Dante's Inferno

It is loud in here. Everyone is talking to one another.

The lights begin to flicker acknowledging to the audience that something is about to happen. They darken moments later. A spotlight illuminates the stage.

There’s shuffling as the musicians settle on the stage. The room is silent. The musicians exchange glances as the curtain rises. They stand. The audience applauds. Nothing has happened yet, so why are they applauding? Someone in the audience may know someone who is on stage, but nothing is ever said. The audience knows they are anticipating something, but what?

The conductor walks on stage, stops at the music stand, bows then faces the musicians. The applauding stops. He motions his hands down for the musicians to sit. They sit. There is shuffling once again. The conductor raises his baton and the room gets quiet. A tempo cue is all the musicians need to see. With a raise of the baton, he cues the oboe, which is heard in the distance as if it’s not even there. As 30 seconds pass, the percussion, along with other instruments crescendo in. The flutes take charge of the melody. It is heard in the background as other instruments overpower it. As the middle of the song seems to be a dramatic climax, chains are heard as if someone is walking. An oboe chimes in once again with the beginning tune. A piccolo enters a couple measures later and plays along. Once they finish, moaning is heard as a whip is thrashed. More chains are dragged and they fade as a trumpet sounds as a possible savior. As the trumpet decrescendos the saxophones play the tune the flutes did earlier. Other instruments join in with a dramatic ending. The percussion leads the band to the theatrical finish with a fermata and fading out as the conductor brings down his baton.

The musicians watch as the conductor sets his baton on the stand and turn towards the audience. The majority of the audience stand and applaud. The musicians sit quietly and await further instructions. The conductor quickly faces them and motions for them to stand, then faces the audience again for a final bow.

As the applause weakens, the conductor faces the musicians once again and motions for them to sit. This is getting confusing – stand, sit, stand, sit – can’t he make up his mind?

The curtain falls and the room gets just as loud as it did before they preformed.

Now what?

The musicians scurry off the stage to meet with loved ones and friends in the audience.

“You did very well.” “Good job.” “Thank you.”