Mats Norrman wrote:

>Could someone explain to a guy who not has English as mother tounge what a
>"rest" is?

It's a written pause in the music where the musician doesn't play.

In the fiercely competitive world of freelance music in NY, there is such
a thing as the "Substitute's Prayer" in which a musician in a Broadway
show, say, quietly murmers to himself before a performance "Lord please
don't let me play in a rest!!" You play in a hole like that you don't get
called again for the gig.

We were rehearsing the Korngold trio yesterday and in the scherzo there is
a marvellous rest at the beginning of the coda, where the voices build up
to a huge climax and at the most intense moment there is a huge 2-beat rest
that simply knocks your socks off.

Rests can be challenging, and they have to be counted carefully or you
come in wrong.  In my old orchestra job, where I was principal cellist,
I counted every single rest because I have to lead the section on the
entrance.  It's not so important if you play tutti because you see everyone
around you getting ready to play, you play too.  But the principals can't
see the section, and it is pretty embarrassing to be happily sitting there
when the rest of your section makes the entrance and you don't.  Just to
say in the habit, if a movement or piece ended with, say, 8 bars of rest
for the cellos I counted them too.

Dave Runnion
http://www.mp3.com/serafinotrio