when one player needs to try and tune an octave with a fellow player all the way across 100 the room.